James DeWitt and his chickens will be ruffling their feathers during the next four days at the Kentucky State Fair in hopes of being named a grand champion.
DeWitt begins competing today with 12 of what he calls "God's greatest creation."
This year will be the 26th that DeWitt has competed at the state fair. Last year, he was given a plaque by Kentucky State Fair officials honoring him for competing at the fair for 25 years.
DeWitt owns a farm with about 100 chickens of various colors, breeds and sizes.
DeWitt said he first became interested in chickens when he was a toddler. His first chicken, he said, was given to him by an elderly woman.
"At 16, girls got to bothering me and I got rid of them. When I married, that's the first thing I got.
"Chickens have always been my favorite creation. They're perfect. God's greatest creation. As long as you have some, you'll make it ... you have meat, eggs and reproduction. I don't know what I'd do without it."
After raising chickens for nearly three decades, DeWitt gave them up when his wife, Janie, died in 1999. Then, he said, he didn't know what to do.
"I didn't know what direction to go in."
After a few months, and going to a few chicken shows, DeWitt, 58, decided to start raising chickens again.
He said he realized that not raising chickens wasn't going to bring his wife back.
"She wouldn't have wanted me to quit."
DeWitt said raising chickens, like any hobby, can be expensive. However, the high cost hasn't convinced DeWitt to give up his hobby.
To prepare for competitions, DeWitt washes his chickens and dries their feathers with a hair dryer. He then uses an ointment on their faces and legs to make them shine.
Competitions, he said, begin with judges placing chickens of the same breed into categories, based on sex, color and age.
"Each is an individual."
Once winners from each category are chosen, he said, the competition gets down to the "nitty gritty."
The winners of each category are then judged and one chicken is chosen from each breed. Those chickens, DeWitt said, will then compete for the best variety award.
A grand champion and a reserve grand champion are typically chosen. Those winners, he said, usually get a trophy and some money.
DeWitt said he's been pretty successful at smaller competitions, but hasn't been able to win big at the state fair. He's received the best of breed award, but not the grand champion prize.
"I give it my best shot."
The judging process, DeWitt said, is a bit more complicated than people might think. Judges must attend a training school and become licensed. Then, he said, they must work as an apprentice under another judge for a while.
This year, DeWitt said, his chickens may compete against about 3,000 others. That number, he said, used to be around 8,000.
DeWitt thinks the number of competitors could be down because of high temperatures, high travel costs and the hardship of transporting chickens.
Transporting chickens in hot weather or on long distances, he said, could cause them to become sick or die.
Competitions, DeWitt said, are often like a family reunion, bringing together chicken enthusiasts from all over the United States.
Everyone wants to win, he said, but they all want to have a good time too.
"Through the years, I've met some wonderful people," he said. "[We've] become like a family."
After the competition is over, he said, some competitors may talk and have a meal together. They may also buy and sell a few chickens.
"A lot [of people] I may not see for another year or two. You never know."
DeWitt belongs to the Green River Poultry Club based in Brownsville, Ky. and several other poultry organizations. He has attended numerous shows in surrounding states, including Tennessee, Indiana and Illinois.
DeWitt has three daughters - Shannon Pike, Jackie Wright and Josie DeWitt. His daughters haven't expressed a huge interest in chickens, he said, but they have a few around for his grandchildren.
DeWitt recently became a parent again - to six baby chicks. After a few more are born, he said, he will likely not raise any more this year.
DeWitt has worked with the Taylor County School System for 38 years. Currently, he is head custodian at Taylor County Elementary School, though he is considering retiring in a couple of years.
"I'm ready to do something else. I'm ready for chickens and antiques."
Even if he picks up another hobby, DeWitt said he doubts he will ever give up raising chickens. Not hearing the sounds of them, he said, would seem strange.
"If I hear a noise, I look up. It's part of my world. I'm used to it. If I don't hear it, I think something's wrong."
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Just wow.... 
