AFTER winter disruption from Storm Caroline caused the North of Scotland’s Poultry and Waterfowl Club’s 34th annual show to be postponed, it was held recently in Castletown, Caithness.

There were a total of 300 entries, with exhibitors coming from across the North and Orkney. The judges for the day were Andy Anderson, Duns, and Jimmy Robertson, Carnwath, who both commented on the high standard of entries forward.

Show champion and winner of the Castle of Mey Trust’s Bowl, presented in memory of the late Queen Mother’s patronage of the Poultry Club of Great Britain, was young Halkirk exhibitor, Stephen Stuart, with a large fowl white Wyandotte female – the second consecutive year he had been best in show.

The reserve overall, best bantam and best opposite sex to the champion, was Kevin MacDonald’s German Langshan bantam cockerel from Castletown.

In the waterfowl section, a Saxony female from Danny McCarthy, Mey, was chosen as best exhibit, while reserve was Bettyhill exhibitor, Khush Celli, with a call duck female.

Winners of both the junior and novice sections were sisters Erin and Neve Sutherland, from Halkirk, who had a successful day showing their modern game bantams.

Mey exhibitor, Alistair McCarthy, swept the prizes in the egg section, winning with three brown Welsummer eggs and also taking reserve with three buff Plymouth Rock bantam eggs.

Orkney exhibitors were out in force and the trophies for the most points in show and in the large fowl sections were won by Steven Hutchison, Finstown, and the most points in the waterfowl section by D Taylor, Burray.

Leading awards:

Large heavy breed – Wyandotte female, Stephen Stuart, Halkirk. Large light breed – Scots Grey female, Donald MacIsaac, Orkney. Large hard feather – Old English Game female, Robbie Parkin, Brora.

Large waterfowl – Saxony Female, Danny McCarthy, Mey. Miniature waterfowl – Call female, Khush Celli, Bettyhill.

SF bantam light breed – Hamburgh female, Bob Tait, Helmsdale. SF bantam heavy breed – German Langshan male, Kevin MacDonald, Castletown. True bantam – Pekin female, Donald MacIsaac, Orkney. Hard feather bantam – Old English Game female, Merissa Hutchison, Orkney.

Novice and junior – Modern Game bantam female, Erin and Neve Sutherland, Halkirk. Trio – Large Old English Game, Robbie Parkin. Eggs – three brown large fowl eggs, Alistair McCarthy, Mey. Most points – Steven Hutchison, Orkney. Most points in large poultry – Steven Hutchison, Orkney. Most points in waterfowl – D Taylor, Orkney. Most junior points – Alistair McCarthy, Mey.

Photos by Khush Celli