His chicks are all class

Prize poultry breeder Alister Lyon has proven his class at shows in the past.

And this year is set to be no different for the Sussex specialist, who plans to enter at least 18 birds in the poultry section of the Albany Agricultural Show this weekend.

In August, Mr Lyon brought home 13 first places and one champion bird from 18 specimens he took to the 100th Midland Junction Poultry Society Annual Championship Show.

“We cleaned out the Sussex section, we took four different Sussex colours up there,” he said.

But with 100 birds to choose from, winning over judges is not easy work.

“Sometimes you enter 35 birds and there is a lot of work involved, washing them all the time and getting them ready for show, my wife and I find it a bit hard,” Mr Lyon said.

He said he hoped to enter the Albany show fresh off success from the Katanning Show, where he was defending his champion bird of show title from 2011, won with a light Sussex hen.

Mr Lyon is urging more breeders to exhibit their poultry in the Albany show to boost entries.

“I’d like to see a few more Albany people showing, there is not enough,” he said.

“You go away to Narrogin, you are lucky if there is anybody else from Albany up there showing, it’s fallen to the wayside.”