Poultry show entrants bounce back from bird show blues

A poultry judge stood by a line of birdless cages Thursday at the Franklin County Fair, deliberating an unconventional poultry show.

     In May, when the bird flu outbreak caused the Iowa Department of Agriculture to prohibit live birds from this year’s exhibits, ISU extension and 4-H organizers sought an alternative.

     The show became what some entrants likened to a science fair. Informational boards were duct taped to fronts of cages that held framed photos of chickens and binders of poultry pictures. Research topics included chicken parts, breeds, gestation cycles and eggs.

    Read the full article in the July 23 edition of the papers.