Proud owners, top animals and striking breeds Part 2 ROYAL ADELAIDE SHOW 1-9 September 2006, POULTRY and PIGEON SECTION By: Tom Bowden The 2006 Royal Adelaide Show was the 154th show held by the Society. The showgrounds are situated on the southern side of the city approximately 1 km from the Central Business District. Approximately 600,000 people attend the show. This is about 40% of South Australia s population. It is the biggest single event staged in the state. Left: celebrity Minister for Education The Poultry and Pigeon section has the highest combined entry of any Royal Show in Australia. In 2006 2745 poultry, 1065 pigeons and 91 plates of eggs were exhibited. Considering that the population of South Australia is 1.5 million people this is an outstanding achievement. Right: New Champion cages at the Royal Adelaide Show. The section is organised by a committee of 8 councillors. There is a chairman and vice chairman and we meet 4 times per year. The administrative work for the section is carried out by employees of the Show Society. This committee system is used in all sections of the show and is unique to the Royal Adelaide Show. It is one of the reasons that this show is the best in the land. The committee members are heavily involved in exhibiting poultry and pigeons at state and club level and consequently are in constant contact with the grass roots of the exhibition scene. Winning a prize at the Royal Adelaide Show is considered the ultimate achievement through our show season. Poultry exhibitors in particular make the Royal Show their main emphasis hence the great support. Sadly this is not the case in other states. The poultry and pigeon pavilions are universally acclaimed as the best display facilities in the country. Left: Champion egg plate
POULTRY SECTION divided into 9 sections * Standard Heavy Breeds, 383 entries in 2006 Main breeds: Australorp, Australian Langshan, Plymouth Rock, Orpington, Wyandotte, Sussex. *Standard Light Breeds, 277 entries Main breeds: Minorca, Leghorn, Ancona, Andalusian, Welsummer, Campine, Hamburgh, Silkie. *Hard Feathered Large Fowl, 200 entries Main breeds: Old English Game, Indian Game, Malay and Australian Game. Sadly Modern Game have declined from around 50 entries (this was the largest display in Australia) to a handful. *Soft Feathered Bantams, 2 sections, total entries 717 Main breeds: Japanese, Sebright, Leghorn, Sussex, Frizzle, Ancona, Rhode Island, Pekin, Rosecomb, Wyandotte and Australian Langshan. *Hard feathered Bantams, 2 sections, total entries 417 Main breeds: Indian Game, Modern Game and Old English Game (with 241 entries this is the most popular breed) *Waterfowl, Geese, Turkeys, 337 entries Main breeds: Pekin, Rouen, Indian Runner, Buff Orpington Muscovy (60 entries) Campbell, Mallard and Cayuga. (One exhibitor showed over 50 muscovy ducks and drakes and made a round trip of 1,700 kilometres to get to the show!) *Juniors, 226 entries; Schools, 83 entries and Breeding pens (1 male and 2 females) 99 entries. 7 interstate judges adjudicate over the first 8 sections. The Juniors, Schools and Breeding Pens are judged by a local judge. These sections have special awards and do not compete for the Champion in show awards. Each section judge selects the best exhibit for that section from the breed champions in that section. The major awards are determined by the interstate judges through a secret ballot. Some states have a specialist judge to do this but we find that this suits us. Major award winners in the poultry section for 2006 were Above: Champion Bird in Show T&N Game Fowl Large Old English Game Ginger Cock Left: Reserve Champion Bird in Show a Natural Mallard Duck, from Edward James Brown.
Right: Champion Hard Feathered Bantam, Gumleaf Game Studs OEG, Blackred light leg Cock. Left: Champion Soft Feathered Bantam, White Wyandotte Cockerel from John Patrick Carroll. Right: Best Orpington in Show, Ron Wright, Buff Orpington Large Left: Best Rhode Island Red, Shayn & Mary Faehrmann, Bantam hen.
Right: Best Modern Game Fowl or Bantam In Show. Nicohle Fuller Modern Game Duckwing Cockerel. Above: Best Leghorn or Bantam in Show B. Oakey & A. Williams, Large White Leghorn Pullet. Left: Best Sussex Fowl or Bantam in Show. Dennis Hart, Large Light Sussex. Below right: Champion Rosecomb Black Cockerel. Below left: Winning OEG Blacktail wheaten pullet.
Above: Champion Bird in Show, OEG Ginger Cock Above: Champion Buff Orpington large. Below Exhibition Pens for poultry on the Royal Adelaide Show Above: Champion Heavy Breed, Black Langshan Hen.
PIGEON SECTION While the pigeon section is the largest of all the Royal Shows in Australia it is not supported by exhibitors with the same enthusiasm as the poultry section. One of the reasons for this that the pigeon fraternity holds a national show each year (in a different State) and this show is given priority by the majority of pigeon exhibitors. While it has been impossible to import exhibition poultry into Australia for nearly 60 years (1948) new breeds of pigeons are arriving all of the time. Established breeds have also been boosted by imports from overseas. The pigeon section is divided into sections: *Utility classes, 122 exhibits Main Breeds: Runt, King with small numbers of Mondain, Montauben, Carneau and Coburg Lark. *Fancy Classes, 612 exhibits There are 63 breeds represented; sadly many have less than 10 entries. Main Breeds: Brunner Pouter, Pigmy Pouter, Voorburg Shield Cropper, Carrier, Fantail, Jacobin, Archangel Helmet, English Short faced Tumbler, English Short faced Beard, West of England Tumbler, Hyacinth, Field Pigeon, Modena, Magpie, Ice. *Show Pen Homers, 144 exhibits *Flying Homers, 182 exhibits There are more specialist judges in the pigeon section and local judges are prominent. While breed champions are allocated (as in the poultry) there is no overall champion pigeon. There is a best young exhibit in show and a show pen homer. Left: Best Young Nun in Show. Right: Winning black Modena young Cock. But in this picture he is presenting himself rather poorly.
Left: Winning recessive red Modena young Cock Special Awards Best Silesian Swallow in Show Terry & Richard Darling Best Young Exhibit in Show Nick Player Reserve Young Exhibit in Show Bruce Pengelly Best Young Utility Aubrey Schutz Best Brünner Pouter or Holle Cropper DA Lewis & Sons Best Young Modena DA Lewis & Sons Best Young Australian Saddleback Terry & Richard Darling Best Bird in the 400 or 500 mile Flying Classes Colin Hawke Best Runt Aubrey Schutz Best Pouter or Cropper Ron Riddle Best Frill DA Lewis & Sons Best English Show Homer, Exhibition Homer or German Beauty Homer, Geoff Davis Best Egyptian Swift, Frill Back, Lahore or Saddleback, Geoff Davis Best German Beard, Brunswick Beard, English Shortface Tumbler/Beard/Baldhead Anthony Ferguson Best Colour pigeon Suabian, Hyacinth, Starling, Ice, Lark, Archangel/Gimpel, Terry & Richard Darling --------------------------------------------------------------------- Eggs Judgement Brown, white or speckled, you could find them here. Over 100 entries of eggs were judged this year. And did you know the birds on show lay over 240 dozen eggs during the nine days of the Show, all of which are donated to the Salvation Army? Copyright 2006 Aviculture-Europe. All rights reserved by VBC Deutsche Junggeflügelschau 2006 Hannover 21. und 22. Oktober 2006 Photos: Mick Bassett
Above: Waiting Right: Every case checked before allow. Left: Ready for the Show. Thanks to the Veterinary School in Hannover, which was authorized to check on all birds, we were able to hold this year s Show as well as the Bird sales. 12.000 animals were entered, many less than in earlier years. The Bird flu and all messurements concerning bird flu, certainly have minimized the number of breeders able to exhibit in Germany. Still all breeders and exhibitioners deserve a compliment; the Show was a big success! More pictures and info at: http://www.gefluegelonline.de/ Left and below: Penning
Copyright 2006 Aviculture Europe. All rights reserved by VBC.