There will be a lot more to see than a few old ducks, young chicks or rare roosters as the Kennington Kennel Club overflows with more than 600 entries in the annual event.
Club life member Jill Maxwell-Strang said there would be some rare bird breeds on display.
Game poultry as well as bantams, turkeys, ducks, geese and pigeons would all make up the competition entries, she said.
The poultry breeding fraternity believes it is keeping some rare breeds from becoming extinct.
"We cannot import poultry or eggs into New Zealand because of bird flu and the quarantines are too difficult.
"So we’ve got to make the most of what we’ve got here in New Zealand to keep them alive because if a breed dies out, we can’t get it back."
Breeders keep in close contact to ensure the genetic pool remained diverse.
"We are constantly working with each other to make sure we’re keeping the poultry as pure as we can because these are real breeds we want to keep going.
"Like every animal, there’s always faults coming through, so that’s what you’re looking for the whole time — you’re judging for it to make sure there’s not fault on them."
The club had been running for more than 112 years and with about 40 exhibitors and it always had something of interest for everyone, she said.
Breeders and competitors enjoyed the fellowship and information sharing each meet offered in the short show season from May to July each year.
"It’s a great hobby for children — they learn to respect and care for ananimal."
Often people would get involved in the hobby as a child and then take it back up later in life after the pressures of work and family commitments had lifted.
The birds were familiar with being handled by their owners, plus they provided eggs and ate food scraps.
Raising chickens had also become fashionable again, she said.
"I think people are realising a few chicks don’t need a lot of room. There’s a lot of people now that have got poultry in their backyards that you don’t know are there."
- By Toni McDonald
