Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fair Game
If you have done the work of raising a healthy, slick flock of chickens, you might want
to strut your stuff—and theirs—at a local county fair or poultry show. The American
Poultry Association, 4-H, and many local poultry clubs hold events where bird lovers
can enter, chat, and talk chickens all day long. It's a chance to swell with pride when
the animal you raised from a day-old chick comes home with a blue ribbon. I mean, you
worked hard to bring up that spunky little hen into the beautiful Buff Orpington she is
today, as gold as Jason's fleece and as bright eyed as a day-old calf. Being able to show
her off and maybe win something is a lot of fun. And hey, a little recognition is nice,
isn't it?
I entered my farm-raised Silkie bantams in the Bonner County Fair in Idaho, and my
hen and cockerel pair took second place in their division. We didn't come home with
any trophy, but the prize did cover their entry fees, and the time spent in the poultry ex-
hibition area turned out to be a hotbed of conversation, laughs, bartering, and education.
I learned so much by just chatting with other hobbyists as I fed and watered the entrants
and walked around the fair looking at other chickens. It was an experience I hope to
have again.
If fairs aren't your scene, you can find other ways to get active in poultry outside your
own coop. Your kids can get involved in 4-H, and you can join your local breed or
poultry club. The clubs usually revolve around showing, but they're also a wellspring of
information and experience.
Chick Diary
When we hold a treat like clover over our girls' heads, they'll leap into the air to
grab it. All of us, including the chickens, find this endlessly amusing.
