So You Think You Want To Show Your Cockatiels



All About the NCS
	n Administration
	n State Coordinators
	n Get the NCS Journal
	n Join NCS

Owner & Enthusiast
	n Read About Cockatiels
	n Cockatiel Community
	n Pet Videos

Breeder Area
	n Leg Bands
	n Registered Aviaries
	n Mutations Gallery
	n Genetics

Exhibitor Area
	n Showing Cockatiels
	n Show Calendar
	n Show Reports
	n Standard of Perfection

Club Affiliation
	n Affiliate with NCS
	n Affiliated Clubs
	n Judges Panel
NCS Online Store
	n Cafe Press

Exhibitors

All About Exhibiting Cockatiels:

So You think you want to show your cockatiel?

Well, be prepared to have a lot of fun and meet new friends!

By Christine Orowitz, NCS State Coordinator - Kentucky

I attended my first cockatiel show quite by accident last September in Cleveland, TN. There I met Julie Mitchell who was kind enough to look at some DYC babies I had brought along. I was inquiring if any of them were good enough to possibly show. Julie then suggested if I had time to come and watch the show. Well, I did and I have been “hooked” ever since. Julie was kind enough to sit and explain everything that was going on. Of course my brain was in overload, which at my age doesn’t take much, so I only retained part of what she was telling me. Oh well, I was hooked anyway! I couldn’t wait to go home and look at my birds.

Two weeks later I attended the Nashville Bird Fair and Show. There I purchased some cockatiels from Sandy Warren who had been nothing short of fantastic in helping me along in this venture. At a later date I purchased more birds from Sandy and she was kind enough to deliver them to my house and also give me an evaluation of the birds I had in my flock. I was very encouraged by what she had to say.

I decided that I would make my debut at the Mid-West Bird Breeders & Exhibitors’ triple show, in Terre Haute, IN. That would give me the time to decide what to show and also to get them ready. As the time neared I was becoming more and more nervous and even thought about not going but I hung in there and am glad I did. I borrowed some show boxes from Sandy and began show training the birds I was going to take. I have to say it went a lot easier than I thought it would. Two weeks before the show I started misting them every day and about a week before the show I stopped feeding anything that I thought would stain their feathers.

We arrived in Terre Haute on Friday and to my surprise who in the hotel room next to mine – Julie and Al Mitchell! I got a chance to see their Whiteface cock-bird, “Baxter”, which was a thrill. He is a great bird! Julie once again helped me through a lot of questions. She showed me how to fill out the entry form and show tags and always made time to answer any questions I had during the weekend even though she was busy being the show secretary.

It was a three show weekend and I did a lot better than I ever imagined I would. I can’t say enough about Josh Maple as a judge. Josh really took a lot of time explaining things to the Novice exhibitors. I learned a lot by being able to look at the birds while he was critiquing them. I highly recommend if you are a Novice and get a chance to show under Josh, that you do so, the learning experience is well worth it.

If you have any thoughts about showing please give it a try. I can’t begin to explain the amount of fun and learning you get from it, not to mention the friends you’ll make. Everyone I have met so far has been more than helpful and will answer just about any question you have. I showed dogs for over 25 years and am a very competitive person. While I don’t have dogs anymore I really missed the showing. I can honestly say showing cockatiels has been very enjoyable.

Aside from the actual show don’t forget to visit the hospitality room whenever it may be. The topics covered vary greatly but I can say all are very interesting!

In closing I would like to make the following statements:

Don’t be afraid, there is nothing to fear
Don’t worry if you have lots of questions, someone is always there to answer them for you.
If you can, join the Yahoo Tiel-chatter or Showtiel lists. That way you can ask questions and get answers before you go to the show
If possible, find a mentor. Mine have been the most awesome people ever.
Don’t have a show-box, no worry, you can rent them at the show
Not sure about the quality of your birds? Pick what you think are your best and see how they compare.
Don’t get discouraged if at first you don’t do well. All judges have different likes and dislikes. Before making any decisions show under a few different judges to see how your birds do.
Showing Cockatiels should come with a warning! It’s addicting!!

Hope to meet you at a show soon!