Arkansas 4-H members get cracking at 4-H Poultry Judging State Contest
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
April 8, 2025
Fast Facts:
- Teams from Izard and Sebastian counties competed
- Participants tested knowledge of poultry parts, egg quality, hen production
- Senior team will compete at National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference in December
(444 words)
(Newsrooms: With photos)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas 4-H teams from Izard and Sebastian counties tested their knowledge of poultry production, studying eggs inside and out, at the 4-H Poultry Judging State Contest, held April 1.
The contest took place at the Pauline Whitaker Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. One team of senior 4-H members from Izard County and one team of junior 4-H members from Sebastian County competed in several judging events, including parts identification and assessment of the interior of eggs through a process known as “candling.”
“Candling eggs is when you hold a light source to the egg to see inside of it,” said Andrew Bolton, extension poultry instructor for youth programs for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We do this to check the air cell in the egg, which is an indicator of freshness and quality. It starts tiny when first laid and grows as the egg becomes older.”
Judging events also included Past Production Hens, where participants assessed how productive a set of hens had been at laying eggs, and Ready to Cook Carcasses, where they graded whole carcasses looking for cuts, missing meat and other defects that could lower a product’s grade. In the Broken-out Eggs event, participants judged the quality of the yolk and albumen, or egg white.
“The markers they look for are the size and thickness of the albumen,” Bolton said. “A smaller and thicker egg white is an indicator of a fresh egg.”
Bolton said participants also argued in defense of their placing judgments.
“Participating in the Poultry Judging Contest is a great way for our 4-H’ers to learn about the poultry industry, learn skills that are used daily in the industry, as well as build their confidence in public speaking,” Bolton said.
Junior individual winners from Sebastian County:
First place: Beckett Allen
Second place: Finn Payne
Third place: Anakin Payne
Senior individual winners from Izard County:
First place: Makaelynn Wood
Second place: Kennedy Manacke
Third place: Delilah Montalbo
Fourth place: Sage Wells
The Izard County team will move on to compete at the National 4-H Poultry Judging Contest later this year, which is held as part of the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
Bolton said the contest is a great opportunity for 4-H members interested in pursuing a career in the poultry industry, but it has benefits for all participants.
“I would say this contest is a great hands-on experience in the poultry field,” he said. “I believe that it offers a leg up for anyone interested in poultry but holds invaluable lessons for anyone to practice and compete in.”
For more information about 4-H poultry programs, contact Bolton at abolton@uada.edu or visit 4h.uada.edu/poultry/plant-animal/poultry.aspx.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_
501-671-2061