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Youth Market Turkey Show

About the Youth Market Turkey Show

The Youth Market Turkey Show is an opportunity for youth to raise and show market turkeys. The 2019 Youth Market Turkey Show will be held during the NC State Fair, with turkey hen check-in and show dates to be announced. The competition is open to any NC youth between 5-18 who will be in grades K-12 on the day of the show.

Fees and Registration

Fees

Fee per participant $10

Make checks payable to North Carolina State University. Mail payments to
NC State University
CB 7608
Raleigh, NC 27695

Registration

Registration opens March 1, 2019 and continues until we reach our limit of 300 participants. Registration is now CLOSED.

Registration is mandatory. Social security numbers are not necessary for registration.
We are limited to 300 participants due to space at the State Fair and the availability of turkey poults.
The first 300 participants who register online by June 1 and pay the $10 registration fee will have poults reserved for them. All registration and fees received after the 300 limit has been reached will be returned to the participant.

Turkey Show Information

download information pamphlet button

Poult Pick-Up

Check back in 2019! Poult pick-up for the 2019 Youth Market Turkey Show will be scheduled after registration is complete.

Pick up poults at the NC State Animal and Poultry Teaching Unit at 3901Inwood Drive (off of Lake Wheeler Road) in Raleigh, NC.

Each participant will receive 5 lbs. of feed to get the birds off to a good start.

Checking In

All youth who register for the show must enter their entire legal name that matches their social security card on a Youth Market Turkey Entry Form. Bring the form with you when you check your hen in at the Poultry Tent at the NC State Fairgrounds to prevent any check distribution delays.

Be sure to enter your name and current mailing address on the form. The form will also be sent to online registrants with paid fees.

The social security number is not required until the day the hen is brought to show.

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

Raising

Raising Turkeys
University of New Hampshire

Health and safety

A Young Person’s Guide to Keeping Animals Safe and Healthy
The Ohio State University and the University of Maryland
This booklet provides a short youth-oriented course concerning those basic medical principles essential to keeping animals safe and healthy — farm isolation, traffic control, hygiene and sanitation.

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at NC State University for making this event possible.

Thank you to Southern States for providing 5 lbs. of feed to get each participant started.

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