8/8/14 Flipping chickens, well-behaved animals all in the showing

  • By Nick Sabo
  • August 7, 2014
  • 417
                        
SUMMARY: Junior fair livestock projects involve a lot of behind the scenes work so the animal shows at its best. There’s a lot of little nuances to showing animals at the fair. Chickens must be flipped. Hogs and goats need months to get accustomed to the young person they will spend a few scant moments with in the show ring. Composure must be maintained even when a steer decides it’s time to take a restroom break right in front of the judge. Dealing with the unpredictable nature of animals is a big part of the show. Chickens, for instance, must be flipped upside down in one easy movement so the judge can examine the breast. The chicken will almost always be uncomfortable and begin flapping its wings. When the chicken loses its cool, it’s important that you maintain yours, Jonathan Kandel, who showed a broiler pen this year, said. “Keep calm. Hold it against your body so it can’t flap its wings,” Kandel, with Green Acres 4-H club, said. “If you do have to put it down, put it down slowly. Some people get scared and they may drop it.” Flipping a chicken involves picking up the bird right side up, then gripping the legs with the fingers of one hand. The chicken is turned over and hangs upside down, the back held close against the flipper’s body. The feet are kept under control to keep the chicken from scratching - although scratches are inevitable when handling chickens, Kandel said. Placating a hog is a little less hands-on and is more in your manner, Mariah Miller, with the Hoof and Hide 4-H club, said. Pigs like to run, and they are attuned to how they are pursued. “If you chase after it, it’s going to run more. It can tell you’re angry and won’t stop for you,” Miller said. “If you just walk up to them calmly, they’ll let you lead them.” A little reward goes a long way too, Miller said. Hogs especially like marshmallows for a snack, and Miller will give hers one when they’re good. Sometimes, how the animal behaves around the owner is everything. It’s like that for goat showmanship, Makayla Brandon, with Variegated Clovers 4-H club, said. Brandon said it takes a long time for the goats to get used to her. She has found that the best way to lead her pygmy goats, Pip and Skittles, is for them to get to know the sound of her voice. Brandon said that goats also learn to behave better when they have a buddy. The buddy can be any calm animal, Brandon said, and the goats will follow suit. Brandon’s goats have been mixed in with rabbits and horses at home, and so long as both animals are of an even demeanor, all goes well. Judges are used to normal animal behaviors, and it’s more important how the animal’s owner reacts to those behaviors. So, if a steer relieves itself in the middle of showmanship, the judge’s eyes are on what the animal’s owner does next. The best thing to do is stay nonchalant and clean up after the steer, Bobby Hartley, with Hoof and Hide, said. “He’ll do his business, you’ll wipe him off and go on,” Hartley said. “If he looks decent after he does his business, no points are forfeited.” KUTLINE: Nick Sabo photo Jonathan Kandel, with Green Acres 4-H club, shows how to flip a chicken for the judge's review. The chicken's feet are held tight, with the back against the body to keep it from flapping its wings.


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