Lucas Kerby,Miller Grove FFA, right, solicited the help of his friend, Oscar Delcastillo, to help him show
his pen of three broilers, in the Market Poultry Show.

 

"Birds of a feather, flock together...."

Temples and Sanvig Tops
In Market Broiler Show Saturday

by: Bobby McDonald

When the feathers......and the dust, had settled on Saturday morning's Market Broiler Show, organizers and members of the NETLA Board of Directors were calling the event a great success, as a record number of county youth had competed for the top honors. According to Superintendent Johnny Lennon, the exhibitors began their projects approximately six weeks ago, with chicks donated by Pilgrims Pride Inc., and had undergone an intense program to bring the birds to the show. "These are some of the best birds I've seen," expressed a very complimentary Mike Thompson, a Vocational Agriculture Teacher from Mt. Pleasant and a commercial poultry producer, who served as the judge for the show. "There are some great commercial birds in these lots and you can be certain that these kids have fed them right and made sure they had every opportunity to grow to market weight.

Britton Diamond and Jeffery Beck present birds to Judge Mike Thompson, of Mt. Pleasant, in
Saturday's Market Broiler Show.

Students in the Broiler project are issued twenty-five chicks and start the program on an "even" basis. They take them home and "may the best feeder win!" Different feeding regimens are followed and students encourage their chicks to eat in a variety of ways. Behind the scenes some told of playing Rock'n Roll music in their broiler pens, while others "stuck to Country and Western." "My birds prefer Shania Twain!" boasted one youthful exhibitor.

These students from North Hopkins High School wait their turn to present their pens of broilers to the judge, on Saturday.

Miller Grove Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Richard Watson, left, consults with Poultry Superintendent, Johnny Lennon,
and Assistant Poultry Superintendent, Melissa Fouse.

"I played Dolly Parton songs to mine," inserted another. "Hoping that they would be big breasted!"

Then, other youth expressed that they fed their chickens five and six times a day, and solicited the help of their parents to go to the chicken house and move their birds around, while they were at school. "The poultry projects is definitely a family affair," inserted one exhibitor. "It takes the entire family working together to keep them at the right temperature and eating properly!"

Far left, Chris Kultgen takes a break while waiting for the judging, as does Chesley McGlamery, at the far right. They both
solicited friends to aid them in showing their pens of three broilers.

And, these youth show the proper way to present the birds as the judge approaches.

 

Having battled temperature control, death losses, and other problems with trying to raise twenty-five chicks to market weight, students choose their best three birds for the show, selecting them on breast size, coloring, freedom of faults, and uniformity. "You want a pen of three broilers that are carbon copies of one another and has the same outstanding confirmation," advised Judge Thompson. "Your looking for uniformity and quality!"

Thompson began the judging by making an initial inspection of each bird and assigning the pen a quality number from 1-5. Then, the top pens were brought back for a closer inspection, where according to Thompson "the cream rose to the top." He kept moving the birds toward the front of the line, that were the most desirable.

Judge Mike Thompson, of Mt. Pleasant, goes down the line inspecting each pen of birds.

And, when the final scores were given, Colby Temples and Cabo Sanvig's pens were in close contention. Temples' pen got the final nod from Thompson, as the best pen, receiving the Grand Champion honors. Sanvig's pen was named Reserve Champion of the Show. Both Temples and Sanvig were representing the Sulphur Springs FFA Chapter.

Colby Temples, a member of the Sulphur Springs FFA, accepts Grand Champion honors in the
2006 Market Broiler Show, landing him the number one spot in the Sale of Champions.

And, Cabo Sanvig, an eleven year old junior member of the Sulphur Springs FFA, is happy to accept
the Reserve Grand Champion honors from Mike Thompson, judge.

In the Poultry Showmanship Contest, Kim Darlin, a North Hopkins Senior, won the Senior Showmanship Award, in her third year to compete in the contest. Colby Carter, representing the Sulphur Springs FFA, took the Junior Showmanship Award.

North Hopkins High School senior, Kim Darlin, accepts the Senior Showmanship Award, from Judge Thompson,
while Junior Showmanship Award was presented to Colby Carter, right, of the Sulphur Springs FFA.


And, when the feathers settled.........



These two little junior exhibitors had about had enough of
showing chickens for this year!


Congratulations To The
Poultry Winners!