About the Poultry Project
Designed to help members learn about chickens, turkeys and other poultry. Members will acquire an understanding of scientific poultry management, marketing practices, and showing poultry. Members will also gain knowledge of the poultry industry and its role in agriculture and the economy.
Manuals
All Poultry manuals can be accessed from the Colorado State website. Follow the links to the appropriate manual:
- Project Overview & Tips
- Raising Fancy Poultry (Show birds):
- Raising Broilers (Market Chickens):
- Raising Pullets (Egg Production Project):
- Raising Turkeys (Market & Breeding Projects):
- Duck/Goose Project (All Waterfowl):
- Pigeon & Dove:
- Game Birds (Guinea Fowl, Pheasants, Quail): There is no manual, but we allow them at Fair. Please contact your Poultry Superintendent on basic guidelines for the project.
e-Records
Poultry Project Resources
Follow these links below for more information, tools and tips for your poultry project.
Before you decide which breed(s) of chickens to raise, view the website below for information on many different breeds of chicken, including variety, class, type, origin, productivity, egg color and size, combs, ear lobes, skin color, broodiness, hardiness, maturing and behavior.
- Resources
- What Kind of Chicken Do I Want to Raise
- Start Your Chickens Off Right
- Poultry Parts
- Poultry External Parasites
- Need a New Home for your Birds
- What to Expect at Fair
- Showmanship Score Card and SARR Showmanship Score Card
- How to Check Your Birds for Lice (video)
- Washing Your Birds and Preparing for Showmanship (video)
- Showmanship
- 4-H Poultry Showmanship Training & Videos
What to Expect at the Boulder County Fair
Follow these links below for information to help prepare your poultry project for Fair.
Donations
Donations for awards and supplies are greatly appreciated. This project needs your support to cover all the show expenses. Please donate directly to/at the Fair Office. Be sure to specify that the donation is for poultry. THANK YOU!
Running a Poultry Show is Work!
Below is a list of items that we could use during Fair. If you can bring anything off this list – THANK YOU!
| Paper towels | Blue painters tape | Stamps |
| Clorox wipes | Rubber bands | Brooms (Bring for last day of cleanup) |
| Baby wipes | Paper clips | Shovels (Bring for last day of cleanup.) |
| Fly swatters | Cardboard (25” X 27” between cages in case of fighting birds) | Wheel barrels (Bring last day for cleanup.) |
| Hand sanitizer | Cardstock for sale signs |
Poultry Barn Watch at Fair
Sign Up Genius (coming soon!) – Enter your name, check dates and times, click on “Save”.
We need your help during Fair. We have a lot of visitors through the barn every day of Fair and it’s always good to have a poultry person on hand to answer any questions, give guidance, and make sure all the birds are safe. Please sign up
Duties include: Sweeping isles, checking water on all birds, keeping the birds safe, i.e. if someone is poking their finger through the cage at a bird – asking them to please be nice. Making sure no balloons or other animals enter the barn. Talking with the public and basically simply being a presence.
We are open to the public from Wednesday through Sunday during fair. The barn will be closed to the public on Tuesday during Check In.
Thanks in advance for helping!
CLICK HERE – for more information on the Poultry Showmanship Workshop
Virtual Poultry Showmanship Workshop
