COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 2024 Ohio National Poultry Show featured exhibitors from all over the country. 

Showing poultry is very different from being in the poultry business. Exhibitors come to these shows to compete against the breed standard and other exhibitors. 

“I don’t know anybody making a living off showing poultry— if they are — I’d like to figure out the recipe,” Brandon Taylor said while prepping a Dark Cornish Bantam at the Ohio National Poultry Show in Columbus in early November.

Taylor brought eight birds to the Ohio National from his home in Jerseyville, Ill., where he and his father operate J&B’s Illini Cornish.

They’ve been involved with chickens for some time. “I’m 35, so I’ve been raising them for about 25 years,” Taylor said. 

They hatch somewhere between 100 and 200 birds annually. Those that don’t measure up to the breed standard end up on the table.

“The good thing about these Cornish Bantams is they have a little bit of beef to their bodies — the ones that don’t meet show criteria usually go into the freezer,” Taylor said. “We usually whole fry or grill them.”

Taylor chooses to artificially inseminate his hens because of the short stocky build of the birds. “The males, the way they’re built, are just not real prolific,” he says. “They have a hard time getting on top of the hen and staying there,” 

Taylor demonstrates the collection and insemination process in videos on his Facebook page.  “A lot of people don’t know that it can be done with a chicken —  it helps your fertility rate,” he said. 

We’ve shown six times this fall. She’s been a super grand champion of two shows and reserve super grand champion of two shows,” Taylor said. She’s been doing real good for me this year.”

Taylor lives in a rural town — inside the city limits and raised rabbits off and on, but poultry has been his love for a long time. “I mean, this is my main thing — hunting, fishing, and chickens that’s outside of work and family,” he said. “They say you have to find something you love and when I can make enough money at chickens, I’ll finally find something a job I love.”

Sophie Tressler and her mother traveled from Rushville, Ind., to buy chickens for her 4-H project. In addition to the poultry show, Ohio National features a large section of poultry up for sale. 

Pigeons, chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, and a few rabbits were exhibited in a separate barn from the show arena. People were carrying out birds in crates and under each arm as they made their way back to their vehicles

Sophie, who was carrying a Giant Buff, said, “There’s bigger varieties and a lot better stock than locally.”

Sophie plans on a career working with animals. “I’m planning to get a veterinary medicine degree and then raisin my own stock in my free time,” she said. She has plenty of experience with livestock. Sophie and her family live on a farm where they raise sheep, rabbits, and dogs, in addition to chickens. 

This was Theron Smith’s 14th Ohio national show. “I started when I was a junior in high school and I’ve been doing it ever since.” Smith, who owns and operates several Culver’s restaurants, traveled to the Ohio National from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

“I show mainly waterfall, ducks and geese,” he said.  I used to show chickens back in the day and then I fully converted to waterfowl.”

He named a few of the breeds he was selling. “I’ve got Blue Swedish ducks, Cayuga ducks, Silver Appleyard ducks, Buff and Gray Toulouse geese, and Sebastopol geese,” he said.

Smith has close to 200 waterfowl at home and focuses his schedule on the Midwest. “I usually show in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana once in a while in Wisconsin,” he said.

“Water, lots of water,” Smith said when describing how he maintains his flock of waterfowl. “The main thing for waterfowl is just lots of fresh water, it just keeps them clean even in the winter.”

Having good wind breaks from the snow is another important factor in keeping waterfowl healthy during Midwest winters. 

“Obviously, in Michigan, we get a lot of snow up there so some good shelter out of the wind is important,” Smith said. “They’re pretty hardy birds. They’re outside 365.” 

A livestock guardian dog helps protect the waterfowl from predators since they are unconfined. 

For Smith, raising waterfowl is a pastime. “It’s a passion project, this is not my full-time job.”

A young and energetic Daniel Kuyoth came from Rhode Island to show his Large and Bantam Salmon Faverolle chickens.

While holding a Large Salmon Faverolle, Kuyoth said his large fowl won best in reserve and breed. However, there was more judging to come. 

Showing poultry for 14 years sometimes feels like a full-time job

“I probably put in more hours than I do at work,” Kuyoth said. “It’s a lot of work, but it is a hobby and I enjoy it because birds can be beautiful and that’s why we do it.”

He raised 450 Large and Bantam Salmon Faverolle chickens this year. Selling some off as breeding stock and some for consumption.

“I make some sales of some of the birds hoping other people would breed them and more will show up in the showroom,” Kuyoth said. “Then some of them we raise for the freezer.” 

Aryn Condon offered to show off a beautiful black and white frilly-topped bird. The Michigan native has been showing chickens for two years. “My friend pushed me into it,” she said. “She just told me to jump in — so I jumped in. I’ve always loved birds, these Houdans and my Silky.”  

This was her first Ohio National. 

“They did okay, Condon said about her initial effort. She entered 15 Houdans. “Jeff Oxley, one of the best Houdan breeders I know, showed and did very, very well. A lot of these are from his lines.”

Condon, a full-time mom, and farmer, raises cattle, goats, and usually about 80 chickens each year.

Houdans are primarily show birds. However, Condon says, “I have a farm, so I like to know what I’m eating — If I have to cull them we process them here.”