By JOHN McVEY
The Journal
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — — Dominick Gagum waited patiently with his grandmother, Mary Vanorsdale, Wednesday afternoon, to be called for the Berkeley County Youth Fair Junior Poultry Showmanship competition.
(Photo by John McVey)
Eleven-year-old Dominick has been a member of the Tomahawk 4-H Warriors for three years. He also is showing rabbits and pigs at the Youth Fair this year.
His chicken is a female Red Buff, which nestled in his arms waiting patiently as well.
Dominick washed his bird, preened its feathers and smeared a little oil on its comb, wattles, beak and feet to give them some sheen for the judging.
“They’re hard to find,” Vanorsdale said of the Red Buff breed. “They lay really big eggs.”
Mikie Withrow, poultry chair, said the number of entries was up a little from last year. There were 53 entries and 23 different breeds of chickens entered, displaying a wide variety of characteristics. Turkeys and quail also were entered this year, which he said was a little rare.
“These are not production birds and there’s no meat birds,” Withrow said. “These are backyard hobby birds. The exhibitors will have flocks of less than 50. These birds are like pets. They bond with the children.”
The birds are tested for diseases like avian flu two weeks in advance of the show, he said. And they are checked thoroughly for parasites and mites when they are brought to the fair, he said.
Withrow said two competitions were held Wednesday: showmanship and breeds.
The showmanship features how the contestant interacts with the bird, which birds look the best, the contestant’s knowledge of their chicken, and other factors, Withrow explained.
As for the breed competition, the judge looks for the best standard characteristics of the particular breeds, he said. That way, different breeds can compete together in the same contest.
Tom Topper of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, was the judge. He is certified to judge through the American Poultry Association and has been judging poultry competitions for eight to 10 years, he said.
He is a 4-H leader and chairs the Adams County Fair poultry competition. He will begin next year to chair the poultry competition for the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
“The first thing I look at is the bird’s eyes and face to see the health of the chicken,”Topper said. “Then I look for the bird’s body condition and how well built it is. And I ask the bird’s age and about the parts of the bird.”
How knowledgeable the contestant is about their chicken goes a long way to winning the competition.
The showmanship competition included previous winners, senior, intermediate and junior classes.
The breed classes included pullets, which are six months old or less, laying hens and exhibition birds.
The turkey single entry and quail single entry were judged separately.
See more from The Journal
