Youth poultry projects are more than just learning how to take care of animals. Just ask the seven participants who raised and showed their broilers at the Rowan County Fair.

Each participant received seven baby chicks that they fed and raised for eight weeks. This in itself requires a lot of work. They have to make sure that the chicks have food and water 24/7 when they are young and that they have access to a heat lamp  to keep them warm.

They have to observe the birds daily to make sure that they aren’t getting sick and keep their pens clean and sanitary. After eight weeks of all this hard work, they presented their best three birds at the Rowan County Fair this past September.

The participants had a great afternoon showcasing and talking about their birds to the judge. If you walked through the barns at the fair, you probably got a glimpse of these birds on display. You could see all the hard work that the participants had put in their projects. However, that wasn’t the end of these projects.

The 21 birds were sent off to be processed. They were then donated to Rowan Helping Ministries two weeks ago to help offset the need for turkeys and hams at Thanksgiving. The youth participants ended up donating 96.7 pounds of meat to Rowan Helping Ministries.

Not only do poultry and livestock projects teach about caring for animals, responsibility and financial management, they also teach about giving back to your community.

If you have any questions about this project or if you are interested in participating next year, please call Morgan Watts, livestock agent, Rowan County Extension Center, at 704-216-8970, or stop by the office at 2727-A Old Concord Road, Salisbury.