Impossible goal for poultry breeders

Plenty of visitors took their children to see how exotic a hen can be.

The pigeons had been less colourful in looks but more colourful in reputation. Stories were still being told, yesterday, about the sort of bonanza a pigeon breeder can hit. Even the fanciest of poultry, on the other hand, are unlikely to sell for more than 20 or 30 each.

David Sill, chairman of the Poultry Club in Huddersfield and nationally, did his best to explain why they all remained interested anyway. "We are all geneticists," he said. "Even if you do not understand the science, you understand what happens when you mix a bit of this with a bit of that."

David Mann, of Brighouse, chairman of the Pekin Club, said: "We are working to man-made standards, for man-made breeds, so you cannot reach them, but the goal is to try. If you get 80 or 90 out of 100 you think you are doing well."

A Pekin is a pigeon-sized chicken which comes in a range of beautiful markings. Another specialist was accountant Philip Bentham of Burscough, Lancs.

"When people in the office find out I am going home to wash birds for a show, they find it funny," he said. "But I grew up looking after birds with my dad."

The Supreme Champion of the 1188 exhibits was a Belgian Quail D'Anvers from Marjorie Iredale of Whitehaven.