POULTRY JUDGING EVENTS

 

 

General info:

 

Participation in poultry judging, and other competitive events, helps the participants learn to make and defend decisions, and to speak in public.

 

Poultry judging also provides an excellent opportunity for participants to learn about live birds and the basis of grade and quality of poultry products.

 

This website was developed to help those wishing to participate in poultry judging learn how to properly evaluate egg-producing hens and to apply USDA standards in grading ready-to-cook poultry and eggs.  It is intended for use at the local, state and national levels in training poultry judging teams.

 

 

 

State contest:

 

Rules:

  1. All contestants must be bonafide 4-H Club members
  2. There will be two judging divisions.

Seniors: Must be 14 years old on or before September 1 and must not have graduated or passed their 19th birthday on or before September 1 of the current year. A contestant CANNOT have competed at the National Poultry Judging Event.

Juniors: Must be 8-13 years old as of September 1 of the current year.

  1. A team will  consist of three or four members.  Only the total scores of the three highest-scoring members will be used for team awards. 
  2. A county is allowed to send only one Senior team but may send as many Junior teams and Senior and Junior individuals as they are able.

 

Classes:

  1. Past egg production (2 classes + 1 set of oral reasons)
  2. Ready-to-cook chickens (1 class)
  3. Identification of chicken carcass parts (1 class)
  4. Interior egg quality: candled (1 class)
  5. Interior egg quality: broken-out eggs (1 class)
  6. Exterior egg quality (1 class)

 

The first place Senior team will receive a grant for partial support of travel to Louisville, Kentucky in November where they will represent Florida at the National 4-H Poultry Judging Event.  There is no Event beyond the State Level for the first place junior team.

 

 

 

National contest:

 

Rules:

  1. Each state is eligible to enter a team for three or four bona fide 4-H members and/or one independent individual in the contest. The individual cannot compete on a state team once registered for the contest and is ineligible to compete in the contest again.
  2. Contestants need not be enrolled in poultry projects and are not required to have conducted a poultry project in the current year.
  3. Judging smocks will not be provided supplied to contestants.
  4. Placing cards will be provided for all contestants.
  5. Teams will be divided so that no two contestants from a state will be in the same group. Each group will remain together throughout the contest.  Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
  6. Ten minutes will be allowed for placing each class.  Also, a maximum of two minutes will be allowed each contestant for giving oral reasons on Classes 2 and 4. Contestants will shift to the next class only upon notification by the contest monitor.  The broken-out egg class will be judged at the end of the contest in groups assigned by the contest chairman.
  7. Using notes while giving oral reasons will NOT be permitted.  NO state or name identification will be worn by the contestant in the oral reasons room.
  8. If a contestant checks more than one placing for any of the production classes, the lowest score will be the one recorded.  If nothing is checked, the contestant will receive a zero score.

 

Classes:

A.                      Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 -- Egg Production and reasons

Classes 3 and 5 represent the Reasons portion of the contest, which are given on Classes 2 and 4, respectively. Three classes of four Leghorn or Leghorn-type hybrids are to be judged on past production qualities. Birds may be handled. Contestants may NOT compare birds with others in their group.  The birds that has laid the most eggs to date should be placed first; the next highest, second; the next third; and poorest layer, fourth. This is placing by comparison.  Contestants will give oral reasons on Classes 2 and 4.  Using notes while giving reasons will NOT be permitted.  A maximum of two minutes will be allowed for giving reasons for each class.

B.                                Classes 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 -- Meat Quality (Ready-to-cook birds and Broiler Parts Identification)

This group includes two classes of ten ready-to-cook broilers, one class of ten heavy fowl, and one class of ten heavy turkey hens. Each individual bird will be classified as A, B, or C, according to the U.S. Standards of Quality for Ready-to-Cook, as specified in Regulations Governing the Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit Products and U.S. Classes, Standards and Grades (7 CFR Part 70), effective date May 1, 1987. Carcasses will be displayed in such a way that the entire carcass can be observed. Birds may NOT be touched or handled.  Pinfeathers, diminutive feathers, hairs, and discoloration are to be disregarded.

Class 10 is a class of ten broiler parts.  Each part is to be identified and the number of the part written in the appropriate square in the front of the part name. The 10 parts will be selected from the 17 parts listed in the National 4-H Poultry Judging Manual, 1999 edition, section on Parts Identification as per descriptions in Regulations governing the Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit Products and U.S. Classes Standards and Grades.  Each part will be prominently displayed on a plate, and may NOT be touched or handled.

C.                       Classes 11 and 12 -- Market eggs, Candled

Two classes of 20 white shelled eggs each are to be candled individually and classified AA, A, B, or Inedible, according to the USDA Regulations Governing the Grading of Shell Eggs and U.S. Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs (7 CFR 56) effective June 16, 1987, EXCEPT that shell quality will NOT be considered.  The Speed-King Candler will be used for candling eggs.  Eggs MUST be handled.

D.                      Classes 13 and 14 -- Market eggs, Exterior quality

Two classes of 20 white shelled eggs will be individually classified as A, B, or Dirty according to the USDA Standards for Exterior Quality, as specified in the USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 75, Egg Grading Manual, revised April 1983.  The portions entitled "Soundness of Shell" and "Shell Color" will NOT be used in grading the eggs in this class. Eggs CANNOT be handled.

E.                       Class 15 -- Market eggs, Broken-outs

One class of 10 eggs will be broken out on a flat surface.  Each egg is to be classified AA, A, B, or Inedible.  The standards to be followed are those illustrated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture color chart (U.S. Standards for Quality of Individual Shell Eggs, 441-198, 1984) showing broken-out eggs by grades of interior quality, plus applicable sections of the Regulations Governing the Grading of Shell Eggs and U.S. Standards, Grades and Weight Classes of Shell Eggs (7 CFR 56, effective June 26, 1987). These sections set standards for clarity and freedom from discoloration of the egg white and for yolk defects, and the define "Inedible" eggs.  Eggs and containers CANNOT be touched or handled.

 

 

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