2. Eligible Exhibition breeds are those recognized by the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection or the American Bantam Association.

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2 HEALTH REGULATIONS 1. Health requirements covering admission of poultry for exhibition, in compliance with the Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Industry, are as follows: A. All chickens shall have negative pullorum-typhoid test within 90 days prior to exhibition and must be accompanied by a certificate. B. All chickens not tested within 90 days prior to exhibition will be tested for pullorum-typhoid, by a representative of the Florida Department of Agriculture, at no charge, before they are placed in their cages at the fair. Birds that react positively to this test will not be allowed into the exhibition and must be returned to the home flock. 2. Entries must also be free of all external parasites such as mites, fleas, and lice. Any infected bird shall be dismissed from the exhibition and must be returned to the home flock. Eligibility 1. Birds must be owned by the exhibitor and raised at his/her home or school. 2. Eligible Exhibition breeds are those recognized by the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection or the American Bantam Association. 3. There will be no contests for guineas, pigeons, turkeys, geese, quail or ducks. 4. Exhibitors younger than 8 years old will be awarded a participant ribbon only for exhibiting their birds. Poultry Entries 1. Each exhibitor may have up to, but no more than, five (5) entries. 2. Each exhibitor must complete an entry form furnished by the Youth Fair Committee. The entry form must be mailed to the Alachua County Youth Fair and Livestock Show Association, 2800 NE 39 th Avenue, Gainesville, FL A fee of $1.00 per bird must accompany the poultry entry form. Entry forms must be postmarked by January 15, A late fee of $5.00 will be accepted until Feburary1, No entries will be excepted after February 1, If birds die or become diseased, you must receive permission from the poultry committee to replace birds no later than 14 days before the fair. 3. The Poultry Committee may decline any entry or entries from any exhibitor. 4. Overly aggressive chickens will be removed from the Fair and premiums will be withheld. 5. Each exhibitor must turn in an entirely completed record book by March 3 by 6:00p.m.otherwise, the poultry entry will not be exhibited. No group record books will be accepted for competition. General Information for During the Fair 1. Poultry must be fed and watered twice a day (by 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. except Sunday by 7:00 p.m.). Cage cards found above each cage must be initialed each time birds are fed. If cards are not initialed a first warning will be given and if it happens a second time your premium will be withheld. 2. Poultry cages must be cleaned out and bedding replaced in a.m. Sunday and Monday before School tours if needed. 3. Feed for poultry must be brought to the fair. All feed will be labeled with exhibitor s name and cage number and stored at back of exhibit area. 4. There will be a sign-up sheet for the Skill-a-Thon Contest on the poultry desk. If you would like to participate, please make sure you sign the sheet.

3 5. The Alachua County Youth Fair and Livestock Show Association will not be responsible for any loss that may occur but will exercise every reasonable care of exhibits. 6. Proceeds of anything that will be offered for sale at the Youth Fair, other than participant s birds entered in the Fair, will go to the Poultry Committee of the ACYFLS. All donations accepted at the Youth Fair will go to the Poultry Committee of the ACYFLS. Arrival & Release 1. Exhibits will be received from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday. All chickens must be properly housed by 6:00 p.m. 2. During the period of exhibition, no chickens may be removed, except with the written consent of the Superintendent or his/her representative. 3. At time of release of birds from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 6, exhibitors will tear down and clean his/her chicken pens. If unable to pick up birds by 5:00 p.m. you must secure an alternative plan. Judging 1. A modified Danish System is used whereby each chicken gets a ribbon. Chickens are awarded a blue, red, or white ribbon depending on their quality. In the purebred category, the chickens are judged according to the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection. Commercial birds are judged according to industry standards. 2. Contests will only be awarded if merited. The decision of the judge shall be final. Poultry Contests 1. Commercial Production will include only female chickens primarily associated with commercial production and currently laying eggs. Acceptable chickens are Rhode Island Reds, Leghorns, and Sex-Linked females. Champion awards and premiums will be awarded only when the judge(s) deem the birds of sufficient quality. 2. Production will include all females, both mixed breed and purebred that are currently laying eggs. Champion awards and premiums will be awarded only when the judge(s) deem the birds of sufficient quality. 3. Exhibition includes both male and female chickens raised mainly for show. The Exhibition birds will be divided into and judged according to the eleven (11) poultry classes: American, Asiatic, Continental, English, Mediterranean, All other Combs Standard Breeds, Modern Game, Old English, Single Comb Clean Leg, Rose Comb Clean Leg, All other Combs Clean Leg, Feather Leg Bantams. From the eleven (11) class winners, only one Champion Standard and one Champion Bantam will be awarded. One bird will be selected as the winner of the class only if the birds are of blue ribbon quality and there at least 3 entries in the class. If a class does not have at least 3 entries, the best bird in the class may still be considered for Show Champion if it is deemed blue-ribbon quality by the judge(s). Awards and premiums will be awarded only when the judges deem the birds of sufficient quality. Skill-a-thon Held at 4:00 p.m. Sunday March 5th at Exhibit Hall poultry area 1. There will be two divisions Junior/ Intermediate, and Senior. 2. This year s skill-a-thon will be based on the State Fair s poultry skill-a-thon. The 2017 skill-a-thon is MARKETING. The state fair has a study guide on their web site. Study it to prepare for our skill-a-thon. Here is what each age group needs to know. Juniors(age 8-10) and Intermediate(11-13) Parts of the egg, poultry production, exterior egg quality, retail parts, and interior egg quality (breakout) Senior (age 14 and over) All the above plus skeletal anatomy, vertical integration and poultry facts

4 Awards Champion Commercial Production $20 Champion Production $20 Champion Exhibition Standard $20 Champion Exhibition Bantam $20 Best Dozen Eggs $20 Skill-a-thon Junior/ Intermediate $20 Senior $20 Best Dozen Contest Collect eggs as often as possible. An egg kept at room temperature ages about the same amount in a day as a refrigerated egg ages in a week. It also reduces the chance that the eggs becoming dirty or cracked. Spraying the egg shells with a thin film of mineral oil will help maintain egg freshness. It helps to seal the pores, which reduces evaporation of moisture from the egg. Make sure each egg is dry before it is placed in the carton. Store eggs in a clean egg carton. Orient eggs with their pointed end downward. Refrigerate as soon as possible! Entries 1. There shall be no identification marks on the eggs, but an Egg Exhibit Entry Information Form must be attached to the exhibit. Egg Exhibit Entry Information Forms can be obtained from the Alachua County Extension Office. They can also be obtained and filled out upon arrival at the fair. 2. All eggs should be chicken eggs and selected by the participant. They need not be produced by exhibitors flock but cannot be purchased from grocery store. 3. Only brown or white eggs may be exhibited. 4. All eggs must be entered as a single dozen. 5. A dozen eggs should average not less than 23 ounces per dozen. 6. The exterior egg quality will be judged on the basis of texture, uniformity of size and color, shape, soundness, and cleanliness. 7. The interior egg quality will be judged by the size of the air cell, the visibility and mobility of the yolk, and how clear and firm the egg white is. 8. A maximum of two (2) dozen eggs may be entered by an exhibitor. 9. The eggs become the property of the Poultry Committee of the ACYFLSA. 10. Egg Quality-Eggs will be judged on interior (candled) and exterior quality factors as used by the USDA. See Tables 1 and 2 below. AA or A quality is what the judge is looking for.

5 Table 1 Table 1. Summary of Standards for Interior Quality of Eggs by Candling for 4-H Poultry Judging Quality Factor Air Cell White Yolk Spots (Blood or meat) AA Quality A Quality B Quality 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch More than less in depth or less in depth 3/16 inch Clear Clear Clear Firm May be May be reasonably firm weak and watery Outline Outline may be Outline slightly defined fairly well-defined clearly visible None None Blood or meat spots aggregating not more than 1/8 in diameter Inedible Doesn t apply Doesn t apply Doesn t apply Blood or meat spots aggregating more than 1/8 in diameter Table 2 Table 2. Summary of Standards for Exterior Quality of Eggs Factor Stain Adhering Dirt or Foreign Material Grade AA or A B Dirty Clean-may show small specks, stains or cage marks that do not detract from general clean appearance of the egg - may show traces of processing oil. Slight, or moderate localized stains less than 1/32 of shell or scattered stains less than 1/16 of shell. Prominent stains. Moderate stains covering more than 1/32 if localized and 1/16 of the shell if scattered. NONE NONE Adhering dirt or foreign material (1.0mm in area or greater) Egg Shape Shell Texture Ridges Approximately the usual shape. May have rough areas that do not materially affect shape or strength. Slight ridges that do not materially affect shape or strength. Unusual or decidedly misshapen (very long or distorted) Extremely rough areas that may be faulty in soundness or strength. May have large calcium deposits. May have pronounced ridges. Shell Thickness Free from thin spots. May show pronounced thin spots.

6 Suggestions For Preparing Birds and Eggs 1. Make sure your birds are clean before you bring them to the fair. Washing instructions found at back of book. 2. When transporting your birds, make sure they are transported in a clean, well-ventilated cage. Cool birds are happy birds. 3. Your chickens will also be checked for external parasites. The two most common external parasites are Northern Fowl Mites/Chicken Mites and Scaly Leg Mites. Northern Foul Mites/Chicken Mites usually live in clusters at the base of feathers. These clusters are mite debris. Generally, the mites will flock to areas where there is moisture, such as around the vent, the wing bows, at the base of the tail, the hocks, and, on crested birds, they will go to the head. Scaly Leg Mites usually tunnel into the tissue under the scales of the legs. This results in causing the legs to become thickened, encrusted, and unsightly. If any type of mites are observed, please treat immediately. If external parasites are observed on your chickens at the fair, your chickens will be excused. JUDGING COMMERCIAL EGG-TYPE FEMALE CHICKENS AT THE ALACHUA COUNTY YOUTH FAIR Ben Mather, Extension Poultry Specialist (retired), Animal Sciences Department, University of Florida This guide, with a few minor changes, has been used by me and others at the Florida State Fair (and several Florida County Fairs) since 1993 to judge the chickens in the Commercial (egg production) category. The emphasis is on determining whether or not the females are currently laying eggs and on the rate of lay as based on external characteristics. When a chicken lays an egg, the egg exits the chicken s body from the vent which is the common opening for the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems and is located at the rear of the body. About an inch below the vent, and on both sides of midline, the tips of the two pubic bones can be felt. Directly below the vent an inch or more, the tip of the keel (breast bone) can be felt. The abdominal capacity is measured by determining how many fingers can be placed between the pubic bones and how many fingers can be placed between the pubic bones and the tip of the keel. The abdominal capacity is described as width by depth. That is for example, a hen with an abdominal capacity of 2 x 3 would have enough width between the pubic bones for two fingers of an average person, and enough depth between the pubic bones and the tip of the keel for three fingers. Obviously the size of a person s fingers influences the number of fingers that can be placed in the spaces, so it is important that the same person judge all of the females in a show in order to have an accurate comparison of the birds. Prior to laying eggs, pullets only have about a one-finger space between the two areas, that is, a 1 x 1. As they near the time to lay their first egg there is an expansion of the spaces to allow enough room for the egg to be laid, which is about a 2 x 2. This abdominal capacity continues to expand for several weeks if the chicken continues to lay. Depending on the size of the bird, an average abdominal capacity for a chicken that has been laying for several weeks is 2 x 3 fingers. Chickens that lay at high rates (8-10 eggs per 10 days) usually have larger abdominal capacities than those that lay at lower rates (4-7 eggs per 10 days). In a show, chickens that have an abdominal capacity of at least 2 x 3 fingers are awarded a blue ribbon. The handling quality is used to estimate the rate of lay of chickens. Gently feel the thickness of the pubic bones. The pubic bones should be relatively thin. Thick pubic bones indicate that fat has been deposited on the bones. Take a pinch of skin just below a pubic bone. Roll it gently between the thumb and finger to feel its thinness. Thick skin indicates that fat has been deposited under the skin. Feel the softness or hardness of the abdomen. Hardness means there is fat in the abdomen next to the skin. Softness means a lack of fat in the abdomen. Good handling qualities are when the pubic bones, skin, and abdomen do not have excessive fat deposits.

7 Chickens that lay at high rates will be converting most of the energy in the feed they eat to eggs, whereas those that lay at low rates will be converting some of the energy to eggs and some to fat that is deposited on the pubic bones and under the skin in the abdomen area. Youth should select sexually mature chickens to show in this class/category. These birds will be laying eggs or about to lay eggs based on having abdominal capacities of at least 2 x 3. Pullets that are sexually immature, that is, not laying eggs or with abdominal capacities of less than 2 x 3, can only be awarded a red ribbon. To select the Champion Commercial Production hen and the Champion Production hen, the judge considers both the abdominal capacity and the handling qualities. Abdominal capacity is used to learn whether or not the bird is laying or about to lay and handling qualities are used to learn about the rate and duration of laying eggs. These characteristics are considered on about a 50:50 basis regarding their importance. When a hen is not in egg production, her comb and wattles may be small, pale, and shriveled. The pubic bones are rigid and close together. The abdomen is hard and tight, and the vent is small, dry and pigmented. Do not confuse a fatty abdomen with one that is soft and pliable due to laying conditions.

8 1. Blue ribbon a. good physical condition, but not fat b. abdominal capacity of at least 2 x 3 fingers c. good or better handling quality d. sexually mature; laying or about to lay 2. Red ribbon a. abdominal capacity less than 2 x 3 fingers b. poor handling quality c. sexually immature; not laying d. blind in 1 eye 3. White ribbon a. Emaciated, lame, blind in both eyes, etc. Exhibition Class The exhibition class is for purebred chickens. Before selecting birds to enter in an exhibition class of a poultry show, it is important to become familiar with the criteria for your particular breed as set out in the American Poultry Association s Standards of Perfection. The chickens, both male and female, will be judged on their conformance to these standards in terms of body weight, shape or type, color of plumage, color of shanks and skin, color of earlobes, and shape of comb. The selection process starts early. While your chickens are in the growing phase, look for outstanding individuals in the flock. Use plastic leg bands to identify the best birds so that when show time gets closer you will know which chickens to catch. The following breeds of poultry are recognized by the American Poultry Association and the American Bantam Association. The entries will be admitted, shown, grouped, and judged on this basis, according to the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association and the American Bantam Association. Some breeds are not listed. LARGE BREED CHICKEN CLASSES AMERICAN CLASS Plymouth Rocks, Dominiques, Wyandottes, Javas, Rhode Island Reds, Rhode Island Whites, Buckeyes, Chanteclers, Jersey Giants, Lamonas, Hampshires, Hollands, Delawares ASIATIC CLASS Brahamas, Cochins, Lanqshans

9 ENGLISH CLASS Dorkings, Redcaps, Cornish, Orpingtons, Sussex, Australorps MEDITERRANEAN CLASS Leghorns, Minorcas, Spanish, Andalusians, Anconas CONTINENTAL CLASS (North Europe)Hamburgs, Campines, Lakenvelders, Barnevelders, Welsummers, (Polish) Polish: Bearded-Non-bearded, (French) Houdans, Faverolles, Crevecoeurs, La Fleche ALL OTHER STANDARD BREEDS CLASS (Games) Modern, Old English, (Oriental) Malays, Sumatras, Aseels, Shamos, Yokohamas, Phoenix, Cubalayas, (Miscellaneous) Sultan, Frizzles, Naked Necks, Araucanas, Ameraucanas BANTAMS BREED CLASSES GAME BANTAM CLASS Modern, Old English SINGLE COMB CLEAN LEGGED OTHER THAN GAME BANTAM CLASS Anconas, Andalusians, Australorps, Catalanas, Cam pines, Delawares, Dorkings, Dutch, Frizzles, Hollands, Japanese, Javas, Jersey Giants, Lakenvelders, Lamanas, Leghorns, Minorcas, Naked Necks, New Hampshire, Orpingtons, Phoenix, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Spanish, Sussex ROSE COMB CLEAN LEGGED BANTAM CLASS Anconas, Belgian Bearded d Anvers, Dorkings, Dominiques, Hamburgs, Leghorns,Minorcas, Redcaps, Rhode Islands, Rosecombs, Sebrights, Wyandottes ALL OTHER COMBS, CLEAN LEGGED, BANTAM CLASS Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Buckeyes, Chanteclers, Cornish, Crevecoeur, Cubalayas, Houdans, La Fleche, Malays, Polish, Shamos, Sicilian Buttercups, Sumatras, Yokohamas FEATHER LEGGED BANTAM CLASS Booted, Brahmas, Cochins, Faverolles, Frizzles, Langshans, Silkies, Sultans The selection process starts early. While your chickens are in the growing phase, look for outstanding individuals in the flock. Use plastic leg bands to identify the best birds so that when show time gets closer you will know which chickens to catch.

10 After selecting birds which conform to the standards for their breed and variety, conduct a more careful inspection for disqualifications and defects. Some undesirable characteristics are: Back: Crooked or hunchback Beak: Deformed. Feathers: Twisted feathers in primaries, secondaries, main tail feathers, and sickles. Weight: More than 2 lbs. under standard weight, except Leghorns and Anconas, where it is more than 1 ½ lbs underweight for males and more than 1 lb underweight for females.

11 Comb: A comb foreign to the breed or variety. Absence of spikes on rose comb. Some comb disqualifications are shown in Figure 7, including split single comb, side sprigs on single comb, and lopped comb. Head and Adjuncts: Enamel white in the face of young Mediterranean, and enamel white in the earlobes of common breeds of the American, Asiatic, and English classes. Red in the earlobe of some Breeds

12 Tail: Wry tail, Squirrel Tail, and entire absence of main tail feathers. Shanks and Toes: Decidedly bowlegs or knock-knees. Stubs or down on shanks or toes of all clean shank breeds. Entire absence of spurs on cocks. More or less than the required number of toes. Color of shanks, toes, or feet foreign to the breed. Vulture hocks (except in Sultans and some breeds of feather-legged Bantams) and duck foot.

13 Bathing and Grooming your Chicken By APA-ABA Youth Program Cindy Kinard, Florida Youth Leader Never, never, never take a dirty bird to a show. Dirty birds don t win..they don t even get as far as champion row. The next time you are at a show or a fair, take the time to look at the birds. Really look at them. Stand back and see if you can see what the judge sees. Why did the judge place one bird over the other? In some larger shows, the placement can be very close and the difference between your bird being placed on champion row and one that is left in the cage can come down to it being clean and well groomed. Getting your bird show ready is not a big secret that only the top breeders know. Not only is it easy to do, but also your bird will actually enjoy its bath. Bathing is done 3 to 5 days before the show. This allows time for the bird to dry completely and to work some of the natural oil back into the feathers. Grooming starts at bath time with the trimming of the nails and the beak, and the final, last minute touch-ups take place after you bird is in the show cage and just prior to the judging. Gather your supplies and place them within easy reach. This list is simple and basic. Of course, you can be more elaborate if you wish, but I have found that the basic method works well. List: 3 washtubs, shampoo, vinegar, hair conditioner, towels, old toothbrush, dog nail clippers, blow dryer, a small sponge and a clean carrier or cage for drying. Some of the extras that you might want to have on hand are: an emery board for making smooth nail and beak trims and blood stop in case you cut the nail too short. Start with the three tubs of warm water. The tubs should be large enough to give you plenty of water and room for a good bath. Don t try and bathe a large fowl bird in a small plastic bucket. It just won t work. Use washtubs in the laundry room. The #1 tub is used for the bath while the #2 and the #3 tubs are used for rinsing. Put about ¼ cup vinegar for every gallon of water in the #2 tub add about 1 tablespoon of hair conditioner for every gallon of water in the #3 tub. Holding your bird with its breast resting in you palm, lower it into the first tub allowing a few seconds for the bird to realize what is happening. Most birds will relax and some will even go to sleep during their bath. This really happens, so keep a watch on your bird do their head does not go under the water. Put some shampoo on the dirtiest part of your bird first. This is usually the vent area, the legs and the feet. While these parts are soaking, shampoo the rest of the bird slowly and gently, being careful that you do not damage the feathers by rubbing them backwards.

14 Take your time and do a good job. Rinse as much of the shampoo out of the feathers as you can in the #1 tub and then place the bird in the #2 tub with the vinegar. Rinse, rinse, rinse..the vinegar will help but you may need to rinse again. Make sure there is no shampoo left in the feathers because this makes for a mess when it dries. (Think of drying your hair with shampoo left in.) Next, wrap the bird in a towel leaving the head out of one end and the feet sticking out of the other (think egg roll.) This will help dry the bird and keep it still so you can clean its head, legs and feet. While wrapped, you wash the face, wattles and comb with the sponge. Trim the top beak so that it is even with the bottom and use the emery board to smooth the edges. After a good bath and a good face washing, it s time for a good pedicure. Using the old toothbrush, give the legs, feet and toenails a scrubbing. Make sure you remove any old poo that is under the nails as judges do notice. You may need to use soap to do a complete job. Rinse them well under running water. Now clip the nails. It is easier to clip nails once they have softened in the water and are clean. Be careful not to trim too short as they have a vein that runs down through the toe and into the toenail and clipping into this vein will cause them to bleed. This is usually not serious but it can bleed and remember you have just bathed your bird and you do not want to get blood on the feathers. The vein is fairly easy to see in birds with white toenails but on dark ones, you may have to look under the nail to see where the vein stops. If you cannot see the vein, clip small portions of the nail at a time checking after each clip. If the nail does bleed, use the blood stop and a cotton ball to control the bleeding. Now you can put your bird in the clean cage or carrier to dry. While all birds can be air dried in a warm environment (not in the sun or in front of a heater), loose feathered birds such as Cochins, Silkies and Orpingtons will benefit from drying with a blow dryer, while tightly feathered birds such as Old English, Modern Game, do better drying on their own. You are now ready to take your bird to the show. Transport it in a carrier with smooth sides to protect the feathers that you worked so hard to clean. You will need a grooming box (small tackle box or 5 gal bucket) stocked with your grooming supplies. Here is the basic list: Baby Oil to put a shine on the shank, feet, comb, beak and wattles of the bird, blood stop in case you need to stop bleeding from anything, old toothbrush for cleaning toenails, wet wipes are good for everything, antibiotic ointment to use on combs or wattles that are scratched and bleeding, silk cloth for wiping feathers and putting a shine on the bird. After cooping in your bird at the show and about 30 minutes or so before judging begins, do you last minute grooming. Start with the feet and legs by wiping them with the baby wipes and then putting on a little baby oil for shine. Check the vent area for any poo that might be on the feathers and clean them with the wipes. Check the head and decide if you want to put baby oil on the comb and wattles or if antibiotic ointment would be better. Either way, rub it in well so it produces a nice shine. Now use your silk cloth and rub your bird from head to tail several times..20 is good but 50is better. The bird will enjoy this and you will see those feathers begin to really shine. Gently place the bird back into the coop as not to disturb those beautiful feathers. As you attend more shows, you will see other breeders groom their birds and you will learn more techniques and see other products used on birds. You can learn much from other breeders and you may want to try some of what you learn. Remember, never do anything to your bird or use anything on your bird that might harm it in anyway. Now you can walk away knowing you have done a beautiful job and that your bird looks its best. *Special thanks Ben Mather and Cindy Kinard and for the use of their fact sheets in creating this booklet.

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