The Texas A&M Poultry Judging Team claimed victory at the 58th National Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest, held in November 2024 at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. This marks the second consecutive year Texas A&M has secured the championship title at this event.

Texas A&M Fall 2024 Poultry Judging Team (back, left to right: Naomi Boysen, Cheyenne Pinkerton, Brett Meisinger, Karsyn Murray; front, left to right: Madison Perkins, Kailey Kulhanek, Jaime Hahn, Reagan Barnett)

Poultry evaluation builds a fundamental understanding of form and function of breeding and market animals. Students learn to critique conformation and general functionality related to modern-day poultry production standards. The team prepared for the contest through participation in the POSC 304 poultry evaluation course and rigorous practices outside of the classroom at the Texas A&M Poultry Science Research, Teaching, and Extension Center. The class focuses on training students in selection standards for meat and egg strains of poultry, grading standards for egg and live and ready-to-cook poultry. The travel team consists of the top five students from the course, with the top four students competing in the contest, and the top three scores counting towards the total team scores. The judging team competes in one national contest each semester.

Results

Team Awards:
• High Point Team Overall (+107 pts)
• High Point Team Division 2: Breeder Selection
• 2nd Place Team Division 1: Egg Production

Individual Awards:
• Reagan Barnett- High Individual Overall, 2nd Div. 2, 3rd Div. 1
• Kailey Kulhanek- 2nd High Individual Overall, 1st Div. 2, 1st Parts Grading
• Jaime Hahn- 4th High Individual Overall, 4th Div. 2, 9th Div. 1
• Madison Perkins- 8th in Div. 1
• Karsyn Murray- Alternate

The team's Head Coach is Brett Meisinger, Lecturer, and Assistant Coaches are Naomi Boysen and Cheyenne Pinkerton, both poultry science students and former national champion judging team members.

Meet the Team

Reagan Barnett '26
Reagan is from Katy, Texas. She has been judging for 6 years between her high school and collegiate experiences. She enjoys the competitive nature of judging and isn't afraid to take on a challenge head first. She enjoys leading sessions during departmental youth judging events she says that teaching helps her to understand different perspectives. In POSC 304 she enjoyed learning about the difference in desirable characteristics in market birds compared to breeder birds. Her favorite class to judge is carcasses.

Madison Perkins '27
Madison is from Gilmer, Texas and has been judging for 6 years. In high school, she participated in the Texas A&M Poultry Judging Summer Camps, and then this past summer was asked to be a session leader. As Madison transitioned to judging on a collegiate level, she said that broken-out eggs and pullets classes were a fun challenge to learn. She has enjoyed learning how the concepts and techniques used in judging are applied in the real world to ensure safe and high-quality food products. Madison's favorite class to judge is carcasses.

Karsyn Murray '25
Karsyn's hometown is Bay City, Texas, and she has 5 years of judging experience. She has enjoyed learning new concepts, such as judging other types of live birds including pullets and turkeys. Karsyn has found that the most challenging aspect of judging is to trust her instincts and not be too hard on herself. She accredits her passion for judging to her high school ag teacher, who motivated her to join the high school poultry judging team. Karsyn's favorite class to judge is egg products.

Kailey Kulhanek '26
Kailey is from Katy, Texas and she has 6 years of poultry judging experience. At a young age, she attended the Texas A&M Poultry Institute for Youth, which introduced her to the poultry industry. As a poultry science student, she assisted with the Texas A&M Poultry Judging Summer Camps for several years. Kailey enjoys the competitive nature and camaraderie of judging. In POSC 304 she found learning about culls to be the most interesting. Her favorite class to judge is carcasses.

Jaime Hahn '27
Jaime is from Katy, Texas and has been judging for 4 years. During high school, she attended several Texas A&M poultry judging clinics and contests that prepared her to judge on a collegiate level. Poultry judging was her introduction to agriculture and it ultimately motivated her to pursue a Poultry Science degree. Now that she assists with hosting judging events, she enjoys educating youth about poultry judging and how it relates to the industry. She has found judging live market and breeder birds to be the most interesting. Jaime's favorite class to judge is carcasses.

Fall 2024 Texas A&M Poultry Judging Team (left to right: Reagan Barnett, Kailey Kulhanek, Madison Perkins, Jaime Hahn, Karsyn Murray, Cheyenne Pinkerton, Brett Meisinger, and Naomi Boysen)