The 52nd Northeast Poultry Congress clucks into town
The Northeastern Poultry Congress (NEPC) celebrated its 52nd year this January. People flocked to the free family-friendly show at the Eastern States Exposition Center in West Springfield, MA, to see and buy poultry.
Karen MacPherson of Middleton, MA, is a volunteer and self-proclaimed enthusiastic participator who has been attending the NEPC for over 35 years.
“It’s the biggest poultry show in the Northeast. It’s run by volunteers a terrific turnout of people who are so loyal to this show and have been loyal for decades. We couldn’t do it without them,” said MacPherson. “I started when my son Travis was in 4-H. I ended up with more birds than he did.”
Her daughter Brenda MacPherson shows birds too. Karen and Brenda run the photo judging contest.
“The hall is decorated, very festive … The person who provides and gives out the prizes does a great job – gives out copper cups, belt buckles, something different every year,” said MacPherson. Winning chickens wait in a row of cages called Champion Row for ribbons.
MacPherson started out with chickens but now raises and shows Sebastopol geese, owning a flock of 12. “They are the ones with the curly feathers. They are just gorgeous. The original color is white, which I have. People cross-breed them to produce gray, buff and saddlebacks.”
According to the Livestock Conservancy, Sebastopols were named after the Russian city and imported to the U.S. before the 1900s. They are on their list of threatened heritage breeds (livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/conservation-priority-list). Their curly feathers make them vulnerable to cold, wet and windy weather as compared to other geese breeds. Known to be very friendly, albeit shy, they make excellent pets as they are less aggressive than other geese.
MacPherson noted that Sebastopols can live to be 20 years old and weigh 12 to 15 lbs. Her oldest Sebastopol, George, turns 16 in April. She bought him at a day old from a breeder in Oregon. “Coast to coast,” she said. “A long way to fly at only a day old.”
George appointed himself as the unofcial greeter at the NEPC. “He tries to have people stop and talk to him. The more they talk, the more he continues the conversation,” laughed MacPherson.
Unfortunately, this year, George and other exhibitors’ waterfowl could not attend the NEPC because of the concerns about avian flu, per regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Hope was held out until shortly before the show that the ban would be lifted. In all the 35 years of MacPherson’s attending the NEPC, “I don’t remember it happening before.”
She said, “A lot of people keep their geese on a pond. Then wild geese go on the pond and they get infected.”
If a flock has been tested and conrmed to have avian flu, the flock must be depopulated, according to guidelines on mass.gov/info-details/avian-inuflenza.
MacPherson has a little manmade pond for her geese but they don’t like it because it has no bottom they can reach to nibble on. They prefer kiddie pools.
American Bantam Association (ABA) Licensed Judge Craig Rounsaville from Princeton, Texas, was on hand at the NEPC.
Three-year-old Rowan Chicoine has been showing for two years. She was exhibiting Old English Bantams. She is growing up in a multi-generational farming family.
Kim Houde has been showing for 25 years. She attended NEPC with her heritage breed Sicilian Buttercup cock named King.
On view at the NEPC were Faverolles of USA, the New England Bantam Club (NEBC), Seremas, Ayam Ceramis, turkeys, pigeons and many others.
James Maynard of North Kingston, RI, won Best of Breed and Best Comb Award for Nankins, announced on Facebook by the Nankin Club of America.
Ethan Pullen grew up as a Junior exhibitor at NEPC and is now a computer programmer. Using his amassed knowledge of poultry shows, he created a program to streamline the tedious task of recording results for show secretaries and the clerks assisting judges that made its debut at NEPC this year.
“It was very well received,” said MacPherson.
Sophia Bulotsky of Sherborn, MA, started breeding Silkies three years ago. MDAR-certified, she is able to breed and sell them in Massachusetts through her Instagram business BlueSkyChickens. She has attended NEPC twice before. She hasn’t shown at the NEPC but won Best of Variety at the New England Bantam Club Show in Carver, MA, last autumn.
This 2025 UMass graduate with a bachelor’s in animal science is steering toward becoming a chicken vet. With skills honed through her second Instagram business, Cookies by Sophia, she baked dozens of beautifully decorated chicken cookies to hand out to fellow chicken enthusiasts at the NEPC.
Shows like NEPC provide education and outreach, inspiring chicken owner wannabes and longtime owners across generations. For more information access nepoultryshows.com/northeastern-poultry-congress or Nepoultryshows.com.
by Laura Rodley
