4-H-er thread!

[shadow rabbit10]

What county are you? I might have been. I try to visit a bunch of Nj 4H fairs every year. I am sorry to hear your fair is getting smaller each year. It is certainly a travesty especially in more populated areas that keeping livestock is become more and more obsolete. The very foundation of 4H is the interest of youth in animals. 4H can't thrive in areas where keeping livestock isn't practical due to land constraints.

Ocean County. And you? Yeah it's a shame but they just haven't been doing well. Recently the old owners handed the fair over to the county board of ag and they tried to make it better but in my opinion they didn't do a great job. And yeah it is a shame no one really keeps livestock anymore. I just feel like our state has a lot of regulations and such. They want you to have permits for so many types of animals. And that's not even talking about local restraints. My town makes me pay 5 dollars per chicken every year for my poultry permits. That's why I only keep a few. It's frustrating and disappointing. Especially when the 4-H suffers because of it.

 

[I Love Layers]

Ocean County. And you? Yeah it's a shame but they just haven't been doing well. Recently the old owners handed the fair over to the county board of ag and they tried to make it better but in my opinion they didn't do a great job. And yeah it is a shame no one really keeps livestock anymore. I just feel like our state has a lot of regulations and such. They want you to have permits for so many types of animals. And that's not even talking about local restraints. My town makes me pay 5 dollars per chicken every year for my poultry permits. That's why I only keep a few. It's frustrating and disappointing. Especially when the 4-H suffers because of it.

Come to ND where people bring to many animals

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Come to ND where people bring to many animals

Honestly I don't know which is worse... Having too many animals or not enough!

 

[waddles99]

Ocean County. And you? Yeah it's a shame but they just haven't been doing well. Recently the old owners handed the fair over to the county board of ag and they tried to make it better but in my opinion they didn't do a great job. And yeah it is a shame no one really keeps livestock anymore. I just feel like our state has a lot of regulations and such. They want you to have permits for so many types of animals. And that's not even talking about local restraints. My town makes me pay 5 dollars per chicken every year for my poultry permits. That's why I only keep a few. It's frustrating and disappointing. Especially when the 4-H suffers because of it.

Ocean county. Never been to their fair. You guys seem big into poultry.

Edit: I'm from Morris.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Ocean county. Never been to their fair. You guys seem big into poultry.

Don't worry you're not missing much. And yeah we are very into poultry. Poultry and rabbits are probably our biggest projects. The poultry tent is the only tent that we have to put entry restrictions on every year because we have so many birds (and can't afford to expand the tent, though it's already big to begin with). We actually used to cram rabbit and poultry into one tent many years ago, but then poultry got too big (and their were always arguments between the two clubs).

 

[waddles99]

Don't worry you're not missing much. And yeah we are very into poultry. Poultry and rabbits are probably our biggest projects. The poultry tent is the only tent that we have to put entry restrictions on every year because we have so many birds (and can't afford to expand the tent, though it's already big to begin with). We actually used to cram rabbit and poultry into one tent many years ago, but then poultry got too big (and their were always arguments between the two clubs).

I'm sure your fair isn't that bad. I enjoy seeing good poultry, and let me tell you, the counties that are big into large livestock do not impress me with their poultry.

I think I met one of your members at the state 4H show. He was from Ocean I think. He has nice birds and is really into showing.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I'm sure your fair isn't that bad. I enjoy seeing good poultry, and let me tell you, the counties that are big into large livestock do not impress me with their poultry.

I think I met one of your members at the state 4H show. He was from Ocean I think. He has nice birds and is really into showing.

They just need more things to do. And a better location because ours is awful. And yes I have to admit my county does have some really nice poultry. And that's funny that you say that because I actually think I know which kid you're talking about (there's only one kid in my county who is older and extremely into showing).

 

[waddles99]

They just need more things to do. And a better location because ours is awful. And yes I have to admit my county does have some really nice poultry. And that's funny that you say that because I actually think I know which kid you're talking about (there's only one kid in my county who is older and extremely into showing).

For the sake of their privacy I usually avoid posting names on public forums but it sounds like you know who I am talking about . I wanted to visit Ocean's 4H fair this year but they are really far. You guys have nice birds there I presume. I did make it out to the spring invitational show in May, however, and showed a couple birds there. It was the one at Handy Acres Ranch. It was very well done I must say. The judge was awesome, I know he is really into his ducks and geese but he does know his stuff with chickens.

Also, I forgot to mention this, but your leader is really into poultry so that is probably one of the bigger reasons you guys have a good display. She really knows her stuff. You are lucky. I would say she is one of the most knowledgable poultry 4H leaders in the state. You guys do well at the state 4h show so that explains that

 

[shadow rabbit10]

For the sake of their privacy I usually avoid posting names on public forums but it sounds like you know who I am talking about . I wanted to visit Ocean's 4H fair this year but they are really far. You guys have nice birds there I presume. I did make it out to the spring invitational show in May, however, and showed a couple birds there. It was the one at Handy Acres Ranch. It was very well done I must say. The judge was awesome, I know he is really into his ducks and geese but he does know his stuff with chickens.

Also, I forgot to mention this, but your leader is really into poultry so that is probably one of the bigger reasons you guys have a good display. She really knows her stuff. You are lucky. I would say she is one of the most knowledgable poultry 4H leaders in the state. You guys do well at the state 4h show so that explains that

Yeah haha You were at the invitational? So was I! I didn't actually show any birds though because mine are not really show quality and they were all broody so I didn't want to stress them out. I did help run the snack table and help out with other things though

How funny. I probably saw you there. Thanks and glad to hear you liked the show! We've done a lot to improve it over the years so it's nice to hear the effort paid off. And yes, our 4-H leader is amazing! Her family has raised birds for a long time (her mother and grandfather were both leaders of the club at one point). She's very nice and knowledgeable and I'm very glad to have had her as a leader. We have a lot of younger kids in our club (I was the oldest by far), and I am always surprised of how good the younger kids are with the birds. Again it's probably because of our leader partially.

 

[waddles99]

Yeah haha You were at the invitational? So was I! I didn't actually show any birds though because mine are not really show quality and they were all broody so I didn't want to stress them out. I did help run the snack table and help out with other things though

How funny. I probably saw you there. Thanks and glad to hear you liked the show! We've done a lot to improve it over the years so it's nice to hear the effort paid off. And yes, our 4-H leader is amazing! Her family has raised birds for a long time (her mother and grandfather were both leaders of the club at one point). She's very nice and knowledgeable and I'm very glad to have had her as a leader. We have a lot of younger kids in our club (I was the oldest by far), and I am always surprised of how good the younger kids are with the birds. Again it's probably because of our leader partially.

I will be there next May too as well as the Salem one in April. Hope to see you there. I will be bringing Black LF Ameraucana and SC LF Rhode Island Reds so if you like both of those breeds and varieties be sure to check them out. Whether or not they are "show quality" is all in the eye of the beholder but I have done well with them. I see you have Polish. If you got them where I think you got them from you will probably do well with them.

Your 4H leader seems is into showmanship, conditioning, and grooming, which is a good foundation of knowledge for kids to be breeding and showing good quality birds. You can go out and pay someone big bucks for a nice bird, but if you don't have the knowledge or experience of conditioning and showing a bird to its full potential, you'll lose. I know your leader did Salem's judging. I had the opportunity to walk the aisles of the Salem show with one of their members and check out her placings. I probably would've agreed with most if not all of them if I had to judge the same set of birds. She knows what she's doing.

BTW.....do you know who is judging the invitational next year? Same judge as last?