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4-H Poultry and Waterfowl Projects

Fun Fact of the Month- Some chickens have 5 toes such as Silkie, Dorking, Houdan, Faverolle, and Sultans.

Resource Leaders

Gary Rossman- Poultry Superintendent, Yorkville 4-H Club

Barbara Gromacki- County Resource Leader

Jessica Bohl- Tucker 4-H Club

Jared Brever- Burlington Back 40 4-H Club

Kelly Hansen- Cloverview 4-H Club

Julie Lois- Burlington Back 40 4-H Club

Jean Schaal- Kan-Do 4-H Club

Tonia Johnson- All4One 4-H Club

Audra Wozny- Raymond 4-H Club

Project Goals

The goal of the poultry project is to develop leadership skills, responsibility, sportsmanship, and the ability to cooperate with others through raising purebred and/or production poultry. Members will begin to:

learn the importance of the poultry industry, backyard poultry, and purebred poultry at the local, state, and national level
use scientific information in poultry production and marketing
acquire information and skills in efficient production of poultry
improve knowledge of the nutritive value of poultry meat and eggs and how they contribute toward good health

Key Terms/Project Areas

Poultry- a category that includes chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guineas

Large Fowl- large sized chickens

Bantam- small sized chickens, often 1/4- 1/5 the size of the large fowl counterpart. These birds are ideal for someone who has limited resources such as space.

Eggs Layers- cross-bread chickens that lay lots of eggs, mature early, and consume little food. Some chickens may lay white, brown, or blue/green eggs. The most common type of white egg layer is the White Leghorn cross.

Meat Birds- Chickens that are bred for meat and are 8 weeks of age are called a Broiler or Fryer and chickens that are bred for meat that is 3-4 months old and weighs around 4-6 pounds is called a Roaster.

Waterfowl- a category of birds that primarily spend time in water including ducks and geese

Turkey- broad breasted white and broad breasted bronze are the most popular meat turkeys however, many varieties of heritage or show turkeys are also available

Guinea- east African fowl that are known for eating ticks and acting as “watch dogs”. Many are polk-a-dotted and have helmets on their head.

Pigeons- can be shown as fancy, sporting, performing, or dual purpose

County Activities

2011 Racine County Breeder- Exhibitor Award Winners

Congratulations to our breeder exhibitors! These youth have kept birds over the winter to breed and then tried to hatch out chicks to show at the fair.

Those receiving the award for the first time are: Riley D., Sidney R., and Katie S.

Those receiving the award again are: Ben R., Peter R., Matthew K., Michelle K., Emily R., Christopher R., Benjamin H., Kaleb T., Riley M., Arial S., P.J. S., Ken S., Greg M., and Mikayla J.

A special thank you to Schaal Insurance Company for donating the patches and awards.

Avian Quiz Bowl

Avian Quiz Bowl is an egg-cellent way to get more involved with the poultry project, make new friends, learn more about poultry, and have fun. The information for Avian Bowl is taken from the Avian Bowl manual. That can be purchased for $15 from Clemson University.In addition to Avian Bowl, 4-H members can also participate in Egg Preparation Contest, Chicken or Turkey Barbecuing, and Poultry Judging. Check out all of the competitions at http://national4hpoultryandegg.psu.edu/

Activities Happening throughout the State and Nation

Wisconsin 4-H Poultry Project Webpage

UW-Extension Poultry Resources

Wisconsin Junior Poultry Association Facebook Page

2011 Pullet Surprise- Entries are due August 20, 2011

This 25th Annual writing contest allows youth to write prose or poetry on different topics about poultry in hopes of winning a pair of purebred poultry, an incubator, books, The Standard or Perfection, food, and more!

2011 State Poultry Photography Contest- Entries are due September 12, 2011

This popular photography contest lets youth show off their skills as they capture their poultry in a way never seen before. This fun contest has several age categories and great poultry prizes.

Pullet Surprise Drawing Contest- Entries are due August 1, 2011

This one time drawing contest is special for the 25th annual Pullet Surprise. A limited edition book is being created with past essay winners and the winning drawings will be featured on the cover and through out the book.

Wisconsin International Poultry Show

Wisconsin Bird and Game Breeders Association

Check out the National 4-H Curriculum and online pieces for more information on your project.

Activities and Resources for Youth and Volunteers

Interactive Parts of a Chicken Game