Adelaide Show poultry, duck breeder Aron Quinton ready to compete

But this year the 24-year-old from McLaren Vale will ruffle a few feathers himself.

He is the SA finalist in the inaugural national poultry young judges final, testing his skills against other aspiring judges from Australia and New Zealand.

He has been reading up on breed standards from the showing bible, the Australian Poultry Standards, which classifies birds into hard or soft feather and then bantam or standard size.

Judging poultry is an exacting science with points allocated for breed characteristics including head, feather quality, eye colour and general health.

Aron is hopeful pulling on the dust coat will be a stepping stone to his ultimate goal to judge at a major show.

“I thought about getting into judging soon after I left school but I found I didn’t have time with work and it can be a bit daunting with so many breeds, all with different breed types,” he said.

“Last year was the push that I needed (with the first state final).”

As a five-year-old, Aron’s parents bought him an Indian Runner duck named Ferdinand and his enthusiasm for breeding and showing birds has grown from there.

He now keeps Araucana and Sumatra chickens and Crested, Cayuga and Indian Runner ducks, and has sold birds across SA and Vic.

Aron particularly enjoys showing the less common breeds such as crested ducks, which have a tuft of feathers on top of the head, and Araucana chickens, which lay a blue-shelled egg.

“If I didn’t keep them they might not be at the shows,” he said.

His first royal show entry was a plate of eggs in 2002 but this year Aron will box up about 60 birds.

Throughout the year Aron attends about 20 club and agricultural shows, mainly in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula, but likens the Royal Adelaide Show to the “grand final”.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win a few breed champions but last year was great, winning best crested breed, beating a handful of breeds,” he said.

The Royal Adelaide Show has become a family affair, with his mother exhibiting Marans chickens and guinea fowl and Aron’s partner Charlotte Bayford showing her Call ducks.

Aron’s day job is as a steward at Harness Racing SA, based at Globe Derby Park, with frequent travel across SA for meets. He is looking forward to swapping the track for the poultry pavilion this week.

Preparation began at the weekend as each bird must be washed and blow-dried until its plumage shines before being put in the show cages.

Aron will also make his debut as a steward, helping out with the 2400 poultry and 200 pigeon entries.

“I will try and chat to the judges and see what they were looking for and try and learn as much as I can,” he said.

Aron says the judging event is a great initiative to bring the next generation into judging.

“I am planning after this on sitting the judge’s tests (with the SA Poultry Association) that you need to get credits for in each section,” he said.

“Then I hope to start small at a few club or ag shows and eventually judge at a major show.”

RA&HS of SA poultry and pigeon section deputy chair Andrew Lock says it is exciting to see young people getting involved in judging, especially with Adelaide hosting the first ever national poultry finals organised through Agricultural Shows Australia.

“With the quality of birds in Adelaide and the quality of young people coming here to judge, it is all really positive for our show,” he said.

“We are really strong with poultry here in SA and this just makes it stronger.”