County Fair and animal cruelty!!!

[Mrs. Turbo]

I am with Rodriguezpoultry....we also do not feed our birds the morning of the show....we also take out the water.....but everything is put back when the judges are finished. We are there for our birds to look their best and that means not playing in a bowl of water or sleeping on a full belly when the judge comes around.......doesn't mean we are negligent. The big shows are usually held in spring and fall when it is cooler out so the heat exhaustion is not an issue.

At our state fair they hire people to feed and water the birds. The birds are fed at night and watered is out all the time. People are quick to judge when walking through the fairs and shows. How do you know someone didn't just fill up that water bowl? Our chickens and ducks peck at them until they fall off and the ducks empty the water as fast as you put it in.....they play in it.

 

[chixrus]

rodriguezpoultry, i don't think that you are being entirely fair. most FFA and 4H kids that i know realize how they have to take care of their animals just as well as anyone else. they may forget more, but they wouldn't purposely not feed or water their animals. of course, i'm sure that there are those kids who shirk off their responsiblities to their parents who are at work, or at a meeting and can't get there in time. but a lot of the kids wouldn't ever leave their animals unattended on purpose. maybe i'm being biased considering i'm in 4-H myself, but i can' t imagine anyone in my club doing that.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I'm being entirely fair. I never said that ALL 4H and FFA kids shirk their responsibilities. But, as far as we know, all of the birds may have belonged to three or four sets of kids. We have no idea who all entered what birds.

Then there's also the chance that the kiddos are in other classes too. Goats, sheep, pigs, horses, calves...I mean they are involved in ALOT of projects! They may assume that the superintendent of the show will take care of the birds, when it clearly states in the rules that the exhibitors are responsible for their own birds.

I was in 4H and FFA as well.

 

[Blackbird]

Your right Rod, A LOT of people are only in it for ribbons and money, but not all.

At our fair we have a building superintendant, but she never does her job, and is rarely in the building. Most of the people showing will lay down bedding, feed and water their birds twice a day, but the rest is spent with friends, taking care of other animals, and walking around the fair grounds, atleast at our fair. I know some fairs make everyone remove feed and water once the animal is done but I would never show somewhere that requires that.

At our fair, only the exhibiter is allowed to care for the animal. If you get caught caring for someone elses, your club can loose Herdmanship points. Hermanship points are based on how well exhibits are kept. Clean bedding, feed, water, clean isles, etc. But even that doesn't make people care for their animals. I admit I watered a couple here and there for a girl who was mad because she didn't win anything good so she stopped taking care for her birds.

Our fair ended on Sunday, but I spent 90% of the time in the rabbit/poultry barn checking on my animals and reading a book. I usually just 'camp' somewhere moderatly close to hang out by my lonesome. My birds kept dusting sawdust all over the place. If I wanted clean food, bedding, and water I'd be tending to those cages ALL the time, but I always made sure there was water.

But I admit, I'd be mighty p.o.ed if I caught someone with their hand in the cage messing with MY birds. Whether or not it was for giving them water because they just dumped it. Who knows what someone could be adding to the water or disease could be spreading. I say, if its not your bird, don't mess with it. I'm glad you cared enough and told someone, but it sounds like that lady was just an exhausted parent, not a supervisor or manager.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

At our county fair, the fair is in charge of feeding/watering all of the birds all week, though owners may bring in fans for their birds if they wish. We do not keep our birds at fair all week because it is too hot in my opinion to keep birds that are used to free ranging in a cage for a whole week...but I know that ours are taken care of, as Bev Davis is in charge of our poultry barn!!

 

[Sitka]

This is very frustrating. Bless you and your son for taking the time to help out those animals.

I have seen similar situations at flea markets. One time I was at a flea market and my friend had his camera with him. A man was selling hunting dogs and did not have water out for them. The man said to my friend as he was taking a picture near the dogs, "Are you with the humane society?" Sort of paranoid....

QUESTION: Though this type of neglect is clearly animal cruelty, will you actually get a response if you call the police?

 

[JessaLynn]

Ya'll please re read my posts.This wasn't neglect on the 4H or FFA members part. This was OPEN CLASS where anyone can bring their birds to the fair.There is NO blame what so ever on the 4H or FFA members part at all!! This is obviosly some random people who are trying to make a buck off of these poor creatures by bringing like 30 birds to the fair every year without regard to their health because most looked ragged and diseased.Feed wasn't restricted because judging was done already so that excuse is shot.You can't justify what I saw at all!! It was plain animal cruelty on the owners part I'm sure.My point is this: Our Sandusky County Fair needs to higher their standards on who enters their animals into the fair and check each animal to ensure none are sick, ragged, or otherwise unsuitable to actually display to public Any who try and they find an owner is being neglectful then they need to be reported.No different then a dog or cat!! Kids in 4H and FFA work to hard with their projects for some irresponsible person that has a sick bird brings it to the fair to possibly infect all their birds!! I made a report with the board and waiting to hear back and if I don't yes I will take it higher because it's not right! They should make it clear to all owners to make sure they have suitable feed/water bowls and that they must check on their animals once a day themselves.Water should be provided everyday by the fair staff and checked every hour.Just my opinion!

 

[BayCityBabe]

JessaLynn: Good for you. You did the right thing.

I am very proud that our fair puts a 4-H club on a shift in the barns at all times. They water animals, sweep & answer questions that the public might have. No animal goes without.

 

[sred98]

What a horrible thing to have witnessed, JessaLynn! Thanks for trying to help. Maybe you'll be the sqeaky wheel!

Now y'all are making me nervous about letting my DD take her Welsummers to the fair! I think she is supposed to stay there, though? I'm skipping the boys' football games to stay with her, since no one else in her FFA shows chickens. This is making me really anxious, though. I really don't know if I could stand it if the other exhibitors just dump their animals and don't make sure they are cared for.

I understand that there is someone from the fair there, but I really seem to think that it is the individual's responsibility to make sure their animals are properly cared for. The person in charge can't possibly care about 30 or 3000 birds they have no connection to. I assume they're basically there to keep the peace and make sure no one steals a bird or hurts them. Giving water would be a bonus, but shouldn't the people that supposedly care about the birds be the ones who ultimately make sure their needs are being met?

JessaLynn-I am not disagreeing with you, at all! I think the ball was dropped all the way around. KWIM? She shouldn't have been rude to you, but what if these exhibitors dumped the birds with no food or water, and she was trying her best and was upset and frustrated? You are doing the right thing. Obviously something needs to change. Whether it is requirements for the exhibitors, including not allowing them to participate in the future if they don't care for their animals, or disqualifying them from competition.

My point is, one or two people can't possibly be expected to care for all those birds. The fair sounds like it needs to reorganize some things. I will be sure to pay attention to how our fair handles things like this.

I have no intention of letting our birds just sit up there with a stranger supervising them. I have put my blood, sweat, and tears into these birds. These are my last 2 surviving Welsummers from my neighbor's dog attack this past Spring.

Please keep us posted!

Shelly

 

[BarbK]

sred98 I think I agree about being nervous about taking my daughter to 4H. And the other person that posted that they always had someone on their case about why the pig didn't have water and chickens food. I think when my DD starts 4H next year I'm gonna put a card up that documents when she cleanes, feeds and waters her animals. That way no one is getting upsett with her!!! (maybe that should become the norm that way there is a paper trail)

Not that what happened in the original post is right. The owners could have prevented the issues by providing diff food and water bowls and checking their animals to make sure they were ok. Koodos to you for trying to help the ones you could.