What To Do With "Left-Over" Show Broilers?

[seymojo536]

If you haven't heard of this organization. http://www.fhfh.org/Home.asp check them out.

They have funding to pay for the processing costs. You supply the animal.


Showbird,

As someone who has showed in 4H and open classes and volunteered as an Advisor for the last 10 years, I have seen many kids that the first time they touch the animal is when they lead it into the ring. They couldn't pick a class winner if you spotted them the top 3. But I also see kids that know their stuff, have spent the time and effort with their projects, and are a joy to talk to. They will keep you on your toes. It is parents like you that set the rules and make sure they are followed that make 4H the worthwhile endeavor it can be. Each year, the kids pick up a little more knowledge and expertise.

Of course it is not all about where they place in the showring. We tell them the placings is just one judge's opinion on one day. We put more emphasis on how they do in the showmanship and skillathon competitions. The highest praise we give is to the Premier Exhibitors. In our view, those are the kids that get the most from the 4H experience.

 

[Tracydr]

Showbird, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry. My experience around 4-H and FFA kids has not been positive. It sounds like you're doing a great job encouraging your children to learn about the actual animals involved and not just leading an animal into the ring. I commend you. For some reason, I guess because you were the one initiating the conversation on surplus chickens, rather than your son, I got the impression that he was less involved than he actually is. But, the fact is, I was wrong. You sound like you expect a great deal from your kids and that they are learning a lot about the animals that they raise.
I'm sorry that I came across that way and I'm glad that you're one of the parents that actually involve their children in the feeding and fitting process of the animals they raise. I guess I've seen the opposite in the FFA kids in the area that I was living, which I think was partly the coach's fault, as well as the parent's. I was stationed at Ft. Sill, OK and lived near a small town with a winning FFA team. The coach seemed to do almost everything in regards to feeding, vaccinating and even preparing the animals for the ring. When I would talk to the kids, some as old as 18years of age, they had no knowledge of the feeding or fitting program that they had their animals on. None, whatsoever. Not really sure what they did everyday in their classes but it sure was a popular class. The cost of purchasing a baby pig or steer was outrageous and far beyond the means of the lower income students.
I love the idea of leveling the playing field by purchasing all the broilers from the same hatchery, same day. I only wish they could do the same with other livestock for these kids. I had never realized the exorbitant prices the kids paid for a show pig or steer, only to sell it for 25% of the original price, after feeding it for half a year or a year! How are they to learn the value of raising market animals when they are involved in such a dismally losing effort? I understand that the winning animals are auctioned off for a great deal of money but that's not really a realistic view real world agribusiness. Perhaps the answer would be to have state FFA/4H sales at the beginning of the season, where breeders could sell show steers and baby show pigs at a fair market value, kids could judge and learn how to buy at auction?

I'm glad your kids are involved in the judging team. Judging team is a wonderful place for kids to learn and I would encourage any parent to involve their kids in this part of 4-H or FFA. Not only do they learn to think logically, but they learn public speaking skills, self confidence, poise and they have the possibility of a college scholarship. I was sort of pushed into horse judging during college. I attended CSU as an Animal Science Major during an extra undergraduate year ( i already had a bachelor's degree was from a very small school without agriculture classes), while deciding if I wanted to pursue human or animal medicine and a Masters in Nutrition.
Looking back on my graduate degree in Nutrition, my Medical School and my undergraduate degree, the single most influential class in all of my schooling was my horse judging class! Sure, I learned a ton during Medical School but the speaking skills and confidence that I gained on the judging team are what allowed me to become an officer in the Air Force, which lead to a scholarship to medical school from the Army.
Keep up the great work with your kids!

 

[ShowBird]

Quote:
Tracydr, thanks for the kind words. Sorry if I came off a little harsh. Its just that I witness first hand the dedication and hardwork my kids put in day after day in our barn. We have a lot of kids in our region that you spoke of in your first post. My wife and I want the best for our kids in and out of the show ring. What attracted us to showing broilers was the level playing field, from the beginning. I wish that it was the same with the pigs and lambs as well. However we have to show against $2,500 lambs and $5,000 pigs on a regular basis. We have never paid more than 10% of those prices for any lamb or pig that we have purchased. What I always tell my kids is don't get beat by the other competitors. If you get beat by a high dollar animal, we can live with that. But don't ever let any of the other competitors beat you because they prepared better than you or worked harder than you. So far it has worked out for my kids. I hope my wife and I can continue to lead our kids in the right direction. FFA and 4-H can be a great tool, if used correctly. Again, sorry if I came off a little harsh.

 

[Tracydr]

Not a problem. If I had pigs or sheep. I would want to get all my lambs and piglets into the hands of kids like yours and not for those prices. I would almost give them away, to the right kids!

 

[sbarab]

There is at least one other 4H family that does it together. My kids raise californian rabbits and this year we're trying our hand at meat goats. The girls feed, water and work their animals. Not that you have to work rabbits.

Just constantly check that they are cool in this 100+ degree heat and provide them with frozen water bottles to snuggle w/.

Neither of my girls want to raise chickens for the fair. They saw too many kids holding dead chickens for the judge.

 

[Tracydr]

I was just reading something on processing turkeys. They mentioned large, shrink wrap bags that you can purchase at one of the hatchery websites. You put the bird in, pop the bagged bird in boiling water to make the bag shrink and seal the bag with a hog ring, using a special spring pliers. I can't remember the name of the hatchery but I bet you can find it easily with a quick search. This could be the answer to preventing that meat from going bad in the freezer.
Just another option you may want to consider.

 

[sbarab]

I've seen the bags in chicken sized on the whizbang website.