By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Poultry judge Keith Staggs (left) evaluates the broiler entries during the recent Lamar County Junior Livestock Show. Staggs shares his 20+ years of poultry raising and showing knowledge with young exhibitors at every show he works. -- Staff photo by Kramer

May 11, 2006 - Keith Staggs, 35, of Kingwood has two jobs. He is the national accounts manager for Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, but it is his second “job” that he has a passion for.

Staggs spends about 45 days a year away from home judging poultry shows. It’s a connection he has had since he was 9-years-old when he first began raising show chickens.

He became so involved with poultry that he went on to become a member of the Texas A&M University poultry judging team, and eventually obtained a bachelor of science degree in poultry science in 1994.

Staggs said that as a member of A&M’s poultry judging team he began to judge three or four shows a year, and each year he judged more and more shows.

While announcing his decision for placings, judge Keith Staggs kneels down and has the exhibitors gather around following a recent competition in Northeast Texas. He spent several minutes discussing how the competitors could learn from the experience and improve their birds. Staggs offered various bits of education to the exhibitors he has gained from decades of experiences. -- Staff photo by Kramer

But it is not the judging that makes the experience worthwhile for Staggs, it is working with children all around Texas. In contrast to judges who cast their decisions and leave, Staggs said he takes time to make the showing process educational. That is most important to him.

“It’s an educational-based program,” he said. “The learning doesn’t stop when you get to the show.”

He said children raising the poultry he judges come from all sorts of backgrounds and areas. Some are better prepared for the show ring than others.

“Each county will have those (children) that get the information,” he said. “But the hardest part is working with the kids who didn’t have the information they needed (to be successful), and explaining to them why they didn’t do well.”

In more than 15 years of judging, Staggs has worked with plenty of children who could use some help, that is why, in his mind, education should go hand-in-hand with showing. He has developed a positive way to handle the inexperienced group of poultry raisers he meets from time to time.

“I try to single them out and encourage them to try to learn something new and come back next year,” he said. Staggs believes the only way for children to be successful with their poultry is to know what they have done right and what they have done wrong, a few things he tries to point out and address.

After each show, Staggs sits down with exhibitors as a group and explains how the birds were placed. After spending several minutes with the group, he announces his placings. Later, he spends time with small groups and individual children, offering advice and some food for thought.

When judging, ultimately, Staggs is examining the length and width of the breast, body depth,  and how much taper is evident towards the end of the breast. According to Staggs, he judges based on what the poultry industry desires, so the best thing an exhibitor can do is be aware of the bigger picture.

“Get in there and learn and keep up with what the industry is doing,” he recommended.

He said often exhibitors take unnecessary actions before the show.

“A lot of people think they have to bathe and clean their birds,” he said. In reality, the cleanliness of the bird does not matter. Staggs said there are more important details that show poultry raisers should be addressing.

To help explain those details and offer, yet, more education, Staggs has written an educational manual for the children.

The manual, he said, outlines and details every step young exhibitors should take when raising show birds. It includes information on feeding, lighting, ventilation, and how much time should be spent with the birds. His own daughter, who is 11-years-old, uses the manual when raising her show birds. 

Sticking true to the belief that access to information is important to showing, Staggs hands the manuals out for free. At every show he judges, any child who wants a copy of the typewritten manual can take one home.

The lack of information, or Staggs said, the unwillingness to ask for it, can sometimes cause disappointment for exhibitors in the show ring. But through education, Staggs hopes to make the bad days at the show a little better for those who do not fare as well as others. 

“I think it’s the time that I spend with the kids,” he said of why he is requested to judge shows.

And though Staggs said  he has noticed the poultry show entries shrinking over the last few years because children are choosing to show other animals, he said he will continue to judge “as long as they’ll let me.”

So, why does a man with a “day job” chose to spend 45 days a year away from home judging show projects and chatting with children?

“I love it. It’s an opportunity to work with the kids,” he explained. “It’s my connection back to education and youth.”