4-h?

[Narragansett]

I am in NE Ohio, we have lots of rare breed chickens and I'm wondering if I could get the local 4H groups interested in them? All the chickens at the fairs around here are leghorns with the occasional barred rock. It would be great to see some cochins, silkies, auracanas, marans and penedesencas at the fair! The colored eggs would make it exciting too.

Contact Mr Matt Lhamon in Lima Ohio. He is a well respected APA/ABA licensed judge and also a 4h poultry leader. He is one of the few 4h poultry leaders who actually knows what he's talking about with regard to exhibiting poultry properly. The sad fact is that most 4h poultry leaders are well meaning people, but they have very little understanding of the basics of exhibiting, the Standards and the concept of competition and how it affects both the development of the breeds and teaches responsibility to the exhibitors. There are a few exceptions, like Matt, but they are rare. 4h unfortunately and shamelessly discriminates against young exhibitors by preventing them from being involved in any of their programs which involve live animals. The APA/ABA Youth Program invites all age children to be involved, as long as they are old enough to understand what is going on. 4h teaches all the wrong lessons, including that everyone gets a reward just for showing up. They are laying the goundwork for future students who feel that they don't need to get a good grade to graduate, employees who feel that they don't need to do any work to get a paycheck, and welfare deadbeats who feel that the government owes them a check just for being. 4h is great for giggles, but it encourages an emotional retardation of sorts, focusing on poultry as pets rather than livestock. It teaches the children to treat chickens in unnatural ways, such as walking them like a dog, or playing dress up, things that have no bearing in real life with poultry, and only serve to confuse the children about the difference between reality and fantasy.