Poultry Numbers Growing at Farm Show
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 3:39pm.
Anne Harnish
Food and Family Features Editor
HARRISBURG, Pa. — With the sound of roosters crowing from every corner, visitors to the poultry show were not the only ones making noise this year. The busy poultry show at the 2010 Pennsylvania Farm Show attracted not just large crowds of spectators, but also a huge jump in entries, nearly 40 percent more than last year.
More than 1,640 birds were on display this year including a wide variety of standard chickens, bantams, ducks, geese and turkeys — significantly more than the 1,200-plus birds at the 2009 Farm Show. This year’s poultry show also grew to include a new pigeon display from a Dauphin County 4-H group.
Why the heightened interest in showing poultry?
For one, raising backyard chickens has increased in popularity in the U.S. in general, with many non-rural towns and cities changing policies to allow a few hens to be raised on a property. A renewed interest in raising chickens for eggs, meat and pets in backyards is one contributing factor in the number of people participating in the poultry show.
Michael Wasylkowski, Delaware extension’s small farm educator and prior poultry show judge, added, “During hard times, there seems to be more interest in do-it-yourself projects like raising chickens.”
But Gregory Martin, Penn State cooperative extension poultry agent in the southeast region, also attributes the upswing of Farm Show poultry exhibitors to the increased quality of the show, especially those efforts made by Farm Show Poultry Program Coordinator Phillip Clauer and others to improve the show over the past few years.
“I was impressed by the quality of birds that came in this year,” said Martin.
Clauer, who came to Penn State’s department of poultry science in 2001 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, said, “we’ve worked hard to clean up the show.” For example, through their efforts, the show now features better equipment and cages, better lighting and more controlled feeding. Clauer said they’ve also made it easier to load and unload poultry when owners bring the birds into the Farm Show complex.
The youth entries were also well-received this year. In the Youth Poultry Showmanship division, 23 individuals competed in five different age divisions from 9 to 18 years old by handling and answering questions about their birds.
Showmanship judge Paul Kroll congratulated all of the contestants on a great job. “I’ve judged a lot of showmanship contests, but I have never come across an entire group with perfect scores,” he said of the senior division.
Current FFA and 4-H members were also eligible to enter in the Youth Poultry Poster Contest and Youth Poultry Scrapbook Contest, which were then displayed at the main poultry area.
Enthusiasm for the poultry world can bring good opportunities, according to Clauer, who teaches in the poultry science department. Employment for Penn State’s poultry science graduates is 100 percent, he said. “I can’t find enough students.”
Harold Crandell, a fourth-year poultry science student at Penn State volunteered at the poultry show, answering questions from the public and helping with the poultry. He plans to work in the production side of the poultry industry when he graduates, he said.
Another improvement to the poultry show is the quality of the birds coming in from some of the larger breeders who participate, said Clauer. They are better quality than some in the past, he noted.
Exhibitors are allowed two entries in each class, and some enter complete sets of roosters, hens, young cockerels and pullets of many breeds, adding up to many birds entered overall. Jack Tickle of Saltsburg, Pa. and Randy Stoneback of Strattansville, Pa. had hundreds of birds in the exhibition this year, and take home hundreds of prizes, as well. The premiums are small, ranging from $1 to $6 for first prize.
However, these large breeders are not responsible for the increase in overall entries because the total number of exhibitors grew to 78 this year, in sharp contrast to shows six or seven years ago, said Clauer, at which there were only nine or ten exhibitors overall.
The poultry show has tight health controls on the birds entered, requiring them to be tested and vet-certified for avian influenza and pullorum-typhoid as well as be vaccinated against laryngotracheitis prior to the Farm Show. Birds without proper health papers get turned away, said the organizers.
Wasylkowski, Clauer and Martin all agree that with the rise of backyard flocks, more education is needed for small flock owners to learn about flock management. Delaware State University’s extension poultry specialist, Brigid McCrea, said she is starting a program to address this issue in Delaware. The March 13 workshop, called Cooptastic, will be held at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington, Del. Information can be found online at www.cooptastic.bravehost.com/ or by calling (302) 857-6432.
The Farm Show poultry judges change from year to year and include judges from out of state. Paul Kroll of East Aurora, N.Y., Rick Porr of New Cumberland, Pa. and Jamie Matts of Harpursville, N.Y. teamed up to judge this year’s poultry contest.
It is easy to see why both kids and adults flock to the poultry exhibit area. In addition to the ever-popular and ever-crowded duck slide and chick-hatching tables, an abundance of beautiful and varied birds elicit many “oohs” and “ahs” around the distinctive breeds on display.
Anne HarnishFood and Family Features Editor
HARRISBURG, Pa. — With the sound of roosters crowing from every corner, visitors to the poultry show were not the only ones making noise this year. The busy poultry show at the 2010 Pennsylvania Farm Show attracted not just large crowds of spectators, but also a huge jump in entries, nearly 40 percent more than last year.
More than 1,640 birds were on display this year including a wide variety of standard chickens, bantams, ducks, geese and turkeys — significantly more than the 1,200-plus birds at the 2009 Farm Show. This year’s poultry show also grew to include a new pigeon display from a Dauphin County 4-H group.
Why the heightened interest in showing poultry?
For one, raising backyard chickens has increased in popularity in the U.S. in general, with many non-rural towns and cities changing policies to allow a few hens to be raised on a property. A renewed interest in raising chickens for eggs, meat and pets in backyards is one contributing factor in the number of people participating in the poultry show.
Michael Wasylkowski, Delaware extension’s small farm educator and prior poultry show judge, added, “During hard times, there seems to be more interest in do-it-yourself projects like raising chickens.”
But Gregory Martin, Penn State cooperative extension poultry agent in the southeast region, also attributes the upswing of Farm Show poultry exhibitors to the increased quality of the show, especially those efforts made by Farm Show Poultry Program Coordinator Phillip Clauer and others to improve the show over the past few years.
“I was impressed by the quality of birds that came in this year,” said Martin.
Clauer, who came to Penn State’s department of poultry science in 2001 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, said, “we’ve worked hard to clean up the show.” For example, through their efforts, the show now features better equipment and cages, better lighting and more controlled feeding. Clauer said they’ve also made it easier to load and unload poultry when owners bring the birds into the Farm Show complex.
The youth entries were also well-received this year. In the Youth Poultry Showmanship division, 23 individuals competed in five different age divisions from 9 to 18 years old by handling and answering questions about their birds.
Showmanship judge Paul Kroll congratulated all of the contestants on a great job. “I’ve judged a lot of showmanship contests, but I have never come across an entire group with perfect scores,” he said of the senior division.
Current FFA and 4-H members were also eligible to enter in the Youth Poultry Poster Contest and Youth Poultry Scrapbook Contest, which were then displayed at the main poultry area.
Enthusiasm for the poultry world can bring good opportunities, according to Clauer, who teaches in the poultry science department. Employment for Penn State’s poultry science graduates is 100 percent, he said. “I can’t find enough students.”
Harold Crandell, a fourth-year poultry science student at Penn State volunteered at the poultry show, answering questions from the public and helping with the poultry. He plans to work in the production side of the poultry industry when he graduates, he said.
Another improvement to the poultry show is the quality of the birds coming in from some of the larger breeders who participate, said Clauer. They are better quality than some in the past, he noted.
Exhibitors are allowed two entries in each class, and some enter complete sets of roosters, hens, young cockerels and pullets of many breeds, adding up to many birds entered overall. Jack Tickle of Saltsburg, Pa. and Randy Stoneback of Strattansville, Pa. had hundreds of birds in the exhibition this year, and take home hundreds of prizes, as well. The premiums are small, ranging from $1 to $6 for first prize.
However, these large breeders are not responsible for the increase in overall entries because the total number of exhibitors grew to 78 this year, in sharp contrast to shows six or seven years ago, said Clauer, at which there were only nine or ten exhibitors overall.
The poultry show has tight health controls on the birds entered, requiring them to be tested and vet-certified for avian influenza and pullorum-typhoid as well as be vaccinated against laryngotracheitis prior to the Farm Show. Birds without proper health papers get turned away, said the organizers.
Wasylkowski, Clauer and Martin all agree that with the rise of backyard flocks, more education is needed for small flock owners to learn about flock management. Delaware State University’s extension poultry specialist, Brigid McCrea, said she is starting a program to address this issue in Delaware. The March 13 workshop, called Cooptastic, will be held at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington, Del. Information can be found online at www.cooptastic.bravehost.com/ or by calling (302) 857-6432.
The Farm Show poultry judges change from year to year and include judges from out of state. Paul Kroll of East Aurora, N.Y., Rick Porr of New Cumberland, Pa. and Jamie Matts of Harpursville, N.Y. teamed up to judge this year’s poultry contest.
It is easy to see why both kids and adults flock to the poultry exhibit area. In addition to the ever-popular and ever-crowded duck slide and chick-hatching tables, an abundance of beautiful and varied birds elicit many “oohs” and “ahs” around the distinctive breeds on display.
