Poultry Project

What is it All About?

Explore the poultry industry, including turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants, guinea hens, pigeons or quail. Learn about species and breeds, eggs, feather features, health, feeding, handling, washing, managing a flock, ethics, showing and careers.

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Grow in Your Project

Beginner

Learn the different types of birds and what they’re used for
Identify different breeds
Locate and name parts of a bird
Learn proper feeding techniques
Learn about poultry conformation

Intermediate

Learn about chick imprinting
Explore flock pecking order
Learn to read a feed tag
Explore poultry products
Learn about carcass grading
Discover how an egg is formed

Advanced

Construct a poultry skeleton
Manage your own laying flock
Learn about poultry genetics
Explore biotechnology
Learn to process chickens
Learn about food safety
Investigate poultry related careers

Click Here for Poultry Project Member Resources

Click Here for Poultry Project Leader Resources

Project Leader Resources

Poultry Helper’s Guide (06366)*

Take Your Project Further!

Tour a poultry farm
Attend a poultry show and observe the judge and their techniques
Design a business card or marketing brochure for your farm or imaginary farm
Write an educational article about some aspect of poultry production for your newspaper
Organize a poultry showmanship contest
Attend a national poultry conference
Ride with a local veterinarian to learn about animal health
Visit a local grocery store to learn proper meat handling techniques
Visit a hatchery
Order eggs from a hatchery and hatch your own chickens or other poultry

Applying Project Skills to Life

Enhance Your Communication Skills

Give a demonstration on how to prepare poultry food products
Design a poster on parts of a bird

Get Involved in Citizenship and Service

Donate eggs to a local food pantry
Volunteer your bird for a local petting zoo
Build an incubator and hatch chicks in an elementary classroom or daycare

Learn about Leadership

Lead a poultry selection and feeding clinic
Invite 4-H members to tour your poultry operation
Conduct an egg judging event for your club

Showing What You’ve Learned

Participate in a 4-H poultry show
Make an egg laying box
Research and design the best chicken coop layout
Make your own chicken coop
Make a poultry historical timeline
Make a poster on the nutritive value of poultry
Do a display on meat cuts and proper preparation
Make a poster on feeding rations
Photos of different breeds
Video interview with a poultry producer
Show poultry by-products
Create a recipe book, display, or presentation with egg or chicken recipes
Create an exhibit, notebook, or display discussing food safety and poultry products
Build your own incubator
Make a display of different types of feathers

Adapted with permission from Wyoming State 4-H, Project Information Sheet, Poultry. Retrieved from: https://www.uwyo.edu/4-h/projects/animal-science/poultry.html.

*Resources available at your local Extension office or shop4-H.org.

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