Gage Griffin, a member of the Sulphur Springs FFA, gently handles his chicks, as they arrive on
Tuesday morning, at the Sulphur Springs Vocational Agriculture Building.

 

"Here a Chick.....There a Chick!"

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Vocational Agriculture teachers, Dannie Johnson in the foreground and
Johnny Lennon, in the background, assist this student in tranfering her
25 chicks to an approved container, to take home.

 

Some 1600 baby chickens arrived at the Sulphur Springs High School Vocational Agriculture Building on Tuesday morning, to be distributed to students all across Hopkins County, as they prepare for the NETLA Market Poultry Show. Between now and show day, February 27th, the chickens will reach market weight and each student will select three uniform broilers to show at the exhibition. Each student received a pen of 25 chicks to begin the process.

"It's a great, great project for a student," allowed veteran Sulphur Springs Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Dannie Johnson, on Tuesday morning. "Each student begins the project on 'even footing,' with 25 random chicks and depending on how good of a job he or she does of taking care of them, feeding, them, and making certain that they are exercised, the winner will be chosen. It's up to the student to make necessary sacrifices of keeping pens clean, the heat lamps turned on and climate controlled, and keeping the chicks eating and gaining weight, as they develop!"

 

 

 

Kim Moore assists her children in getting their chickens on Tuesday morning, and
had plans to take them home and get them settled in the pen, so her children could
continue classes at SSHS.

 

"It's a wonderful project for the beginner, who wants to show something in the market show," added Miller Grove Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Richard Watson. "It's something that has a minimum investment of money, but teaches the youth the responsibility necessary to exhibit and show a market project. And, with the chicks, you can see your progress almost immediately. It's amazing how fast these tiny little chicks will grow and how soon they will be required to move to a larger pen and quarters, for the finishing process!"

Students all across Hopkins County had prepared their heat lamps, shavings, and feed and water troughs for the arrival of Tuesday morning's delivery. "We got everything ready last night," allowed one of the students. "And, then we put shavings in this plastic tub and are making sure that the truck is warm to take them home. You don't want them exposed to any drafts or cold temperatures, or you'll wake-up with a bunch of sick chicks!"

"Throughout the years, we've had a number of things happen to baby chicks, once the students, take them home!" denoted Watson. "We've 'a dog in the hen house,' we've had heat lamps to get unplugged, we've had a storm blow a chicken pen away, and just about everything imaginable, but it's still a great project to teach students responsibility and to tend to the little things in life!"

There are 64 students across Hopkins County exhibiting market broilers in this year's markets show with their "eye" on the Grand Champion Prize, that will be determined on Saturday morning, February 27th!

 

 

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