A wide variety of rabbits and poultry were on display Friday morning in Auxvasse.
The seventh annual Callaway Youth Expo continued course on the penultimate day of the five-day exposition. Friday opened with another pair of species shows that were judged quite differently than the other shows. While goats, sheep and pigs are judged on performance and appearance, rabbits and poultry are judged solely on appearance and health.
"This contest is more of a learning experience than anything," said poultry show participant Monroe Howard, 11, of Fulton.
Howard explained how poultry are graded on the condition of their feathers, their natural color and the structure of their feet. He has been raising his rooster since its adoption and has shown it the past three years at the expo.
"This chicken isn't that great, it's not that bad either," Howard said about his Rhode Island Red rooster.
For both shows, the two categories were breeding, focused on the animal's general health, and market, based on their meat value. The categories were broken into various classes dependent on the age and breed of the animals. Best-in-class winners faced off at the end of their respective categories to determine who were the grand champions and the runner-up reserve champions.
"My grandpa breeds the rabbits but I take care of them," said rabbit show participant Clara Underwood, 11, of New Bloomfield.
Underwood explained that preparing rabbits for the show is the top priority beforehand. The rabbit judging involved an examination of their fur quality, the condition of their feet and a weigh-in. In Underwood's third year showing rabbits, she maintained her rabbit's fur quality and took it to a local veterinarian to make sure everything checked out before the show.
"You have to practice with (the rabbits) a lot just to make sure they're comfortable," said Underwood, whose rabbit finished in fifth place.
Volunteers Joy Krumm and husband Jeff have been running the rabbit and poultry show for longer than she can recall.
"Some of these kids raise their animals and take care of them all year, and this the big time to see how well they took care of them," Krumm said.
The Callaway Youth Expo wrapped up Saturday at the Lions Club Park in Auxvasse.