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June 21, 2009

'Funky-looking’ chickens

Fair entries include a variety of breeds

BY LINDA McGURK

CAYUGA, Ind. — Chickens are usually bred either for their meat or their eggs, but at the poultry show at the Vermillion County 4-H Fair, far from all chickens are of the regular barnyard variety. This year, the 4-Hers showed 78 chickens represent-ing a total of 11 breeds, ranging from the common Rhode Island Red to the fluffy Silkie.

“When you go to a 4-H show, you always see some strange breeds,” said Matt McCammon, judge of the poultry show. “The kids tend to look through the hatchery catalogs and order the funkiest-looking chickens they can find. That makes it a bit of a challenge to judge 4-H shows.”

McCannon of Bloomfield said he tries to encourage the kids to buy production-quality poultry from established local breeders with a proven track record because they tend to have better breeding stock than some of the hatcheries that focus more on show animals. On the other hand, the hatcheries have a wider assortment of breeds.

“It’s good for the kids to try different breeds and then eventually they’ll get down to a couple of breeds that will work in their chicken house,” McCannon said.

All chickens in the poultry show are judged against breed-specific standards set up by the American Poultry Association and the American Bantam Association, so the birds aren’t really competing against each other. The standards determine the ideal weight, size, color and body shape for each breed, and the bird that most closely resembles the standard becomes champion. To a certain extent, the 4-Hers can increase their chances of winning by taking good care of their animals.

“The bird needs to be up to weight and free of parasites. Some breeds also need tamed because they’re a little high strung,” McCannon said. “(The kids) are responsible for feeding, watering and taking care of a living thing, and that’s the ultimate lesson 4-H is trying to teach.”

Nine-year-old twins Colton and Clayton Cunningham of Cayuga were taking their responsibilities seriously as they carefully cleaned off one of their Rhode Island Red’s feet with a wet rag before the show.

“We feed them and we water them,” Colton said.

“And we collect the eggs and sell them or give them away,” his brother added.

Their mother, Penney Barton, said the family’s rural property currently houses about 55 birds, which yield about 20 eggs per day. “They’re doing a good job taking care of them,” Barton said about her boys.

MaKaylann Myers, 10, of Newport said her 10 chickens produce six to seven eggs per day, adding, “I put them in a carton and sometimes I let them hatch.”

Her mother, Tabatha Myers, said both the Rhode Island Red and the Golden Laced Wyandotte chickens that her daughter was showing are hardy and good egg-laying hens.

“They’re a little stressed out right now, but they’re still laying eggs, so that’s good,” Myers said, pointing to the cages where the hens had stayed the night.

Tammy Hinkle, poultry superintendent at the fair, said participation in the show was up from 60 entries last year. The biggest breeds were Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock, both of which are prolific laying hens.

“Bantams are also popular because they’re a smaller bird and the kids seem to be able to handle them a little easier,” Hinkle said.

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