Poultry Project

Project Description 

Poultry is designed to help you learn about chickens and other poultry. Through this project, you will acquire an understanding of scientific poultry management and marketing practices. You will also gain business experience and insight into the values and principles of purchasing, marketing, financial record keeping and obtaining credit. This project will help you understand the poultry industry and its role in agriculture and the economy.

Project Requirements

Project Books Required? Yes

Project books can be purchased at project meetings or online here

*** Each member must attend 2 workshops per the market project area to take your market animal to fair. Workshops are defined as an educational exercise lead by a project sup.

What needs to be accomplished to move on to level 2?

• Attend project workshops or participate in similar Poultry activities as noted in the Clover for Level 1
• Be currently in Quality Assurance
• Do a short presentation about Poultry (at club, project or elsewhere)
• Two years in level one and complete the level 1 poultry project book 

What needs to be accomplished to move on to level 3?

• Attend project workshops or participate in similar Poultry activities as noted in the Clover for Level 2
• Be currently in Quality Assurance
• Give a presentation one of the "how to's" listed in the Clover level 2
• Two years in level two and complete the level 2 poultry project book

Project age limit? 8 and up

What should new members know?

• Important: May 1st is Poultry Possession Date and also project sign up deadline 
• Be current in Quality Assurance before registering for fair.

Dates for the 2024-2025 4-H Year

Meetings will be held in the Bill Hamilton Building 6:00-7:30 p.m.

• October 25th - Introduce basics of showmanship and discuss what project members want at workshops
• November 15th - Introduce basics of showmanship and names for parts of birds and bird related items - "Bird Words" 
• December 6th - Winterization 
• January 3rd - What to consider when selecting your birds (what breed and why)
• January 31st (for Feb) - What is needed for a healthy brooder or coup
• March 14th - Feed and nutrition 
• April 4th - How to handle your bird
• May 16th - How to get a bird ready for the Fair (how to bathe and dust a bird)
• June 13th - Examples of showmanship and practice. Also what you will need for fair (preferred show clothing is different than other livestock projects.)
• July - Fair
• August - No workshop
• September - No workshop

Project Superintendent Information

Poultry Superintendents: Lexie Edwards and CJ Lassila
Contact: lillexielou(at)live.com or 406-439-9432 (Lexie) or 406-439-5168 (CJ)
How will you be contacted? 4-H newsletter, emails and text messaging

Junior Superintendents: Ayla Mundinger-Adsay and Kiley Eckhart

Important Dates

May 1st, 2025 is Poultry Possession Date.

Lewis & Clark County 4-H Poultry Facebook Page

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State University Extension Service prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jeff Bader, Director of Extension, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717