Del Mar Fair Theme May Shed Some Light on an Age-Old Fowl Question

The roosters heard crowing Friday at the main entrance to the Del Mar Fair were more than appropriate for Opening Day. After all, the theme of the fair is a tribute to the poultry and egg industry--”Get crackin’ . . . It’s all for you!”

But not even these perky poultry products could shed light on the day’s most puzzling question: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Certainly, the fair seemed like the right place to go for an answer. Once through the entrance and past the stroller rentals to the right, a wall of “Eggformation”--facts about the San Diego County poultry industry--offered some hope.

A close look revealed such statistics as the number of hens in the county (4.7 million) and the amount of eggs each one lays a year (274). But nowhere was there a clue about which came first.

Officials Hesitant

Even fair officials were hesitant to hazard a guess. A “cosmic clue,” though, might be in the setup of the poultry exhibits, a fair spokesman said. The first exhibit encountered is a hatchery. Chicks can be seen hatching from eggs kept under a heat lamp. Other livestock exhibits offer a look at everything from fancy pigeons to llamas to miniature horses.

The fair, which runs through July 4, also features a “Fun Zone” of two roller coasters, a water ride and a giant Ferris wheel; a garden and flower show; nearly 600 product concessions; and seven stages for music, dancing and contests.

For those who favor the livestock exhibits, a short distance from the poultry hatchery, older chicks peck here and there at the probing fingers of children. The smell in the barn exhibits might have daunted a few, but sounds and behavior of the animals amused most.

Blow-Dried Sheep

Outside the sheep exhibits, a few sheep were being blow-dried. The sheep had been showered and their hair was being fluffed up in preparation for shearing. One of them apparently looked cute enough to kiss, which a woman did on the nose.

In another barn, “Samantha,” a female limousin beef cow, wasn’t as accommodating. “Just when people say how nice she looks, she starts acting up,” said handler Melissa Veik. The cow was aggressively trying to get loose from her tether on a post in the barn.

Eric Denman, 7, prefers to brave some of the fair’s scariest rides. Enticed by the exhortations of a disc jockey at the “Orbiter”--a whirring ride accompanied by blaring music--he eagerly stepped forward.

“It’s chicken time,” the disc jockey challenged.

Eric’s cousin Alexandra, 7, wasn’t about to accept. Alexandra wanted to head over to the water slide.

“She’s a scaredy-cat,” said her mother, Sarah. “She’s a cautious kid. Her father says it’s a sign of intelligence.”

Eric Was Turned Loose

After a few minutes of spinning around and around in a small cubicle at a frightening speed, Eric was turned loose, sort of. He climbed out of the compartment “a little dizzy” and forgot where the ride’s exit was. So, he left the way he came in--the entrance.

“It was great,” he said, ready to try another ride.

Danielle Thompson, 3, and her brother, Jason, 6, had feather designs painted on their faces while waiting for business at the rides to pick up a bit.

“Don’t say anything to grandma and grandpa when you see them and see what they say,” said their mother, Sheryl. She has visited the fair the past 14 years and said she would bring her children again later in the fair’s run when the kids’ competitions are held.

The squeals of delight from Michael Provder, 6, were directed toward “Eggbert,” a walking California Fresh Egg. Michael tugged at his grandfather’s arm to go and meet the egg. “Eggbert” was dressed, of course, in California attire--brightly colored surfer shorts, visor and sunglasses.

Perfect Source to Answer Question

Here, at last, seemed the perfect source to answer the eternal poultry question: The chicken or the egg?

Via an interpreter, his answer: “The egg, of course.”

The fair is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The exhibits are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

TODAY AT THE FAIR

9 a.m.--Poultry judging (PP&R; Barn)

Noon--Sculpture by L. Mann (Art Show)

2 p.m.--The Drifters (Grandstand)

3 p.m.--Breed horse demo (Ring No. 1)

4 p.m.--Latin Dance Competition (Community Stage)

7 p.m.--Barber Shop Chorus (Community Stage)

7:30 p.m.--Bo Diddley (Grandstand)

8 p.m.--Turning Point (Calico Stage)

Fair hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. (11 p.m. Friday-Saturday). Fun Zone is open until midnight. Admission: $5 (includes parking); children 6-12, $1; under 6, free; senior citizens, $2.50.