Need to let off some steam about chickens at the fair

[wekiva bird]

Just went to our local county fair. The poultry show consisted of all 4 H birds. Yes, there were the usual mistakes - EE labeled as Araucana, Ameraucana. Americana - , but all birds were clean, evidently well cared for, in good shape and supplied with clean feed and water. Appeared to me as if the kids were learning the important basics. Just perhaps if they retain their love of poultry, make a couple of bucks and get a mentor they will be the breeders of the future. I find it difficult to be critical of kids and their club leaders trying to do the right thing.

x2

 

[itsthelaw37801]

We are going to the Knoxville Fair tomorrow. I am really excited. I looked it up (I haven't been there since I was 18 - and that was about 400 years ago), and they have 9,000 square feet devoted to poultry and rabbits. I pray that what you witnessed isn't happening there. Because I am totally psyched.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Poultry and small animal 4-H leader here.

These are kids that are showing and very few of them can afford really nice show quality animals. In fact, most of the kids in my club show backyard animals and I even had a class added to the show so that mixed breed birds can be shown. They aren't usually eligible for winning BOS, but the kids are happy they have a place to enter them.

For me, 4-H has always been about learning how to care for an animal, the basics of showing, and about your animal in particular. Got a mixed breed bird? Great. Research what breeds your bird is made up of and tell the judge that. 4-H is not about spending the most money on a show quality animal from top breeders. It is about caring for what you have, and putting time into the things you care about.

I used to have the same beef about horse shows back when I was showing. I had a backyard horse that I mostly trained myself. Some of the other kids who constantly won at shows would spend tons of money having OTHER people train their horses and they would not do a thing except get on and ride the day of the show. Yet 4-Hers like myself, who were actually learning and doing the training ourselves, would often place last. It was extremely discouraging, and I've done all I can as a leader to prevent that from happening at our poultry show.

I don't, however, tolerate birds that are sickly or not in good shape. All of our members must clean cages regularly. I don't mind if they have a bird that doesn't match the standard and I smile when I see that member with a hatchery quality or backyard bird spending the time to clean it up before judging. They are still learning even if their bird is not the best in it's category. We also have a judge that is great at understanding this.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Poultry and small animal 4-H leader here.

These are kids that are showing and very few of them can afford really nice show quality animals. In fact, most of the kids in my club show backyard animals and I even had a class added to the show so that mixed breed birds can be shown. They aren't usually eligible for winning BOS, but the kids are happy they have a place to enter them.

For me, 4-H has always been about learning how to care for an animal, the basics of showing, and about your animal in particular. Got a mixed breed bird? Great. Research what breeds your bird is made up of and tell the judge that. 4-H is not about spending the most money on a show quality animal from top breeders. It is about caring for what you have, and putting time into the things you care about.

I used to have the same beef about horse shows back when I was showing. I had a backyard horse that I mostly trained myself. Some of the other kids who constantly won at shows would spend tons of money having OTHER people train their horses and they would not do a thing except get on and ride the day of the show. Yet 4-Hers like myself, who were actually learning and doing the training ourselves, would often place last. It was extremely discouraging, and I've done all I can as a leader to prevent that from happening at our poultry show.

I don't, however, tolerate birds that are sickly or not in good shape. All of our members must clean cages regularly. I don't mind if they have a bird that doesn't match the standard and I smile when I see that member with a hatchery quality or backyard bird spending the time to clean it up before judging. They are still learning even if their bird is not the best in it's category. We also have a judge that is great at understanding this.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I did 4H as a kid for guinea pigs and arts and crafts. For the first, the main focus was on how much you knew about your animal and species, how well you carried yourself and spoke, and how well you handled and cared for your animal. How well you guinea pig matched the breed standard was pointed out to us (ie. "in this color, can you tell me what should be different about the color of your guinea pig's nails"), and unfortunately some judge personal preferences too ("Oh good, a red roan. Everyone has tri roans, and I get tired of seeing them, etc"). In comparison, arts and crafts was focused on competition period.

I honestly can not remember a single item I entered in arts and crafts, what it was, or how it did. I remember each show I entered my guinea pig in, every educational poster I made, and have had all the information I learned about them and their care still come in handy today! You'd be surprised at how many people working with guinea pigs way above the pet store level have no idea that, for instance, males can become impacted. I learned good breeding and networking practices, learned good handling and husbandry skills, know all about the different breeds of a species that many people are not aware even has different breeds, learned how to be passionate and well educated about any task at hand, and got an amazing pet out of it too.

Competition is an important life skill, but it need not be the main focus of every single outlet in life. There are many other traits that have served me far better long after leaving the shows. I am really pleased to see that the economic aspect, and how 4H should not be about who has more money has been addressed eloquently by others. That said, I do agree that sick or diseased animals should not be shown. That right there is an important teaching moment, and does not help with the goal of learning good animal care. I just saw some animals the other day that were not in good health being shown by adults at our state fair.

 

[itsthelaw37801]

There were some beautiful chickens at the TVA & I Fair (Knoxville), but there were some that were really sick. I did get two business cards of local breeders that I am really excited about. The worst part for my husband is now I want ducks. *this is where he rolls his eyes.

 

[littlechicklet]

Poultry and small animal 4-H leader here.

These are kids that are showing and very few of them can afford really nice show quality animals. In fact, most of the kids in my club show backyard animals and I even had a class added to the show so that mixed breed birds can be shown. They aren't usually eligible for winning BOS, but the kids are happy they have a place to enter them.

For me, 4-H has always been about learning how to care for an animal, the basics of showing, and about your animal in particular. Got a mixed breed bird? Great. Research what breeds your bird is made up of and tell the judge that. 4-H is not about spending the most money on a show quality animal from top breeders. It is about caring for what you have, and putting time into the things you care about.

I used to have the same beef about horse shows back when I was showing. I had a backyard horse that I mostly trained myself. Some of the other kids who constantly won at shows would spend tons of money having OTHER people train their horses and they would not do a thing except get on and ride the day of the show. Yet 4-Hers like myself, who were actually learning and doing the training ourselves, would often place last. It was extremely discouraging, and I've done all I can as a leader to prevent that from happening at our poultry show.

I don't, however, tolerate birds that are sickly or not in good shape. All of our members must clean cages regularly. I don't mind if they have a bird that doesn't match the standard and I smile when I see that member with a hatchery quality or backyard bird spending the time to clean it up before judging. They are still learning even if their bird is not the best in it's category. We also have a judge that is great at understanding this.

When my son was in 5th grade he participated in the 4H chick chain. The chicks the 4Hers received were hatchery black sex links (I think all got the same). The whole point of this exercise to me was to introduce & teach them responsibility. It was a learning process for us because we had never had chickens (grew up in the country but not on a farm) and a bonding experience for my son & his step-grandfather as my father-in-law taught him how to care for the chickens.

We built the coop together, helped with the work book, he fed, watered & collected eggs, washed the eggs & sold them to the neighbors (most who just wanted to help him). He used the money from the eggs to buy the feed for the chickens & any extra he had for himself. At the end of the Summer all the 4Hers went to the show & auction. Since my husband and I had to work my father-in-law took Josh and his 5 best birds. He won best in show and his birds brought the highest bid (my father-in-law paid dearly to bring those birds back home LOL).

He did take his birds to the Tennesse Valley Fair in Knoxville but they could not compete because they were not a recognized standard breed (I think). He got to show off his hard work & did get a ribbon for something. So after all this rambling what I am trying to say is: 1. We did not know that Sex Links were not a show type breed and even if he had gotten a recognized breed they would have been hatchery stock and would not have done well in any shows. 2. When you see the 4Hers chickens mislabeled remember hatcheries label EEs as Ameraucana or Araucana. 3. The kids with the best looking birds are probably the ones who had someone to mentor and/or learn with them. Its sad but many times the kids are left to care for the animals without any guidance or worse are taught very poor animal management from their parents/guardians.

This is how it worked for us. I agree unhealthy or sick birds should not be allowed.