The two champion exhibitors were a plucky youngster at the start of his journey and a show stalwart looking for one last feather in his cap before calling it a day.

Angus Courtney, who had travelled from Numeralla near Cooma, has, at the age of 10, already bred more than 100 chickens in the last three years.

Claiming the prized ribbon for junior champion was his Australorp rooster, which the judge found to be perfectly balanced.

"The judge said he won because of his balance, his head is the same level as his tail," Angus said on Saturday.

Chicken breeding runs in the Courtney family as his father used to breed poultry in his youth and Angus's younger sister Ruby insisted she wanted chickens.

She too had won a couple of categories in the Bega Show's poultry competition.

As well as the champion ribbon, Angus also won the soft feather male and female chicken categories - and placed second in both those same categories with different breeds.

Meanwhile, Bega breeder Jack Ringland said he will close the book on the competition next year after a solid 50 years of showing poultry.

The 88-year-old winner of this year's champion exhibit said the 2022 Bega Show would be his last competition due to some health problems.

Despite this, he said he felt quite happy with what he's achieved.

Mr Ringland said poultry breeding is a hobby that "gets into your blood". He got into it through helping on the farm with his father, who also used to breed chickens.

All five brothers pursued the interest, however it died out in the younger generation with none of their children being interested.

Mr Ringland explained that when you join the poultry community you become part of a family.

"You're in good company, most of the poultry blokes I've met have been good people," he said.

The modified Bega Show saw hundreds of people visit over the weekend to enjoy record numbers of equestrian entries in the arena as well as dairy cattle and livestock judging in addition to the poultry.