Gobble Up the Updates!

Stuffed with fun, deadlines, and events—hold the gravy!

Hello 4-H Poultry Project Families,

There’s lots to gobble up this month! Be sure to mark your calendars and don’t miss out on important deadlines, clinics, and volunteer opportunities. Remember—some of these events count toward your required attendance.

Websites

Be sure to explore the Poultry Project Website! Along with showmanship tips and project information for Commercial and Breed birds, you’ll find dates and details for upcoming shows, events, and deadlines. The Premium Book is also available to help you stay up to date on project rules and requirements under the paperwork section, and copies of the monthly emails—as well as summaries from Small Stock meetings and clinics—can be found in the blog section of the website.

Last month we introduced the new online directory at Arizona Youth Poultry Connection to help connect regional judges with shows, clinics, and workshops. We’re still working on building this resource and would love to see more participation.

If you know someone who has graduated from 4-H or FFA and wants to stay involved please encourage them to sign up. Every name added helps strengthen youth poultry programs across Arizona.

Reminders

Be sure to keep the following deadlines in mind: November 30th is the deadline for Commercial Duck orders, December 15th is both the ZSuites enrollment deadline and the week of the turkey hatch date, and January 31st is the deadline for YQCA and ownership.

Pima County Poultry T-Shirt Orders

The Pima County Poultry Project T-shirts are here! A big thank-you to Zebulun Ray’s T-Shirt Company for making these great shirts and donating a portion of the proceeds back to our Poultry Project. You can order your shirts by filling out the form linked here and on our website. Shirts are $20 each and available in youth sizes small, medium, large, and XL, and unisex sizes small, medium, large, and XL. For sizes larger than XL, it will be an additional $2 for each additional X (for example, 2XL = $22, 3XL = $24). Payment can be made either in cash at pickup or through Venmo. If you are using Venmo, please be sure to mark it as “Friends/Family” so no fees are incurred. The order deadline is December 15th, and pickup details will be arranged once the shirts are completed.

November – January Preview

Small Stock Meetings

Our next Small Stock Meeting will be on November 10th at 6:30pm at the Extension Office off Campbell Ave, and we encourage anyone and everyone to attend. Meetings are held by the Cavy, Pigeon, Poultry, Dog, Rabbit, Pygmy Goat, and Dairy Goat projects to discuss up coming events, date, deadlines, or address any questions anyone may have. They are generally held the second Monday of each month, though dates are subject to change, so always double-check before attending. For example there will be no Small Stock Meeting in December.

Poultry Clinics

The Next Poultry Clinic will be on November 8th, 9am, at the University of Arizona Campus Agricultural Center, Mobile Building, located at 4101 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719. The focus of this clinic will on poultry nutrition and will be presented by a representative from Nutrena.

No pre-registration is required—just come ready to learn! But be sure to sign in with neat handwriting when you arrive to receive credit toward your attendance requirements and to be entered into the raffle. If you have a showmanship bird, please bring it along. If not, don’t worry—we will have a few birds available for members to borrow and practice with. We’ll begin by listening and learning, and then move into hands-on practice. Because of this, all birds must remain outside in the shade with water until it is time to handle them. Seating is limited and will be reserved for 4-H and FFA members first. Parents may use extra seats only if space allows.

Note: If you missed the first clinic that focused on showmanship, don’t worry—the handouts are posted on the website under the Blog section. Whether you couldn’t attend or misplaced your copy, you can still find all the information there. And if you aren’t able to make it to the next clinic, those handouts and information will also be posted after the event so you won’t miss out.

Shows

Shows of all kinds provide excellent opportunities for showmanship learning and growth. These are the shows that I know of or have heard about so far, but I’m happy to accept other events as long as they’re discussed beforehand. I’m mainly looking for showmanship opportunities that help you gain experience and build your skills before the fair.

Congratulations to all the members who attended the Apache County Show! We’re so proud of everyone who participated—especially our Showmanship and Breed Show winners! Your hard work and dedication really showed in the ring. Good luck to all our members participating at the Fur and Feather Show today—go show them what you’ve got!

The Tucson Fancy Fowl Show will take place on November 29th. This show is similar to the Apache County Poultry Show—you’ll see a wide variety of birds, meet breeders, and gain valuable time in the showmanship ring. It’s a one-day event open to everyone of all ages. Registration is now open and due by November 17th. Their Facebook page or the show’s event on the Poultry Website will have the registration link.

The Safford Poultry Show is a smaller, one-day event that provides a more relaxed setting—perfect for newer exhibitors or families wanting a low-pressure way to practice and participate. This year it will be held on January 10th. Keep an eye on the website or their Facebook page for registration updates.

The Cotton Classic, scheduled for January 10th in Goodyear, will feature small stock showmanship opportunities for youth exhibitors. It promises to be a fun and educational experience for everyone involved. Their Facebook page or the Poultry Website will have the most up-to-date registration information.

All of these shows qualify as pre-fair events and count toward your required attendance for the year. To receive credit, you’ll need to submit a picture from the event, which also serves as your raffle entry. Volunteers are always welcome to help with setup, teardown, and other show tasks.

Donations & Support

We’re always looking for donations to help strengthen the project. We 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