Poultry Project Scoresheet and Additional Resources
ARRIVAL DEADLINE - All poultry exhibits must be in place by 11:00 am, Thursday, August 7.
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR - A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting 6 entries per DIVISION, but no more than 2 birds in Other Poultry and only 1 pen in Production Trio.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS - See Livestock/Animal General Rules
DRESS CODE – See Livestock/Animal General Rules.
YOUTH FOR THE QUALITY CARE OF ANIMALS (YQCA) - All 4-H youth enrolled in livestock projects are required to complete annual quality assurance training through YQCA.
BREEDS -To be eligible for breed exhibition, cockerel, pullet, cock, or hen poultry entries must be fair representatives of the breeds and must be listed in the American Poultry Association of Perfection or the American Bantam Association Standard of Perfection. (Crossbred chickens will only be shown in the Commercial Class or Production Trio)
PRODUCTION TRIO - A pen of egg production birds can be hybrids, crossbred, or purebred and shall consist of 3 sexually mature females. Egg production females will be judged for production qualities only and need not necessarily conform to breed standards. Hens must be in egg production.
RULES FOR BANTAM & OTHER POULTRY -The rules for standard size chickens apply equally to bantams, waterfowl, and turkey where applicable.
ENTRIES MUST BE 4-H PROJECT BIRDS - All poultry exhibited must be grown in a 4-H member's project. Exhibits will be shown by class. Each class will be divided into the appropriate breed and variety. If there are 5 or more of a variety, they will be shown in a group as a variety. If there are less than 5, varieties will be combined and shown by breeds. If less than 5 exhibits of a breed are entered, the superintendent reserves the right to combine breeds to provide for an orderly show.
CARE CODE: The 4-H member is responsible to feed, water, and keep track of poultry during the fair (it is best to label the cage). Clean-up during and after the fair is also the exhibitor’s responsibility.
EGG EXHIBITS: Eggs will be judged according to uniformity of size, weight, and color as well as cleanliness. Do not refrigerate prior to exhibiting eggs. 4-H members may exhibit only ONE dozen. Scoresheet can be found at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/knox/knox-county-4-h-project-resources/knox-county-animal-resources/poultry-project/.
RELEASE FROM SHOW: Poultry will be released after 5:00 pm on Sunday, August 10. Poultry must be removed from the building by 8:00 am on Monday, August 11. Clean-up at time of release on Sunday is the exhibitor’s responsibility.
POULTRY SHOWMANSHIP
Champion and Reserve Champion banners will be awarded to the first and second place purples in each division. Purple, Blue, Red, and White ribbons will be awarded to all participants.
- Any 4-H member with a bird may enter the competition.
- The participant may use any bird they choose, so long as it was raised and trained by the 4-H member.
- The basis for judging showmanship is based on grooming and training of the bird and the appearance and behavior of the exhibitor. The exhibitor must vocally explain the steps in their routine and the merit of the bird. Showmanship is the skill of the exhibitor in presenting and explaining the bird before the judge. The excellence of the bird is not considered in scoring.
- Maximum length of showmanship presentations is five minutes. Exhibitors will be timed. Time will begin as soon as the 4-H member begins speaking and will stop when the exhibitor posed the bird or when they indicate to the judge they are finished with their presentation. One (1) point will be deducted for showmanship presentations exceeding 5 minutes. The judge may or may not ask questions of the exhibitor at the close of the routine.
PREMIUMS: Purple, $8.00; Blue, $6.00; Red, $4.00; White, $2.00
- Senior Poultry Showmanship (14 & over on December 31 of previous year)
- Junior Poultry Showmanship (11-12-13 on December 31 of previous year)
- Novice Poultry Showmanship (8-9-10 on December 31 of previous year)
Showmanship Order: Senior, Junior, & Novice
POULTRY SHOW
PREMIUMS FOR PENS: Purple, $4.00; Blue, $3.00; Red, $2.00; White, $1.00.
PREMIUMS FOR INDIVIDUAL: Purple, $4.00; Blue, $3.00; Red, $2.00; White, $1.00.
TROPHIES: See Knox County Trophy and Award List
AGE OF BIRDS - Large Fowl and Bantam birds will be divided by Cock, Cockerel, Hen, and Pullet.
- Cocks and Hens are over 1 year of age
- Cockerels and Pullets are under 1 year of age
LARGE FOWL DIVISION (limit of 6 birds)
- American (Jersey Giant; New Hampshire Red; Plymouth Rock; Rhode Island Red; Wyandotte)
- Asiatic (Brahmas; Cochin; Langshan)
- English (Australorps; Cornish; Dorkings; Orpington; Sussex)
- Mediterranean (Leghorn; Minorca; Sicilian Buttercup; Spanish)
- Continental (Campines; Faverolles; Hamburg; Houdan; Lakenvelders; Polish)
- All Other Breeds (Naked Neck, Game, Sumatra, Araucanas, Ameracanas, Turken, Phoenix)
BANTAM DIVISION (limit of 6 birds)
- Game (Modern; Old English; Duckwing)
- Single Comb Clean Legged (Andalusian; Dutch; Japanese; Leghorn; New Hampshire; Plymouth Rock; Orpington; Rhode Island Red)
- Rose Comb Clean Legged (Rosecomb; Sebright; Wyandotte; Belgian Bearded D’Anver)
- All Other Comb Clean Legged (Cornish; Houdan; Polish; Sumatra)
- Feather Legged Class (Booted; Belgian Bearded D’Uccle; Brahmas; Cochin; Faverolles; Frizzles; Langshans; Silkies; Sultans)
COMMERCIAL LAYER DIVISION (limit of 6 birds)
WATERFOWL DIVISION (limit of 6 total)
- Heavy Weight Duck (Muscovy, Pekin, Rouen, Aylesbury, Appleyard, Saxony)
- Medium Weight Duck (Buff, Cayuga, Crested, Swedish)
- Light Weight Duck (Campbell, Khaki, Runner, Magpie)
- Bantam Duck (Call, East Indie, Mallard, Wood Ducks and Mandarins)
- Heavy Weight Goose (African, Emden-White, Toulouse)
- Medium Weight Goose (American Buff, Pilgrim, Saddleback Pomeranian, Sebastopol)
- Light Weight Goose (Canada, Chinese, Egyptian, Tufted Roman)
PRODUCTION FOWL DIVISION (limit of 1 trio)
- Egg Production Trio - A pen of egg production birds can be hybrids, crossbred or purebred, and shall consist of 3 sexually mature females. Egg production females will be judged for production qualities only and need not necessarily conform to breed standards. Hens must be in egg production. Pullets are eligible if laying.
OTHER POULTRY DIVISION (limit of 2 birds)
- Other Poultry (Turkeys-all weights, Pigeons, Guineas, Pheasants, etc.)
EGG DIVISION (limit of 1 dozen per 4-H exhibitor)
- Eggs will be judged on shape, color, and weight uniformity, as well as cleanliness. Do not refrigerate prior to exhibiting eggs. 4-Hers are limited to exhibiting one (1) dozen of either brown, white or other colored eggs.