Youth who participate in the project receive chicks, attend workshops, and document their experience in their record book. (Courtesy photo).
RICHMOND COUNTY — On Thursday afternoon, the livestock barn at the Hamlet Fairgrounds was filled with the sounds of clucking, and excited youth preparing for the 2025 Chicken Show. This year, twenty-three 4-H showmen from Richmond, Montgomery, Moore and Scotland counties exhibited various breeds of chickens and their knowledge gained throughout the year working with their birds.
The 4-H Chicken Show is a component of the 4-H Chicken Project that begins in February. Youth who participate in the project receive chicks, attend workshops, and document their experience in their record book.
Participants learn a lot about chickens, like the characteristics of different breeds, what they eat, parts of the egg, and much more. They take on the responsibility to care for their feathered friends, and after a few months, they are rewarded for all their hard work with a seemingly endless supply of healthy, protein-rich eggs. Youth will also learn about finances and budgeting, while older participants are expected to track their costs associated with raising their chickens including inputs like feed, supplies (such as shavings for bedding), and their coop. Raising livestock is not cheap and this project aims to help youth make the connection between cost of production and the food they eat.
The show itself is divided up into two major categories. The first is Showmanship where youth are judged on their ability to handle their birds confidently, their knowledge of poultry, and their presentation/communication skills. Showmanship is divided into four age groups: Cloverbud (5-7), Junior (8-10), Intermediate (11-13) and Senior (14-18). Our Cloverbud showmen were: Leena Applewhite, Lettie Cook, Maxton Growe, Addie Gordon, Emily Petrella, Evelyn Rowland, Jace Wood, and David Young. Cloverbuds are a non-compete class but all did a fantastic job handling their chickens and demonstrating all they have learned over the last few months.
For the Junior class, Alexa Bates took home first place, with Kylee Sturdivant in second, Katie Greene in third, Paul Petrella in fourth and Chase Privett in fifth. Our Intermediate class winner was Victoria Petrella, with Heidi Young in second, Ashlynn Hentzell in third, Ella Shelley in fourth and Geneva Garrison in fifth. Lastly, our senior class winners were Madilynn Bowles in first place, Chris Hogan in second, Gage Garrison in third and Chaz Munn in fourth.
The other component of the Chicken Show is the breed classes. In this portion, the judge’s critical eye is on the chicken itself. Some points on the chicken that may be evaluated are health and vigor of the chicken, and abdominal capacity which represents egg laying ability. Our breed classes included, Broiler (meat), Wellsummers, and Buff Orpington Chickens.
For the Broiler class, Ford Applewhite came in first, Christopher Hogan in second and Addie Gordon in third. In our Wellsummer group, Victoria Petrella secured first place with Remi McKenzie bringing home second and Ella Shelley taking third. Finally, for our Buff Orpington class, Heidi Young took home the blue ribbon with Kylee Sturdivant earning second and Ella Shelley in third.
In addition to ribbons, our top winners from each category also receive premiums payouts that they can put into their piggy bank. We would like to thank our sponsors: Richmond County Farm Bureau, AgSouth Farm Credit and Ag Carolina Farm Credit for their funding and support of the Chicken Project. Without our sponsors, the show would not be possible. We also would like to thank the Hamlet Lions Club for allowing us to utilize their facilities during the show.
Additionally, we would like to thank Becky Spearman and Taylor Chavis for judging our show and providing constructive feedback to our participants!
The Richmond County 4-H Chicken Project is a great opportunity for youth to learn about poultry production, develop communication skills, and make new friends. If you have a child interested in youth livestock please contact North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Richmond County Center at (910) 997-8255 and speak with Erin or Anthony about the Livestock Club. For more information visit our website: Richmond.ces.ncsu.edu and like us on Facebook: North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Richmond County.