Poultry showcase planned for fair

Despite not being able to have live birds at the Washington County Fair this year due to the bird flu, 4-H?ers will still have something to do in the poultry division.

?It?s going to be more of a showcase on what they know,? said Ruchel Hiller. She and her husband are the poultry superintendents for the Washington County Fair.

4-H?ers will have the option of entering one poster in the broiler hen, turkey, chicken, laying hens, duck, goose or other category at the Washington County Fair, she added.

?This will be an informational poster about whichever breed they pick,? Hiller said. ?It doesn?t have to be a breed they have. It could be a breed they would like to have one day.?

4-H?ers will also be able to submit one photograph of their favorite bird to be judged, build a bird from recyclable materials in the ?recyc a bird? category and still be able to participate in the rooster-crowing contest, she said.

?The kids will crow to the judges while their backs are turned and they will pick the winners based off of the voice,? Hiller added. ?It?s like what they do in the TV show ?The Voice.??

As soon as the Iowa Department of Agriculture and State Fair Association announced the live poultry exhibits were canceled across the state at all the county fairs and the state fair, Hiller said she was working on a solution for those kids.

?The kids have to be able to do something,? she said. ?There are other counties that aren?t doing anything and that?s not fair to the kids because they?ve worked so hard.?

The State Fair is also going to have something for 4-H?ers.

?They?re doing a ?skill-a-thon,? ? Hiller said. ?I?m not sure what that would entail. They?re also having some kind of ?egg extravaganza? which is an egg-cooking contest.?

She isn?t sure how many 4-H?ers will participate in the poultry exhibits this year.

?Last year we were the only department that had more exhibits,? Hiller said. ?I hope we have a lot of kids this year and I hope the kids enjoy what we have. Maybe it will be something that gets enough participants that we can add to it for next year.?

Amy Green, who is the 4-H and Youth Coordinator at the Washington County Extension Office, said she is thankful for the poultry volunteers, such as the Hillers, who wanted to have something for the 4-H?ers still.

?They have been great leaders in coming up with ideas and making that all happen four the kids,? Green said. ?I hope our 4-H?ers do take advantage of these new opportunities, have fun and learn a lot even thought this is year was not what they imagined with their poultry.?