It’s Chick Chain time in Union County!
The 4-H Chick Chain is one of the best 4-H projects to get started with.
This year, we will again be ordering from Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri. These chickens will be layers, meaning they will lay a lot of eggs. The other main type of bird in the chicken industry is a broiler, which is used for meat production.
These laying hens will start to lay eggs at a younger age and lay large brown eggs. When they are born, the males and female are a different color, which makes it easy to tell the difference between males and females. All of the chicks we order will be female.
The chicks will arrive through the United States Postal Service and will be a couple days old. Each 4-H Member who signs up will receive 20 sexed and Mereks-vaccinated chicks. Traditionally in the fall, we hold the 4-H Chick Chain Show and Auction. This year may look a little different depending on the COVID-19 pandemic.
But it is planned that kids will bring back 6 of their 20 chickens to be judged. The chickens are judged on their ability to lay eggs. The judge looks for characteristics of adequate growth which is largely influenced by high quality feed and clean water.
Other characteristics include color around the eyes, beak, legs and vent. After the judge awards the birds, the kids will be presented with prizes for their chickens. Then, the birds are auctioned off to the highest bidder. This is a wonderful community event.
The Chick Chain is a long-standing 4-H project going back to the days of former Union County Extension agents Harold Julian and Bill Morgan. Many grownups will fondly remember the days of checking their little peepers before school and watching them grown from ugly teenage chickens into beautiful laying hens.
If you are interested in making sure the 4-H Chick Chain project can happen for a young person, we would love to have sponsors for our participants in 2021. The cost to purchase one set of pullet chicks is $60. Please contact Shannon DeWitt at sdewitt@utk.edu if you would be interested in sponsoring a 4-H Member in the Chick Chain project.
4-H will be providing two different breeds to choose from — black sex links and golden comet pullets. Both breeds grow quickly, begin laying eggs early, and lay large brown eggs.
The only way to get chicks in 2021 is to purchase them online. Children are eligible to receive one set of chicks per child. This program is open to children in Union County in grades 4-12 as of January 1, 2021. Although the deadline is February 19, 2021, we always sell out of chicks early.
Please place your order as soon as possible. The web address is https://tiny.utk.edu/unionCC