White feathers scattered throughout the 4-H livestock barn Wednesday morning during the Lawrence County Fair’s annual chicken contest and showmanship.

Thursday, July 13, 2000

White feathers scattered throughout the 4-H livestock barn Wednesday morning during the Lawrence County Fair’s annual chicken contest and showmanship.

When the clucks cleared, Kristen Thacker’s entries topped the list of 14 competitors and earned her the Grand Champion trophy.

She hopes the rewards for her hard work don’t end there, either.

"Hopefully, I’ll get $500 for the sale Saturday," Ms. Thacker said.

Jeremy Thompson of Symmes Valley FFA came in a close second, taking Reserve Champion.

Judging criteria was fairly simple.

"On the quality (of the chickens), (judge) Dave Adkins looks at the amount of meat that is on the breast and the legs," 4-H extension agent Laura Jane Murphy said.

Adkins raises chickens and he judges in related contests throughout the state, she added.

Cleanliness of the chickens also played an important part in Adkins’ ratings. And that is one of the toughest parts of chicken raising, Thompson said.

"When you clean the chicken, you’ve got to really scrub them," Thompson said. "They get a little bit nasty. I’ve got one chicken that will attack all the time."

Despite the scratches and pecks, he said the hard work pays off.

A former Grand Champion, Jeremy got $500 for his chickens in the livestock sale when he took first prize in 1997.

"I’ve seen them bid for over $800," he said.

Like Miss Thacker, Thompson also hopes his chickens will bring a nice price.

All of the chickens were ordered from the same hatchery and the efficiency in raising them was the key to getting the top prize, Ms. Murphy said.

"The contestants all pay the same prices, but they pick out the chickens," she said.

The chickens are purchased from the 4-H extension office when they are only one day old, Ms. Murphy said. When contestants purchase the chickens, it is their responsibility to raise them, which is widely appreciated by the bidders when auction time comes around.

"Buyers aren’t here just to get the animals," she said. "They’re here to recognize 4-H and FFA kids and reward them for their efforts.

"(The 4-H and FFA members) are part of the chain that feeds America," Ms. Murphy added. "We want to teach them the necessary skills to raise livestock, whether they choose to make it a career, or just as a side project. This way, they’ll be better prepared to enter the working world."

Ms. Murphy noted that being a farmer is not the only job in the agricultural field. The 4-H and FFA members have a potential future in the sales, education, marketing and publicity of the livestock they raise, she said.