Barnett, Haas take home top chicken prizes

Published 12:44 am Sunday, July 14, 2013

ROME TOWNSHIP — Skye Barnett has shown just about everything possible at the Lawrence County Fair.

Goats, lambs, rabbits and even tobacco. It’s a learning experience for Barnett, a Marshall University student who hopes to go on to veterinary school at Ohio State.

Last year, the Kitts Hill teen decided to try her luck at chickens. She was following in the footsteps of her sister, Dakota — and it paid off.

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Barnett got the grand champion prize for her chickens last year, and this year, the 17-year-old Country Rebels 4-Her pulled it off again.

Monday at the market chicken show, Barnett again took the grand champion prize.

Each 4-Her gets 10 baby chicks to raise and then show the best pair at the fair.

Although the fowl may be small, Barnett said the animal is not necessarily an easy one to raise.

“The hardest part is getting your chickens to match,” said Barnett, who was also named the 2013 Fair Queen. “You can have the best chicken in the barn, but if the other one is small, you could get last place.”

Hailee Hass, 17, of Ironton, won the reserve title for her chickens.

This was the Farm Hands member’s second year bringing chickens to the fair. She said it was a tough year to raise the animals.

“The hard thing is to make sure they have enough feed and water,” Haas said. “And to make sure they don’t get too hot.”

Haas gained a position from last year’s third place. She said she attributed the better spot to more experience and more feed.

“(This year) I knew what I was looking for,” Haas said. “Last year, I didn’t know how to tell what to look for.”