Fair officials expand poultry skillathon

Higher cash prize, but no live-bird competition.

Cancellation of the Ohio State Fair poultry shows won’t be an entire bust for youngsters raising fowl to display.

To help ease the disappointment, fair officials have expanded the annual poultry skillathon competition and are offering higher cash prizes to the winners.

This month, the Ohio Department of Agriculture shut down all poultry shows and swap meets in Ohio for the rest of the year in an effort to keep out the deadly, highly contagious avian flu.

Nationwide as of June 9, 47 million birds had died or been killed to prevent the flu’s spread, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

About 4,000 adults and children show chickens, geese, ducks and roosters at the state fair each year.

Adults are out of luck. But the skillathon will be open to kids ages 9 to 18, to show off the knowledge they’ve gained from raising poultry. Experts at the skillathon quiz participants about poultry anatomy, disease, nutrition and care.

“We’ve always had the skillathon, but this year, because there’s no livebird competition, we’re increasing the premiums,” fair spokeswoman Alicia Shoults said.

That means the top three winners in each of the 10 age groups will receive $100 more than last year — $225 for first place, $175 for second and $155 for third.

Participants who register online by July 13 also will receive two free -admission tickets to the fair.