A "Sparkle"ing star of the poultry pavilion
1 Dec 10
Young Kangaroo Valley resident, Olesia Marles last year attained the highest possible success in poultry exhibition at the Kangaroo Valley Show when her beloved female black leghorn chicken, Sparkle, was announced Champion Bird of the Show.
Sparkle also won Best Soft Feathered Bantam and Best Female Black Leghorn.
An outstanding achievement for eleven year old Olesia who exhibited several other birds which also took out prizes in their categories.
A dedicated chicken enthusiast who has also shown her birds most successfully at the Nowra and Dapto Shows, Olesia’s involvement in raising and showing birds began about four years ago with the gift of four birds from her friend and mentor, Mr Peter Gooch, himself a keen breeder.
One of these was Rosie, the mother of the outstanding Sparkle!
Olesia’s knowledge of the black leghorn breed, its characteristics and care, is extensive.
All year she pays attention to the diet of her birds, ensuring that they have good mixed seed, access to plenty of fruit and vegetables, which keep their feathers shiny, and grass, which helps to maintain the lovely orange or yellow colour of the leghorn’s feet and legs.
Her birds are regularly groomed and kept free of lice and mites which can affect the health and condition of birds.
Her immediate Show preparation, however ,can only begin the day before the Show and what a frantically busy day that must be, although Olesia’ dad, Andrew, says she handles it all very calmly.
There is much to do and several birds to do it for!
The chickens’ feet must be meticulously cleaned with little brushes and picks, washed and vaselined to a lovely sheen.
Faces, lobes, beak s and combs must also be washed and shined.
Feathers must be sponged and groomed to show off to advantage their beautiful colours..in the case of Sparkle their beautiful green tinge is accentuated.
Each exhibitor has his or her own particular routine to bring birds “up to scratch” so we must be careful not to reveal all the details, but it is obvious that Olesia has this all down to a fine art.
Recently Olesia has joined the Nowra Poultry Club where she is acquiring more tricks of the trade.
She has been especially interested in learning about the best in poultry housing practices to allow her birds to thrive.
Olesia is interested in obtaining some blue leghorns which she hopes to show in a couple of years but her long term dream is to raise and show the stunning gold and silver “sebright” – a very handsome breed with which she would no doubt bring her skills to bear and have great success.
At the 2011 Show Olesia will once again exhibit “Sparkle” along with several other birdsfrom her flock.
We wish her well in her preparations and hope she, and Sparkle, are well rewarded!
Keep your eye out in the poultry pavilion for one rather shy and gentle, but very beautiful, soft feathered black leghorn bantam who stands out in the crowd!
Cathy Gorman