On February 23, I went to the State Avian Bowl Qualifier in Fresno with my team to represent Ventura County. Our team name was the “Bird Nerds.” Our team included Scarlet James, our Captain, Olivia Willoughby, and myself, Sammy Belik. Scarlet and Olivia are in Santa Rosa 4-H club, and I am in Conejo Simi 4-H club. 

Avian Bowl is an avian knowledge contest. My team studied for two to three months to get ready. We learned about many things including Raising Game Birds, Eggcyclopedia, and Avian Body Systems. In Eggcyclopedia I learned that a scotch egg is a hard boiled egg, covered in sausage, breaded, and deep fried! My favorite subject was Contributions of Poultry to the Development of Science where I learned things like where B-Lymphocytes come from and what an attenuated vaccine is. There are two divisions in the contest, the Juniors and the Seniors. The Seniors that win first place in the Qualifier get to go to Kentucky to represent California at the National Avian Bowl.

The rules are strict, so it was very hard, and it made me very nervous until we started playing. The rounds are twelve questions each with a bonus question if everyone on your team answers a question correctly. We can't talk to our teammates unless it is a bonus question. It was double elimination, but our team was undefeated! We won first place out of all the Juniors and earned belt buckles. At the end, we played Junior Champions vs Senior Champions twice. And still we were undefeated! Our team is going to Orange County fair next to compete in Avian Bowl.  

I started doing avian bowl two years ago at Ventura County Fair when I had never studied before, so it's okay to be a beginner and start at Ventura County Fair. This year the Fair won't be able to allow show birds because of the New Castle outbreak, but there will be an avian bowl. It's really fun! Everyone should try it!