The chicks will arrive at the school tomorrow morning and will be cared for and fed by students over a six week period before judging takes place in April. 

Students will be guided through how to raise the chickens, paying close attention to heat, feed and water, as well as housing them in a safe, spacious and solid construction with enclosed areas to move freely during the day and roost at night.

READ ALSO: Narooma agriculture students rear chicks for Sydney Royal Easter Show, 2018

Students will then select their heaviest and healthiest two male and two female chickens to be judged. The top 12 finalist birds will be on display at the Steggles Poultry Pavilion at the show.

The chickens will be judged by experts who will critique their presentation and carcass quality.

Students will also prepare a PowerPoint presentation detailing how the meat birds were raised and prepared for the show. 

There are 86 schools in NSW participating in the Meat Bird Pairs competition. Over the past nine years the program has seen over 10,000 day-old chicks raised and cared for by secondary students across NSW.

“The Meat Bird Pairs competition gives high school students a relevant and meaningful agricultural industry experience,” agriculture general manager Murray Wilton of the Sydney Royal Easter Show said.

“We are proud to be able to help provide an opportunity for students to learn about Australian farming practices in a practical way.”