Arkansas 4-H teams from Izard and Sebastian counties tested their knowledge of poultry production, studying eggs inside and out, at the 4-H Poultry Judging State Contest, held April 1.
The contest took place at the Pauline Whitaker Arena in Fayetteville. One team of senior 4-H members from Izard County and one team of junior 4-H members from Sebastian County competed in several judging events, including parts identification and assessment of the interior of eggs through a process known as candling.
“Candling eggs is when you hold a light source to the egg to see inside of it,” said Andrew Bolton, extension poultry instructor for youth programs for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We do this to check the air cell in the egg, which is an indicator of freshness and quality. It starts tiny when first laid and grows as the egg becomes older.”…