FARMINGTON – Back by popular demand, the poultry show is back at this year’s Farmington Fair with 40 exhibitors showing most of the farm-feathered varieties.
As the heifers chewed their cud in the cool shade of the long barn, the roosters took turns crowing as the ducks, geese and chickens offered their opinions in a symphony of quacks, honks and clucks. It’s been a decade or more since the last poultry show was featured at the Farmington Fair. Organizers at the time said they were discontinuing it due to lack of interest on the part of the exhibitors. Last year a small, trial exhibition proved popular so this year organizers brought the show back in a big way.
Fairgoers of all sizes and ages peered into the cages as the billed ones cocked their heads to get a better look at the curious people species. Pekin snowy-white ducks with bouffant puffs of feather crowns, chickens that look like they got a leg stuck in an electric socket, and others looking more like little furry beasts than birds, were all in a line up to define diversity.
“There’s been plenty of interest here,” said Heather Corson who spent the day making sure all of the birds had fresh water and grain.
Standing in grand style across from Corson was the super champ herself. With a huge blue ribbon affixed to her cage, the big, beautiful buff-colored Orpington chicken raised by Darlene Nelson seemed to sense her own importance as the show’s grand champion.
“She’s been strutting around her cage all day,” Corson said laughing.
|
|
There’s still plenty of action on tap today and the final fair day on Saturday. At 6 p.m. today at the cattle barn, the 4-H clubs will put on their market lamb, steer and hog show and sale, which raises money to help the budding young farmers continue the program.
The awesome Trial of Strength of Horses – really big horses – begins at 7 p.m. in the pulling ring.
Pari-mutual racing post times are Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday stars off at 9 a.m. with the Maine Dairy Goat Show and Poultry Show. The midway opens at 10 a.m. and the day is loaded with events, contests and shows. Entertainment by the Moose Creek Cloggers and singer Sandy Waite Haskel starts at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m., it’s the final car-crunching demolition derby.
