GOSHEN — Joseph Mitschelen came to opening day of the Elkhart County 4-H Fair hoping his two Cornish chickens would be named impeccable examples of the breed.
Mitschelen, from Etna Green, is a 10-year 4-H member now in his last year. He’s one of around 200 poultry club members who brought 700 birds to the fair this year, according to organizational leader Valarie Jacobs.
Poultry exhibition classes and showmanship Friday morning were the first 4-H activities of the nine-day fair.
“This is the exhibition show. As I like to say, a lot of us members, it’s like the fancy birds,” Mitschelen said while waiting in line for judging, a bird under each arm. “Not necessarily meat production, they’re breeding stock.”
The judge, Tim Calloway, took the measure of each bird as he went down the table, picking them up and inspecting feathers, feet and faces. Mitschelen said he was comparing them to the standards laid out by the American Poultry Association.
“Right now, this is a standard class. The judge goes through the birds and says, ‘Keep these, we’ll bring them back.’ That’s what we’re doing now. Right now we’re going through the honors and seeing, all right, who’s going to be the best standard bird,” he said. “They’re looking for specific characteristics and qualities. That could be size, that could be color, the type of comb on them. That’s all decided through a bunch of people on a national level to keep the standards up.”
Jacobs said the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza earlier this year had passed well before the start of fair week. The state declared avian flu-free status at the end of May.
Outbreaks of avian influenza were found in 27 commercial bird populations in several Indiana counties, prompting the killing of tens of thousands of animals and the destruction of millions of eggs. Nearly 6,000 ducks were depopulated in Elkhart County after H5N1 was found at two commercial breeders in February.
Jacobs recalled that the poultry program was banned 10 years ago amid a significant outbreak.
“We haven’t had any cases in Indiana for quite a while now. It wasn’t really a concern going into the fair this year,” she said. “2015 was the year that we canceled because of it.”
The rabbit program was the next one on the schedule, with a knowledge test at 9 a.m. and breed ID and showmanship scheduled for later in the week. Brad Kelly, from Goshen, was at the fair with four of his children who are in the rabbit program, ranging in age from 8 to 17.
“They enter projects and rabbits. They had their skills test, they haven’t judged them yet,” he said.
Kelly said he enjoyed the $5 food specials on Friday. It was also $5 admission day and carnival ride wristband day, with free big wheel rides around noon, though Aiden, Marissa, Olivia and Izobel aren’t big into the rides, their dad said.
Paula Ax was at the fair with family including granddaughter Cecelia Fry, 10, who’s also a rabbit club member. Ax said the fair food was a draw for her as well.
“Her mom is a 10-year member, so I’m starting another batch of 10-years,” she said. “They have rabbits and my daughter (Jenica Fry)’s on the fair board, and we’re just here enjoying the fair.”
The fair continues through July 26.