4-H Chick Chain: Are You Ready for Your Next Challenge?

4-H youth, Tucker Padgett, posing with her show bird at a show.

Each year in Northwest Florida, 4-H hosts a 4-H Chick Chain Project. During this project, youth select their birds, raise their birds, attend educational workshops, and show their birds at a final show. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic placing a new emphasis on fresh from the farm food products, the 4-H Chick Chain project is a great way to launch into raising chickens or to start a new project. This year, the year the project is going one step further than previous years, adding more opportunities for youth to share about their projects through a demonstration or illustrated talk and the chance to explore building a business through the entrepreneurship challenge.

Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks

Participants will have the chance to share a demonstration or illustrated talk focusing on their chicken related experiences at the 4-H Chick Chain Competition. The best part is that presentation made at the Chick Chain event can be perfected and carried on to other competitions such as County Events, District Events, and 4-H University. Through a demonstration, youth will show the judges how to do something, while with an illustrated talk, youth are explaining a situation or topic while using a visual aid such as a poster, PowerPoint, or physical object. The best part of this opportunity is that youth are encouraged to talk about their chickens and chicken experiences. After all, it is the 4-H Chick Chain Project.

Entrepreneurship Challenge

Chickens pecking at feed offered in a feed pan.

This new experience is designed to walk participants through the documentation and setup of a business plan focusing on chickens, over multiple years. Each year, participants focus on a different aspect of owning and operating a business. At the Chick Chain show, participants will present their plan to judges. For youth who are interested in the entrepreneurship challenge and more similar opportunities, youth are encouraged to check out the Florida 4-H Gator Pit offers educational workshops and the chance to interact with entrepreneurs throughout Florida.

Try it Out

This project is open to Florida 4-H youth in Northwest Florida. Registration will be open in October of 2020 through 4-H online, with the show taking place in mid Spring. Interested in getting involved? Ask your county 4-H agent where to get started. This project offers a chance for every level of youth to stretch their comfort level focusing on one of the best topics out there… Chickens! So join us, learn something new, teach us something new, and make some awesome chicken loving friends.