Chooks get chance

By Shaun Inguanzo
A NEW poultry competition at this year’s Dandenong Show could excite interest in the dying hobby at the cost of falling “fowl” of traditional bird lovers.
A new “backyard poultry” division will be added to the pure-bred classes at this year’s show.
“I suppose they are trying to get more entries,” said Noble Park resident Don Simpson, 83, who has entered birds in every Dandenong Show since 1955.
“Most backyard fowls are crossbreeds. You can get beautiful colours amongst them.”
Mr Simpson, who keeps pure-breed birds, is uncertain what effect the new class will have on poultry breeders.
His trepidation harks back to the core of his passion – preserving pure-breed birds.
“I took it up not as a hobby but instead to preserve the poultry so certain breeds don’t become extinct,” he said.
“My idea was to get other people together and keep the breeds going.”
But with numbers falling in poultry clubs around the state – and drought affecting feeding costs – Mr Simpson said it was breeders who risked becoming extinct before the birds.
“At the Royal Melbourne Show this year 104 people turned up to look, but there were not a lot of exhibitors,” he said.
“I would say next year with the price of wheat and fowl feed being higher, a few more will be missing.
“The food will be pretty expensive because of the drought.”
To witness poultry showing visit the Dandenong Show on 11 and 12 November at Greaves Reserve, Bennet Street, Dandenong.