Who is Uniontown Poultry Association?
We are a non-profit organization in southwestern PA that is dedicated to the keeping and showing of all kinds of poultry. Headquartered at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in Dunbar, PA, we host numerous buy-sell-trade events as well as two APA/ABA poultry shows a year. In addition, our members participate in educational and outreach programs about poultry, on topics ranging from showmanship to basic backyard poultry keeping.
The UPA incorporated in 1928, and at that time, nearly all of its members lived around Uniontown, PA. These days, the UPA boasts members from Allegheny, Butler, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene Counties, in addition to Fayette County. A handful of our members hail from West Virginia. Our members span a wide age range and come from all walks of life, and each contributes a little something different to the group.
The UPA is a club with a long history, and we are in the process of modernizing ourselves and our operations now, in the hopes that our long history will only be the beginning.


by K. MartinOld Beginnings, New Beginnings

AAAHHHH! That feels better! Just like a chick when he makes that first big stretch out of the shell, Uniontown Poultry Association is stretching out into the world, and into cyberspace. For some poultry clubs this is not a big deal, but for the UPA, it is as momentous as a chick bursting out of an egg. You see, unlike a lot of poultry clubs, we have been around since at least 1928 (1928 being the date of our official incorporation as a nonprofit). This means we have a long history of keeping our events small, of using only word-of-mouth advertising, and of not aggressively seeking new members. But in this day and age, a nonprofit club cannot survive using only the old ways. Hosting buy-sell-trades costs money, holding APA/ABA sanctioned shows costs money, doing group and community outreach programs costs money - everything costs money. And that which does not cost money (such as setting up the cages for shows) requires people. If clubs want to be active, they need to network, to advertise, to reach out to the like minded folks out there: and the internet is a great way to do these things.
For those of you who are not members of a poultry club, or who do not know what one does, I can give a brief description. Local poultry clubs and associations bring together people who share an interest in poultry, usually exhibition poultry, and they hold events such as poultry auctions and trades, poultry shows, and sometimes other related events. For example, the UPA holds 7 - 8 buy-sell-trade events per year, where poultry of all kinds are traded, as well as other animals and supplies. The UPA also holds two APA/ABA sanctioned poultry shows (one in the spring and one in the fall). In addition, this year the UPA held a seminar / training course to enable several members to become Certified Poultry Technicians (CPTs draw blood samples for the blood tests that are required in order to show birds in Pennsylvania). Other poultry clubs might hold member picnics, organize group trips to larger poultry shows or events, host chicken coop tours, and other poultry-related activities. They are not just for the serious breeders who are interested only in show trophies and ribbons. Many people with backyard chickens enjoy raising purebred breeds such as Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Delawares and the like, and those birds are welcome at the shows as well. If they meet the requirements of the "breed standard" (as laid out in the APA's ), they may even win (my sister's hatchery-born Speckled Sussex hen took Champion English Class at one show). Even if showing does not interest you, poultry associations are a great place to find other people who like to "talk chicken," and are a great way of meeting local breeders, or just people who might want to split a batch of mail-order chicks with you. Standard of Perfection
Uniontown Poultry Association is a busy, active poultry club, and up until this point, we have mostly kept our light under a bushel. In the coming weeks and months, you will see much more of the UPA and hear much more about our coming events. We know that there are people out there who are experiencing "chicken fever," and these are people we need to meet. Stay posted for updates on all our doings!