Youngsters brush up on bird basics

Ashlee Osburn, 9, knelt as she poured water over her chicken, Hedwig, from a cup and rubbed soap into the bird’s feathers.

The chicken was partially submerged in a plastic tote and sometimes wiggled hard, but mostly tolerated the bath well.

Joan Dugger, the 4-H poultry barn superintendent for the Nez Perce County Fair, helped, giving Ashlee pointers about how to clean Hedwig, who was named after the owl that belongs to the character Harry Potter in the young-adult book series.

The instruction was a part of a 4-H clinic at the fairgrounds, one of three conducted Saturday to help organization members be ready for the scaled-back version of the fair being held this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The fair is being limited to 4-H projects. It won’t have any activities for the general public such as a carnival, food booths or concerts.

On Saturday, Dugger and other 4-H leaders shared information about what would be expected when the children showed their chickens, steers and rabbits.

Group members will still be judged on their knowledge of their animals, their composure during their presentations, the quality of their record books and the health of their animals. They’ll also be allowed to sell their animals.

But animals that aren’t being sold will be at the fairgrounds a limited time; in the case of chickens, a single night, instead of being there from midweek through Sunday, Dugger said.

That means 4-H members will miss out on what, for some, is their favorite part of the event — spending all day at the fair every day it’s open, switching off between tending animals, doing chores in the barns and socializing with friends.

“I’m glad they’re doing some version (of the fair),” said Sherri Osburn, Ashlee’s mom. “I think it’s the safest. I’m glad the kids get to do this much.”

So is Dugger. She spent time with each of the clinic participants, helping the girls identify the breed of their chicken if they didn’t already know it.

She also walked them through the basics of grooming chickens. The process starts with a bath using any form of household liquid soap, like shampoo or dish soap. They’re rinsed in clean water, then dipped in vinegar solution to remove any remaining suds.

The birds can be dried in a towel or with a hair dryer that’s blown in the direction of the feathers. If their toe nails are long, they can be clipped or filed. Q tips can help clean beaks and earlobes, she said.

She warned the 4-H members that their bathed chickens might get picked on by other birds when they brought them home, because they would smell different and the flock would need to re-establish its pecking order.

Choosing a bird that is willing to withstand all the attention is a key part of a chicken project, 4-H members said.

The chickens at the Osburn house are all pets that run up to greet family members, who feed them Nutri-Grain bars.

“(Ashlee) felt like (Hedwig) was the calmest,” Osburn said.

Jerica Brooks, 13, used similar criteria in making her choice. She puts pictures of her chicken, Steve, on Instagram, once showing him wearing Christmas-themed doll clothing.

“He’s probably the nicest of my chickens,” Jerica said. “My other chickens don’t let me hold them. He doesn’t attack people.”

This will be Jerica’s third year with a chicken project She’s also entering a goat and remains optimistic about the revised fair format.

“It’s going to be a little different, but it still will be fun because we get to have our animals at the fair,” she said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 553-8482.