Although Brayden Selgeby didn’t have any poultry experience when he signed up to compete in the poultry evaluation career development event (CDE), he quickly found his niche.
Selgeby first learned about the event through the Neosho FFA Chapter’s CDE Fair at his Missouri high school. At the time, he thought it might be an interesting avenue to learn about poultry production, management, processing and marketing. It didn’t take long for 18-year-old Selgeby to realize he had an unexpected talent for evaluating poultry.
“Once [preparing for the competition] started, I knew I had an eye for it and a chance at being good if I stuck with it,” he says.
Passion Meets Purpose
With the support of Neosho FFA advisor John Littlefield, Selgeby learned how to evaluate eggs and grade chicken carcasses and parts for common imperfections. He also deepened his understanding of the poultry industry, including possible career paths.
In total, Selgeby spent nine months studying for written exams and practicing evaluations to prepare for competitions. The effort paid off — he won district and state contests and was named the national top participant winner in the 2023 National FFA Poultry Evaluation CDE, which took place during the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo last October.
Neosho FFA teammates Aiden Long (left), Brayden Selgeby (second from left), Maelyn Wright (second from right) and Caleb Loncarich (right) compete in the National FFA poultry evaluation CDE competition.
“I was in shock,” he recalls. “It didn’t sink in at first.”
Littlefield, however, was less surprised that Selgeby took home a national championship.
“Brayden is a tremendously bright young man,” Littlefield says. “He’s a competitor and had a determination to get after it. He’s quite capable of setting the world on fire.”
Selgeby is currently attending Missouri State University in Springfield as an animal science major and plans to transfer to the University of Arkansas for his senior year to earn a poultry science degree. This dual degree program will allow him to earn two bachelor of science degrees in four years and put him one step closer to his dream career in the poultry industry.
“With those degrees, I can do anything I want. I could go into nutrition, embryology, poultry production, business — there are so many potential opportunities,” he says. “The CDEs are great avenues to give competitors an idea of what the [agriculture] industry is about and careers within in it. If you apply yourself, you’ll be surprised at what you can do.”
Learn by Doing
As you explore National FFA CDEs, consider competing in poultry evaluation. The 2024 national competition is sponsored by FFA corporate partners Cargill, Tractor Supply Co. and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.
