The 2022 Northeastern Poultry Congress in Springfield, Massachusetts
If you're interested in raising chickens or just love learning about all the breeds, find a poultry show near you!
Earlier this month, I attended the 2022 Northeastern Poultry Congress in Springfield, Massachusetts - a poultry show held every year at the Eastern States Exposition Center. The event features more than 2500 birds, including large fowl, waterfowl, turkeys, pigeons, Guineas, and of course, a variety of wonderful breed chickens. Various breeds of poultry are exhibited and judged for ribbons and prizes. There are also informative seminars offered on different topics, and an area for vendors of good, nutritious feed and other supplies. It’s a great way to see some of these fascinating birds and to build relationships with knowledgeable, passionate breeders.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The Northeastern Poultry Congress holds its annual poultry show every January. I have been making the trip to this show for several years – it is a very popular and well-attended event.
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- All the show birds are exhibited and judged in the Mallory Complex of the Expo Center. Visitors are able to see the various breeds up close in their crates. Each cage is tagged with the bird’s breed, color or variety, and gender.
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- Prior to poultry shows, these birds are bathed and groomed – every feather is in place.
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- There were more than a thousand chicken breeds – some with gorgeous markings and feathers. This is a Silkie – a breed of chicken named for its fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like a combination of silk and satin.
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- This is a Speckled Sussex hen. The Speckled Sussex was developed in Sussex County, England more than 100 years ago. It is of medium size, in the heavy breed class and has rich mahogany feathers as its base color with white tips.
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- This is a Frizzle. Their feathers are curly and windswept which gives them their frizzled appearance.
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- As part of this winter show, The Congress also offered a Funky Chicken Class. A Funky Chicken is a mixed breed bird – some are very interesting. This is a large fowl Funky rooster – his markings are very handsome. Cross breeds can have wonderful plumage colors, fantastic new egg colors, and friendly personalities.
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- This Champion Funky Chicken is named Ziggy. She is a pullet, or a young hen less than one year old.
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- The Black Breasted Red Cubalaya is a rare breed most notable for the pea comb and low carried tail. This variety also features gorgeous shades of black and red feathers.
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- The Silver Laced Wyandotte is the original variety of Wyandotte chicken. It has silver-white plumage sharply marked with lustrous greenish black edging. The Wyandotte is an American breed of chicken developed in the 1870s. It was named for the indigenous Wyandot people of North America. The Wyandotte is a dual-purpose breed. It is a popular show bird and has many color variants.
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- The Sebright is a British breed of Bantam chicken. It is a true Bantam – a miniature bird with no corresponding large version. Look at its markings. It’s named after Sir John Saunders Sebright, who created it as an ornamental breed in the early 19th century. The Silver Sebright rooster is also hen-feathered, meaning it has rounded feathers rather than the pointed feathers typical of males.
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- The Golden Sebrights, such as this hen, have stunning golden bay feathers laced in black.
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- Poultry shows are family-friendly and allow visitors to see both traditional and new breeds. The first poultry show in the United States was in 1854, before there were even standards of showing.
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- Some birds are quite small and fit in the palms of one’s hands.
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- While others are noticeably large.
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- This is a large fowl salmon Faverolle cockerel. Faverolles are good-sized chickens with beards, muffs, feathered legs, and feet, and fifth toes. Males are straw-colored with reddish brown and black markings.
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- The Silver Spangled Hamburg has lustrous, greenish black spangles on silvery white plumage giving them an interesting polk-a-dot appearance. They also have rose combs, white ear lobes, and leaden blue shanks and toes.
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- The birds are judged against others of the same color, sex and age. They are also judged based on variety and breed. In the end, chickens compete against large fowl and water fowl.
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- The birds are ranked in each of their classes and then compete for super champion. Here is a large fowl being shown for judging.
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- The Northeastern Poultry Congress is always very informative and very interesting. I always learn something new when I attend. And, I did bring a few birds home with me too — I will share more of those photos in a future blog, stay tuned.
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