CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 05/16/22

Oconee County takes first place in 4-H State Poultry Judging contest

By Josie Smith
First-place winners from Oconee County 4-H receive their awards at the state poultry judging contest in Oglethorpe County. From left, Blakely Stewart, Lexi Pritchard, Associate 4-H Leader Sue Chapman, State 4-H Leader Arch Smith, Connor Watson and Thomas Stewart display their newly won certificates.

Oconee County 4-H captured first place at the Georgia 4-H State Poultry Judging contest held May 6 at the Oglethorpe County Livestock Facility. Team members Blakely Stewart, Lexi Pritchard, Connor Watson and Thomas Stewart earned 3,979 of an overall 4,200 points and became the newest Master 4-H’ers in Georgia.

Poultry judging is the largest judging event in the Georgia 4-H program, with 560 students participating across the state this year. Fifty-three 4-H’ers qualified to compete in the state contest, advancing from five area-level contests.

Participants judge both live chickens and market poultry during the event, identifying parts of birds already prepared for market and evaluating eggs for quality and readiness for sale. Following the evaluation of a live production class, participants must justify their placing decisions through oral reasoning.

To prepare for poultry judging contests, students learn standards used in poultry and egg production and marketing and apply those standards in decision-making situations that call for critical evaluation. Beyond the contest, 4-H’ers apply the skills they learn as poultry consumers in grocery stores and restaurants.

Oconee County will represent Georgia at the 2022 National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, November 16-17. The students will continue to expand their knowledge of the poultry industry and what it means for Georgia consumers throughout the year.   

Georgia 4-H partners with specialists at the University of Georgia for all its livestock programs. The UGA Department of Poultry Science has a vital and long-standing relationship with 4-H, with poultry science faculty preparing the area-level and state contests, taking care to provide consistent and accurate classes for every 4-H’er.

“Poultry judging reinforces the importance of agriculture to hundreds of students every year,” said Heather Shultz, Georgia 4-H Extension specialist for livestock programs. “Every 4-H’er who participates in poultry judging through their county UGA Cooperative Extension office gains an appreciation for how our poultry supply is produced and how safety and quality are maintained. We appreciate the UGA poultry science department for supporting this important initiative for youth.”

Winning teams in the contest include the second-place team from Ben Hill County with team members Lauren Wixson, Allie Braddy, Amelia Lee and Jay Lee; and the third-place team from Gordon County with team members Breana Manning, Joshua Carr, Sophia Westbrook and Rebekah McElrath. Additional winners include first place high individual Lexi Pritchard from Oconee County, second high individual Lauren Wixson from Ben Hill County, and third high individual Avery Pruett from Coweta County.

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the largest youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches more than 225,000 people annually through UGA Extension offices and 4-H facilities.

For more information about how to get involved with Poultry Judging and Georgia 4-H, contact your local UGA Extension office or visit georgia4h.org.

Josie Smith is the public relations coordinator for Georgia 4-H.

Authors:
Josie Smith
Experts/Sources:
Heather K. Shultz
The 2022-2023 Georgia 4-H student board poses with green slime-covered Georgia 4-H Leader Melanie Biersmith after the 2023 $4 for 4-H celebration. Biersmith has agreed to subject herself to the slime again this year if the $74,444 goal is reached. CAES News
Support Georgia 4-H with a $4 gift on April 4 04/03/24 Josie Smith
The Georgia 4-H Foundation is encouraging friendly competition between 4-H supporters in each county in Georgia to benefit positive youth development during the “$4 for 4-H” fundraiser on April 4. In what has become an annual tradition, each Georgia county asks local donors to make online donations of $4 or more that day, with the goal of receiving at least four donations per county. Counties that receive four or more donations will turn green on a Georgia map that will be updated throughout the day on social media April 4.
The First Flock was established at the Georgia Governor's Mansion in July 2021. CAES News
Inaugural First Flock retires to 4-H center as 15 new hens move to Governor’s Mansion 03/18/24 Josie Smith, Lily Thomas
Georgia’s inaugural First Flock is retiring to Fortson 4-H Center almost three years after they came to roost at the Governor’s Mansion in 2021. Six members of the original flock traded places with 15 new hens during a ceremonial swap on Feb. 1 at the First Flock’s custom coop on the eastern side of the 18-acre mansion grounds in Atlanta. The idea for the project was hatched in 2020 when Georgia first lady Marty Kemp expressed her desire to include agricultural education via residential hens at the mansion.
web Capitol Day Group Photo on Oglethorpe Stairs CAES News
4-H’ers see leadership in action during Georgia 4-H Day at the Capitol 02/28/24 Josie Smith
The gold dome of the Georgia Capitol was complemented with shades of green on Feb. 14 as 4-H youth and adult leaders joined elected officials for the largest Georgia 4-H Day at the Capitol on record. With nearly 700 in attendance, outstanding 4-H’ers from counties across the state gathered to engage with legislators, observe leadership in action and learn about the civic process.
gwinnett county extension CAES News
Metro Atlanta Extension office growing capacity to reach diverse audiences 02/21/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As the population of Gwinnett County approaches the 1 million mark, with a highly diverse demographic profile, the county's University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office is preparing to serve its changing constituency effectively. Recently, the Gwinnett County Extension Program received a $250,000 budget increase from the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners to increase staffing and expand community educational outreach and engagement to underrepresented groups around the county.
As drug overdoses linked to opioids continue to rise, rural communities in particular struggle to control the epidemic. CAES News
Extension project focuses on education, outreach to address opioid crisis 11/27/23 Cal Powell
As drug overdoses linked to opioids continue to rise, rural communities in particular struggle to control the epidemic. More than 75% of the nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid, with higher rates of poverty and a lack of resources in rural areas being a significant factor in the alarming trend. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working with rural communities to address the issue, thanks in part to a three-year $350,000 Rural Health and Safety Education grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Warnell professor Kris Irwin (right) helps campers set leaf-litter traps to capture macroinvertebrates, small amphibians and other organisms during Georgia 4-H Natural Resources Exploration Camp at Rock Eagle 4-H Center. CAES News
Georgia 4-H offers new Natural Resources Exploration Camp 10/17/23 Josie Smith, Alyssa Haag
A dozen 4-H’ers from around Georgia were the first explorers to experience Georgia 4-H’s newest summer program — Natural Resources Exploration Camp — and learn about wildlife, forestry, fisheries and other natural resources from University of Georgia faculty.