Velvet, our County show is in the early spring (Feb/March). I always feel so bad for the pigs, sheep, and goats---they have to be shaved for show. They get so cold.
I don't think we have a Poulty competition as far as showing. I do know there is a Roaster competition and a Turkey one, too.
Let us know how you do. Have fun!
Carla

Our county fair winds up tomorrow, and I haven't even thought about going yet! My kids showed sheep and cattle in 4-H and FFA for 13 years, and I put in time as Superintendent of the 4-H Wool show, Sheep show, Livestock trophy and awards chairman, and county 4-H treasurer, and FFA Alumni secretary at the same time that I was a co-leader in our sheep club. It's nice to take a pass on it this year, but my daughter is now a club leader, and will assume a sheep superintendent position at the fair next year. I'll probably go tomorrow to see the breeding stock classes, and haul our club's pen equipment back to the club storage at a neighbor's farm. Having an F-350 makes the hauling easy, and my co-leaders who have shepherded the kids all week will appreciate the break.

Marion County, Oregon, used to be one of the most diverse and profitable farming counties in the Western United States. Over the last 5 years, though, we've seen rampant urbanization, and even though there's still lots of farmland, there's less and less livestock, and farm kids aren't encouraged to have farm projects as much because they're more involved in "towny" activities through the schools. In 1991 when we first joined 4-H, our club had over 40 kids and there were 5 families that I can think of that were nationally competitive. The rest of us were regionally competitive. Today, there are about 10 active members, and most don't even live on the rural property where they are raising their market lambs, and only 2 families have breeding stock at all. Guess I gotta get myself fired up in the volunteer area again, or I'll be living in a high-rise and wishing for the good ol' days!

Hang onto the rural quality of life, or the city and county zoning and regulation folks will do their best to quietly take it away. That's one reason I keep my chickens, I want people to remember how great animals actually ARE. When chickens become rare and exotic animals that kids have never seen, the city is in trouble.

We don't show any animals in the OC Fair (we live outside the county lines) but the OC Fair is far and away more pleasant than the LA County Fair, so we go to OC. We had a great time today.

And the corn was terrific! :) I DID skip the Avocado Fudge, though. I kid you not, right hand to God--AVOCADO FUDGE. I think that's one of the signs of the coming apocolypse....

Velvet

Hi Everyone, We are going to the fair next Thurs.(Chisago County, MN) We are bringing 3 kinds of pigeons, Czech Ice Pouters, Pomeranian Pouters and Parlor Rollers. The kids are showing 4H and FFA. It is always the highlight of the summer. We stay in the dorms where I am in charge of 40 teens and pre-teens! Very nice kids usually, but occasionally the hormones get flying!The kids have a blast hanging around the barn, giving tours and sweeping. I never can get them to sweep at home, but they are non-stop sweepers at the fair.
We are taking a break from chickens this year. We have been so busy setting up the pigeon loft and trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to hatch squabs(baby pigeons)My youngest though misses chickens, and is planning to show cochins next year.
Good luck to all the others at the many fairs going this summer!

We are taking breeding hogs to the Indiana State Fair, but how we will do is another story, lol. They are beautiful pigs, but we are not known as the big breeers or clicks. I don't care if they sell to tell you the truth, they are better than most that we can afford. Pat

Ours just finished up, but as fairs go, it "ain't much punkin". The current fair board has been, for the past 5 years or so, pushing it towards being nothing more than a carnival and 10 days of truck & tractor pulls, motocross & ATV races - and wrestling.
They've put the squeeze on all 4-H and agricultural exhibits, cutting funding & premium moneys - and, by moving it to the first week in July, it's largely eliminated much in the way of vegetable, field crop, and tobacco entries - just way too early for there to be much in the way of produce that's ready to be exhibited.
No longer have beef, dairy, swine, or horse/mule shows - only sheep, goat, chicken and rabbit(the local rabbit breeder is a fair board member) shows.
I go to work in the 4-H food booth at least a couple of nights, but that's about the extent of my fairgoing at ours.

Fairs....I LIVE for fairs and can't wait to go each year. I am in PA and dh and I usually try to go to several of them. The best parts are seeing (and petting) the animals and eating the greasy food for sure. Some of the folks I buy my chickens from are usually there, so I enjoy saying hello. Dh could just drop me off at the chicken tent and I could set up camp there for a few hours. Once in a blue moon we will watch a demo derby or see a country show.

Dd does several animal projects every year. Neighbor girl sheared the lamb and dd washed the cat today (dd and him in the tub). Cat show is Friday. On Saturday we take the big animals in. Monday are the swine (x barrow and york gilt) and poultry (nine chickens and four ducks) shows. Tuesday is beef (no steer this year) and club pony rides (taking our pony). Wednesday is sheep (suffolk x wether and shetland ewe). Thursday is pocket pets (bird and rat) and livestock auction (selling barrow and wether). Friday and Saturday is horse and pony show (draft mare). The whole family stays pretty busy.

100 degrees and humid. Man was it miserable, especially for the poor sap who was the dorm chaperone.(guess who?!)The animals were released a day early because of the heat.Kids had a blast, water fights, hanging out he-ing and she-ing as my dad says, and having a great time.Pigeons and kids did awesome.It was a good thing we had locks on the pigeon cages. A group came thru on Friday night and were trying to get into the cages. One guy was talking into a cell phone giving the breed names and the names of the kids. There have been a lot of pigeon thefts at the fairs and loft break ins, that it makes us uneasy.

We visit multiple fairs every year around our area. I would like to myabe in the future , put some birds in under open class but have no idea what to do or how so right now I'm enjoying watching ...and eating...fair food , its the best !