How wonderful that you do this 
Ambassadors for the farm
- Thread starter centrarchid
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- #82
This be something different for me where we setup judging opportunities for FFA youth. Will be repeating effort in coming years where thinking level for those setting up needs to be reduced. Setup process is a bear.
Live poultry (Broilers and Egg Layers). Birds are so outside what I have experience with that as of yesterday I did not feel qualified to judge them myself. Will be getting schooled on that ASAP.
Eggs and parts for rest.
Live poultry (Broilers and Egg Layers). Birds are so outside what I have experience with that as of yesterday I did not feel qualified to judge them myself. Will be getting schooled on that ASAP.
Eggs and parts for rest.
Well, I've worked my way through the thread and I'm not sure what the purpose of these exhibitions are. It seems like a freak show to me. I can't see children learning much useful about farm animals from roosters that ride around in cars and on motorbikes and let all and sundry handle them.
It portrays a completely inaccurate picture of natural rooster and chicken behavior imo.
There is this idea that the domestication of certain animals means they are no longer treated with the respect they deserve, or the caution warranted.
Post after post on these forums demonstrate that in the case here, chickens and roosters in particular are not the cuddly human friendly creatures some would portray them as.
It's the humans perception of these creatures that that underlies the problems these post report,
it is quite difficult to explain to a child and many adults that the rooster they are being allowed to pet and handle isn't really a rooster at all; it's a trained pet which no longer exhibits it's natural behavior. Some will leave such exhibitions with the belief that all chickens are like this and when they next see a member of that species may go to pet it with disastrous results.
A stranger attempting to pet a rooster or even a hen here will either scare them away, or get attacked. That is the natural response.
It portrays a completely inaccurate picture of natural rooster and chicken behavior imo.
There is this idea that the domestication of certain animals means they are no longer treated with the respect they deserve, or the caution warranted.
Post after post on these forums demonstrate that in the case here, chickens and roosters in particular are not the cuddly human friendly creatures some would portray them as.
It's the humans perception of these creatures that that underlies the problems these post report,
it is quite difficult to explain to a child and many adults that the rooster they are being allowed to pet and handle isn't really a rooster at all; it's a trained pet which no longer exhibits it's natural behavior. Some will leave such exhibitions with the belief that all chickens are like this and when they next see a member of that species may go to pet it with disastrous results.
A stranger attempting to pet a rooster or even a hen here will either scare them away, or get attacked. That is the natural response.
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- #84
I am an educator. My background involving poultry is sound and well rounded and has involved actual livelihood made from chickens. My target audience has lost connections with almost all aspects of agriculture, to the point they do not know where there food comes from. My purpose is in part to excite the audience and show how they are connected to living animals.
The purpose is to expose the public to chickens in a manner that breaks down apprehension and promotes interest. The demonstrations include how the chickens can cause harm by allowing parties to touch the actual weaponry on the chickens as I describe how they are used. I stress communication systems and responses to the environment. More often than not, I operate in parallel at events where others are more focused on the production side of chicken keeping where they focus on culinary value. Birds they use are more often than not the backyard variety like you keep.
Some of what you complain about is not even shown to public outside this forum (trained to go into cage). The information is intended as a long-term resource where others can see some of approach used to make things happen.
The game fowl (fighting chickens) used for most of this effort are outside your realm of experience. They are known for an extremely broad range of behaviors that are plastic in they can be modified by interactions with their keepers. They are also core to my relationship with chickens so they are the population of choice for use in education efforts.
The purpose is to expose the public to chickens in a manner that breaks down apprehension and promotes interest. The demonstrations include how the chickens can cause harm by allowing parties to touch the actual weaponry on the chickens as I describe how they are used. I stress communication systems and responses to the environment. More often than not, I operate in parallel at events where others are more focused on the production side of chicken keeping where they focus on culinary value. Birds they use are more often than not the backyard variety like you keep.
Some of what you complain about is not even shown to public outside this forum (trained to go into cage). The information is intended as a long-term resource where others can see some of approach used to make things happen.
The game fowl (fighting chickens) used for most of this effort are outside your realm of experience. They are known for an extremely broad range of behaviors that are plastic in they can be modified by interactions with their keepers. They are also core to my relationship with chickens so they are the population of choice for use in education efforts.
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- #85
Preparation for 2019 well underway. We have four chicks that will serve as juveniles and two hens just went broody either as going on to roost or early this morning. I still do not know when hen commence broodiness with respect to time of day. The pullet produced one egg per day while the 2 years plus out sourced hen produced larger eggs on 36 hour intervals. Hopefully both with hatch on some day. I have a cock and stag picked out for my front line and a third stag is held as backup.
My kids will be tasked with training the chicks. They already named them.
My kids will be tasked with training the chicks. They already named them.
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- #86
The St. Louis Science Center event was pretty good. I estimate 300 to 400 people came in to see chicken part. Our aquatic critters part did at least 3 times as well. Both provided opportunities that you seldom see at educational events. Some the chicken behaviors were not recalled by even seasoned poultry keepers even though I know they were around such with their own chicken.
We had a lot of this going on. My partner in this crime is more on the production side of things with more show bird experience than I have. In future she will do the production and ornamental angles and I will concentrate on the behavior. Our methods of handling the birds could not be more different which likely reflects our interest.
Below is a rooster demonstrating a potential nest site to pullet wanting to lay egg. I called out the hen was wanting to lay an egg based on sounds she made and her behavior. Rooster realized same and got to work. At one point 20 people where following the pair around during the nest selection process.
Second pullet had a more independent selection process. She also had more kids getting in to watch nest preparation efforts.
Kids were able to actually put hands in where she was working as she did it. I forced her to move because was tearing something up. Below is actual site she used. Everyone could see how she was looking about and considered what I put out for her.
When she laid eggs, a family of five was actually able to see egg pop out and litteral bounce a little hop. You should have seen everyone's eyes! I then pulled the warm and still wet egg out for onlookers to touch, less than 30 seconds after it was laid.
It was a good day.
We had a lot of this going on. My partner in this crime is more on the production side of things with more show bird experience than I have. In future she will do the production and ornamental angles and I will concentrate on the behavior. Our methods of handling the birds could not be more different which likely reflects our interest.
Below is a rooster demonstrating a potential nest site to pullet wanting to lay egg. I called out the hen was wanting to lay an egg based on sounds she made and her behavior. Rooster realized same and got to work. At one point 20 people where following the pair around during the nest selection process.
Second pullet had a more independent selection process. She also had more kids getting in to watch nest preparation efforts.
Kids were able to actually put hands in where she was working as she did it. I forced her to move because was tearing something up. Below is actual site she used. Everyone could see how she was looking about and considered what I put out for her.
When she laid eggs, a family of five was actually able to see egg pop out and litteral bounce a little hop. You should have seen everyone's eyes! I then pulled the warm and still wet egg out for onlookers to touch, less than 30 seconds after it was laid.
It was a good day.
That is AWESOME!!
Wow- really neat. We never had opps like that when I was a school kid.
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- #89
Check out Ty's feathers as they are the talking point that enables comparison of chicken with fish and trees.
Poultry display in St. Louis Science Center GroExhibit.
Image I do not want to loose as is like a where is Waldo type of thing.
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What's with the UFO coop blurb....oops paste?
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