BBC Gardeners' World Live 2013

I've been working on the PoultryTalk stand at BBC Gardeners' World Live and Good Food Show at the NEC this week - has been really good!

Pure breed eggs on display from The Rainbow Egg Company:

We spent HOURS setting the stand up only to come in the next morning to find the roof had leaked all over it so had to move it all in half an hour, but other than that we've had a great week.

I did 4 Chicken Keeping for Beginners talks on the stand everyday which were really well attended, as well as a few talks in the VIP area.

I took Mabel and Doris the Pekins with me and we had a table full of chicks for people to touch and see; I think we were the most photographed stand at the exhibition!

We also revealed #ChickenWall at the show - a 4 x 2 metre long display with 60 photos of pure breed poultry in the UK!

It was great to be able to show people the variation in size, breeds and the different uses for poultry!

We had a PetzPodz animal house on display to show people different types of housing available

...as well as a more traditional wooden ark (with Mabel + Doris on top) and an Omlet Eglu in the background!

Edible Garden Show 2012

Had a really good 3 days at The Edible Garden Show this weekend!

Was there on the PoultryTalk stand so took 6 of my chickens with me, some for the show cages and others to go in an Ark on the stand.
Doris (newly named!) one of the pekins I bred last year sat on top of the ark for all 3 days being stroked and picked up by kids, was surprised at just how friendly + chilled she was tbh! :))

Never put all your eggs in one basket ...unless its just to show different colours at a show

I did a "Chicken Keeping for Beginners" talk in the Poultry Ring of the Smallholders Marquee ... got in the Daily Mirror because of it and everything too!
Think it went ok, felt more awkward being centre of attention with people all around me rather than just 1-2-1 like on the stand and at work but was fine! Hopefully people took bits away from it + encourages people to get chickens anyway.

Rupert Stevenson took some photos at the show and sent them to me (thanks!)... some sensible photos I actually like for once!

 And this one which is on the homepage of the Edible website and in their news roll ... feel famous :P

Couple more...

There were loads of photographers from the BBC, Daily Mirror etc there taking photos + videos so may have been on a few of those. Know it was on BBC news telly but I didn't see it.

I was dressed as a Chicken for most of the show (why not?!) and went to see The Chicken Vet for a check-up.

I had a bad case of Northern Fowl Mite but they cleared that up for me ;)

Was a great show... Everyone there was really friendly + looked like they were having a good time - credit to the organisers!

I wrote a Beginners Chicken Keeping factsheet to go with the talk, Jamie had 800 printed and they all went! There were 6 different care-sheets in total and think 2 or 3 of them went completely with a chunk of the other ones going too so there was a load of interest in chickens.

Piglets!

 Cute goat kid!

Looking forward to going next year! :)

Reading Bantam Show 2012

High Peak Poultry Show - Bakewell

Been to Bakewell today to go to the High Peak Poultry Show :)

Got there about 10ish and we're allowed in until 11 'cos of Judging, so we went and had a brew in the cafe. Met up with a few chickeny friends and sat there for ages talking.

Went into the hall just after 11 and then met up with a few more people.
Walked around the show, friends bought a few chickens from the sales pens! :P
Elaine got 3 goldtops (Silkie X Sussex) and 2 Welsummer bantams, like Esmerelda. I liked the look of the Fresians but got enough .... until hatching!!

Tasha's lot were up for judging and with her Barred Wyandottes she got 1st and 2nd in the pullet class and 1st and 2nd in the cockerel class! Was a bit tense waiting for the results and we thought another chicken had got it from looking at the judge, but he got 3rd! *phew*

Bit later on they came round to look at the 1st prize winners to compare the 1st's against each other. Another tense time, they went and got a Ggerman Langshans cockerel and him moved Jack (Tashas cockerel) into 2 pens next to each other to compare them .... put them both back and ... Jack got it!
He got Best Soft-Feather Heavy Bantam so was moved to Championship Row (or circle in the case) and he got Best Wyandotte.

Other friends showing got 1sts, 2nds and 3rds for their eggs.
Good results all round then!

Reading Bantam Show

Really looking forward to the "Reading & District Bantam Show" now!!

Am working for Cotswold Chickens again on the trade stand, and will see loads of Chickeny friends there! :P

Phoned Mother tonight to convince her to go. We should have Grumps' new car by then Nat has the Sat of work too so have booked them to stay at the same Travellodge as us on the Friday night, can some to the show on Sat and will get to see them on Fri :))

4 weeks to go! :P

Welsh National Poultry Show

Welsh National Poultry Show this weekend :)
Went up on Saturday with Tasha, penned her birds and headed for the hotel. Posh hotel this time! Was really nice, but really hot + couldn't sleep.

Show was on Sunday...
Photo shoot with Tasha's Best Fowl Trio that made it on to Championship Row! ;)

1st prize Bantam Wyandotte.

Appenzeller cockerel with a really cool comb!

3rd place game cockerel

Trio of Indian game in the sales pens

Indian game sales pens

Transylvanian Naked Neck!! How cool is she?! 8)

Chocolate Wyandottes in the sales pens! *wants* ;)

Tasha did really well again!! 1st, 2nd and 3rd with her Barred Wyandottes. Then best trio in the Heavy breed bantam class ... they were judged against the other 1st trios and she got Best Fowl Trio, so got on to Championship Row and got a medal :P

The Waterfowl Show was on on both days of the weekend, so there were a lot of waterfowl there - more cute call ducks!!
Welsh National isn't as big as our National but was still a really good weekend :)

Northern Poultry Society: Poultry Club Championship Show

The Norther Poultry Society
Poultry Club Championship Show

Sounds posh doesn't it?! ;)

Have posted off my form + entered Cilla the Silkie + Alice the Barred 'dotte into the show.
3 tinted bantam eggs again, and a bantam egg contents for the first time - they crack the egg open onto a plate and see how fresh it is, how orange the yolk is ... stuff like that!

Its on 16th Jan so will be going up to Yarkshiiire!

Federation Championships Poultry Show 2010

So this weekend is the Federation Championship Poultry Show 2010 at Stafford :)

Was meant to be working on the Cotswold Chickens stand but we had to pull out and cancel the stand last minute 'cos of the snow.
The hall with some of the 7000 entries:

 

Sales pens - Modern Game

White call ducks!

Buff Orpingtons - texted a photo to Dad 'cos he's always wanted some, and he phoned me to say we could get them! Decided not to in the end, but it planted the idea of getting new chickens! :P

Pair of Brahmas...

Poor stressed out geese with a bleeding foot :( Went and told the stewards but nothing was done about them

Blue Silkies!!

Brahma who won first prize

Game cockerel:

Another Brahma! He was really friendly and loved being fussed...

Crazy looking fantail pigeon!

Canary with a feather hat on:

Araucana eggs - photo doesn't really show their colour properly!

Whiter than white pekin!

Love her! She was in the rare breeds section, have forgetten the breed already though

Large fowl white Naked neck cockerel

Show Champion - Hamburgh:

Show trophies...

Tashas first prize boy Tarzan

Tasha's boy that got on to Championship row for Best AOC Wyandotte, Best Barred and Special rosette

Tashas first prize trio with Alice in

Tasha's girls:

Large Fowl barred wyandotte boy

Cool carry box...