The Overton County 4H Chick Chain Auction Saturday will help teach young people the ins and outs of the poultry farming business.
Overton County Extension Agent Nicole Bettencourt said participants raise a handful of young chickens until they are laying eggs. At least three of the birds return to be auctioned off each fall. Bettencourt said kids learn about the financial side of farming.
“They are learning about the cost that goes into it because you know, they’re accompanying their family,” Bettencourt said. “They’re feeding them. You know, why do people charge, you $6 or more at the farmers market for eggs a lot of times. And a lot of them turn it into a business. They might be selling their eggs. They might sell the birds off.”
Bettencourt said kids also learn about things poultry farmers need to be well versed in, such as how to care for chickens in different types of weather and the science of poultry farming.
Bettencourt said the program covers bird nutrition so that the chickens can develop properly. She said it is easy to tell which chickens have been fed correctly against those who have not.
“That’s one way that they learn to care for them and get them to become larger birds,” Bettencourt said. “So not your average chickens. A backyard flock, you may have a lot of birds that can lay eggs, but these are some really beautiful and unique birds we have here with our Chick Chain here in Overton County.”
Bettencourt said kids may also learn things like cage assembly, grooming, and litter disposal.
“A lot of them turn into poultry judgers,” Bettencourt said. “And so they learn about you know, what makes a good layer, how do you place your hand on them to judge the bird’s width and capability.”
Bettencourt said some unsold birds are entered into poultry shows and county fairs, which could lead to prize money. Bettencourt said this helps kids build a sense of accomplishment because of the work that went into raising the birds.
The Overton County Chick Chain Auction is Saturday at 10:30, but Bettencourt said bidders should arrive early. Money raised in the auction is reinvested into the Chick Chain program for future years.
