4-H Poultry Project

2026 Winners:

Rhode Island Red: Grand Champion – Austyn Bertling and Reserve Champion – Ellie Butler

Buff Orpington: Grand Champion – Lena Leftwich and Reserve Champion – Scarlett Borek

Barred Rock: Grand Champion – Isabelle Clocke and Reserve Champion – Cedar Worley

4-H Chick Chain

PLEASE READ THE CHICK CHAIN APPLICATION CAREFULLY. 

Each year, 60 Wilson County 4-H’ers will be selected to participate in the 4-H Poultry Project. To be eligible for the project, 4-H members must be in 4th to 12th grade (as of January 1, 2026). They must be able to raise and care for 25 chickens at his/her home. They must provide the required housing, facilities, heat (during the first 5 weeks of care) and feed to produce well-grown, healthy pullets that the 4-H’ers could take pride in having produced. Please note that we do not provide feed or supplies for these chickens. 4-H Agents may schedule periodic farm visits throughout the summer to visit the 4-H member’s chickens. This program is outlined below:

• Twenty-five (25) baby chicks will be given to selected Wilson County 4-Her’s. All 25 chicks will be of the same breed.
• Only one set of 25 chickens per family will be promised. After the deadline, if we have extra chickens/spots, we will offer additional chickens/spots to siblings. Please complete an application for each 4-H member/sibling wishing to participate.
• The member or parent agrees to pick-up the chicks at Edwards Feed in Lebanon on March 13, 2026.  Please make sure to bring a suitable container to transport baby chicks.
• Each 4-H Club member will agree to feed and care for his or her chicks and return six (6) of their best pullets to the County Poultry Show and Auction on Saturday, July 25, 2026 that will be held in the Pop Smart Livestock Barn at the Ward Agricultural Center on the last Saturday in July.  The show will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the auction at 10:00 a.m.  These pullets will compete for prizes to be awarded and then will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The money from the sale of the pullets will go to the 4-H Fund to continue the Chick-Chain project. After this obligation is met, the other chickens are to be used as the 4-H’er desires.
• Should the 4-H’er not bring the required number of pullets to the show, he or she will be expected to pay a $150 non-return fee and will forfeit the opportunity to participate in future years. 4-H depends of the money made from the sale to pay for the baby chicks, awards and prizes next year. Please note, this is an educational experience for youth to learn about raising chickens. Attending the show and auction, as well as the mandatory meetings is part of the experience. Therefore, if you are unable to commit to attending the show on Saturday, July 25, 2026, this opportunity may not be for you.
• Cash awards and ribbons will be awarded on the merit system at the county show: i.e., Grand Champion, Reserve Champion, blue or red.

Applications will be available during the month of December. Completed applications will only be accepted between February 2-13, 2026

The Chick Chain begins in March and will end at the show in July.

2026 Chick Chain Application – deadline has passed

There is a $20 registration fee to participate in the Chick Chain. All registered participants will receive a t-shirt at the show.

4-H Poultry Judging

4-H youth can also participate in poultry judging. In this group, youth will learn how to judge laying hens, grade eggs, and identify and grade poultry cuts of meat. This club is open to any 5th-12th grader.

Poultry Judging begins in the Fall. The Central Region contest will be held on September 24, 2026, at the Rutherford County Community Center.

There is a small fee to join poultry judging. Scholarships are available for all our programs.

2026-2027 Poultry Judging Information: Closed

2026 Central Region Poultry Judging Contest Results: Junior, Jr High, Senior High

2026 State Poultry Judging Contest Results:

For more information on the poultry group, contact Morgan Hacker by email at EXT-WilsonCo@utk.edu or call 615-444-9584!