"Normally, the 4-H kids would sit in the barn all day holding their chickens while fairgoers passed through and petted each one. "The people just go from kid to kid to kid," said Pamela Flanders, director of the poultry barn. "It matures them, because they're having to field questions from all different types of people on all different subjects related to birds.""
"They also have to demonstrate poise, responsibility and knowledge in front of the judge. This year, the kids still answered quiz questions, like what kind of comb does a blue old English bantam hen have? (Answer: A single comb). But when it came time to exhibit the proper caging of birds - head first so the chicken's wings don't break - the kids took turns carrying their fake chickens to the cage, putting the fake head in first, then taking it out fake-head first again."
Normally the 4-H kids sit in the barn all day holding their chickens while fairgoers pass through and pet each one. The public interaction helps children field questions, develop poise, responsibility and knowledge, and demonstrate skills before judges. This year kids answered quiz questions and used fake chickens to demonstrate proper handling and caging, and they submitted home videos showing examinations and measurements. The altered format was less exciting, especially for youngest participants who cannot compete with larger animals until age nine. Some exhibitors hope officials will lift the ban, but animal epidemiologists judge H5N1 bird flu too widespread and unpredictable to allow live shows.
Read at Kqed
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