ELIZABETHTOWN — It’s that time of year for youngsters and chickens to come together for the annual Regional Chicken Project for those involved with Future Farmers of America and/or 4-H clubs in the Cape Fear Region.
“Through this project, youth will get to choose to purchase hens or broiler chicks at a discounted rate,” said Stacie Kinlaw, the extension agent for 4-H Youth Development in Bladen County. “The birds will be raised and youth will complete a project record book to record their care and knowledge learned about chickens.”
The participating counties in the project will include Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Sampson and Wayne.
According to Kinlaw, in May the youth will participate in a Regional Chicken Show, where they will demonstrate to the judge their knowledge of the bird. Training for this will be provided through workshops or classes. At the end of the project the youth will have the opportunity to donate their broilers to be processed for local food pantries or keep for their own processing. The hens can be kept to lay eggs for a potential egg business or the hens could be sold for profit.
Registration for this project is due on Thursday, Jan. 14. An official registration form and a flyer with contact information for each county can be found online at bladen.ces.ncsu.edu under 4-H youth development.
More information can also be obtained by calling Kinlaw at 910-862-4591.