Meigs County Poultry Projects Response to the Ban on Poultry Exhibitions

Meigs County Poultry Projects – 2015 Response to the Ban on Poultry Exhibitions from Ohio Department of Agriculture

Due to a highly contagious and deadly strain of Avian Influenza, the Ohio Department of Agriculture has canceled ALL exhibitions and gatherings of poultry for the remainder of 2015, including both Jr. and Open Class Shows at Fairs. No human cases have been detected in the US, Canada or internationally. This move was taken in order to help protect Ohio’s $2.3 billion poultry industry, in which 4-H plays a role. Detailed below is the plan to implement this ban while still striving to give 4-H Members a valuable learning experience over the next few months. We are sure that more questions will come up, we ask for patience as there are no easy answers when dealing with these subjects.

Switching 4-H Projects
Per Ohio 4-H, no switching of projects will be allowed as enrollment and registration deadlines have past. This can still be a highly educational opportunity where youth are impacted by and respond to environmental factors beyond their control, much like the agricultural industry as a whole. We hope that youth will take advantage of this opportunity.

Completing 4-H Poultry Projects
Meigs County will be ordering Market Chickens. If you would rather drop the project and receive a refund for ordered chicks, you MUST notify Jenna Meeks at 740-590-4242 or [email protected] by 4:30 PM on Wednesday, June 10th. Otherwise, chicks will be ordered for you and you will not receive a refund.

Chicks will be available for pick-up on July 2nd between 10 AM and 12 noon at the Extension Office. Please bring a small box to take them home in. OSUE will have information available on recommended biosecurity protocols.

-Cash refunds will be given at the Fairgrounds between 8 AM and 10 AM on July 25th, 2015.

-If youth choose to drop the project, books can be kept until 2016 or may be exchanged at the Extension Office if they are able to be resold (no marks, tears, etc.)

-Members will participate in project interviews on July 14th at Meigs High School.

-If a member chooses to not raise birds (either market birds or breeding classes) for their project, the project will be dropped.

-For members enrolled in Breeding Projects, the project is considered complete after the youth has completed Project Judging. In order to receive Fair Premiums, youth must exhibit (poster, information display, etc.) in the Jr. Fair Booth Building during the Fair. This is a wonderful opportunity to educate Fairgoers on the effects of Avian Influenza.
County Fair Participation

-Members choosing to raise their animals as planned will develop a display poster for the pen of 4-H poultry. The displays must be turned in during the usual Poultry Weigh-In time on Sunday, August 16th and will be given to buyers during the Meigs County Jr. Fair Sale. Posters MUST include:

1 photo per week to show your bird’s development. Photos on the poster should be at least 5X7 in size. The last photo must be of the member with their pen of two (2) chickens. One additional 8X10 sized copy of this photo should be printed to be displayed in the Jr. Fair Booth Building/given to Buyers during the Fair and should be turned in with the poster.

There must also be a photo of readable leg-bands of two (2) chickens on the poster.
-Tag-In fee will be reduced to $5 per member for 2015 Market Poultry projects in order to cover costs of tags and incidentals. This fee will be due when chicks are picked up on July 2nd.

-Leg-bands will be distributed at chick pick-up and must be placed on the birds by the members and their families in order to identify them by July 25th.

-Poultry project members will be required to participate in poultry showmanship during the fair using knowledge and props. The Fairboard will hire a judge as usual. However, Showmanship classes will not be placed and there will be no representative selected to Showman of Showman this year.
-Poultry Skill-A-Thon will be held with Showmanship during the Fair and will be required in order to participate in

Sale Participation
-Poultry project members will be eligible to participate in the sale if they raise their project animals, attend project interviews, participate in poultry Showmanship and Skill-A-Thon during the Fair, and exhibit a display for their poultry pen.

-The sale order will remain the same as printed in the Basic Livestock Rules – Dairy Feeders, Market Goats, Market Lambs, Dairy Steers, Hogs, Beef Steers, Poultry, Rabbits and Beef Feeders.

-Members will participate in the sale by taking their displays into the sale ring to be given to their Buyer in lieu of the buyer photo traditionally taken with the animal.

-Sale order will be determined by lottery selection during Poultry Showmanship during the Fair.

-Members may contact prospective sale buyers as usual by face to face contact and letters. Exhibitors should take this opportunity to educate potential buyers about Avian Influenza and how the poultry projects will be sold at the fair.

-Buyers will not take possession of any poultry projects. Members will retain possession of the birds for home processing or delivery to a processor.

-County Fair Premiums will be paid as usual for those exhibiting at the Fair.
We understand that this situation is not ideal. However, we look to our volunteers, parents, members and community members to be understanding and supportive of each other and help to make this experience a valuable one for our members!

Additional Resources:
-USDA Information Page: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=avian_influenza.html

-ODA Statement: http://www.agri.ohio.gov/public_docs/news/2015/06.02.15%20ODA%20Cancels%20bird%20shows%20across%20Ohio%20to%20Prevent%20Avian%20Flu.pdf

-For current numbers of birds affected by state: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth?1dmy&urile=wcm%3Apath%3A/aphis_content_library/sa_our_focus/sa_animal_health/sa_animal_disease_information/sa_avian_health/sa_detections_by_states/ct_ai_pacific_flyway
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