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Chick Chain Project begins September 1, 2023

Who can participate in the NW District Chick Chain Project?

4-H Youth ages 5-18 from the Northwest District of Florida can enroll and participate in the NW Florida 4-H Chick Chain project. Those counties include Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.

What is the Chick Chain project?
Join 4-Hers from our 16-county Northwest Extension district and learn how to raise and care for chickens. At the end of the project, there’s a district show where you’ll show off your birds and everything you’ve learned. This website will support you throughout your project.  (more…)

Meet the Author-Prudence Caskey

Prudence Caskey, Santa Rosa County 4-H Extension Agent

Prudence Caskey is the 4-H Extension Agent in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Prudence grew up on Voscinar Poultry Farms in central Florida and has been raising her own chickens since the age offive. She remembers ordering baby chicks by mail with her twin sister, “We both worked all summer and put our money together and bought all we could afford, which was only 551 Rhode Island Reds. So, that’s what we started with.” Within a month, Prudence and Sara had raised the chicks and sold 300 of them. “We were able to triple our money and we were hooked.”

Prudence enjoys some time with her pardoned Royal Palm Turkey hen, Reggie.

As soon as Prudence was old enough to join 4-H, she was at the Hernando County Extension office to sign up. At the age of eight, Prudence was able to enter her beloved chickens in the county fair. Her 4-H agent, Bill Hill encouraged her to show chickens. This is a past-time she has enjoyed for the better part of 25 years. “He was an excellent mentor and taught me how to try hard and step out of my comfort zone. He was amazing!” Prudence was a Hernando County 4-H member for ten years.

Fast forward sixteen years. Prudence Caskey served as a volunteer 4-H Club leader and after a short time, she applied for the 4-H Program Assistant position. Two years later, the Santa Rosa County 4-H Agent, Vicki Mullins, retired. Prudence successfully interviewed for the 4-H Agent position. She started her dream job in March of 2014.

Prudence with one her favorite trees on her farm.

Prudence received her master’s Degree in Agriculture Education and Communication from the University of Florida in 2016. Today, as the 4-H agent, she spends much of her time working with 4-H’ers who have an eager passion to learn about everything from Art to Zoology. Embryology and public speaking are huge aspects of her program. She also works closely with Santa Rosa County school teachers to bring 4-H into the classrooms.

Prudence has been married to Kyle for 24 years and they have one son. They live on a pecan orchard in the northern part of Santa Rosa County.  For more information on 4-H, please contact your local 4-H office.  You can find your local office here.

4-H Chick Chain: Ready for Your Next Challenge?

4-H Chick Chain: Ready for Your Next Challenge?

Each year in Northwest Florida, 4-H hosts a 4-H Chick Chain Project. During this project, youth select their birds, raise their birds, attend educational workshops, and show their birds at a final show. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic placing a new emphasis on fresh from the farm food products, the 4-H Chick Chain project is a great way to launch into raising chickens or to start a new project. This year, the project is going one step further than previous years by adding more opportunities for youth to share about their projects through a demonstration or illustrated talk and the chance to explore building a business through an entrepreneurship challenge.

 

Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks
4-H youth posing with her show bird at a show.

4-H youth, Tucker Padgett, posing with her show bird at a show.


Participants will have the chance to share a demonstration or illustrated talk focusing on their chicken related experiences at the 4-H Chick Chain Competition. The best part is that presentations made at the Chick Chain event can be perfected and carried on to other competitions such as County Events, District Events, and 4-H University. Through a demonstration, youth will show the judges how to do something, while with an illustrated talk, youth are explaining a situation or topic while using a visual aid such as a poster, PowerPoint, or physical object. The best part of this opportunity is that youth are encouraged to talk about their chickens and chicken experiences. After all, it is the 4-H Chick Chain Project.

 

Entrepreneurship Challenge

This new experience is designed to walk participants through the documentation and setup of a business plan focusing on chickens, over multiple years. Each year, participants focus on a different aspect of owning and operating a business. At the Chick Chain show, participants will present their plan to judges. For youth who are interested in the entrepreneurship challenge and more similar opportunities, youth are encouraged to check out the Florida 4-H Gator Pit which offers educational workshops and the chance to interact with entrepreneurs throughout Florida.

 

Try it Out

Chickens pecking at feed offered in a feed pan.

Chickens pecking at feed offered in a feed pan.


This project is open to Florida 4-H youth in Northwest Florida. Registration will be open October 1, 2020 through 4-HOnline with the show taking place on March 20, 2021. Interested in getting involved? Visit FL 4-H Chick Chain or ask your local UF IFAS County Extension Office where to get started. This project offers a chance for every level of youth to stretch their comfort level focusing on one of the best topics out there… Chickens!  So join us, learn something new, teach us something new, and make some awesome chicken loving friends.

 

The Scoop on Backyard Coops

Many Extension Offices offer Cooperative Coops for youth who live in areas that are not zoned for poultry – UF/IFAS Jackson County Extension 4-H Program
Photo Credit: Angel

If you have been entertaining the idea of adding chickens to your personal “flock”, then we have some news for you!  Not only would you be adding a sustainable practice at your home, your youth would have amazing opportunities to learn, develop valuable life skills and explore opportunities in 4-H.  Youth from all walks of life (urban and rural) are involved in 4-H poultry projects.  Here’s the scoop on getting started with backyard coops:

  1. Location– the first thing you need to find out is whether or not your location is zoned for poultry and whether or not there are any building restrictions. If there are no restrictions on your property, you will want to select a location that is relatively flat, has good drainage, access to electricity and water, and some natural shade if possible.  If you do live in a restricted area, contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office– many offices have cooperative coops where youth can participate in the poultry project, even if they can’t have their own backyard coop.
  2. Goal– Next, you need to consider what your goal is.  Do you plan to produce just eggs or are you considering producing your own meat?  Are you more interested in showing your chickens?  How big of an operation are you planning?
  3. Coop Size– Are you planning to allow your birds to free-range or stay in an enclosed pen? Birds that are allowed to roam free during the day do not need as large a coop. If you are planning to keep your birds cooped up to keep them safe from neighborhood dogs or wildlife, you will need a larger coop.  Also, the number of birds and breeds you want to have will impact your coop size.  Here are the general rules of thumb when it comes to coop size:
  • Heavy breeds– such as Australorp, Barred Rock, or Buff Orphington need 4 square feet of space if allowed out to forage during the day, but 10 square feet of space per bird if they are kept in the coop.
  • Light breeds– such as Leghorn, Araucana or Silkies need 3 square feet of space per bird if allowed to forage, but 71/2 square feet of space per bird if kept in the coop.

For more information on selecting breeds, check out this article: Which Breeds are             Best for Backyard Poultry.

  1. Coop Style–  Chickens have been around for thousands of years so they are pretty resilient, but you still need to consider giving them proper shelter and protection from the elements and predators.  Make sure that your coop has the capability to repel predators that fly, dig or crawl.  Chickens are susceptible to birds of prey such as hawks and owls as well as predators on the ground including snakes, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, dogs and cats. There are many styles to choose from and you can spend a lot or a little, depending on your budget or your skills as a carpenter!  Links to a few example coop plans are provided in the resources below. Many hardware and feed supply stores have “coop kits” for sale that are easy to put together.  Generally, these coops are for small numbers of birds and are easy to remove should you change your mind about having a backyard flock later.  The coop shown above was constructed with a 10 x 10 chain-link dog kennel and a canvas kennel cover.  The roof and sides were laced with poultry wire which was also buried 8-10 inches in the ground around the perimeter.  An enclosed area with laying boxes was constructed out of scrap lumber, an old screen door and a roll of window screen.  All of the components give the birds protection from the elements and predators.  Make sure that your coop site has access to electricity and water.

Chick Chain Participants
Photo Credit: A. Granger, UF/IFAS Jackson County Extension

If you have decided to incorporate some of the 4-H activities such as embryology or Chick Chain, you will be starting with day-old chicks that will require a little different living environment, at least until they can keep themselves warm and are big enough to be put on the ground.  Regardless of the age of the birds, make sure that you are providing adequate amounts of fresh feed and clean water every day.

Once your birds are mature enough to lay eggs or be used for meat, you will enjoy having a great source of protein and a valuable teaching tool for youth.  Learning skills such as record keeping and responsibility are just two of the skills that come to mind.  Not to mention opportunities in learning to show or exhibit birds, learning about poultry and meats judging, earning scholarships in the 4-H Tailgate Cookery Contest and developing entrepreneurial skills in producing eggs or meat for your family or others.

There are multiple opportunities in 4-H poultry project. If you are interested in participating, either as a youth member or an adult volunteer, contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office or visit http://florida4h.org.

Resources:

Backyard Flocks

Florida 4-H Chick Chain Project

Florida 4-H Poultry Project Page

Florida 4-H Embryology Program

4-H Poultry Judging

Life Skill Development Related to Participation in 4-H Animal Science Projects

Which Breed is Best for Backyard Poultry?

The term “Backyard Chickens” is one many people use today.  The idea of having a pet help you make breakfast is growing in popularity.  I am often questioned as to which breed of chicken is the best breed.  When asked, I always reply, “What do you want the chicken to do?”  The reason I ask is because The American Poultry Association recognizes 65 different breeds of chickens. Each breed can meet a different need.  Many people will blurt out, “I want eggs!”  Well, do you care what color eggs? Do you care how often you get eggs?  Does the size of the egg matter? Each breed is different and there are pros and cons to each breed.  Some of the more popular breeds that you can find at your local feed store during upcoming “Chick Days” are described below:

  • Rhode Island Red: This is a breed that is a large-bodied bird that lays a large to extra-large brown egg.  These hens are very personable and can have a great personality.  This breed can become a pet in no time.
  • White Leghorn: This particular bird will lay a large white egg on a very regular basis. The Leghorn is not friendly and is often referred to as “flighty”.  Leghorns will not, as a general rule, become pets.  They will lay you an egg almost daily, but will run from you when it’s time to collect those eggs.
  • (Buff) Orpington: Usually sold in the color buff, additionally available in other colors.  This is a large-bodied friendly bird.  Orpingtons can become fast friends and will serve as a dual-purpose member of your flock.   This means that they are great egg layers, and will also serve as a good meat bird if the desire or need arises.
  • Sex-link varieties: With this breed, you will not get a breed, but they have great production. Sometimes called Red Star, or Black Star, the chicks show a difference when day old chicks.  It will be easy to determine between the two.  If chicks are not your thing, you can always purchase young hens that are just starting to lay.

Many people are not ready to wait five to six months to get their beloved eggs from their new pets.  If that is the case, you can always check with your local extension office to inquire if a local 4-H member might have some young hens for sale.  On September 30th, 4-H members from across the panhandle will have a “Chick Chain” show and Auction.  Save the date and get the best breed for you!

If you have children between the ages of 5-18 (as of September 1st, 2016) and you are interested in starting a backyard flock, you may want to sign up for the 4-H Chick Chain.  This program teaches youth how to raise, care for, and show chickens.  Registration is open February 1st-24th via 4HOnline.  Youth will receive 12, day-old pullets on March 29th.  Throughout the spring and summer, youth will learn the ins and outs of poultry farming, and how to market their eggs and hens for profit.  They will keep business and health records, learn about bio-security, and gain poise, confidence, and communication skills while showing their hens in the fall.  For more information, contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office, or read about last year’s program.

4-H Poultry Project

4-H Embryology Project

4-H Chick Chain

Poultry Breeds:

Care of Baby Chicks

Factors Affecting Egg Production in Backyard Chicken Flocks

Intestinal Parasites in Backyard Chicken Flocks

Prevention and Control of Fowl Pox in Backyard Chicken Flocks

Small Flock Poultry Nutrition

Vaccination of Small Poultry Flocks