Tom, a Jersey Buff Turkey, delighted young visitors at last year’s 4-H fair. The turkey belongs to Jon Spriggs of the Pitchforks & Buckets 4-H Club. Spriggs plans to attend the 4-H Poultry Clinic on May 4 so that Tom will be healthy for this year’s fair, scheduled for July 18-20 at the Cape May County 4-H Fairgrounds.
The 4-H Livestock Clubs of Cape May County will host a Poultry Clinic and Picnic on May 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hands-on workshop is open to the public and will be held in the Lockwood 4-H Youth Center, located at the Cape May County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Poultry showmanship expert Richard Hickman will kick off the clinic by demonstrating both the basics and the finer points of showing a bird in competition. Poultry will be available for participants to work with during the clinic. Clinic coordinators ask participants not to bring their own birds in order to maintain safe bio-health standards.
Peter Brown, known as the “Chicken Doctor” and owner of First State Vet Supply, will lecture on poultry diseases and parasites from 1 to 3p.m. He will discuss serious poultry health issues such as Coccidiosis, Marek’s Disease, Scaly Leg, Bumblefoot and the treatment of lice and other parasites.
Brown will also demonstrate proper vaccination methods on poultry carcasses. “I have been doctoring poultry since I was 14 years old,” he says. “That now puts me at about 53 years of working with poultry.” Brown will have his Poultry Emergency Kits for purchase that day for anyone interested.
Clinic coordinator Louise Sugar is excited about the upcoming opportunity. “This clinic will be so helpful to our 4-H youth who are preparing their poultry for this year’s 4-H Fair on July 18, 19 and 20. We are also pleased to invite our non-4-H poultry enthusiasts from the community,” she says.
The Cape May County 4-H Livestock Committee will grill hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
Pre-registration for the Poultry Clinic is required at 609-465-5115, ext. 605. There is no registration fee, however participants are asked to bring a side dish or dessert for the picnic. The 4-H Fairgrounds are located at 355 Court House – S. Dennis Rd., Cape May Court House, NJ.
