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4-H LogoFlorida 4-H

4-H State Poultry Judging Contest

This website was developed to help those wishing to participate in poultry judging learn how to properly evaluate egg-producing hens and to apply USDA standards in grading ready-to-cook poultry and eggs.  It is intended for use at the local, state and national levels in training poultry judging teams.

Key Question Information
Registration Opens in December | Register through 4-H Online by Feb 2.
Date February 8, 2025
Check-in 8:30 am
Event Start Time 9:00 am
Where Florida State Fair, Tampa

 

  • Rules and Regulations

    1.  All contestants must be bona fide 4‐H Club Members. 

    2.  There will be two (2) judging divisions:

      • Senior Division: Contestants MUST be 14 years old on or before September 1st of the current 4‐H program year and MUST NOT have passed their 19th birthday on or before September 1st of the current 4‐H program year. A Contestant CANNOT have competed in the National 4‐H Poultry Judging Contest (either team or individual). A team will consist of three (3) or four (4) members. Only the total scores of the three highest scoring members will be used for team awards. Please note that a county is allowed to have ONLY ONE (1) Senior Team. Counties not entering a full team can send up to two individuals.
      • Junior/Intermediate Division: Contestants must be between 8 and 13 years old as of September 1st of the current 4‐H program year. A team will consist of three (3) or four (4) members. Only the total scores of the three highest scoring members will be used for team awards. Due to space limitations/social distancing, this year counties can send ONLY ONE (1) Junior/Intermediate team.  Counties not entering a full team can send up to two individuals.
      • As in the past, counties are allowed to have individual contestants participate in the contest, even if the county does not have a team. This year due to space constraints/social distancing, counties without a full team can send up to two Senior Division or Junior/Intermediate Division contestants that a county can have participate as individual contestants.
      • All contestants (team members and individuals) will participate in the Contest at the same time and will compete for the various individual awards. Only contestants that are assigned to a team will compete for team awards.
      • If registration numbers are such that we cannot maintain a safe social distance at the event facility, we will utilize a test as a preliminary for teams to qualify.  This will ONLY happen if we have an extremely large number of registrations. 

     
    3.  Classes will be the same for all divisions:

      • Past Production Hens
      • Ready‐to‐Cook Carcasses
      • Parts Identification
      • Eggs (Exterior, Interior, & Broken Out)
      • Oral Reasons on one (1) Past Production Hen Class 

    4.  The first place Senior Team will receive a grant for partial support of travel to Louisville, KY in November where they will represent Florida in the National 4‐H Poultry Judging Contest if the contest occurs and if travel is approved by the University of Florida.  There is no contest beyond the State Contest for the first place Junior/Intermediate Team.  Additionally, the top ranked Senior Division Contestant who is not a member of the first place Senior Team will be eligible to compete in the National Contest as an individual contestant. Thus, Florida may take a Senior Team and a Senior Individual to the National Contest.

    5.  Funds for awards are limited in scope based on donations mainly provided by the Florida Poultry Federation.

  • Poultry Judging Resources

    POULTRY TERMINOLOGY

Contest Resources