SHOW RESULTS
Classroom Chicks Do It Again
Deb Howe, Head Honcho
05 December 2019
The results are in…
There is a whole heap of passion for our rare breeds here at Eggucation. ALL the chicks that hatch in one of our programmes come from birds, that the individual managers have a passion for conserving. Showing them, against other birds of that breed, has several huge benefits.
🐣It confirms to us that the birds we breed conform to the correct breed standards. 🐣It showcases them to other poultry keepers who will hopefully take the breed on. 🐣And it allows the team to have a fabulous weekend together to talk shop!
Our results this year have, yet again, been fabulous….
Debs’ Silver Welbar hen took the Autosexing Championship, and her Andalusian Bantam pullet won the overall best Andalusian competing against the large birds too. Take a look at our blog post in 2017 to see the story of how these beautiful birds, on the brink of extinction, started on their recovery at Eggucation HQ. Our setting have enjoyed having Andalusian bantam chicks in their incubators, and really enjoyed being part of the conservation of this breed.
Missy, the Silver Welbar Bantam.
Photograph by Debs Howe
There is a particularly lovely story behind Debs’ Autosexing Champion hen, Missy. The rarest breed on the Championship Row by far, there are probably fewer than 10 of these birds in existence. They have come from painstaking work to recreate them as they had disappeared entirely. This little individual hen, was found last year, freezing cold and floating in a water butt as she had fallen in. Debs’ 11 year old daughter found her, popped her down her coat, and brought her to the house. She wrapped her in a towel and watched TV with her in front of the fire to warm her up. Thus began a relationship that continues now.
“The rarest breed on the Championship Row by far, there are probably fewer than 10 of these birds in existence.”
Missy still watches TV with Florence, and lives in the garden with the other school visit hens. She’s a people person, who prefers our company to other hens a lot of the time. But she really started to look fabulous this summer, so Debs selected her to go into the show team/accommodation….and she looked perfect on the day. And was the only prize winner there who was happy to sit on Debs’ shoulder in the queue for photography, and in fact to hitch a ride around the show for her various photo opportunities! So you really will have a champion in your classroom this season!
The Eggucation Family – Simon & Dani Kent, Deb Howe, Colin Booth & Kate Odey
Dani had a great show too – her Vorwerk not only winning the Best Non-Standard Rare Breed (this means its a new and very rare colour Dani has been working on) but also Best Large Vorwerk with her stunning hen. Adding to this, her wins with her Araucana and Barnevelder bantams. Yet more rare breeds given the showcase they need to promote them.
Colin and Kate scooped a host of trophies for their amazing Araucanas, Kraienkoppe, Barnevelder and Thuringians.
Kate has kept chamois friesians in the past and had always loved their free range, almost feral lifestyle. Plus they are great foragers and lay a good size white egg . After a long time looking for the Red Mottled colour in these pretty birds, two years ago Kate imported a dozen eggs from Holland. They have proved to be very successful and have been the most numerous to hatch in schools in 2019. They are a little difficult to pen train but when they put on a good show they are very attractive!
Colin is very modest about the fact he rescued the Rumpless Araucana from extinction in the UK! He has worked very hard to promote and spread the birds around, but with his experienced and knowledgable eye, his birds are at the top of their game – it was no surprise that his won first prizes in both the Bantam and Large Fowl classes!
So all in all an amazing National Poultry Show for the Eggucation team!
So these birds will now form part of the parent stock, that will lay the eggs that come into your schools, care homes and events in 2020. And the chicks that hatch, will all come home to us, and might be our prize winners at next years championships.
Ethical. Educational. Conservation. Passion for Poultry. Thats who we are…….