North Carolina 4-Hers had something to crow about at the 2024 National 4-H Poultry & Egg Conference Event!
On Nov 20-21, 2024, the 2024 2023 National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference was held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. This annual conference allows 4-Hers from across the U.S. to compete in educational events that help them learn to make and defend decisions, practice public speaking, and gain poultry-related skills while networking with other top-tier peers and poultry professionals. North Carolina's 4-Hers repeated their 2023 success by placing an NC youth in every event!
In this National 4-H Conference, five competitive events occur, including 4-H Poultry Judging, 4-H Avian Bowl, 4-H Cookery Presentations of Chicken BBQ, Turkey BBQ, and Egg Chef Challenge. The NC delegation had a contestant in each event and each NC participant placed!
In BBQ categories, contestants prepare and barbecue four chicken thighs or turkey burgers using their recipe and give an oral presentation on their corresponding poultry industry. They are judged on three areas: 1) cooking skills including grill and food safety, 2) sensory evaluation, and 3) presentation skills. Thomas Bradley coached by Tanya Heath and Diana Bradley all of Edgecombe County grilled chicken thighs winning 1st place, plaque, pin, and check, and winning his coach a plaque. Payden Kiser coached by Tanya Heath, County Extension director and 4-H Agent, and Johnica Kiser, all of Edgecombe County grilled turkey burgers to a 2nd place finish winning a pin and check.
In the Egg Chef Challenge, youth participants demonstrate how to prepare an egg dish while discussing the nutritional value and versatility of eggs. Natalia Estrada, coached by Michelle Estrada, CED & FCS Agent of Wayne County, cooked her way to a 4th place finish winning a pin and check.
4-H Avian Bowl - NC Places 5th!
4-H Avian Bowl is a double-elimination quiz bowl tournament in which teams are required to answer questions regarding poultry science, production, and industries with all material obtained from the 2023 national 4-H Avian Bowl Manual study packet. A total of 14 teams competed in the 2024 National Avian Bowl Contest with Coach, Ashley Brooks, Craven County 4-H Agent coached the NC 4-H Avian Bowl team comprised of Team Captain, Anna Howard, Elizabeth Peluso, Connor Howard, and Matthew Peluso (of Craven County) to a 5th place finish winning a bronze pin and check for each member.
4-H Poultry Judging - North Carolina Team Takes 2nd Overall!
Poultry Judging is the event where youth are scored on how well they can grade and evaluate 3 poultry divisions, including production hens, market poultry, and market eggs. Youth compete as a team and as individuals.
Eggcitement built as class and individual awards were announced for Poultry Judging Teams with North Carolina and Texas taking turns in these top spots until finally the overall National Poultry Judging Champions were announced. The overall 5th place team was Georgia, 4th Nebraska, 3rd Indiana, and with just two teams to go, the presenter said that something unprecedented had occurred - the top two teams were separated by HALF a point. North Carolina became the 2nd place National 4-H Poultry Judging Champions with 4,162.5 points and Texas took 1st with their 4,163 points.
Team members: Lindsay Van Art, Aubrey Mekus, Bella Mitchell, and Blake Carter IV with Sofia Manriquez competing as an individual; and their coaches Michael Alexander, Ag Science Teacher from Union Academy Charter School, and Kaleb Pope, Poultry Science Program Assistant, had plenty of individual and team wins including:
In the production hens division, participants are required to evaluate three classes of hens for the level of past egg production, and give oral reasons for two of the classes to justify their placings. In this division, NC took 2nd place as a team and 3rd (Aubrey), 5th (Sofia), and 8th (Blake) place as individuals.
In the market poultry division, participants are required to grade ready-to-cook chicken carcasses and parts, identify cut-up parts, and evaluate further processed products. The NC team placed 3rd in market poultry and 1st (Blake) for Individuals.
In the market egg division, participants are required to grade table eggs for exterior quality, internal quality by candling, and broken-out quality. The NC team was recognized for placing 1st in the market egg team division and NC was awarded 3rd (Blake), 4th (Bella), and 8th (Aubrey) in the individual division.
Overall, five of the top 20 individuals came from the NC team with Blake getting 2nd, Bella 3rd, Sofia 6th, Aubrey 9th, and Lindsey 17th.
The conference began with a poultry career workshop led by industry representatives from and recruiters from multiple universities. Participants next enjoyed a tour at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and Churchill Downs which was followed by orientation for all participants, and a meet and greet bowling and pizza party where state items were exchanged among participants. The NC delegation swapped mini cans of Cheerwine soda donated from Cheerwine in Salisbury, NC, and snack packs of pickles donated from Mt Olive Pickles.
Much support made this event possible including national donors: American Poultry Historical Society, California Poultry Federation, Dr. Francine Bradley, Dr. Lou Arrington, Hy-line International, Indiana State Poultry Federation, Kentucky Poultry Federation, Kristie and Jamie Guffey, Maple Leaf Farms, Midwest Poultry Federation, Missouri Egg Council, Nebraska Department of Ag-Poultry and Egg Division, North Carolina Egg Association, North American International Livestock Exposition, Pacific Egg, Poultry Association, PennAg Industries Association Poultry Council, Poultry Science Association, Southeastern Gamebird Association, Texas Broiler Council, Texas Egg Council, Texas Poultry Federation, Texas Poultry Improvement Association, United Egg Producers US Poultry Foundation, Wisconsin Poultry, & Egg Industry Association, and World’s Poultry Science Association.
State sponsors and supporters from North Carolina include: Kathy Bunton at Carolina Farm Credit, Wilkes Area Poultry Association, Jocelyn Roten at Carolina Farm Credit, Bob Ford at North Carolina Poultry Federation, Lisa Prince at North Carolina Egg Association, Steven Brake of NC Center for Poultry Education, Case Farms, Cheerwine, and Mt Olive Pickles. Thank you to colleagues who assisted with coaching sessions including Jake Owens, Ashley Brooks, Michelle Estrada, and PDPS colleagues. A special thank you to Richard Goforth, south central poultry Area Specialized Agent, who hosted a mock contest at Union County Extension Office.
Find more information about the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference at www.National4HPoultry.com or reach out to Dr. Mary Fosnaught, director of North Carolina poultry youth programs at the Prestage Dept of Poultry Science (mhfosnau@ncsu.edu) and the North Carolina committee representative on the National 4-H Poultry Committee.
