Lillian Broschart (top, left) listens to instructions from the judge of the Youth Poultry Division at the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg. Lillian (above) holds her favorite rooster, Smoke, and the second-place ribbon she won telling the judge everything about the peculiar mixed-breed bird.
Story by Rick Hiduk / Photos courtesy PA Dept. of Ag. and Lynn Broschart
(Originally published in the Sullivan Review)
For the past three years, Sullivan County has been represented in the Youth Poultry Division at the Pennsylvania Farm Show by Lillian Broschart. She has also consistently been bringing home ribbons. This year, the Wyalusing Elementary School fifth grader picked up a second-place in Showmanship.
The Sullivan County 4-H member raises chickens and other livestock on the family’s property in Overton Township and has had as many as 22 at a time until she lost a few to foxes. In 4-H, Lillian takes part in a wide range of activities, including archery and expressive arts camps. Her cousins, Morgan, Maddy and Korie Broschart are also 4-H members, as is Lillian’s younger sister, Lydia. The cousins and siblings share similar interests and also show livestock at the Sullivan County Fair.
“Lilly’s commitment to chicken showing enhances her personal growth and makes her a commendable role model for other 4-H members,” said Lillian’s 4-H leader Tamara Heess.
But the poultry exhibition circuit has undergone some changes recently to which Lillian and other showers have had to adapt. Due to avian influenza, showing of live poultry at county fairs and events like the PA Farm Show has been prohibited for the last two years. Lillian was able to take several chickens with her in 2022, winning ribbons with both roosters and hens.
For the past two years, however, she has only been permitted to take photos of her foul, and this year she took eight. She was cheered on at the Farm Show by Lydia and her parents, Lynn and John Broschart.
For the showmanship competition, the judge asked Lillian to select her favorite bird and tell him everything that she knew about it. She chose a rooster called Smokey, named by cousin Morgan for his light gray plumage. Smokey is a crossbreed of a silkie and a frizzle, referred to as a “sizzle.” His feathers resemble fur, and it takes a second or third glance to be sure which end is up.
Lillian has learned a lot about chickens over the years, so she can easily articulate not only the breeding history of her birds but also how she cares for each of them, their diets, and what types of combs they have. Her penchant for math is clear when she starts breaking down the percentages of minerals like sulfur, phosphorus, and calcium in their feed.
“I’ve gotten used to having no chicken to show,” Lillian said of competitive events of late. “So I just kept practicing what I was going to say right up to the Farm Show.
“Lilly’s dedication to the chicken project despite the bans on traditional poultry shows because of avian flu has proven that she is a shining example of unwavering commitment and passion within our 4-H community,” Heess asserted. “Lilly has shown that she is dedicated to the poultry project and provides meticulous care and a genuine enthusiasm for her birds.”