4-H

Pou

ltry

Judg

ing

Pas

t egg

pro

duct

ion

(rea

sons

cla

ss)

Inte

rior e

gg q

ualit

y –

cand

ling

Inte

rior e

gg q

ualit

y -b

roke

n ou

tE

xter

ior e

gg q

ualit

yP

oultr

y ca

rcas

s pa

rts id

entif

icat

ion

Pou

ltry

carc

ass

qual

ity

Past

egg

pro

duct

ion

1. If

pos

sibl

e, p

lace

the

clas

s ba

sed

on lo

ss o

f pig

men

t (b

leac

hing

) fro

m th

e sk

in.

2. If

a p

air o

f hen

s ha

s eq

ual l

oss

of p

igm

ent,

then

use

ha

ndlin

g qu

aliti

es to

dec

ide

whi

ch h

en is

bes

t.

3. If

a p

air o

f hen

s ha

s eq

ual l

oss

of p

igm

ent a

nd e

qual

ha

ndlin

g qu

ality

, the

n us

e ab

dom

inal

cap

acity

to d

ecid

e w

hich

hen

is b

est.

4. If

a p

air o

f hen

s ha

s eq

ual b

leac

hing

, han

dlin

g qu

ality

an

d ab

dom

inal

cap

acity

, the

n us

e m

olt c

ondi

tion

to

deci

de w

hich

hen

is b

est.

Ord

er o

f blea

chin

g as

egg

pro

duct

ion

incr

ease

s:1.

Ven

t2.

Eye

ring

, ear

lobe

, bea

k (c

orne

r of m

outh

to

tip o

f bea

k)3.

Bot

tom

of f

eet,

entir

e sh

anks

, hoc

k an

d to

p of

toes

.W

hen

a he

n ce

ases

to la

y (m

olt),

pig

men

t re

turn

s in

the

sam

e or

der a

s it

was

lost

(v

ent t

o to

p of

toes

) but

retu

rns

abou

t 3X

qu

icke

r tha

n it

was

lost

.

Ven

t

Hea

d

Legs

and

feet

Han

dlin

g qu

ality

The

desi

rabl

e he

n ha

s th

in p

ubic

bon

es a

nd

soft,

plia

ble

abdo

men

Abd

omin

al ca

pacit

yTh

e m

ost d

esira

ble

hen

will

have

a la

rge

abdo

min

al c

apac

ity –

a go

od la

yer w

ill ha

ve a

3

finge

r (w

ide)

by

4 fin

ger (

deep

) cap

acity

.

Mol

tTh

e he

n th

at h

as lo

st th

e fe

wes

t fea

ther

s is

the

mor

e de

sira

ble.

A he

n ha

s 10

prim

ary

fligh

t fe

athe

rs. S

tar a

t the

tip

of

the

win

g an

d co

unt t

he

num

ber o

f fea

ther

s to

the

axia

l fea

ther

.

Prac

tice

Egg

gra

ding

-ex

terio

rG

rade

A –

Cle

an, u

nbro

ken,

pr

actic

ally

nor

mal

sha

pe. R

idge

s an

d ro

ugh

spot

s th

at d

o no

t m

ater

ially

det

ract

from

the

appe

aran

ce o

f the

egg

are

ok.

G

rade

B –

Unb

roke

n, c

lean

to

mod

erat

ely

stai

ned

(1/3

2 of

su

rface

if lo

caliz

ed, o

r 1/1

6 of

su

rface

if s

catte

red)

. May

be

som

ewha

t unu

sual

to m

issh

apen

, or

sho

w p

rono

unce

d rid

ges

or

thin

spo

ts.

Dirt

y –

Unb

roke

n. A

dher

ing

dirt

or

fore

ign

mat

eria

l, pr

omin

ent

stai

ns, o

r mod

erat

ely

stai

ned

if in

ex

cess

of B

gra

de.

Prac

tice

Egg

gra

ding

–in

terio

r (ca

ndlin

g an

d br

oken

out

)Q

ualit

yfa

ctor

Gra

de A

AG

rade

AG

rade

B

Air

cell

1/8

inch

or

less

dep

th3/

16 in

ch o

r les

s de

pth

Ove

r 3/1

6 in

ch d

epth

Whi

teC

lear

and

fir

mC

lear

and

re

ason

ably

firm

Wea

k an

d w

ater

y. S

mal

l (<

1/8

inch

di

amet

er) b

lood

and

mea

t spo

ts m

ay

be p

rese

nt

Yolk

Out

line

slig

htly

de

fined

Out

line

fairl

y w

ell d

efin

edO

utlin

e pl

ainl

y vi

sibl

e, e

nlar

ged

and

flatte

ned.

May

hav

e cl

early

vis

ible

ge

rm d

evel

opm

ent b

ut n

o bl

ood.

Inte

rior e

gg g

radi

ng

It’s

my

feel

ing

that

this

pro

babl

y re

quire

s th

e gr

eate

st a

mou

nt o

f pra

ctic

e to

mas

ter.

Unf

ortu

nate

ly, g

rade

AA

egg

s ar

e a

bit h

ard

to fi

nd in

the

mar

ket.

To o

btai

n gr

ade

B e

ggs

need

to h

old

eggs

at

room

tem

pera

ture

for a

few

wee

ks.

A g

ood

way

to p

ract

ice

is to

can

dle

the

eggs

, th

en b

reak

them

out

.

A G

rade

AA

egg

will

sta

nd ta

ll.

The

yolk

is fi

rm a

nd th

e ar

ea

cove

red

by th

e w

hite

is s

mal

l. Th

ere

is a

larg

e pr

opor

tion

of

thic

k w

hite

to th

in w

hite

.

Gra

de A

egg

cov

ers

a re

lativ

ely

smal

l are

a. T

he y

olk

is ro

und

and

upst

andi

ng. T

he

thic

k w

hite

is la

rge

in

prop

ortio

n to

the

thin

whi

te

and

stan

ds fa

irly

wel

l aro

und

the

yolk

A G

rade

B e

gg s

prea

ds o

ut

mor

e. T

he e

gg y

olk

is

flatte

ned

and

ther

e is

abo

ut

as m

uch

(or m

ore)

thin

whi

te

as th

ick

whi

te

Prac

tice

Carc

ass p

arts

iden

tifica

tion

Con

test

ant m

ust p

rope

rly id

entif

y th

e ca

rcas

s pa

rt as

dis

play

ed.

A p

art c

an b

e di

spla

yed

skin

sid

e up

or

dow

n. W

ings

mig

ht b

e “fo

lded

.” C

an b

e bo

ne-

in o

r bon

eles

s.

Parts

will

inclu

de:

Who

le b

reas

t, sp

lit b

reas

t, br

east

with

ribs

, bo

nele

ss b

reas

t, br

east

qua

rter,

tend

erlo

inLe

g qu

arte

r, w

hole

leg,

thig

h, b

onel

ess

thig

h,

drum

stic

kW

ing,

flat

, dru

mm

ette

Gib

let (

liver

, hea

rt, g

izza

rd)

Nec

kB

ack

Prac

tice

Fact

orA

grad

eB

gra

deC

gra

de

Exp

osed

fles

h0.

25 “

on b

reas

t an

d le

gs, 1

.5”

else

whe

re

One

third

of f

lesh

on

eac

h pa

rt pr

ovid

ed m

eat y

ield

no

t affe

cted

No

limit

Dis

join

ted

and

brok

en b

ones

1 di

sjoi

nted

, non

e br

oken

2 di

sjoi

nted

and

not

br

oken

, or 1

di

sjoi

nted

and

1

nonp

rotru

ding

br

oken

No

limit

Mis

sing

par

tsTa

il an

d w

ing

tips

Tail,

win

g tip

s an

d 2n

dw

ing

join

t. B

ack

not w

ider

than

tail

and

exte

ndin

g ha

lf w

ay to

hip

join

ts

Tail

and

win

gs.

Bac

k no

t wid

er

than

tail

and

exte

ndin

g to

hip

jo

ints

Spe

cific

atio

ns fo

r gra

ding

indi

vidu

al c

arca

sses

of r

eady

-to-c

ook

chic

ken

(2 to

6 lb

s)

Prac

tice

Judg

ing

pulle

ts fo

r the

loca

l pul

let sh

ow

and

sale

The

goal

in ra

isin

g a

grou

p of

pul

lets

is to

ac

hiev

e m

axim

um, u

nifo

rm g

row

th a

nd

deve

lopm

ent.

Wan

t to

the

pulle

ts to

sta

rt la

ying

at a

bout

the

sam

e tim

e an

d at

the

age

at w

hich

the

stra

in c

an b

e ex

pect

ed to

be

com

e se

xual

ly m

atur

e.

The

mos

t com

mon

erro

rs in

rais

ing

pulle

ts a

re:

Not

pro

vidi

ng fe

ed a

d lib

itum

. “M

eal”

feed

ing

can

resu

lt in

the

mor

e do

min

ant p

ulle

ts c

onsu

min

g m

ore

than

th

eir s

hare

.V

aria

bilit

y in

wat

er q

ualit

y. A

bird

that

doe

s no

t hav

e ac

cess

to c

lean

wat

er is

apt

to re

duce

feed

co

nsum

ptio

nP

oor q

ualit

y gr

ower

/dev

elop

er fe

eds

or p

rovi

ding

sc

ratc

h fe

ed (t

his

sim

ply

dilu

tes

the

nutri

tiona

l val

ue o

f th

e gr

ower

feed

).In

adeq

uate

feed

er s

pace

, lim

iting

con

sum

ptio

n by

m

ore

subm

issi

ve p

ulle

ts.

Hea

lth p

robl

ems

such

as

mite

s or

wor

ms.

In ju

dgin

g th

e pu

llets

we

wan

t to

reco

gniz

e an

d re

war

d th

ose

4-H

er’s

who

hav

e de

mon

stra

ted

best

m

anag

emen

t pra

ctic

es.

Firs

t sur

vey

the

pens

with

in e

ach

stra

in

(gen

otyp

e). I

f with

in s

train

s yo

u se

e so

me

pulle

ts w

ith b

right

red

com

bs a

nd w

attle

s (a

n in

dica

tor o

f sex

ual m

atur

ity),

then

you

sho

uld

assu

me

that

all

bird

s of

that

stra

in c

ould

hav

e ac

hiev

ed s

exua

l mat

urity

had

they

bee

n be

tter m

anag

ed. T

hose

pen

s of

pul

lets

that

ar

e se

xual

ly im

mat

ure

(sm

all,

pale

com

bs

and

wat

tles)

sho

uld

be a

ssig

ned

a re

d rib

bon.

Som

e st

rain

s (o

ften

the

larg

er-b

odie

d B

lack

Sex

Li

nk) a

re la

ter m

atur

ing.

You

may

not

see

any

pu

llets

with

in a

stra

in th

at e

xhib

it se

xual

mat

urity

. Th

is is

not

due

to p

oor m

anag

emen

t, bu

t due

to

gene

tics.

In th

is c

ase

you

mus

t ide

ntify

thos

e pe

ns

of p

ulle

ts th

at a

re s

mal

ler b

odie

d (s

houl

d to

sho

ulde

r w

idth

and

sho

ulde

r to

keel

bod

y de

pth)

or t

hat a

re

high

ly v

aria

ble

in b

ody

size

. Tho

se h

ens

that

are

sm

all b

odie

d or

qui

te v

aria

ble

shou

ld b

e as

sign

ed a

re

d rib

bon,

sin

ce th

ese

two

crite

ria a

re in

dica

tive

of

a fe

ed m

anag

emen

t fai

lure

To d

istin

guis

h B

+ fro

m B

pul

lets

eva

luat

e (li

sted

in

prio

rity)

:1.

Bod

y w

idth

(sho

ulde

r to

shou

lder

) and

dep

th

(sho

ulde

r to

keel

).2.

Pen

uni

form

ity.

3.A

bdom

inal

han

dlin

g qu

ality

(sof

t plia

ble

abdo

min

al s

kin)

4.A

bdom

inal

cap

acity

(wid

th b

etw

een

pelv

ic b

ones

, an

d de

pth

betw

een

pelv

ic b

ones

and

kee

l)Th

e be

st p

en(s

) of p

ulle

ts w

ill ha

ve b

right

red

wat

tles

and

com

bs, a

larg

e bo

dy s

ize,

a u

nifo

rm

grou

p of

pul

lets

, sof

t plia

ble

abdo

min

al s

kin,

and

a

3 x

4 fin

ger a

bdom

inal

spr

ead