StephenW Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Hi guys, Another piece of advice I would like please from those who show birds, could you tell me other than layers pellets do you feed some pigeon conditioner or anything else to bantam leading up to a show? Thanks Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Most show breeders will have secret recipes or supplements In general though I would imagine that very few feed layers pellets prefering growers pellets (or perhaps breeders pellets) because birds that lay a lot are not easy to keep in show condition, you want females to be on the brink of but not actually laying. The higher protein levels in growers or breeders pellets will also help keep the birds a nice weight as they can lose a lot of condition if shown a lot Then there are things you can tweak depending on the breed of birds. Wheat, corn and pigeon conditioner can be beneficial to some breeds and not others and some birds are even unsuited to pellet feeding You can also tweek feed to preserve or enhance leg colour Oils added to the diet can help with feathering but again arent necessarily suitable for all breeds Grit and a little green veg are always good and lots and lots of clean fresh water of course A few days before a show I move my birds on to mixed corn only as this makes their poo firmer and keeps them cleaner Ideally the correct feeding and preparation will happen from the hatching of the chick, I feed those intended for showing differently from the others. If not possible then its worth remembering that a feeding regime will take some time to take effect so should start no later than about ten weeks before show season. Failing that and if you are only talking about a few shows then you can only hope to feed to keep their energy levels up and firm up the poo, anything else implemented so close to a show isnt going to help their condition Keeping birds in show condition is tricky , apart from the feeding there are a few other areas of husbandary that require huge attention to detail. If you need any specific advice just ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenW Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 Thanks red wing for your help Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...