Chick or Treat!

Trick, Treat, and Tiny Beaks—All the Info You Need!

Hello 4-H Poultry Project Families,

We’re excited to keep the year going with plenty of opportunities for learning, showing, and connecting. Here’s what’s coming up over the next few months, along with a few important reminders and ways you can get involved.

Poultry Website

Don’t forget to check out our website! The Poultry Project Website has showmanship tips and resources, plus detailed information on the different project types, including Commercial and Breed birds. Whether you’re new or returning, it’s a great place to refresh your knowledge, find project guidelines, and get ready for upcoming events.

New Directory for Regional Poultry Judges

One need that keeps coming up in Pima County is access to more poultry judges—not the fully licensed ones for major shows, but regional judges who can step in for smaller shows, clinics, and practice events. To help meet this need in our county and hopefully others, we’ve started an online directory at www.arizonayouthpoultryconnection.com.

This is especially a great fit for anyone who has graduated from 4-H or FFA and still wants to be involved. If you’re interested in judging or even just learning more by clerking and assisting, this is a perfect way to get connected.

If you know someone who might like to try this, please point them to the website so they can add their name to the directory. The more people we have listed, the easier it will be for small stock coordinators, show committees, and county programs to find help when they need it.

Reminders

Be sure to keep the following deadlines in mind: October 31st is the deadline for turkey orders, December 15th is both the the ZSuites enrollment deadline and the week that the turkeys hatch, and November 30th is the deadline for duck orders.

October – December Preview

Small Stock Meetings

Our next Small Stock Meeting will be on October 13th at 6:30pm, and anyone can attend. Meetings are open to all 4-H and FFA participants and their leaders in the Cavy, Pigeon, Poultry, Dog, Rabbit, Pygmy Goat, and Dairy Goat projects. They are generally held the second Tuesday of each month, though dates are subject to change, so always double-check before attending.

Poultry Clinics

The second Poultry Clinic will be on November 8th, focusing on poultry nutrition. Both clinics count toward attendance, so be sure to sign in when you arrive. If you missed the first clinic on September 27th, which focused on showmanship, don’t worry—the information is posted on the website under the Blog section so you can still review what was covered.

All clinics will be held at the University of Arizona Campus Agricultural Center, Mobile Building, located at 4101 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719.

No pre-registration is required—just come ready to learn! Be sure to sign in when you arrive though to receive credit toward your attendance requirements and to be entered into the raffle.

Shows

Several shows provide excellent opportunities for learning and earning attendance credit.

The Apache County Show will take place October 24th–25th and will include a breed show, showmanship, a raffle table, and a Trunk-or-Treat event on Friday night. The show book is available now and registration is open, so be sure to check the poultry website or their Facebook page for details. Registration is due by October 12th.

On November 1st, the Fur & Feather Show will be held, and registration is now open! This is the first official event of the year and a fantastic choice for first-time exhibitors. It is designed to be welcoming, low-pressure, and all about showmanship. Birds do not need to be owned by the participant—they can be borrowed. The event will also feature a fun costume contest for any animal in the show! The deadline to register is October 25th, and a separate form must be filled out for each exhibitor. The pre-registration fee is $5 per project and must be paid with your entry. If you would like to pre-register but choose to pay cash, the price is $10 per project. To pre-register and pay cash, email Ryan Thiessen to make arrangements, making sure to include all the information from the registration form in your message. As always, volunteers are welcome, so please consider helping out!

The Tucson Fancy Fowl Show is scheduled for November 29th, and more details will be shared as soon as it becomes available.

For all shows, attendance credit requires submitting a picture, which also serves as your raffle entry. Volunteers are always welcome to assist with setup, teardown, and other tasks.

Donations & Support

We’re always looking for donations to help strengthen the project, but right now we especially need bird donations for the Fur & Feather Silent Auction. As much as I’d love to have as many birds as possible, please do not show up the day of Fur & Feather with surprise birds—we can only accept donations that have been arranged with me ahead of time. To talk about donations please email: hello@pimacounty4hpoultry.org

Please also note that we will take all females we can only take a limited number of males, and those must be part of a trio (one male and two females) or pair (one male and one female), since so many of our families live in zones where males aren’t allowed. If you have birds—or other items—you’d like to donate, please contact me directly. All proceeds from the auction go right back into awards for our exhibitors at the fair.

We also welcome items for the Poultry Field Day raffle, prizes and giveaways for kids at clinics, shows, and the fair, or monetary contributions to help cover costs like quail cages, turkey cages, prizes, and buckles. Just as important, we’re always grateful for volunteers—your time and support are what make these events possible!

Keisha Cassidy Amanda Osborne