Not long ago Conner spoke to about 100
Brock first-graders and their teachers about raising
chickens when they started their “egg to chick”
experience at school this year.
What’s the hardest part about showing poultry?
“Learning how to select the best birds to show
is the most difficult part of it,” he said. And,
what’s the best part?
“It’s getting to meet new people and traveling
to different places,” Conner said.
Conner has other interests beyond showing
livestock and growing his fledgling poultry business. He loves to team rope. He also enjoys showing other animals. Conner finds showing Dorper
Sheep to be “sheer pleasure.” He has had a lot
of success in showing them. In 2014, he won the
Junior Breeding Sheep Showmanship award at the
Houston Stock Show.
In 2015, he won Supreme Champion Ewe in
the Concho Pearl Futurity at the San Angelo Stock
Show, but poultry is where he sees his future.
Our guess is that Conner knows exactly where his
future success is and he’s not about to chicken
out.
Conner with First Graders
MAY 2016
Junior Showmanship, Houston
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
his plans for the future around.
“I want to study poultry science,” Conner said.
“Hopefully I’ll do that at Texas A&M or maybe Tarleton
State.”
“Conner just one day took an interest in chickens,”
said his mother, Devonna Cowdrey. “He shows some
bantams and some standards. But, he’s always doing
about poultry. He’s been pretty successful too. Last year
(2015) he won Grand Champion Show for Bantam and
Grand Champion Show Bird which is the top honor, at
the Parker County Youth Live Stock Show. He won with
a hen, a Brassy Back Old English.”
For very young, aspiring stock show participants,
Conner offers his best advice. ”Never be discouraged
if you don’t win at first,” he said. “Just keep trying
and never be afraid to seek help from adults or from
experts.”
Why Poultry?
“My dad showed poultry when he was young,”
Conner said.
“We always had chickens around here,” Devonna
Cowdrey said. “It’s something that Conner can do on
his own because of the size of the animal so he doesn’t
have to ask for help. He’s very independent.”
Conner recently won for Junior Poultry Showmanship
at the Parker County Fair.
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