Rachel Condon's Brocklehurst poultry win seven awards at Sydney Royal Easter Show 2023

The Dubbo Poultry Club secretary said it was "overwhelming" when she arrived at Sydney's biggest agricultural show to find out her birds had won not one, but seven awards - including a Reserve Grand Champion award which is the second-highest honour a chook can get.

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"It was overwhelming to start off with, but now it's really exciting," Ms Condon told the Daily Liberal.

"It takes some time to understand what you've won, and on a level of what you've won."

Ms Condon began breeding a variety of poultry when she was a child and after taking a break from it during her teenage years, she picked it up again six years ago when she was looking for a hobby - this time focussing on Pekins.

"Pekins are a very finicky breed. You need a lot of time for them to mature and develop," she said.

Ms Condon's birds are the talk of the poultry groups on social media - not only because of their prowess, but also because they wowed the judges having travelled to Sydney for the very first time.

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The birds began by taking-away the Champion Pekin Bantam (Black Pullet) and Reserve Champion Pekin Bantam (Black Cockerel) titles, then they went on to take Champion True Bantam and Reserve Champion True Bantam of show.

One of her pullets (females under 12 months) then went on to win Champion Softfeather Bantam, Champion Softfeather Overall and, finally, Reserve Grand Champion Bird of Show.

The pride Ms Condon feels for her chooks is only enhanced by the fact she played almost every role a breeder can in creating them.

"I essentially play God in my backyard. I AI'd [artificially inseminated] every chook I won with. I incubate them, and nurture them from the time they're an egg to hatching and on the show bench," she said.

Breeding and spending time with her fowls is blessed downtime for Ms Condon who calls it her "quiet time".

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"They are always there at the end of a big day," she said.

"They're peaceful. I always tell my daughter it's quiet time when we're in the chook yard. It's my quiet time, it's my escape. Of course I also like the look of them and the breed has a beautiful nature."

Ms Condon was a "child with a lot of energy" when a staff member at her high school suggested she start showing chooks.

Now, her daughter shows alongside her, and her partner, Lindsey Tanner, helps out behind the scenes.

"[Lindsey] has the patience of a saint - he is my handyman, he is my builder, he is everything - he's the feeder when I can't be. It's a family affair," she said.

"My eldest daughter, when we go away for shows, she is on chook duty. They say it takes a village to raise a child and that's very true."

IN OTHER NEWS

This year was the first time Ms Condon has ever entered the Sydney Royal Easter Show. She said she'd definitely be back - at the Royal, as well as the other country shows she attends - including the Dubbo Show - on her yearly show circuit.

"We will continue to show throughout the rest of the season which usually stops in July for me. Once we finish showing we start breeding in early August - I will make some more winners for next year," she said.