Sheep breeder top of the pecking order with champion game birds (From Craven Herald)

Sheep breeder top of the pecking order with champion game birds

2:12pm Thursday 15th December 2011 in Countryfile By Lindsey Moore

Texel sheep breeder David Nesbitt pulled off a coup in the poultry arena when exhibiting the champion pen of three Dark Indian Game birds at the annual Craven Feather Auctions Christmas show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart.

Mr Nesbitt, of Alwent Hall, Winston, Darlington, saw his first prize pen of bantams fly off with a second championship as they had also won the best of breed title at this year’s Yorkshire Game Show in Driffield. The trio – a cockerel and two point of lay pullets – sold for £40.

Top of the pecking order in terms of price at £195 was a trio of White Wyandottes shown by Alan Barnes, of Cowden, Great Harwood, who has been breeding poultry for more than six decades and has secured countless successes on the national show circuit, as well as being in demand as an expert judge.

Mr Barnes is also renowned as a breeder of blue-faced Leicester and Mule sheep, while his family business A & KM Barnes Greengrocers in Clayton-le-Moors, run by his wife Katherine, last year celebrated its 50th anniversary.

It was the third year in succession that Mr Barnes has been responsible for the top price pen at the Skipton fixture – and by a considerable margin – as the second highest top price performers, the first prize pen of large fowl, a pair of point of lay Black Orpingtons from M Rangeley, of Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, sold for £76.

In the show class for waterfowl, the first prize pen, a pair of Cayuga ducks, was shown by Scottish breeder Mrs M Leggate, of Strathaven, South Lanarkshire.

Skipton regular Richard Pickles, of Lothersdale, was again among the honours when exhibiting the second prize large fowl pen, a pair of White Wyandottes, that made £70. Mr Pickles also sold a second pen at £65.

The task of judging the 248 show pens of poultry and waterfowl fell to Bob Driver, of Sawood, Oxenhope, a rare breeds specialist who shows Old English Pheasant Fowl, Vorwerks and Marsh Daisies. He is a member of the Rare Poultry Society and a founder member and committee member of Craven Poultry Keepers’ Club.

Also on the Skipton agenda was the annual festive show and sale of Border fine art, ornaments and gifts. The top performer at £720 was a Beswick figure of a Aberdeen Angus bull.