Poultry Competition History
The earliest evidence of a poultry competition at the Show can be found in the prize schedule for the 1858 Show, which was published in the Empire newspaper in January that year. The classes listed for Poultry were:
Dorking - Cock and two Hens
Cochin China - Cock and two Hens
Black Spanish - Cock and two Hens
Game - Cock and two Hens
Any-bred - Cock and two Hens
Ducks – Drake and two Ducks
Muscovy Ducks – Drake and two Ducks
Geese – Gander and one Goose
Turkeys – Cock and one hen (no entry)
Subsequent newspaper articles indicate that poultry exhibitions were held each year from this point onwards, and by 1869 when the Society began publishing its own catalogues, we can be sure of it.
Ducks, geese and chickens were consistently shown from 1869, and turkeys were shown most years up until 1895, then all years from 1896. Pigeons were exhibited within the Poultry section, and for over a hundred years, cage birds were also included in the section.
Timeline for the introduction of other classes
1870 Emus
1873-1876 Pheasants
1876-1877 Swans - no entries
1882-1883 Ostriches; best male & female or collection (exhibited in Dog section)
1892 Best collection of dressed poultry
1892-1901 Hen & duck eggs
1896 Dressed poultry (exhibited in Food section)
1905 Incubators
1905-1961 Table poultry
1910-1912 Farmers' trio selling
1913 Breeding pens
1920 Poultry judging competition
1921-1922 Dressed squabs (pigeon)
1924 Breeding teams
1925-1926 Hen eggs
1926-1929 Poultry farm exhibit – open to farmers with 300+ birds
1927 Commercial egg competition – open to farmers with 300+ birds
1948-1952 Pheasants
1971-1973 Cage bird classes temporarily removed from Poultry section
1979-1984 Pheasants & quail
1985 Cage bird classes temporarily removed from Poultry section again
1985-1992 Jungle fowl
1998 Cage bird classes permanently removed from Poultry section
2003 School poultry competition
2004 School egg competition
2009 Poultry & Pigeon Art