Meeting Minutes November 2, 2010
Poultry Developmental Committee Meeting
(as part of the Small Animal Developmental Committee)
November 2, 2010 7:00 to 9:30
Kent County Extension Office
Present (in the Poultry meeting): Jackie Carpenter, Emily Carpenter, Rob Carpenter (Cherry Valley Livestock), Cathy Acker (Jolly Ranchers), Emma Roderick, Gail Roderick (Working Paws) and Tena Bartholomew (Boondockers).
The first 1 ½ hours was a group discussion about the form and function of the newly created Small Animal Developmental Committee. Representatives from the Dog, Goat, Rabbit, Cavy and Poultry areas were in attendance. At our next meeting, January 27, 2011, the first hour will be devoted to specific species meetings. The second hour will have the group coming back together and share developments, news, etc. Each species will maintain their own bank accounts and elect their own chair, vice chair and secretary. We will also elect a group chair, vice-chair and secretary.
Dick Bethel shared information about the Kent County 4-H Youth Development Endowment. Donation forms were made available for interested members to use when making or soliciting donations.
Glenda led a discussion about how to increase participation in 4-H awards and events. The Bartholomew and Acker families, having had the most involvement in the 4-H awards process, agreed to help create a plan of action. Glenda wondered if 4-H youth would attend an awards informational meeting/workshop over the schools’ Holiday break.
As a group, we are tasked with putting on an educational event (other than fair). Initial ideas were a showmanship clinic on the fairgrounds in early spring or a general animal care/health program to be held over the winter.
At 8:30, attendees broke out into their species groups.
We elected Jackie Carpenter as Chairperson, Emma Roderick as Vice-Chairperson and Gail Roderick as Secretary of the Poultry Developmental Committee.
Cathy , Jackie, Emily, Gail, Emma, (also, Amy Carpenter from Working Paws and Calina Mills from Boondockers) attended the Poultry Workshop at Kettunen Center October 30 & 31. The workshop was excellent and we brought home many ideas we are eager to use to continue to improve our poultry project in Kent County.
In the brief time we had together, we identified three areas we would like to see change/improve in 2011. These changes will be suggested to the superintendent:
1. Care of Project Animals
In reviewing minutes from the 2006 poultry meeting (the last meeting minutes), we see we still have the problem with poor care of many project poultry during fair. Many of these birds are meat pens, many of these pens belong to youth from other livestock areas. The general feeling seems to be that the poultry isn’t as “important” as their other animals. We strive to change this perception and put into place some definite care requirements with definite consequences.
Care Plan of Action:
A. Require all pens to be cleaned and freshly bedded, clean water and food by 10:00. Pens that are not attended to by 10:00 a.m. would receive a red “zip tie” on their cage. One zip tie is a gentle reminder, two identifies an ongoing problem, and a third zip tie would result in that bird/pen being sent home and forfeiture of premiums and the privilege of selling in the livestock auction.
B. Barn duty. Pattern after rabbit/cavy. One suggestion was to have 5 shifts per day for 5 days. 10 – 12, 12 – 2, 2 - 4, 4 – 6 and 8 – 10, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The time span from 6 – 8 would be another time when the birds’ owners would be expected to return to feed and water.
C. Enforce weight requirements as printed in fair book. The minimum weight for turkeys is 20 pounds, yet a 13 pound turkey was entered and sold.
D. Require larger food and water containers (3 qt. minimum) for market poultry and production pens. Owner provided.
2. Require showmanship for exhibitors of Market Poultry.
If a youth has a market pen only, a suitable showmanship bird could be borrowed or provided. We are concerned with the many youth who exhibit and sell market pens without learning about poultry in general . It is obvious that we have many youth who are after the livestock sale check and have had little to do with raising their project animals. We wish to do what we can to make this a valuable learning experience. At Kettunen Center, we learned that no other counties allow market pen exhibitors to skip showmanship. Also, at the Kent County Fair, showmanship is required in all other livestock species.
3. Establish a “Champion Row”.
Champion and Reserve Champion birds would be moved into pens with appropriate signs. Winners in all other livestock areas designate their winners in some way. This not only honors the youth’s hard work, but creates a more interesting display for our fair visitors. If new/additional pens are needed, a grant from the 4-H council could be sought.
Other:
We will plan an educational event to be held either April 16 or 30. Suggestions for speakers: Mary Guy (fitting and showmanship), Dr. Fulton (health and diseases) or Neil Kentner.
Turkeys and chicken market pens should be judged separately for Grand and Reserve.
There was much concern about a last minute, poorly communicated rule which required owners of market pens to be standing by their pen when it was judged. This created much confusion and upset. All “rules” should be established by the spring Fair meetings and included in the “Attention all Poultry Leaders and Exhibitors Procedures for the 2011 fair” handout generally available in our fair packets.
Communicate with poultry leaders and exhibitors via email from Extension. President Jackie Carpenter has created a blog for the Poultry Project. Its address is: http://kc-poultry-dev-comm.blogspot.com/
Meeting adjourned at 9:45
Next meeting: January 27, 2011 7:00 at the Extension Office
Respectfully submitted by: Gail Roderick
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Meeting Minutes January 27, 7 to 9:30pm
My name is Jackie Carpenter and I'm the current president for the Poultry Development Committee for Kent County 4-H. Our committee has had 2 meeting now under the Small Animal Development Committee at the main 4-H office in Grand Rapids. The next meeting will take place on March 24th at 7pm at the main 4-H offices at 775 Ball Ave Grand Rapids, MI. We would love to have as many leaders and parents take part in these meetings as possible. At our first meeting we set up a website for our committee. Here is the link: http://kc-poultry-dev-comm.blogspot.com/
At our second meeting we started planning an educational poultry event for Kent county. The tentative date for this event is April 9th. We decided we would like to put on a showmanship clinic with a quiz bowl. We could really use your help in planning this event. If you are interested in helping please email me at rjekmc@gmail.com or call me at 616-765-3306. If you have youth that may be interested in participating in our quiz bowl please contact me for information on the study packet. As soon as the date is more concrete we will be sending out more information by email and via flyer. We will also be forming a county quiz bowl team from the top scorers at our event to compete at the state level at Poultry Palooza this year.
Dianne Bieneman has stepped down as our poultry superintendent. After 20 plus years Dianne will be well missed. This means that we have the poultry barn superintendent position open. If anyone is interested in this position please consider coming to the next fair board meeting to submit your name for consideration. The next fair board meeting is February 9th at 7:30pm at the King Building.
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Meeting Minutes January 27, 7 to 9:30pm
My name is Jackie Carpenter and I'm the current president for the Poultry Development Committee for Kent County 4-H. Our committee has had 2 meeting now under the Small Animal Development Committee at the main 4-H office in Grand Rapids. The next meeting will take place on March 24th at 7pm at the main 4-H offices at 775 Ball Ave Grand Rapids, MI. We would love to have as many leaders and parents take part in these meetings as possible. At our first meeting we set up a website for our committee. Here is the link: http://kc-poultry-dev-comm.blogspot.com/
At our second meeting we started planning an educational poultry event for Kent county. The tentative date for this event is April 9th. We decided we would like to put on a showmanship clinic with a quiz bowl. We could really use your help in planning this event. If you are interested in helping please email me at rjekmc@gmail.com or call me at 616-765-3306. If you have youth that may be interested in participating in our quiz bowl please contact me for information on the study packet. As soon as the date is more concrete we will be sending out more information by email and via flyer. We will also be forming a county quiz bowl team from the top scorers at our event to compete at the state level at Poultry Palooza this year.
Dianne Bieneman has stepped down as our poultry superintendent. After 20 plus years Dianne will be well missed. This means that we have the poultry barn superintendent position open. If anyone is interested in this position please consider coming to the next fair board meeting to submit your name for consideration. The next fair board meeting is February 9th at 7:30pm at the King Building.
Poultry Developmental Committee Meeting
(as part of the Small Animal Developmental Committee)
Kent County Extension Office
Kent County Extension Office
