The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
FROM FARM TO SHOW
Madison County Fair runs through today in Brookfield
BROOKFIELD, N.Y. >> The Madison County Fair is not just a place for food, fun and a chance to win a prize or two — it’s also a place to show off all the hard work that went into raising an animal.
“Blue Bomber’s been to the State Fair once before,” said Kacie Owen, an 11-yearold student at Mount Markham Middle School and member of the Madison County 4-H group out of Brookfield. “She got first and third and we hope to take her back to the State Fair this year.”
Kacie and Blue Bomber were one of more than 40 chickens being judged at the Madison County Fair for the chicken show before they move on to the New York State Fair in August. Blue Bomber is a blue silky frizzle, a breed of chicken known for their downy feathers that feel like fur. And Kacie has been raising Blue Bomber for more than two years now.
When asked how much work goes into preparing chickens for a show, Kacie said a lot.
“There’s a lot of fluffing and a lot of baths so all the feathers are fluffed to perfection,” Kacie said. “I’m looking to go to state again and get first in everything. Last year, I got first and third. First was just for Blue Bomber and third was in showmanship.”
Kacie’s mother, Jane Stetson, said her daughter spends a lot of time caring for
her chickens, bathing them when needed and preparing them as best she can.
When asked why she puts so much time and energy into competing, Kacie said she just likes the experience and seeing her chickens do their best. She said any anyone looking to raise chickens should be prepared to put a lot of time into it.
“I spend months before the show preparing,” Kacie said.
William Post, an American Poultry Association licensed judge, said raising chickens for a competition is a lot like raising a dog for a dog show.
“People are more familiar with dog and horse shows, so it’s the same kind of thing, really,” Post said. “There’s a standard for every breed and variety of chicken that describes size, shape, coloration of the birds and they’re judged against that standard. And at the same time, they’re judged against each other.”
Post said compared to other animals, chickens are easy to raise.
“They’re hardy animals that will eat just about anything and thrive,” Post said. “Raising chickens is easy, it’s breeding them for a show that’s another matter. It’s like breeding dogs. You can go to the pet store and buy a dog but you can’t put that dog in a dog show and expect to win. It’s not bred for that level.”
Post said he’s seen children as young as eight participating in these competitions. “Raising animals, chickens in particular, have become more popular as people want to know where their food comes from,” Post said. “A lot more people have chickens than they did 20 years ago.”
Ann Janson, club leader for the Brookfield Madison County 4-H club, said the livestock club has members raising all manner of animals.
“We’re growing the program and we want children to get experience showing animals, 4-H and volunteering,” Janson said. “Whether backyard chickens for food or purebred chickens for shows, we try to guide children the best we can.”
On Sunday, July 14, there will be a rabbit show. Morrisville 4-H Club Leader Jessica Tomcho said raising rabbits is relatively easy.
“My two children, 12 and nine, raise rabbits and we have roughly 70 rabbits among three different breeds,” Tomcho said. “My daughter Juliana shows at not only the 4-H level but the state level and national. She’s had best of breeds before and has been ranked second in the state for her mini-rex.” The 70 rabbits raised by Tomcho and her family are primarily sold as pets.
With animals like rabbits, Tomcho advises people to start small and do their research. In the realm of agriculture education, Tomcho said she works at Morrisville-Eaton Central School District and just started an agriculture education.
“We use rabbits in the school, with some classes having them as a therapy animal,” Tomcho said. “At the high school level, our ag teacher will be taking a couple of animals to show animal care. It’s a great animal to learn animal care.”
Tomcho said she’d like to see every school have an agriculture education program and a chance for students to learn all they can about the world of agriculture as it becomes more and more prevalent.
“The agricultural industry is the number one employer in New York,” Tomcho said. “And a very small portion of that is farming. Everybody needs agriculture because it’s not like your food is just at the grocery store.”