Southeastern students raise market chickens in feeding research project

Four agriculture classes at Southeastern High School recently completed an 8-week long feeding research project as part of their animal and livestock science classes. Students were given the task of planning and preparing a feeding and nutritional plan by researching the variety of poultry feeds and supplements and composing a plan to feed and raise fast-growing, high quality market chickens. Students were also given the task to plan and design pens and enclosures to house their chickens during the term of the project.

Each class was given twelve baby chicks at two days old and grew them to full term market weight. Each day, students in the class fed, watered, cleaned and weighed their chickens. Students kept track of weight records and calculated items such as feed conversion ratios and rate of gain. Students also had to select three of their twelve chickens to represent their class in a poultry show held during the school day.

Mr. Larry Lokai, a retired agriculture teacher, poultry judge and poultry team coach spent time with the students during the show, evaluating their birds and explaining how they are judged and had students handle and judge their own birds. The chickens were processed and made available to students and staff to enjoy.

Most importantly, students gained the experience of caring and taking responsibility for raising a market animal from early infancy to market weight in growing and producing a consumable product.

The results of the poultry show were as follows:

-Champion pen of 3 chickens: 4th period Animal Nutrition & Health

-Reserve champion pen of 3 chickens: 8th period Livestock Science

-Champion individual chicken: 4th period Animal Nutrition & Health

-Reserve champion individual chicken: 4th period Animal Nutrition & Health

-3rd place individual chicken: 7th period Livestock Science