Massive entry for Peebles poultry show

This is the clubs largest show to date with entries totalling 1,617 ... the entries having closed early due to the venue being filled to capacity, and some entries having to be returned.

Sadly, on New Year’s Day, the club lost a valued member of the committee in Jim Scott, who passed away suddenly.

He was a great supporter of these shows, quietly and unobtrusively adding value and input.

Award-winning eggs from last year's show.

This year’s record entry consists of 1,029 competitive birds; 280 eggs; 213 challenge and 58 photographs.

The photography section, now in its third year, is judged by Mark Beedie, a keen amateur photographer. He will once again be photographing all of the champions this year.

There is also a new poultry artwork section, with 14 entries.

Unusually, all of the exhibitors who had birds on championship row in 2015 are coming back with the hope of repeating their success in 2016. There will be 154 exhibitors coming from across the whole of the UK, including Peter Hamill returning from Dunganno, who had an enviable two birds achieving Championship Row in 2015.

Local exhibitors Ed Glass; and Keay and Sterricks will also be looking to repeat their successes from last year, having won best rare breed and best goose respectively in 2015.

Junior and juvenile exhibitors are also well represented.

The majority of the are Poultry Club of Great Britain panel judges, one of whom is James Robertson from Kaimend, one of the club’s founder members, judging for the first time at the show, looking after trios, turkeys, utility and wyandottes.

This year, a critically endangered, ancient Scottish breed of duck will be included for the first time, in the non-standard waterfowl classes.

The Shetland duck is being keenly supported by exhibitors who are working hard to increase the numbers of the rare gem, thought to have been brought to Britain by the Vikings.

A well-supported auction will again be hosted, with 23 selling pens of exhibition-quality birds, giving the public a rare opportunity to buy birds from leading breeders and exhibitors.

Along with the poultry, there will be a piece of poultry artwork that has been donated by R. Waugh to the club to sell at auction, which will take place at 2.15pm.

The club is delighted to have received sponsorship from Carrs Billington, Selkirk, which is kindly providing the shavings and feed for the show.

Entry to the show is free.