4-H Poultry Raising and Rearing Projects

Youth Poultry 101, to be held first Saturday in May.

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 contest offered in the poultry project area.

I. Pennsylvania 4-H poultry Project materials presently available through extension distribution include:

A0930A	Scratching the Surface (Beginner level)
A0931A	Testing Your Wings (Intermediate Level)
A0932A	Flocking Together (Advanced Level)
A0920A	Brooding and Rearing Baby Chicks
A0960A	Backyard Poultry Care Member’s Guide and Record

II. Pennsylvania 4-H poultry Project materials presently available only over the web by PDF file:

A0970A

4-H Turkey Project Member’s Guide and Record

III. Pennsylvania 4-H poultry Project Leader material presently available through extension distribution include:

A0930C

Helpers Guide is for leaders

Helpful Guide for 4-H Leaders in Poultry Project provides information for the 4-H poultry leader. Helps you get started, gives ideas for meetings and club activities. PDF format.

IV. Poultry Showmanship program information. Poultry showmanship is a contest where the youth will be given an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of poultry as well as his/her ability to carry, examine and position their bird in the cage for a judge. It is intended to judge the youth for their knowledge and ability to care for their bird. Resources to develop this locally follows.

The 2009 Pennsylvania Fair Animal Health Requirements

Guidelines for Poultry Showmanship

Simple score sheet

Explanation of scoring showmanship

More detailed scoring guidelines, by level of experience

Market Poultry Showmanship Score sheet

V. Additional resources available through the office of Phillip J. Clauer on request as available.

Poultry Educational Resources linked to the PSU Poultry Extension Program site are excellent resources to help support the 4-H poultry program as well. Please check the Topics Index and Resource Links sections for answers to many of your questions.

National Avian Bowl Manual is the reference manual for the Avian Bowl contest. One (1) manual can be obtained from Phillip J. Clauer for the coach of each team. Additional copies are available from Clemson University Bulletin Room, Room 82, Poole Agricultural Bldg., Clemson, SC 29634. $12.00 per copy.

National Poultry Judging Manual, teaches everything you need to know about 4-H Poultry Judging Contests. The manual covers judging of production hens and oral reasons. Grading eggs and ready-to-cook carcasses and teaches ready-to-cook broiler parts identification. 31 pages.

Bantams (on web, requires Acrobat Reader 3.01) University of Wisconsin NCR publication. Discusses in great detail about Bantams and how to successfully raise a small flock for hobby. Also makes an excellent members guide. 16 pages.

Chicken Breeds and Varieties. University of Wisconsin Publication A2880 Discusses the various classes, breeds and variety of chickens. Tells about the use, origin and characteristics of 45 of the more common breeds of chickens. Excellent for discussion at club meetings. 17 pages.

Pigeon Resource Manual. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Publication 4-H 742. Raising and working with pigeons is an ideal learning experience for 4-H'ers. This 37 page manual covers how to get started, housing, feeding, care and showing pigeons as well as other suggested project activities. One copy of this manual will be free to poultry project leaders. Additional Copies can be purchased from Purdue University Cooperative Extension .

Raising Waterfowl (on web, requires Acrobat Reader 3.01) University of Wisconsin Publication A3311 Discusses in great detail about waterfowl and how to successfully raise a small flock for food or hobby. Also makes an excellent members guide. 16 pages.

VI. Market Poultry pen fact sheets to help 4-Her's and their leaders.

Standards for Broiler, Roaster, and Young Turkey Pens This fact sheet gives the standards used to judge market poultry meat pens. File in PDF format.

How to Produce Broilers for Show, (PS-5141) Texas A&M

Producing Turkeys for Show, (PS-5145) Texas A&M

Nutrition and Feeding of Show Poultry, (L-5159) Texas A&M

VII. PDF Score Sheets for judging 4-H fairs and round ups These sheets are suggested as an aid in judging county 4-H fairs and round-ups.

Broiler or Capon Pen Score sheet

Carton eggs

Market Turkey Score sheet

VIII. Other On-line resources.

A Guide to Anatomy and Selected Species (Poultry) Excellent resource from the University of Illinois.

Prevention: A Young Person's Guide to Keeping Animals Safe and Healthy By: The Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. This booklet provides a short youth-oriented course concerning those basic medical principles essential to keeping animals safe and healthy -- farm isolation, traffic control, hygiene, and sanitation.