On Saturday, October 29th, 4-H’ers from across the panhandle suited up in their 4-H Show gear, loaded up their chickens and ventured off to the inaugural Florida 4-H Chick Chain hosted at the Walton County Fairgrounds. This project was piloted last year with Alabama 4-H and is now an annual small animal science project offered here in the panhandle.
The objectives of the project are to help youth learn poultry nutrition and care, to develop communication skills, to develop basic record keeping skills, and to develop responsibility. Over 80 youth participated and have been raising their pullets since May. Over the summer, they participated in webinars and workshops to help prepare them for the show and complete their record books. Some youth participated individually, some youth shared pullets with their siblings (making it a family project). Youth not able to have chickens at their home were able to participate through a Cooperative Coop. Cooperative coops are housed at the Extension Office and youth have the opportunity to sign up for shifts to help “rule the roost” by feeding and watering the chicks, monitoring their health, changing bedding, and cleaning the coop.
On Show and Auction day, youth experienced many opportunities to showcase their “egg-celent” skills they learned through the Florida 4-H Chick Chain project. First, youth were required to check-in their birds at registration with the Agriculture Inspector. This was the final step in determining if the youth had followed all the proper bio-security measures to keep their chickens happy, healthy and disease free. Next, youth participated in a skill-a-thon to demonstrate what they have learned about breed identification, poultry anatomy, and how to set up a brooder properly. During the show, youth demonstrated their knowledge and communication skills with confidence. Youth were judged on how prepared they were to answer questions about their project and how well they handled their birds.
Do you have a passion for poultry? If so, consider sharing it with 4-H as a volunteer. 4-H needs volunteers to help teach life skills through projects like this by sparking a lifelong interest in learning, Contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office or visit http://florida4h.org.
Helpful Resources:
- Florida 4-H Chick Chain
- Florida 4-H Poultry Project
- 4-H Poultry Judging
- Florida 4-H Embryology
- Five Steps to Poultry Showmanship
- All Aboard the Chick Chain
These youth made top scores on the poultry skill-a-thon!
| Junior Showmanship | 1st | Jena Putnam |
| 2nd | Sheldon Sparks | |
| 3rd | Jake Rinehart | |
| 4th | Cass Dillard | |
| 5th | Ashlynn Peebles | |
| Intermediate Showmanship | 1st | Katie Ballard |
| 2nd | Adrienne Murray | |
| 3rd | Lily Smith | |
| 4th | Isaac Hosford | |
| 5th | Kailey Pettis | |
| Senior Showmanship | 1st | Mary Ballard |
| 2nd | Klarissa Williamson | |
| 3rd | Ashlynn McDevitt | |
| 4th | Myra Miles | |
| 5th | Jayla Kindlespire | |
| County Best of Show Grand & Reserve | HOLMES | G – Joshua Ernst R – Emily Ernst |
| JACKSON | G – Nathan Ziglar R – Beau Miles |
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| JEFFERSON | G – Jake Rinehart R – Ashlynn Peebles |
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| LIBERTY | G – Isaac Hosford R – Millie Revell |
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| OKALOOSA | G – Lily Smith R – Kaelen Chenard |
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| SANTA ROSA | G – Cayden Smith R – Cat Proud |
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| WAKULLA | G – Adrienne Murray | |
| WALTON | G – Krista Laviolette R – Leannah McDevitt |
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| WASHINGTON | G – Cole & Cass Dillard R – Lillian, Sheldon Sparks & Natalie Taylor |
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| Breed Best of Show Grand & Reserve | BRAHMA | G – Lily Smith R – Cole & Cass Dillard |
| DOMINIQUE | G – Jake Rinehart R – Krista & Julie Laviolette |
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| LEGHORN | G – Beau Miles R – Mary Ballard |
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| POLISH | G – Lillian & Sheldon Sparks, Natalie Taylor R – Nathan Ziglar |
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| RHODE ISLAND RED | G – Emily Ernst R – Jenna Putnam |
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| WYANDOTTE | G – Jayla Kindlespire R – Kaelen Chenard |
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| Overall Grand & Reserve (New) | G – Lily Smith R – Beau Miles |
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| Overall Grand & Reserve (Returning) | G – Emily Ernst R – Myra Miles |
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