Massachusetts 4-H Triumphs at the National Avian Bowl
The team of Zack, Margaret, and Claire perform at the Avian Bowl.
Raising chickens isn’t just for farmers anymore. Many people have taken the plunge and enjoy their own fresh eggs. But do these newbies understand all the finer points of raising chickens?
If not, they could consult with a 4-H’er — ideally Zack Zawalski, 19, Claire Turpel, 17, or Margaret Turpel, 17, who traveled to Louisville, Kentucky in November 2023 to participate in the Avian Bowl at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference.
According to team coach Debbie Seale, this was only the second time Massachusetts 4-H had competed in the Avian Bowl. After competing in 2019, 4-H’s poultry participation was thwarted both by COVID-19 and the 2021-22 Avian Flu.
To prepare for the Bowl, Zack, Claire, Margaret, and Debbie met via Zoom once or twice per week for five months. The three contestants divided up 75 pages of a manual to study. The content included information about eggs (“the egg-cyclopedia”), turkeys, cooking, and chicken breeds such as Jersey Giants and New Hampshire Reds.
The team practiced with quiz buzzers ahead of time, said Debbie. They increased their preparation time after the completion of the 2023 4-H fair Though learning the material itself was difficult, the most challenging part is that participants must phrase their answers exactly according to the manual’s wording, explained Debbie.
The trip to Louisville included sightseeing (the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and Churchill Downs) as well as Bowl time. “It was fantastic,” said Zack. “It was the first time I went to the grounds…it was huge.”
On Wednesday, all teams took a written test for seeding purposes in the competition. Zack, Claire, and Margaret were seeded eighth out of 15 teams.
In the first round the following day, Massachusetts 4-H defeated the #1 seeded Minnesota team. “A team can be defeated twice before they are eliminated from the competition,” explained Debbie. “We made it quite a ways before we were eliminated. The kids returned very happy. They felt really good about it.”
The team achieved fifth place in the Bowl and were recognized at an evening banquet honoring the top six teams. The team received a bronze pin and a cash bonus.
The 2023 Massachusetts 4-H Avian Bowl team is flanked by former 4-H Animal Program Manager Carrie Sears and Team Coach Debbie Seale.
While the team gained poultry knowledge by participating in the Avian Bowl, they learned many other things. Zack said he learned how to work as a team member over Zoom. Claire cited the importance of preparation. “I learned a lot about different ways to study and what worked best for me,” she explained.
Margaret, meanwhile, came to understand the real-world applications behind poultry facts. “I learned about how important poultry is to our society as a whole, and how many people are employed by the poultry industry,” she explained. “That was a big lesson.”
Before competing in the Avian Bowl, Zack had participated in 4-H for 10 years. He initially joined a poultry club in Belchertown, then moved to the Seek ‘n Discover 4-H Club. Zack has participated in poultry shows. Since earning his high school diploma, Zack is working part time and taking classes at Greenfield Community College. In the future, he would like to own and operate a farm.
Claire has shown chickens and rabbits at the Topsfield Fair as a member of the Rabbit & Cavy 4-H Club, in which she has also served as an officer. A 4-H Ambassador, Claire has represented Massachusetts at National Conference and National Congress. Claire is a senior at Masconomet Regional High School and hopes to eventually work with athletes as a dietitian.
Margaret, also a senior at Masconomet, participates in the Rabbit & Cavy 4-H Club. With a focus on public speaking, Margaret has participated in Visual Presentations, National Conference, National Congress, and the Ignite Summit. Like Claire, she has served as a 4-H Ambassador. In 2023, Margaret approached her state representatives and advocated for Bill H.447, An Act Relative to Supporting Student Participation in 4-H Programs, which is currently locked in committee. Margaret hopes to pursue a degree in political science next year.
As 4-H’ers may only participate in the Avian Bowl once, this adds to the conference’s unique experience. “It made me appreciate 4-H,” said Margaret. “It has opened up new avenues and interests away from school. It was really fun.”
