From Practice to Poultry Perfection
Wakulla 4-H hosted the annual Poultry Perfection Workshop on Saturday, March 1. Youth from Wakulla, Gulf, Jefferson, and Gadsden counties spent the morning demonstrating their poultry science knowledge and showmanship skills at the Wakulla County Extension office. Youth learned how to handle birds for the upcoming district poultry show scheduled March 29, 2025 at the Extension facility in Washington County, Florida. Each youth practiced show skills by demonstrating their knowledge of poultry breeds and anatomy with their individual show bird and completed a poultry science skill-a-thon.
Youth who participate in the District Show are required to submit a project book that documents how they raised their show bird. Show participants demonstrate their poultry knowledge in a live judging format as well as in a skill-a-thon. Youth who progress through the age levels of the 4-H program can compete in a demonstration or illustrated talk session about their poultry projects. Projects include topics such as building poultry-based businesses that demonstrate how young people can apply entrepreneurial skills to start a business and generate a profit.
Chick Chain Project
Preparation for the District show begins months before, in September of the prior year. Each fall, members of Wakulla 4-H begin raising chicks as participants in the UF IFAS NW District 4-H Chick Chain Program. From September to March, youth ages 5 to 18 choose one or more chicken breeds that will be raised from newly hatched chicks to mature chickens. At monthly club meetings youth learn how to feed and care for their birds, including how to maintain flock biosecurity. Youth learn how to recognize different bird breeds, chicken market cuts, anatomy, as well as egg candling and grading. To learn more about this annual poultry project, visit this website: https://sites.google.com/ufl.edu/4-h-poultry-project/home. The next Chick Chain will begin in September!
Biosecurity and Flock Protection
Youth enrolled in the Chick Chain project learn how to keep their flock safe from threats that include predators and avian disease. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides guidelines on flock defense to maintain bird health: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/defend-the-flock. Bird flu is caused by the avian influenza virus and can affect all types of birds, including chickens, ducks, turkey. There are two main types: low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI), which is milder, and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which can cause severe illness and death in poultry (Stonecipher, 2025).
Five Tips to Protect Your Flock
- Limit Exposure to Wild Birds: Keep your flock in a secure area to avoid contact with wild birds, which can carry the virus.
- Practice Biosecurity: Clean and disinfect equipment, practice strict hygiene when handling your birds, avoid visiting someone else’s property with birds and wearing the same clothing when you are with your own flock to prevent potential cross-contamination.
- Monitor Your Flock: Regularly check for signs of illness.
- Isolate New Birds: Quarantine new poultry for at least two weeks to prevent introducing disease.
- Stay Informed: Follow local reports on bird flu outbreaks and advice from authorities.
Signs of Bird Flu
What are the signs to determine if your birds have avian influenza? Please see this link for information: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/brevardco/2025/01/07/things-to-know-about-avian-influenza-or-bird-flu/
Signs of the disease vary greatly and depend on many factors, including the age and species of poultry affected, husbandry practices, and the inherent pathogenicity of the influenza virus strain (Newman, 2025).
Signs to look for may include:
ruffled feathers
soft-shelled eggs
depression and droopiness
sudden drop in egg production
loss of appetite
cyanosis (purplish-blue coloring) of wattles and comb
edema and swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and hocks
diarrhea
blood-tinged discharge from nostrils
incoordination, including loss of ability to walk and stand
pin-point hemorrhages (most easily seen on the feet and shanks)
respiratory distress
increased death losses in a flock
The clinical signs of avian influenza are like those of other avian diseases. Avian flu may be confused with infectious bronchitis, laryngotracheitis, fowl cholera, and the various forms of Newcastle disease.
Raising Backyard Chickens for Eggs
Interested in raising backyard chickens for eggs? Check out this excellent resource from UF IFAS: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/an239. The Wakulla County Extension office offers free educational workshops for youth and adults. Watch for a workshop on Backyard Poultry for families to be announced soon! For more information, please call our office (850-926-3931) or visit 84 Cedar Avenue in Crawfordville.
School Embryology Program
Each spring, Wakulla 4-H partners with local elementary schools to offer classroom-based embryology programs. Wakulla 4-H provides incubators, embryology curriculum resources, and fertilized eggs to support these educational programs.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.
Additional Resources
Florida 4-H Chick Chain
https://sites.google.com/ufl.edu/4-h-poultry-project/skill-a-thon?authuser=0
For Shelter Rescues and Access to Care Clinics
Keeping Backyard Poultry Safe from Bird Flu
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/volusiaco/2025/01/24/keeping-backyard-poultry-safe-from-bird-flu/
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