Whether it’s preparing his chickens for the Iverk show, helping his father or playing GAA, Evan Woods (12) hasn’t got a moment to spare as he enjoys his summer holidays before starting secondary school in De La Salle College, Waterford.

“I’m up at 7am every morning, checking for eggs, cleaning the chicken coops and making sure that the chickens have enough water and meal for the long, hot summer days,” says poultry fanatic Evan.

Evan started his chicken farm two years ago when he purchased two laying hens from a poultry farmer in New Ross. Today, he has 20 chickens, three ducks and enough eggs for the entire year.

“I enjoy having chickens; they’re cool and interesting animals and I love showing them to my friends, family and teachers,” says Evan.

Indeed, teachers often invite Evan to bring his chickens into school so that other students can learn about poultry and the work involved.

Rearing chickens isn’t just a hobby for Evan – he has achieved many awards in the local Iverk show and was crowned best poultry junior in 2014 and won largest hen for 2015.

“I started entering the Iverk show two years ago. It’s very exciting getting the chickens ready and seeing them on display in such a big show. On the show day, it’s a mix of nerves and anticipation to see whether the judges liked your entries,” he says.

“Preparing for the show can be fun, but very challenging. I have to wash them in soapy water, blow-dry their feathers, cut their nails and apply Vaseline on to their feet to make them perfect. Washing them sometimes proves difficult and oftentimes the house is destroyed with water, but luckily enough, Mammy is always there to lend a helping hand.”

For this year’s Iverk show, Evan plans to enter two Frizzle chickens, four Silkies and two Pekins.

“The Silkies have smooth feathers and the Pekins are great mothers, but my favourite would be the Frizzles. They are covered head to toe in unique feathers and I really like their shape and size,” says Evan.

Evan’s top tip for anyone considering entering the poultry section is to make sure to handle the chickens so that they are calm for the judges on show day. In the future, he plans to further increase his flock and hopes to travel around Ireland to showcase his feathered friends.

Iverk Show takes place in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, on Saturday 27 August. See www.iverkshow.ie for more. CL