The Northwestern Michigan Fair started Sunday and will continue through Saturday, Aug. 10.
Leelanau County youth are participating in some of the fair’s 4-H livestock shows, which are among the largest in the state. For these 4-H kids, the competitions are the culmination of more than half a year of hard work on their “animal projects.”
During exhibits, 4-H youth between five- and 19-years old walk around the arena with their animals. According to the fair schedule, they’re showing everything from swine and cattle to horses. But for Leelanau County’s 4-H program, goats and poultry were especially popular “animal projects” this year.
Some 4-H youth chose their animals in December 2023, but others – particularly the ones who want to compete for showmanship awards – have had their animals for much longer. Isabella Plamondon, 17, has had her light brahma rooster for four years. During that time, the rooster has grown from a chick to weighing between 11 and 12 pounds.
Plamondon and her peers will lead their animal projects around the ring in various exhibits between Sunday and Friday. The animals – and by extension, their handlers – will be judged by a panel on a variety of criteria, ranging from their weight to behavior.
Plamondon said that she’s been in Michigan State University (MSU) Leelanau County Extension’s 4-H Program for 11 years, and she’s been showing roosters at the fair for six years. She said that she’s been raising roosters at her home, and her responsibilities include giving them food and water, collecting their eggs, and cleaning their cages regularly, especially in the summer.
“Roosters are the best. They’re like little dogs. Some of them are actually like cats – they can be a little feisty. This one gave me this (scar) yesterday,” Plamondon said, pointing to a bird bite mark on her forearm. “It’s because he was doing his job. A chicken had gotten out and I was trying to catch her, and he thought I was trying to kill her, so he snapped at me a little bit.”
Another challenge of the 4-H animal projects is maintaining their health and hygiene. Plamondon said that some of their birds were infested with lice and mites earlier this year, and to cure them, they had to apply Pestene powder and wash them twice, two weeks apart – “it’s a lot to do with all of your birds!” she said.
Isabella is also being joined at the fair by her younger brother Jaxson Plamondon this year, who is showing an old English game hen bantam — a much smaller bird. The Wednesday before the fair, the Plamondons gathered at the Oosse family farm in Lake Leelanau with the other 4-H kids to get ready for the show.
The farm is owned by Steve and Linda Oosse, whose son, JC Oosse, is showing a porcelain d’uccle rooster. Nine kids from Leelanau County are participating in the 4-H livestock shows this year, including the Plamondons and Oosse.
Stephanie Steffens, a 4-H youth leader, explained that both the animals and the kids will be under a lot of pressure from July 31 through Aug. 11. In the four days leading up to the fair, participants started moving things to the fairgrounds, which are at 3606 Blair Town Hall Rd. in Traverse City.
To get the animals ready for show, Steffens explained that 4-H youth have been bringing them to “petting zoos” at local libraries and other public places.
“We’re getting the kids used to handling them more. Because it becomes dull and very humdrum when you’re at home by yourself, but when you’re a bunch of other kids, you tend to do more with our animals,” Steffens said.
“You kind of have to desensitize the animal too. They’re going to get very overwhelmed if they’ve never been a crowded space or had kids reaching in to touch them when they’re out,” Plamondon added. “They could get very stressed, and they can die from that stress.”
The 4-H club didn’t check-in their animals until the day before the fair. Most species needed to be checked in between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. The awards program and 'celebration of champions' are scheduled for Saturday and the animals with their handlers leave the fairgrounds Sunday.
