HOWARD — East Knox FFA recently competed in the State Poultry Management Career Development Event on March 22 in the Voinovich Building Annex at The Ohio Exposition Center in Columbus where they placed 16th out of a field of 77 teams from across Ohio.

The team consisted of Aiden Kapper, Isabelle Bostic, Hayden Baker, Dylan Springer, Jasmine Smith, and Mackenzie Wilson. 

The top four scores from each FFA chapter make up the team score for the final state placing. 

Individually, Kapper finished 16th, Bostic placed 82nd, Baker finished 143rd, and Springer was 164th out of 311 competitors.

In the event contestants had to place a class of four broilers, four past production hens, and four ready-to-cook broiler carcasses; candle ten shell eggs to determine the appropriate USDA quality grade of AA, A, B, or loss; grade exterior egg qualities to determine faults to quality factors and place them as AA/A, B, or No Grade; identify broiler carcass parts from the list of thirty possible parts; determine quality defects in boneless and bone-in further processed poultry products such as chicken patties, nuggets, and wings; and quality grade ten chicken carcasses. 

In addition, team members complete a written test over poultry management including mathematical calculations.

The purpose of the Poultry Evaluation Career Development Event is to encourage learning through activities relative to production and management, processing, marketing and food safety and quality of poultry and poultry products.  

The top-10 teams and top-10 individuals in the state receive awards.