WEST SPRINGFIELD – Avian aficionados from all over the Northeast traveled to West Springfield on Jan. 12 to showcase their finest fowls during the annual 2018 Poultry Congress.

The weekend-long event took place at the Mallary Complex and gave bird owners a chance to demonstrate their skills in raising and breeding different types of fowl – which includes chickens, guinea fowl, peafowl, partridges, quail and turkeys.

“It’s like a dog show, cat show or horse show,” said Licensed Poultry Judge Don Nelson. “People raise these birds and breed them to bring to shows to have judges evaluate them and determine which ones get to win.”

Nelson, who has been judging competitions since 1993 and is licensed through the American Bantam Association and American Poultry Association, said the birds are categorized by breed, variety within the breed, age and gender.

During the show, the judges use a set of standards – ranging from color, feathers, beak, build and more – to determine which of the competitors are “Best of Breed.” The best of breed winners will then compete for the overall title of “Super Grand Champion.” Cash prizes and donated items are offered to participants and winners.

Although the birds can be used for laying eggs or meat, Nelson said a majority of the birds entered into the Poultry Congress are primarily for show.

“I would say 99 percent of the birds in this building are for exhibition,” he said. “It’s a social event as much as anything else – like a hobby. It’s a close-knit community, if you don’t know about it, then you’re not in the group. There’s a poultry show almost every single weekend somewhere in the U.S.”

More than 2,600 birds were entered into this year’s competition at five dollars per bird.

The event, which is considered the biggest bird show in New England, reflects an even larger trend on the rise – a growing number of “backyard chickens.”

“Backyard chickens,” or “urban chickens,” are domesticated hens that are kept on residential lots as either pets or for the purposes of laying fresh eggs for the owners.

The 21st century trend has become so popular that dozens of major cities have had to revise their animal ordinances. While exact numbers aren’t available, a 2013 Department of Agriculture report found a growing number of residents in Denver, Los Angeles, Miami and New York City express interest in getting chickens.

“In the last four or five years, the interest in backyard chickens has exploded – you can’t keep up with it,” said Nelson. “It’s an addiction. If you catch the bug, you’ll always do it. Chickens are fun – they’re funky little animals and they have personalities.”

There are benefits to having access to fresh eggs every day, Nelson explained, but there are also drawbacks.

“Most people that start with backyard chickens have just a couple of hens in their backyard to have fresh eggs every day,” he said. “In the beginning, they think they’re going to save money, but that’s not true. It’s a money-losing hobby – it’s hard work, because you have to keep the birds healthy, keep them fed and clean and it becomes a chore. You have to actually enjoy it to last.”

On top of the expenses, the poultry judge advises anyone interested in picking up the hobby to check out their local ordinances first.

Zoning regulations in the U.S. dictate which communities and cites allow backyard chickens and roosters. Agriculturally zoned areas are more relaxed than urban and suburban areas, Nelson said.

In an urban area, tighter regulations might determine how many chickens a household can legally keep and if registration is required. There may also be rules and regulations regarding the size and type of a chicken coop, as well as inspections. Roosters are less likely to be allowed in city limits.

Ultimately, Nelson said his biggest piece of advice for new owners would be to find secure housing for their chickens.

“Everything likes chicken – hawks, owls, possums, coons, bobcats, weasels,” he said. “There are predators in the sky and in the ground and they can take 40 or 50 birds. They can wipe out your whole backyard in one night.”

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has developed a list of documents to aid residential poultry producers in response to a steady increase in the number of families raising small poultry flocks throughout the Commonwealth. They can be found on their website at www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/animal-health/poultry/.