RISON - The Backwoods Poultry Show set for this Saturday at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds in Rison is expected to have entries from seven states, according to organizer Frankie Harper of Rison.The show will feature a variety of chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend. Gates will open at 9 a.m. and concessions will be available. The fair board is inviting the public to try their "homestyle burgers" for lunch.Harper said this will be one of the most far-reaching shows he has had when it comes to the distance that some of the contestants are traveling. He said he has had registrations from as far away as Iowa and Nebraska sign up for this year's show as well as some from surrounding states.Harper has participated in competitive poultry shows for much of his life, and in 2012 decided to host a show at the fairgrounds as a way to bring another event to the fairgrounds. He had competitors from four other states besides Arkansas take part in that first show.While Harper he did not do anything unusual to promote the Backwoods Poultry Show this year, he said the fact that someone from as far away as Nebraska is registered shows that the show is gaining a reputation among poultry competitors throughout the central U.S. While some of the chicken breeds that will be competing are ones that people commonly have in backyard flocks like Barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds or Buff Orpingtons, there are also several breeds that are primarily for show birds.Entries will be judged by the guidelines of the. American Poultry Association. The APA states that large fowl are classed according to their place of origin (American, Mediterranean, English, etc.) while bantams are grouped according to their comb type and clean or feather legged. Judges will be looking at a variety of aspects when inspecting the birds, ranging from cleanliness to weight, size and overall health and vigor of the bird.
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