Poultry Showing for youth

[MorganC]

Hey all,
So I have been a poultry breeder for years, a 4-H leader for more, and a judge for less. What I have noticed in the last few years is that there is too much variation in the way poultry are judged; not just the breeds and how they compare to the standard, but the kids who are using poultry in showmanship. I have even noticed this discrepancy in my own state where each county has a different method of showing birds. I read in another post that a member was docked points for not using a hog stick to guide the turkey. When I was showing turkeys, I was required to place my bird on a rug on the table, not walk it into the ring let alone guide it in with a cane.
Does anyone else notice this discrepancy and what it can lead to?

 

[Twistedfeather]

I've heard of states having different requirements for showmanship but back here they are pretty similar. I think the 4-H standards change throughout the ages but I thought that was determined by the state not the county I don't think walking will remain because half the judges don't see the point. But that's strange that they're walking turkeys like pigs because we still do the table