Junior Showmanship
You do not need to preregister or have birds in the show to participate in the Junior Showmanship competition. While we do not have a dress code for our participants, your appearance should be tidy. While it does not need to be show quality, you will need to have a chicken to present during the competition that is recognized by the APA/ABA so that breed specific questions can be asked.
Resources
Note: Appropriate questions will be selected for each participant based on age. Additional questions not listed here may also be asked.
Basic:
- Name the variety and breed of your bird
- Point out basic body parts on the bird (head, feet, tail, etc.)
- (If female bird) What color eggs does your bird lay?
Moderate-Advanced Questions:
- Is your bird a bantam or a large breed?
- What type of comb does your bird have?
- Is your bird a pullet/hen or cockerel/cock?
- Name some things you do to keep your bird healthy
- Show the proper way to handle the bird; including how to put-in and take-out of the cage
- What class is your bird? Name 2-3 other classes of birds.
- What is some of the history of your variety/breed of bird? Is it recognized by the APA?
- Be able to point out more advanced body parts of the bird (parts of the wing, feather differences, etc.)
- Name some common disqualifications found in your variety/breed of bird
- Name something unique about your variety/breed of bird (feather leg, laced, etc.)
- What are some signs that your bird is healthy OR could be sick?
- Name some things you do to get your bird ready for a show
Digging a Bit Deeper:
Pre Junior (4-7)
YEPA Pre Junior Showmanship – What to Expect
- What breed is your chicken?
- What variety is your chicken?
- What type of comb does your chicken have?
- What class is your chicken in?
- Is your chicken a large fowl or a bantam?
- What color eggs does your breed lay?
- What body parts can you name? If stuck, point at and ask them to name head, feet, legs, toes, hocks, wattles, comb, eye, wing, ears, etc.
- How old is your chicken?
- Is your chicken a cock/cockerel or hen/pullet?
- Do chickens have teeth?
- How many toes should your breed have?
- Who is usually responsible for taking care of your chicken(s)?
Junior (8-10)
YEPA Junior Showmanship – What to Expect
- What breed is your chicken?
- What variety is your chicken?
- What type of comb does your chicken have?
- What class is your chicken in?
- What is the difference between a hen and a pullet?
- What did you do to get your chicken ready for the show?
- What are considered defects in your breed?
- What are disqualifications for your breed?
- How do you look for external parasites on your bird?
- How many days does it take for an egg to hatch?
- What is the Standard of Perfection and why is it important?
- What are the unique characteristics of your breed?
- What are some of the common parasites poultry can have?
- What does molt mean and why is it necessary?
- Does a hen need a cock or cockerel around in order to lay eggs?
Intermediate (11-13)
YEPA Intermediate Showmanship – What to Expect
- What breed is your chicken?
- What variety is your chicken?
- What type of comb does your chicken have?
- What class is your chicken in?
- Do hens crow?
- What does APA stand for?
- What does ABA stand for?
- What is a chicken’s breast bone called?
- What is coccidiosis?
- What does RB, BV mean on a coop card?
- What other breeds are in your chicken’s class?
- What is a stub?
- What are side sprigs?
- What is dubbing and what is a breed that requires dubbing?
- At what temperature are chicken eggs incubated?
- What is involved in conditioning a bird for show?
- What is a molt and why is it necessary?
- What is grit and is it necessary? If so, explain why?
- Are poultry considered herbivores or omnivores?
Senior (14-17)
YEPA Senior Showmanship – What to expect
- What does NPIP stand for and what is its purpose?
- What diseases are tested for in the NPIP program?
- What is considered the true stomach of the chicken?
- Name 3 chicken diseases, what causes them, and symptoms.
- Who are the judges for the show?
- Name the _ classes in the large fowl division.
- Name the _ classes in the bantam division.
- Name the _ classes in the waterfowl division.
- How many breeds of turkey are there?
- Name 3 external parasites and 3 internal parasites a chicken can have.
