Poultry

POULTRY PROJECT

4-H members may take a poultry project to raise poultry for meat or egg production, fancy or exhibition, or just as pets. These projects also support many of the contests offered in the poultry project area. Some of the contests that a youth can participate in are:  Poultry judging, Embryology, Breed exhibition, Egg preparation contests and Public presentations.

The 4-H Poultry Project can be and usually is financially profitable for a youth. The member's individual project is a foundation upon which they can develop other learning experiences. The project teaches record keeping, production, management, marketing, and consumer information of poultry products.

Some of the topics that youth will explore in the 4-H poultry project area:

• Judging poultry and eggs.
• Record keeping.
• Vaccinating.
• Preparing birds for shows and fairs.
• Housing and feeding laying hens.
• Lighting of layers.
• Litter management.
• Grading eggs and packing for market.
• Exhibits for fairs.
• Marketing.
• Water management in winter or summer periods.
• Poultry diets and feeding programs.
• Sanitation and disease control.
• Culling of non-productive laying hens.

If you are interested in becoming a 4-H Poultry leader or if you would like to have your child involved in the 4-H program, please contact one of our staff listed below.

POULTRY RESOURCES:

New! Raising and Showing Poultry

Nutrition and Feeding of Show Poultry, (L-5159) Texas A&M -
http://gallus.tamu.edu/Extension%20publications/L-5159.PDF

2008 Animal Health Rules for Fairs

For further information, please contact:

Carrie Chickering-Sears
Director of Community Education in Animal Agriculture
University of Massachusetts Amherst Veterinary & Animal Science Dept.
111 North Maple Street
Hadley, MA 01035
Phone: 413-549-3257
email:  ccsears@umext.umas.edu