Poultry plucked from Deschutes County Fair

Most birds of a feather will not flock together at this year’s Deschutes County Fair.

Fair administrators recently announced all poultry will be banned from show, with the exception of pigeons and doves.

The decision to pluck the birds from the fair comes in the wake of the widespread and devastating avian bird flu that has rocked the nation — according to U.S.A. Today, an estimated 45 million birds in 15 states have died — leading to billions of dollars in economic loss.

In February the flu hit 90 birds in a farm coop near Tumalo.

Canceling the chicken shows is expected to affect about 50 kids who typically participate.

“I was speechless,” said Redmond High FFA member Kaleb Walker, who shows turkeys. “I was kind of disappointed because I was afraid I was not going to be able to go to fair at all, and I’ve been training for a long time.”

Walker said when he learned poultry was out, he quickly made plans to show a sheep instead.

Although the avian bird flu is harmless to humans and other animals, it can spread quickly among birds and end deadly.

“We were all pretty upset but we knew it was for a good reason,” said La Pine 4-H member Sage Confer Tuesday. “It would be my first year competing in herdsmanship and showing a bird that I was used to, and I had a bunch of new birds that I was going to take, so I was pretty excited.”

Sage said she will show her new pigeons instead.

“I was lucky to get them when I did,” Sage said. “The pigeons are going to be learning process.”

Pigeons and doves are allowed at the fair because they do not spread the flu to other birds.

Deschutes County 4-H Program Coordinator Candi Bothum told NewsChannel 21 she and a couple other fair administrators made the decision last week.

“I’m disappointed for (the kids), but I also think most understand that we want to protect those flocks for years to come, as well as any part of the industry in Central Oregon.”

She said she and others are trying to come up with a replacement show for poultry participants.

“Maybe a quiz bowl, those knowledge kind of things,” Bothum. “Maybe a poultry-judging contest that won’t include actual birds, but include other things about poultry.”

Fair officials with Jefferson and Crook counties have meeting in the coming weeks to decide whether they will also ban poultry from the shows.

Bothum said she and other fair leaders made the decision to ban the poultry with guidance from the state veterinarian.