Sample Showing & Fitting Questions Pacific Northwest Poultry Association October 2014

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1 What techniques did you use to prepare your bird for the show? o This is an open-ended question intended to demonstrate logic & reasoning. Show preparation begins at day one with proper feed & housing, handling, flock management and clean up prior to the show. What techniques do you use for washing your birds prior to a show? o This is an open-ended question as show prep varies depending upon the breed as well as the breeder and the location where the bird was raised. For example, soft-feathered breeds such as Cochins and Silkies may be blown dry while hard-feathered breeds such as Cornish & Old English Games should not be. Key elements should include: (1) warm bath and rinse water, (2) mild shampoo in the bath water, (3) a diluted vinegar rinse, (4) towel dry (5) a warm, draft-free location to complete drying and (6) add sheen to the finish by rubbing down the bird with a silk cloth before the show. Key elements to be avoided are (1) excessive use of bluing or whitening horse shampoo which will turn white birds a blue or lavender color, (2) spray on sheen which is sticky to the touch, and (3) dusting for external parasites immediately before the show. The over-arching principle is that the birds should be presented at their natural best without being overdone. What do the following abbreviations stand for: ABA, APA, BB, BV and AMP o American Bantam Association o American Poultry Association o Best of Breed o Best of Variety o Amprolium (used as a coccidiostat in feed) Name three strong points and three weak points of the bird you are showing o This is an open-ended question designed to demonstrate depth of knowledge about the exhibitor s own breed and understanding of how their specific bird complies with the breed standard. Strong answers should reference breed characterisitcs (e.g., shape, size) and may also include variety characteristics (e.g., feather color) and should demonstrate the relative weight of each according to the Scale of Points (APA Standard). Which six birds can you show with a clipped wing? o Canada o East Indie o Mallard o Call o Egyptian What is the order of bleaching and why does it happen? o Vent o Eye Ring o Earlobe o Base of Beak o Tip of Beak o Bottom of Feet o Front of Shank o Back of Shank o Hock Joint 1

2 What is the order of molt o Head o Neck o Breast o Body o Wings o Tail What are the three APA general disqualifications that apply to all species o Faking o Evidence of Communicable Disease o Lacking Breed Characteristic Where is the uropygium (not the uropygial gland)? o The uropygium is the fleshy and bony prominence at the posterior extremity of a fowl s body from which the tail feathers grow. It contains the free caudal vertebrae and the pygostyle (the plate of bone which forms the posterior end of the vertebral column in most fowl). What are the breeds and varieties where only the female is recognized? o Wheaten Malay o Wheaten Aseel o Wheaten Shamo What are pin feathers? o New feathers still covered in their protective sheath. In which breeds of chicken is squirrel tail not a disqualification? o Japanese o Serama What is the scientific name for domestic chickens? o Gallus Gallus Domesticus From what type of fowl were domestic chickens descended? o Chickens are considered to have been domesticated from the Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus Gallus), although some characteristics such as yellow skin color indicate that genes from the Grey Jungle Fowl also are present. Which nutrient should poultry have access to at all times? o Fresh, clean water How many feather tracts does a chicken have? o Ten. This is important to breeders as the genes for each tract are inherited separately. For example, this is why it is possible to breed a long-tailed fowl such as the Cubalaya that carries relatively short saddle feathers. How many eyelids does a chicken have? o Three on each eye: (1) upper, (2) lower and (3) nictating. What gaseous by-product of chicken manure is harmful to fowl? o Ammonia Which breed of fowl has a snood? o Turkey 2

3 Which breeds of chickens are required to have Vulture Hocks? o Sultan, Booted Bantam and D Uccle. Which breed of chicken does not molt its sickle feathers every year? o Phoenix. What is the sex feather on a duck? o Two or three curled feathers at the top of the tail on male ducks. Which breed of duck does not have a sex feather? What is the fluff in waterfowl? o The unwebbed portion of the feather. What is down? o An additional layer of feathering in waterfowl that helps keep them warm and dry. What is a dewlap? o A pendulous growth of skin under the bill or beak of Toulouse Geese, African Geese and Brahma females. What is the bow in waterfowl? o The upsweep of the keel bone. What is a contagious disease in ducks caused by the herpes virus? o The Duck Plague. Which breeds of gees have a knob? o Africans and Chinese What is a wry paunch? o Also termed uneven lobes in geese where one side of the abdomen hangs lower than the other. How long does it take a hen to produce an egg? o hours What is the cause of soft-shelled eggs? o Lack of calcium or vitamins and minerals that support calcium uptake. Less common causes are disease and pullets in early production. What is bumble foot? o A swelling of the foot caused by an inflammatory bacterial infection following a laceration or puncture. How do you treat Scaly Leg Mite? o The best treatment is prevention (e.g., ivermectin, frontline or spinosad) followed by early detection. If symptoms are noted, then washing the feet with warm water and a tooth brush should be followed by a topical treatment such as bag balm and a systemic such as frontline. How do waterfowl waterproof their feathers o By using their bills to coat their feathers with oil from the uropygial gland. What is the proper way to put a bird in the cage and remove it from the cage? o Birds should be caged head first and removed from the cage head first in order to reduce the risk of damage to the bird s feathers. 3

4 Which five breeds have five toes? o Faverolle o Houdan o Silkie o Dorking o Sultan Which chicken breeds are named after states in the US? o New Hampshire o Rhode Island Red o Rhode Island White o Delaware o Jersey Giant (New Jersey) o Plymouth Rock (Massachusetts) o Buckeye (Ohio) How many duck breeds are in the subject index of the ABA Standard? o Five Call Carolina Wood East Indie Mallard Mandarin Name the breeds in the American Class that lay a white shelled egg. o Lamonas o Hollands In what fowl is angel wing a disqualification? o All breeds of ducks and geese Which breed is helmeted? o Helmeted Guinea Fowl How many classes of waterfowl are there in the APA Standard? o Seven: Heavy Duck Medium Duck Light Duck Bantam Duck Heavy Goose Medium Goose Light Goose Which area of your fowl is mostly likely to have mites? o Northern Fowl Mites are most likely to be found near the vent, although can be found anywhere on the bird especially under the wing, near the hock and on the neck. Which breed has a beard but no muffs? o Turkeys. In chickens, beards and muffs are genetically linked even though the standards for some of the bearded chicken breeds do not indicate such. 4

5 What is the definition of hen feathering? o A male having feathers like a female (e.g., oval instead of pointed sex feathers) or a male with markings identical to the female. There are two hen-feathered chicken breeds in the APA Standard of Perfection the Sebright and the Campine. What is eclipse molt? o Eclipse molt is the molt the male Mallard and other wild color (grey) breeds derived from the Mallard go through after breeding season taking on the less colorful feather pattern of the female to conceal themselves from predators. The opposite of eclipse plumage is nuptial plumage. There are additional breeds in the ABA Standard that go through eclipse molt, including the Mandarin Duck and Carolina Wood Duck. A little known fact is that the Red Jungle Fowl is the only recognized breed of chicken which goes through an eclipse molt. Which chicken breed(s) calls for a dewlap on the male / female? o Toulouse Goose o African Goose o Brahma (female) What are the three webs of a fowl? o The web between the toes o The web of the feathers o The wing web Do chickens ever have teeth? o Yes, chickens have a temporary egg tooth on the top of their beaks when they hatch to help them break through the eggshell. In which breed of chicken is split wing not considered a disqualification? o Ko Shamo Which chicken breeds have a strawberry comb? o Malay Name a breed with caruncles. Which comb type is the most common? o Single Without looking, what is the legband number on your bird? Without looking at your bird, what is the proper eye color and leg color for your breed and variety? o The most common eye color for chickens is reddish bay, but other common colors are dark brown and pearl. When referencing leg color, the exhibitor should address both shank color and bottoms of the feet, which can be different. The color on the bottoms of the feet (e.g., white vs. yellow) is particularly important because it represents skin color, which is a breed characteristic. 5