Elderslie High won it last year, but can the Macarthur region school it make it two in a row when the state wide “meat birds” competition is judged at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show.
As part of the competition, NSW schools today started receiving a special delivery of 14, one day old chicks.
Competition sponsor Steggles is supplying the chicks to participating schools.
Volunteers and students from three schools, including Elderslie High, have today been placing more than 1,000 chicks in ventilated boxes at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park.
The chicks were then couriered to the 75 schools taking part this year’s competition.
Students and their teachers who raise the chicks will then be permitted to enter one pair of male and one pair of female meat birds in the Poultry Show at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, which this year runs from March 23 until April 3.
Schools have all issued guarantees they have adequate facilities to raise the birds.
Participating schools have individually designed a food program for their birds aimed at maximising their growth in the six weeks leading up to the 2018 Sydney Royal Easter Show where their selected pairs will be judged.
The competition provides students with a glimpse into the poultry industry and works to dispel hormone myths surrounding chicken meat production.
The competition will be judged by an industry representative on the potential value of the birds exhibited to the commercial trade.
Poultry competitions have been a feature of Sydney Royal Easter Shows since 1858.
Last year the winner of the Steggles NSW Schools Meat Bird Competition in the in the female bird category was Elderslie High School, with country NSW school Wellington High School triumphing in the male category.
Both schools are again participating in the competition in 2018.
