Anyone got any experience in showing eggs at local show?

[MrsWalton]

I need some feedback on how to display my "6 new laid hen eggs" for a local show.

Do you use a plate or basket? sit them on straw, sawdust or sand?

Any opinions would be gratfully accepted.

TIA

[MrsBadger]

ours has very strict guidance notes on this - does yours not

I think it was a plain white china plate no more tahn 12" and no less than 8" diameter or some such

[MrsWalton]

Thanks for that Mrs Badger,

There is no guidance whatsover, it makes it much harder.
Think i'll stick to white plate and sawdust.

Cheers

[K999]

Ours say that the china can have a pattern, but certainly not on any crockery from Ikea...

[MrsBadger]

these people apparently allow paper plates

and in Norfolk it's plant pot saucers and vermiculite

white china and sawdust sounds safe

[MrsWalton]

Thought i'd let you know that i didn't get anything for my eggs.

I got a VHC for my collection of veg though.

And a 1st for my peas!!!

And a 1st for my onions.....with a silver cup for best vegetable exhibit!!!

Chuffed for my veg.

[MrsBadger]

hurrah for veg, and well done on the onions!

you'll have the old gaffers quaking in their boots...

[Ariela]

Well done on the veggies!

For the next show...our Black Rocks won 1st at a local show, and I had great advice from a chap I know who used to run an egg farm and now judges at another local show:
Plate should be flat plain white china but many shows use paper. If paper make sure it's a good quality one - sometimes your exhibit may get moved about on the table by other people/judges and you don't want your plate to bend/upset your display.

Now when you take to the show you are usually allowed to set up and put it where you want on the table - my advice is get there early, and pop yours towards the back of the table. That way the judge sees it better. Do check though that the judges might not go down the middle of the isles and see the table from the other side! Sift some sawdust, removing the bigger pieces and pile it evenly in a circular heap on the plate, then set your eggs in it. You should if you have enough hens pick them to be evenly matched in terms of colour and size - we had 3 hens laid identikit eggs which made it easy to get 6 the same. If you have few hens and a variation, pick a pair from each hen and lay them out symmetrically as pairs - do you have to show 4 or 6? Whatever you do, ensure the pair nearest the judge are the most recently laid. When you've set them up, take a critical look as from the judges eye, you can push a slightly larger egg in the sawdust a little further to 'lose' a little of the extra size. Equally you may want to turn over one with a slight bobble or mark so it doesn't show/or rotate so it more closely matches another next to it. They rarely seem to turn the eggs over from how you've set them. They will crack one to judge the freshness - the white goes watery the older it is so they'll be looking for a firm gelatinous white, so you need the judge to pick the freshest ones so make it easy for him/her to choose those by being nearest. Good luck with your next show!