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Prairie Farmer asks 4-H youth to share their Illinois State Fair showring experiences.

August 14, 2016

2 Min Read

Editor’s note: This week, we’re sharing four “State Fair scrapbook” stories. This story is written by Ben Bushue, 12, Sullivan, Ill.

2015 was my first year showing poultry at the State Fair. The night before, we washed them and clipped their toenails and beaks. Then we put baby oil on their combs and waddles. We have a couple of roosters that can be mean, so my parents ended up helping.

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We had to get up really early to head over to Springfield for the chicken show. We didn't take very many - normally we take about 40 to our county show - but we only took two to the state fair because we weren't sure how good our birds would do. I did take a dozen of my really good brown eggs for egg production, which is funny because they're out of a hen that’s supposed to lay green eggs but she's crossbred. Hers are huge, though, and they ended up getting third. They teased me that now I could charge more for the eggs I sell since they were third place at the Illinois State Fair!

We had to show in an open-air pavilion this year instead of the Orr Building, which a lot of people didn't like and they told us all day to keep calling our representative to get it changed for next year. But the Orr Building is now where we take our 4-H general show projects and it was really nice to show my electricity project in the air conditioning!

Anyway, it was really hot in the pavilion and there was no shade and we sat for hours before it was time to show. But after the show we got to eat donuts in a cup and get shake-ups and fried Snickers so it was worth it. I even got to meet the best guy named Phil who was the Director of Ag.

All in all, we learned a lot about how good our chickens are and how to make them better so we can win our class this year. And I met a bunch of other 4-Hers that like the same things I do and don't look at me weird when I talk about spurs and waddles!  -Ben Bushue

And check out more State Fair Scrapbook entries

Tuesday with Jack Jungmann

Wednesday - better together

Thursday - first-time champion

Friday - Poultry, Snickers and 'a guy named Phil'

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