Youth Market Turkey Show
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About the Youth Market Turkey Show
N.C. State Fair Updates
August 28, 2020
June 15, 2020
Agriculture and youth livestock events are at the heart of the North Carolina State Fair. While many changes have occurred in 2020, the 2020 N.C. State Fair intends to offer a modified livestock show program for junior competitors; however, open livestock shows will not be held this year.
It is important to note that planning for the N.C. State Fair continues and no decision has been made at this time regarding the operation of the fair this year in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic and current executive orders regarding gatherings of people.
We encourage our youth livestock exhibitors to continue working with their projects to be ready for the show ring this fall. This is a significant time and financial commitment these young people are making, and we want to be able to recognize their hard work in a way that is safe.
In the past, the agriculture and agribusiness community, along with Fair operators and vendors, have been tremendous supporters of our junior livestock shows, and their support will be even more critical going forward. Some may be in a position to support the shows this year, some may not. If your farm or business would like to be a sponsor of the junior livestock shows, please contact Neil Bowman at 919-270-7094 or email at neil.bowman@ncagr.gov.
We will continue to work out details of these modified shows and will be providing more information as soon as possible. Please follow this Facebook page for updates.
2021 Youth Market Turkey Show T-shirt Design Contest
Calling all artists and/or poultry enthusiasts! Submit the winning T-shirt design for the 2021 Youth Market Turkey Show T-shirt and win a free registration and T-shirt to the 2021 Youth Market Turkey Show. Submit your designs to Mary Fosnaught, Poultry Youth Programs, at mhfosnau@ncsu.edu.
A sketch or handwritten design is acceptable. We’re looking for designs that promote youth, turkeys, North Carolina and/or the N.C. State Fair. Preference will be given for designs that can incorporate all contestant’s last names.
Submit designs by February 15, 2021 to Mary Fosnaught.
New Youth Market Turkey Show Youth Ambassador Program
The 2020 Youth Market Turkey Show will be launching a Youth Ambassador program. This volunteer opportunity will be for one high school student each year and is designed for the youth to expand poultry science awareness, to develop outreach and networking skills, and to assist with creating more dynamic and engaging youth programming.
The program will follow a calendar year from January – December, taking the youth from start to finish of the yearly YMTS program. The youth will have monthly Zoom meetings with the poultry youth faculty mentor and will assist with major events of the program including registration, T-shirt development, poult pickup, show weigh in and Youth Market Turkey Show at the N.C. State Fair.
Written nominations for the next year’s Youth Market Turkey Show Youth Ambassador can be sent to Mary Fosnaught at mhfosnau@ncsu.edu during November and December of the year prior to the next Ambassador program calendar year.
Congratulations to our First Youth Market Turkey Show Ambassador
Our first Youth Market Turkey Show Ambassador for 2020 will be Maggie Blevins. Maggie Blevins is a Junior from Davidson County.
Congratulations to the 2020 T-shirt design winner
Camille Clark’s design was chosen for the 2020 Youth Market Turkey Show T-shirt. Well done, Camille!
Important Dates
Drop Off/Weigh In – October 15, 2020, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Each participant’s tom can be dropped off at Dorton Arena anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2020. Drive into the fairgrounds through Gate 2 on Hillsborough St. to drop off turkeys.
When you arrive at Gate 2, signage will indicate where you will need to go. Your bird with be checked for health and weighed. Birds with infections or weighing less than 15 lbs will not be accepted for show and will be returned to the exhibitor. Once birds are accepted, they will be numbered with a leg band and put in their cage. You will be asked to bring feed and water and provide it for your bird.
Turkey Show – October 16, 2020, 8 a.m.
The 2020 Youth Market Turkey Show is on Friday, October 16, 2020. The show starts at 8:00 a.m. in the Dorton Arena.
Registration
Thank you for registering
Thank you for registering for the 2020 Youth Market Turkey Show. Registration is now full. It was open on March 2, 2020 at 9 a.m. Upon reaching a maximum number of registrants and wait-listed participants, the registration form is now closed.
Fees
To submit payment for registration, please mail a check or money order to:
NC State University
ATTN: Chelsey Coleman/YMTS
Campus Box 7608
Raleigh, NC 27695.
The name of the youth to be registered needs to be included with the check. Registration is $15/youth. A group check from a county office is acceptable if all registrants’ names are included.
Poult Pick-Up
Poult Pick-up for the 2020 Youth Market Turkey Show will be June 29 and 30, 2020.
A schedule for pick-up was sent to participants. If you have questions, please contact Mary Fosnaught.
Pick up poults at the NC State Animal and Poultry Teaching Unit at 3841 Inwood Road (off of Lake Wheeler Road) in Raleigh, NC 27603.
If you are a parent bringing your child to Poult Pick-up, please bring your child’s Social Security Number (SSN), full legal name and address to Poult Pick-up. This year, Cheryl Jenkins and Carol Grant, N.C. State Fair personnel, will be at Poult Pick-up to collect this information, which is required in order for the state to issue a check for prize monies.
If you do not want to provide your child’s SSN, you may sign a form agreeing that you are opting to not receive prize monies.
University policy prohibits employees from handling SSNs. If you are an agent picking up poults for youth, those participants will need to have their parents call Cheryl Jenkins (919.839.4522) or Carol Grant (919.839.4531) at the N.C. State Fair office between July 1 and September 15, 2019 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and provide the SSN of their child and verify their full legal name and address.
Courtesy of the NC State University Feed Mill Education Unit, each participant will receive 5 lbs. of feed to get the birds off to a good start.
Please bring a cardboard box with you for transporting poults.
Poult Pick-Up Questions
To help make the poult pick-up process easy, see our Q&A:
QUESTION: Is this where we normally pick up poults?
Preparing for the Show
Prior to birds coming to the state fairgrounds for the Youth Market Turkey Show, you should do the following:
Weigh your bird
Each bird must weigh a minimum of 15 lbs. If your bird does not make weight, it will be sent home. Your 15 week old Tom is expected to weigh 26-30 lbs. A bird almost 50% of its target weight indicates a disease and/or welfare issue. A bathroom scale can be used to weigh your birds at home.
Bathe your bird
Turkey Show Location
The Youth Market Turkey Show is in the Poultry Tent next to Gate 2 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.
View the map and download or print a copy.
Turkey Judging
Participants are evaluated on the overall weight of their turkeys, the muscling in the breast and legs and how well each participant has taken care of their bird.
See how turkeys get judged with this video (1:54) featuring Dr. Carm Parkhurst.
Resources
Feeding
Game Bird Guidelines
Southern States Feed Guidelines
Aviagen Turkeys Feeding Recommendations for Commercial Stock
Raising
Raising Turkeys
University of New Hampshire
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at NC State University for making this event possible.
Thank you to Prestage Farms and Butterball for providing poults for each participant.
For additional information contact
Dr. Mary Fosnaught
4-H & Youth Development Extension Associate
NC State Extension
Prestage Department of Poultry Science
Raleigh, NC 27695-7608
E-mail: mhfosnau@ncsu.edu
Phone: +1 919.515.5529