Show Box Training
Getting "Birdie" Ready for the Big Show!
by Lori Castle
All Rights Reserved
There are two major steps to prepare your bird for Show Season. The one being conditioning and the other is show box training. The following will describe some of the methods I use to train and prepare my birds and some passed on to me by other exhibitors.
First I'll start with the Show Box. Even though they're not required by NCS for the Novice Exhibitor, if you do not have a show box I highly recommend getting one. Your birds' appearance will be enhanced by the solid light blue background and will judge better since many distractions, for both the bird and judge, are eliminated. If this is your first show and you don't want to invest in a show box just yet, a small cage with only a water dish and a perch will do. Or, ask around and maybe you can find a used show box or even borrow one from another exhibitor.
If you purchase a new show box, rough up the perches a bit. This can be done by taking a sharp knife or hand saw and drawing it over the surface of the perches. Doing this will allow your bird to grip the perch better, which, in return will make its stance much better.
Place magazine, computer paper or paper towels on the bottom of the box. Avoid newspaper, the ink off the paper will dirty your bird. I like to use paper towels and put several layers in for fast and frequent cleaning. Any bird feed placed in the show box should be put in a small dish and hung at perch level. Don't put feed on the bottom of the box like you do on the day of the show or your bird will be drawn to the bottom to eat. Your goal in training is to keep your bird on the perch at all times.
Look over "the chosen one" carefully for any broken or damaged tail or crest feathers, your bird will be faulted for these. If there are any, pull them out so nice new ones can take their place. Two months before the show is best so that the new feathers are at their mature and maximum length. This is necessary and does not hurt your bird! Be brave, hold your bird firmly against your chest, separate the damaged feather from the rest, grasp the feather as close to the birds body as possible and tug quickly.
Some exhibitors I know drastically reduce the hours of light and the temperature to force their show birds into a major molt a couple of months before show season, this way the birds have all new feathers. I prefer not to do this, because I feel these birds are more sensitive to light and temperature changes. If you only go to one show it's not a problem, but, if you go to several shows then one extra warm or extra cold show hall could ruin the rest of show season for you by throwing your birds into another molt. I prefer to try to keep my birds at a constant year round temperature (75 degrees). Of course the temperature fluctuates up and down, but not drastically or in any type of cycle. They're used to changing temperatures so they're not as sensitive to the show hall conditions.
Also, at this time you should trim any unusually long toe nails. Be careful not to cut them too short and into a vein or bleeding will occur. If the nail does bleed you can use a Styptic Pencil (for men that cut themselves shaving), or "Quick Stop" - a product made for birds, or even household flour to put on the nail to stop the bleeding. Use some pressure if necessary...
Now you're ready to put "birdie" in the Show Box. At first, only put him or her in for an hour or so at a time. Gradually work up to a whole afternoon (or evening), then on to a day or two. When "birdie" doesn't mind hanging out in there for a while take a wooden dowel (small enough to fit in the wire front of the box) and slowly stick it in to get the bird used to something being placed into the show box. Judges will do this to move a bird around or to get a bird off the bottom, so, it's a good idea to get "birdie" used to this so he is not frightened when it occurs. When "birdie" is comfortable in the box, perching nicely and doesn't mind the dowel he is Show Box Trained, and will only have to be occasionally re-acquainted with the box to remind him, and reassure you, that he is trained.
If "birdie" is bad and refuses to sit on the perch and constantly goes to the floor, try adding more paper up to a height of two to three inches below the perch. Another method, used by some, is to place ping pong balls on the bottom of the show box. If "birdie" is not be able to get a footing he will want to perch. Some exhibitors will turn the show box upside down so the slanted top is on bottom and the bottom of the box is on top. "Birdie" would rather sit on the level than on an angle. What ever you try remember the goal is to keep the bird on the perch. "Birdie" will not get far in the show if it will not sit on the perch.
When I have had problems keeping a bird up off the floor, I've taped a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the front wire portion of the show box starting about 2" under the perches. Since Cockatiels are curious and want to see what is going on around them, they have to perch to see out. Another thing I do is hang millet spray or some kind of treats above the perch to keep them there. This also helps keep them from chewing the attached cardboard.
I feel a birds' feather condition is the most important thing when it comes to showing. A smaller bird in peak feather condition can very possibly beat a larger bird in poor condition. Also, first time exhibitors may not be aware that the judge wants to see a non-clipped bird. Everything else being equal a clipped bird in good condition will not pass a non clipped bird in fair condition.
The primary method of keeping your birds in good feather condition is spraying your bird daily with cool water. A flower misting bottle works well for this. Cool water should be used rather than warm water, it will tighten the feathers giving a sleek looking bird. A few drops of Glycerin or baby shampoo may be added to the water to help clean and make the feathers shine. Also, when birds are sprayed often, they will groom often, helping to clean any dirty feathers and groom out the new pin feathers. Spraying lightly colored birds (Lutinos, Pieds, Albinos, etc.) is especially important since these color mutations show dirt very easily and need extra care to stay clean. After about two weeks of daily drenching "birdie" should be impossible to get wet. The water will roll off its back in the same manor as water rolls of a duck.
Offer extra food during this time to put on some extra weight and bulk, but not too much, you don't want an overweight bird. I feed some extra oat groats, corn and bean mix, and whole wheat bread. I also, try to feed these extras in the morning. Hoping they will get used to this special meal time and will fill up on the morning of the show.
When the morning of the show finally arrives you need to prepare the Show Box. First, remove the training paper and place just enough seed in to cover the bottom. Be sure not to use a seed brand that has any of those colored pellets or seeds that could stain the tail of your Cockatiel. Then place the show water dish at perch level between the 5th and 6th bars from the right of the Show Box as you face it. Show Box water dishes are available through NCS at a very reasonable price. You only want to use the standard Show Box water dishes. Other types of dishes could be considered marking a Show Box and since the judge is not to know who owns the bird, marked Show Boxes are a NO NO!
Then you want to catch "birdie" and groom out any pin feathers you can see. If its tail is dirty you want to wash it with a little soap and water, and rinse it very well. You can put a dish of seed or a treat in the box with "birdie", but remember to remove it before entering the show. Traveling to the shows I like to keep birds covered. I saved the large cardboard boxes my Show Boxes were shipped in. I just put the birds in their Show Boxes, place the Show Boxes into the cardboard boxes and load them up. During the trip they cannot see anything outside the box that might frighten them. Also, being in the box helps keep them warm and protected from drafts.
After coming home from the show with "birdie" and all the ribbons and trophies you may want to include supplemental vitamins to help it overcome the stressful excitement of the big day.
Good Luck!
The Day of the Show
Exhibiting Your Bird
by Henry Castle
All Rights Reserved
The most important thing to remember about the day of the show is "Start Early"! The morning of the show there is a lot of excitement and confusion for everyone. Before you start talking with friends or looking over the vendor tables and displays take care of checking your birds into the show. Remember it takes longer to fill out the show tags and entry forms than you think, especially if you exhibit many birds. Don't be that one person that everyone is waiting on before the judging can begin!
When you enter the show hall look for the admission table. This is usually where you pick up the catalog, entry forms and purchase your Show Box tags.
The catalog will have a couple of pages for the Cockatiel Division. The Cockatiel Sections are divided up for Novice and for Advanced exhibitors. Everyone is a novice exhibitor unless they choose to show as advanced or have met the qualifications of an advanced exhibitor.
An advanced exhibitor has won a Best Novice Award and placed 2 or more different birds in the top 10 of a major show(s) (one with 51 or more birds) or 3 or more in a minor show(s) (one with 16 to 50 birds). Although exhibitors are encouraged to move up to advanced as soon as they qualify they are permitted to finish that year as a novice exhibitor. Once someone exhibits as advanced (by choice or by qualifying) they are not permitted to show as novice again.
The Cockatiel Division is divided up into Sections. There is one section for each color mutation (Normal Grey, Cinnamon, Lutino, Pearl, Pied, Whiteface and Rare). Each Section is divided into classes. For example the Lutino Section is divided into color classes Lutinos, Lutino-Pearls, Lutino-Pieds, Lutino-Pearl-Pieds and Any Other Variety (AOV) and each color class is further broken down into Old Cock, Young Cock, Old Hen and Young Hen.
The AOV Class is a catch all for cockatiels not fitting into one of the other color classes and for birds with visual spots or ticking (birds split to pied) on the back of the head or neck. For a cockatiel to be exhibited as a young bird it must have a closed traceable band stamped with the current year. Birds not meeting this requirement are classified as old since there is no way of proving the age of the bird. This means that un-banded cockatiels, no matter what age, must be exhibited as old birds.
You need to identify and select the Section and Class your bird(s) belong in very carefully. The most common mistake made by exhibitors (both novice and advanced) is entering their cockatiels in the wrong class. As a novice exhibitor one important thing to keep in mind is cockatiels bred and banded by an advanced exhibitor must be shown in the advanced sections. But, if these entries place on the top bench, they do not affect your novice standing.
You are now ready to fill out your entry form and Show Box tags. The tag number should already be filled in on the Show Box tag. You need to fill in the division, section and class numbers that you are entering that particular bird in. Your name and address, a description of your bird (like "Old Cinnamon Pied Hen") and the band number (if your bird is banded), so also have this information ready. The remainder of the tag is the responsibility of the show committee. The entry form contains the same general information as the show tag.
The instructions on how to fill out the forms and tags are usually found in the front of the catalog. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully and to print clearly. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask the division secretary or steward. They will be more than happy to help you out, and, that's one of the reasons they are there.
After everything is filled out tie the Show Box tag on the bars in the lower left hand side of the Show Box. Give your entry form to the secretary (keeping a copy for yourself) and your bird(s) to the steward. The Secretary and Steward will double check the information for accuracy. Now, you can look around the show hall until the judging begins.
Once the judging begins only the division workers are allowed behind the judging bench. One very important thing to remember is the judge can not know who's birds are being judged until the end of the show. Be very careful not to let him know that he is looking at your precious one or the bird will be disqualified. Most judges will discuss their decisions during the judging, some even ask if there are any questions. You can ask questions but still cannot reveal ownership. If you have a specific question on your bird you must wait until the end of the show.
The steward will bring the birds in each class (like Old Normal Cock) to the bench for judging. The judge will place them in order 1 thru ? (from left to right). Classes will be judged one at a time and in the order listed in the catalog. After all classes in a section have been judged the steward will bring the winners of each class to the bench. The judge will then determine the best birds in that Section (Normals). Judging then proceeds to the Cinnamon classes and so on and so on. When all the Novice Sections have been judged then the stewards will bring the winners of each section to the bench. The judge will then determine the best 10 novice birds. The whole process starts over again for the Advanced exhibitors. After the best 10 advanced birds have been chosen, the judge will "work the Novice bench into the Advanced bench". He does this by comparing the Best Novice to the 10th, 9th, 8th... best advanced birds to see where the novice bird places in the top ten. If the best novice makes it above 10th then the second best novice is compared and so on and so on. One rule to keep in mind is a bird cannot be placed above a bird that had beaten it earlier. For example the 2nd best novice cannot be placed above the best novice in the final top 10. Another rule is that no un-banded bird can be placed in the top ten.
If your cockatiel has a closed tracable band and places on the Top Bench (final top 10) depending on the number of cockatiels in the show your cockatiel is awarded points toward becoming an NCS Champion or Grand Champion Cockatiel.
After the judging of the Cockatiel Division is complete the birds usually must remain there until the show is over (all judging is complete). Once the show is over you can check your bird out. Sometimes you go and find your bird(s) other times the steward will collect them for you, but you must have your copy of the entry form to check them out of the show.
Good Luck and Happy Showing
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Castle Enterprises, 2001
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