Author: mlhamon

I have been playing with an AI Program called Microsoft Copilot and I asked it to create a report on the State of The Exhibition Poultry and Pigeon Hobby in 2024. Below are the results! I was amazed!

Matt

# The State of Exhibition Poultry in the United States in 2024

Exhibition poultry is a hobby that involves raising, breeding, and showing domestic birds of various breeds and varieties. Some of the most common types of exhibition poultry are chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guinea fowl. Exhibition poultry enthusiasts can participate in local, regional, national, and international shows, where they compete for prizes and recognition. They can also join clubs and associations that promote and support their interests.

## The History of Exhibition Poultry

The history of exhibition poultry dates back to the 19th century, when poultry shows became popular in Europe and America. The first poultry show in the United States was held in Boston in 1849, and the first American Poultry Association (APA) was founded in 1873³. The APA is the oldest livestock organization in the country, and it is responsible for setting the standards and classifications for poultry breeds and varieties. The APA also publishes a quarterly newsletter, an annual yearbook, and sponsors various events and programs for its members.

The APA is not the only organization that caters to exhibition poultry hobbyists. There are also breed-specific clubs, such as the American Bantam Association, the American Waterfowl Association, the National Turkey Federation, and many others. These clubs offer their own newsletters, shows, meets, and awards for their members. They also provide educational and networking opportunities for poultry enthusiasts.

The American Bantam Association (ABA) is one of the oldest and largest organizations for exhibition poultry hobbyists in the United States and Canada. It was founded in 1914 by Charles E. Rockenstyie, who was also its first president¹. The ABA is dedicated to promoting and supporting the breeding and exhibiting of bantam poultry, which are miniature versions of standard poultry breeds. The ABA publishes the Bantam Standard, a book that describes the characteristics and requirements of all the bantam breeds and varieties that it recognizes¹². The ABA also publishes a quarterly magazine and annual yearbook, hosts poultry shows and provides judges for them, and provides information and education on bantam breeds³².

## The Benefits of Exhibition Poultry

Exhibition poultry is a hobby that can offer many benefits to its practitioners. Some of the benefits are:

– **Beauty and diversity**: Exhibition poultry comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities. There are hundreds of breeds and varieties to choose from, each with its own unique characteristics and traits. Exhibition poultry can be admired for their aesthetic appeal, as well as their genetic diversity and heritage.
– **Fun and challenge**: Exhibition poultry can provide fun and challenge for hobbyists of all ages and skill levels. Raising and breeding poultry can be rewarding and satisfying, as well as demanding and challenging. Showing poultry can be exciting and competitive, as well as friendly and social. Exhibition poultry can also stimulate creativity and innovation, as hobbyists strive to improve their birds and achieve their goals.
– **Education and learning**: Exhibition poultry can offer education and learning opportunities for hobbyists and the public. Hobbyists can learn about poultry anatomy, physiology, genetics, nutrition, health, behavior, and management. They can also learn about poultry history, culture, and industry. The public can learn about the importance and value of poultry, as well as the diversity and quality of exhibition poultry.
– **Family and community**: Exhibition poultry can foster family and community involvement and engagement. Hobbyists can share their passion and knowledge with their family members, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. They can also participate in local, regional, national, and international shows, where they can meet and interact with other poultry enthusiasts. Exhibition poultry can also support various causes and charities, such as animal welfare, conservation, and education.

## The Future of Exhibition Poultry

Exhibition poultry is a hobby that has a bright and promising future. Despite the challenges and threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition poultry community has shown resilience and adaptability. Many shows have been canceled or postponed, but some have been held online or with safety measures. Many hobbyists have continued to raise and breed their birds, and some have even started new projects or ventures. Many clubs and associations have maintained or increased their membership, and some have launched new initiatives or campaigns.

The exhibition poultry hobby is also expected to grow and expand in the coming years, as more people discover and appreciate its benefits and opportunities. The hobby is becoming more accessible and affordable, thanks to the availability of information, resources, and technology. The hobby is also becoming more diverse and inclusive, thanks to the involvement and contribution of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. The hobby is also becoming more relevant and influential, thanks to the recognition and support of the public, the media, and the industry.

Exhibition poultry is a hobby that has a lot to offer to its practitioners and the society. It is a hobby that combines beauty, fun, challenge, education, family, and community. It is a hobby that celebrates the past, embraces the present, and anticipates the future. It is a hobby that is worth pursuing and promoting.



Source: Conversation with Bing, 2/24/2024
(1) Exhibition Poultry Hobby & the APA – American Poultry Association. https://amerpoultryassn.com/2021/10/exhibition-poultry-hobby-the-apa/.
(2) . https://bing.com/search?q=exhibition+poultry+in+the+United+States.
(3) Show Poultry At Peck’s Farm. https://www.pecksfarm.net/.
(4) IPPE 2025 | Jan. 28 – 30 | Atlanta, Georgia USA. https://ippexpo.org/.
(5) Meat, Poultry & Seafood Trade Shows in United States. https://10times.com/usa/meat-seafood/tradeshows.
(6) Poultry Show Dates. https://www.poultryshowcentral.com/poultry-show-dates.html.
(7) Livestock & Poultry trade shows in USA – Trade Show Directory. https://www.eventseye.com/fairs/cst1_trade-shows_usa-united-states-of-america_livestock-poultry.html. 

(8) https://www.bantamclub.com

The State of the Exhibition Pigeon Hobby in 2024

The exhibition pigeon hobby is a form of animal fancy that involves breeding, showing, and admiring domestic pigeons of various breeds and varieties. According to the National Pigeon Association (NPA), there are over 800 recognized breeds of pigeons in the world, each with its own distinctive features, colors, and patterns³. Some of the most popular exhibition pigeon breeds in the United States include the American Show Racer, the English Carrier, the Fantail, the Frillback, the Jacobin, the Modena, the Roller, and the Trumpeter³.

The exhibition pigeon hobby has a long and rich history in the United States, dating back to the late 19th century, when the first pigeon shows were held in New York and Boston³. Since then, the hobby has grown and diversified, attracting enthusiasts from all walks of life and backgrounds. The NPA, founded in 1920, is the largest and oldest organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the exhibition pigeon hobby in the United States³. The NPA organizes and sanctions hundreds of local, regional, and national pigeon shows every year, where fanciers can compete for awards and recognition, as well as exchange knowledge and experience with fellow breeders and judges³.

The exhibition pigeon hobby also has a strong educational and cultural value, as it fosters an appreciation for the diversity and beauty of nature, as well as the skills and artistry of selective breeding. The hobby also provides opportunities for learning about genetics, nutrition, health, and animal welfare. Moreover, the hobby helps to preserve the heritage and legacy of the domestic pigeon, which has played an important role in human history as a messenger, a food source, a symbol of peace, and a companion³.

One of the challenges that the exhibition pigeon hobby faces in the United States is the lack of public awareness and support for the hobby, as well as the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that some people have about pigeons and pigeon fanciers. Some of the common myths that the NPA and other organizations try to dispel are that pigeons are dirty, diseased, and pests, and that pigeon fanciers are eccentric, obsessive, and antisocial³. On the contrary, pigeons are clean, intelligent, and adaptable birds, and pigeon fanciers are passionate, friendly, and diverse people who share a common interest and love for these amazing creatures³.

Another challenge that the exhibition pigeon hobby faces in the United States is the threat of urbanization, development, and regulation, which can limit the availability and accessibility of suitable spaces and facilities for keeping and breeding pigeons, as well as the legal and ethical issues that may arise from the ownership and management of pigeons. Some of the factors that pigeon fanciers have to consider and comply with are zoning laws, building codes, animal welfare laws, environmental laws, and public health laws, as well as the rights and interests of their neighbors and communities³.

Despite these challenges, the exhibition pigeon hobby in the United States remains a vibrant and thriving activity, with a loyal and dedicated following of fanciers who are committed to the preservation and improvement of the hobby. The hobby also continues to attract new and young enthusiasts, who are drawn by the variety and beauty of the pigeons, as well as the camaraderie and fun of the shows. The hobby also benefits from the support and collaboration of other organizations and institutions, such as the American Pigeon Museum and Library, the World Pigeon Expo, and the World Gamefowl Expo, which aim to showcase and celebrate the diversity and excellence of the pigeon hobby in the United States and around the world¹²³.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 2/24/2024

(1) National Pigeon Association. https://www.npausa.com/about_npa/about_npa.html. (2) Exhibits | The American Pigeon Museum | United States. https://www.theamericanpigeonmuseum.org/exhibits. (3) World Gamefowl Expo. https://worldgamefowlexpo.com/.  

For the past several months I have been working on the new ABA Membership Portal at https://aba49.wildapricot.org .

The goal of instituting this portal was to make it easier for the staff and members to update their memberships in a more modern fashion. We rolled it out the first of February and the reception went well.

Each membership requires a unique email address and your membership card can be printed or saved as a digital card. It has an event calendar of all known ABA sanctioned shows which is great for your show planning.

The best feature, in my mind, is over 700 articles written over the last 110 years about almost every topic of breeding bantams. There are few old and rare books on there as well and it resides in the Members section and you can only see it when you login. 

I have used these articles many times over the years and the ABA used to sell them for 10 cents apiece. We converted that old Info Bank into PDF files for your use. I think it’s a great value addition to your membership. Check them out and go learn something new!

At the January Annual Meeting, the board decided to bring back the Club & Show Membership and you can also sign up for your Club and Show on the portal. Each membership for $50 includes your membership and one show sanction. There is a link button on the site to purchase additional show sanctions if needed for $25 per show. The reasoning was we were not getting good contact information from the shows with just the sanction method. Now the shows have to have valid contact information and the show sanctions are now a better deal at $25 instead of $50.

The first batch of incubated chicks are hatching this week. I had a couple hens set out about 20 chicks as I always love to let them do that. I am following the advice I mentioned last time from pigeon friend, Bill Henderson. Only make exceptional matings. I have one mating in White, Buff, Black and Partridge Chantecler Bantams with the best birds I have. The same on Birchen and Silver Blue Moderns and Beltsville Turkeys.

My new project this year is once again rekindled in my love-hate relationship with the Andalusian Blue Color pattern. Thanks to Matt McCammon, Judy Gantt and Mike Sayre, I have a plan to put the lacing back on them and get rid of the shafting. They are not laying yet but more to follow. Where did I get the idea, from the ABA Info Bank articles I just mentioned!

Have a great week!

Matt

Sitting here on a plane heading back from judging the Pacific Poultry Breeders Show in Lodi, California. This is one of my favorite shows to judge and have been there several times at quite a few of their locations. I got to travel with Lew Cunningham so we had some great poultry discussions!

The Lodi Grape Festival facility is very nice and well laid out. The Sallee’s, Rose’s, Sherman’s and other club members make you feel very welcome and they take exceptional care of their judges and exhibitors!

I had a fun day judging my favorites, the Feather Legs and AOSB in Large Fowl. The banquet is second to none and enjoyed chatting and especially winning a few bottles in the Wine Auction.

My last show to judge until March when I head to the Alabama Bantam Club show which is another of my favorites and Lew is riding along and judging with me as well.

We are on the red eye flight back to Columbus and will be home early Monday morning. I plan to fire up the incubator this week and have several dozen eggs ready to set.

I do want to congratulate the Sallee’s for their Best of Show Silver Blue Modern pullet. It is my favorite color and I believe that is the best colored Silver Blue I have seen. She was laced like they should be with a great body and station! Congratulations to all the other winners as well!

Matt

Time to blog again and I found this quote in an article in the Purebred Pigeon by friend and Master Breeder of anything he attempts, Bill Henderson.

I have said for many years, the biggest mistake most new fanciers make is making too many matings of good birds and too few matings of great birds.

Our goal every year should be to make birds better than the parents. Too often I see folks just perpetuating what they have and oftentimes making them worse.

That being said, often the best show birds mated together is your worst mating so you have to spend a few years learning your breed and line.

Good record keeping is essential and knowing what exactly produces what is key. When I hear of folks hatching 100’s of chicks, I almost always know that they are using the shotgun approach to breeding and not the target pistol approach.

Feed, time and space is valuable these days so I try to make the very best mating, usually one or two, in every breed and go with that. By culling time, you know if it worked or not and no need to raise and sort 100’s of birds to see your results.

Projects may require a little more effort but I try to fix one thing at a time and seldom raise more than 25-40 chicks to see if it worked.

In 53 years of this hobby I have met and learned from true Master Breeders, not the paper and points master breeders, that bred and raised good birds every year. Not a single one had to raise hundreds of chicks to get a few good ones.

So breeding time is upon us and I challenge you to make a few exceptional matings and demand quality instead of quantity.

Matt Lhamon

Sitting here riding back from the ABA National in Shawnee, Oklahoma and first off want to thank Dustin Drake for driving Mike Sayre and I out and back to the show. Kudos to Kim Munden and Steve S. for all their hard work at the ABA table and Bill Patterson and crew for a fantastic ABA bird auction.

Andy Barnes, Wade Walker, Mike Gies and crew did a fantastic job putting on a great ABA National and made us all welcome and comfortable. Been a while since I had been out to Shawnee and really enjoyed the weekend.

I was lucky to judge the American class in Large Fowl and the SCCL class in bantams along with the Junior Feather Leg class. I handled some outstanding birds and enjoyed working with ABA apprentice Preston Cummings and I predict he will be a good judge when he is done training.

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who was involved in this event.

Mike, Bill Patterson and I headed out this weekend to the Dixie Classic in Knoxville Tennessee. We had a great weekend with friends and showed a van load of birds! Congratulations to Dr. Bill on Champion Bantam on a heck of Mille Fluer D’Uccle pullet. Mike and I had RB on a White Cochin Bantam pullet in a nice Cochins class. We placed a few Birchen Modern bantams and it was the first time back with them in the show halls in quite a while. We also showed a couple SC RI Red bantams thanks to old friend Rick Bond. And we had a display of Black Wyandotte Bantams and got the old 3 first curse our first time out with them after a long absence. 1c, 1h, 1k, 1 y trio and got beat by the 1 and 2 place pullets. Congratulations to friends John Phillpot with BB, Best RCCL and Jerry Little on RB.

Winning is always great but time spent with friends is what it’s all about. Dinner and drinks with our friends is always the best part of the weekend!

On to Shawnee Oklahoma next weekend for the ABA National. Our friend, Dustin Drake is chauffeuring Mike and I out to judge and look forward to another great weekend with our poultry friends! I will post a report on how Shawnee goes as we have about 14 hrs of ride time back and I will need something to do!

Matt

I guess I get my hackle up a bit when I hear folks saying our hobby is dying.

I worked many years for the largest consumer products manufacturer in the world and was lucky enough to lead several large projects. I could do about anything I wanted as long as my recommendations were data based.

The data suggests the hobby is stronger than it’s ever been. There are more members in both the major organizations than there have ever been. The youth programs are stronger than ever and were basically non existent till the mid 1990’s. The recent APA National proves that the shows are strong and the desire to attend is tremendous. This is probably the best time in the past 100 years for backyard and exhibition poultry.

These doomsday folks usually have not been around very long or draw their opinions from poor data and fail to look at the hobby overall.

I was around during the energy crisis in the late 1970’s. That had a devastating effect on most large waterfowl and large Fowl chickens. Club membership was at an all time low and backyard poultry keeping was extremely rare.

I try to avoid those who are always whining and negative about our hobby as they tend to be that way about life in general. Live in the present and enjoy this great hobby we all have worked hard to build. You can’t do a damn thing about the past and you can work hard to shape the future without all the negativity.

I came back out of retirement to help the ABA accomplish a few things to make the hobby better. I could have sat back and whined and bitched about everyone else not doing anything but those that know me will tell you I am not built that way. Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way!

To sum up today’s blog ie, rant-as a judge, we are tasked with finding the best bird in the class. You can do that two ways, focus on the positives of the bird and correctly weigh its defects into the scale of points or just focus on the defects and back yourself into a corner.

Don’t let anyone doomsday you about the hobby, focus on all the positives and move forward!

Mike, David Adkins, Tim Bowles and I were blessed to be asked to judge the Virginia Poultry Breeders Show in Ruther Glen, VA this past Saturday.

Mike and I headed down on Friday morning making our usual stop in Logan, Ohio at the Old Dutch Buffet for Lunch. We filled Google Maps and it took us thru West Virginia and Maryland on Route 50. Wow was the word, Many curves and turns through the Appalachian mountains but we got there! Thanks to Jeff Shenk for a better way back to Ohio!

We were put up in an old southern Mansion Airbnb that was very nice and a great time for all of us to chat in the parlor before calling it a night and heading back to the show to judge Saturday morning.

Thanks to John Miles, Paul Gilroy and crew for a well run and enjoyable show. We were wrapped up with the judging about 2 pm and it was a beautiful sunny day. I enjoyed my first time judging in Virginia and was at the show years ago in Richmond for the World Cochin Family National.

This fall and winter is stacked up pretty good and I get a week off but Mike is heading to Dalton, GA this Saturday to judge. Then it’s on to the Dixie Classic in Knoxville the next week followed by the ABA National in Shawnee Ok the next week.

I will get back from Shawnee and the following week is the Top of Ohio Pigeon Show. We get a couple weeks off and it’s off to the Florida Sunshine Classic the first weekend in January. I also head out to Lodi, California at the end of January to judge the Pacific Poultry Breeders Show.

This hobby keeps me very busy and I do enjoy traveling all over to meet people and see different birds.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and will be back on here after the Holiday!

Matt

I rested up some from a 4 day exhibition poultry extravaganza at the Ohio National. It was the APA National and their 150th Anniversary Show.

Kudos and hats off to the Ohio National staff and crew and the APA Officers and Directors for a job well done and a historic and memorable weekend.

I was busy judging the Junior Large Fowl on Friday and we got the Champions picked around 9:30 on Saturday so it left the rest of the day to talk to both old and new friends and check out the birds.

I really enjoyed the banquet on Saturday and it was very well done. I am not a fan of banquets but was glad I went. I also enjoyed the new selection of Champions format they used this year. Hats off to Dan Castle and Jeff Halbach for the informative and thorough evaluation of all the class champions.

One of the real highlights was the opportunity to purchase some original Schilling Partridge Cochin Large Fowl paintings from the APA Standard of Perfection many years ago. I have the pics below and couldn’t resist as I also have an original Sewell of Large Fowl Partridge Cochins.

Also a few photos from the banquet as several dressed up in period costumes and had a good time!

I have been to most of the big shows in my 54 years in the hobby and I believe this was my favorite one of all time. Just a relaxed and enjoyable weekend with my Poultry friends and family. I should know better than to drink with our Canadian friends, but we had some fun almost every night.

I need to rest up as Knoxville and Shawnee OK are coming up and plan to be at both!

Matt

Mike and I are just back in from a judging trip to Morganton, NC at the Friendship Show. I always enjoy our trips to the South as they are some of the most friendly and polite folks in the land.

I had a great day talking and judging birds and there were some mighty nice ones there. Pleasure having Wil Hadley as my clerk and he will make a good judge someday.

Thanks to Jimmy Sorrels and Keith Proctor for a smooth well run show. We even got booked for their 2025 Winter Show!

It’s been a crazy busy fall so far as we have been out most weekends since Labor Day and it won’t stop till the end of January.

We took next weekend off to go down and help with the setup of the Ohio National. This is going to be something special for sure and glad we can be a part of it. Several records will be broken. 5000 bantams, 1200 bantam ducks makes it the largest ABA District meet ever and larger than most ABA Nationals. The Junior Numbers make it the largest Junior show ever held. They have gave over 1000 Large Ducks and 300 Geese and combined with the bantam ducks possibly the largest waterfowl show ever.

I went to my first Ohio National in 1972 and have been to all but a couple since then. The big ones are so overwhelming you have to pick and choose the things you want to see. Clell Agler told me they will be using every inch of 150,000 square feet of the two buildings. The sale area will be something to see and the vendor and breed club areas will be amazing.

After The Ohio National, Mike and I are headed to Virginia to judge. Have not been that way since the Tommy Stanley days so looking forward to checking it out.

I took the Thanksgiving weekend off but Mike is heading to Dalton, Ga to judge. We then head to the Dixie Classic in Knoxville to finally get to show a few. After that, it is out to the ABA National in Shawnee, OK. The next week is the Top of Ohio Pigeon Show on Sidney, Ohio.

Busy fall for sure and hope to see everyone somewhere in our travels.

Matt