PoultryTalk.com

Showing can be a minefield, but generally it's great fun! Here's a few things you may, or may not have known to get you started.
You don't have to be a member of a poultry club to be able to show your birds at a particular show, but it helps if you belong to the breed club of the birds you intend to show. You can then be eligable for any breed club special prizes if you win. You will get sent sheduals of any poultry clubs you join, which is always useful in case you forget when a forthcoming event is. If you don't belong to the poultry club which is organising a particular event you're planning to attend, make sure you have paid the right entry fee, as some shows charge more for non-members.
The birds you show must be a good example to represent the breed they are supposed to be. It's advisable to go and check out a show before you enter one, times many we have seen disapointed newcomers turn up with what they think, or have been told by a dealer when bought, a bird which is supposed to be of exhibition quality, only to find out it's most definately NOT! When you enter birds in a show, make sure you enter it in the right class, it's easy to mistake a bantam class and enter a large fowl, or vice-versa. And once there, alot of organisers won't let you change, swap or move about, if the mistake is yours, then most will just disqualify your bird.
Ensure all your birds are free from parasites, this in my oppinion is one of the most important aspects of show birds, most of us who have been showing for a few years have bought a bird back from a show to find it crawling with lodgers or ill within a few days of coming home, it's not fair to others to take a sick or bugged-up bird to a show and pass it on!! Most sick, or bugged-up birds will be asked to be removed, so take heed if it's poorly or crawling, don't take it!!
If you have entered a bird, and that bird either becomes ill, or moults! then chances are you can take a replacement, but of the same type, colour and breed. It's up to the descresion of the organisers as to wether you can bring a different one, so always ring before hand to see if it's ok to do so. This also goes for adding to your entry, an extra bird, some organisers will let you place a late entry, some won't, never just assume. If a bird becomes ill at a show, you must ask permission from an official to remove the bird, and only if it's your bird!
Leg rings, only poultry club closed legrings are allowed on birds, any other form of indentification leg rings will have to be removed. The same with putting your name on cage cups, use the ones the show provides before the judging, if you have written anything which could be misconstrued as a form of identity on your own. After judging, is ok.Tattoo's are becoming quite popular as a way of marking your birds in case of theft, but ring and make sure it's ok to show them at any show if you have used a tattoo. The same with cage litter, only use what has been provided, as this can also be misconstrued as identifying your bird from the others entered.
Travel boxes, most people who show regularly have their own wooden, or plastic boxes for transportation, but alot use cardboard boxes, anything you use must be biosecure, and either fully washable or burnable after use, most shows have their own list of do's and don'ts with regards to this. Some people have a travel permit for poultry, this is downloadable from the DEFRA website, we use them, but it's not actually law that you have to yet, just advisable.
Most shows frown upon the selling of birds from the back of cars, although it does go on, it's not a good idea, birds get very hot in cars, and it's cruel, never buy from people who do this, the birds are nearly always sick. Arranging to meet someone who has pre-bought some birds from you is ok, but make sure the people collecting do so as early as possible to prevent birds being stuffed in boxes all day! Birds not entered in the show, will not be allowed in the show tent/building.
No matter how tempting, you must never touch, handle, photograph or feed/water a bird at a show which does not belong to you, without the express permission of it's owner, if you see a bird without water, and/or sick, always report it to an official.
JubesX

Very useful information. Some points which I mught have done quite innocently without thinking. Many thanks for information Jubes.