Animal Science Rules

General Animal Science Rules 

Livestock/Animal General Rules and Guidelines: 

1. Pen, Tie, and Tack Assignments: Pen, tie, and tack assignments will be made by a committee of large animal superintendents and office staff the week before fair. Pens and ties will take precedence over tacks. Clover Kids are not allowed a pen of their own. Emphasis will be placed on keeping clubs together if submitted by deadline July 1st.
2. Check-In & Check-Out: Animals may not arrive more than 24 hours prior to animal check-in time. All animals need to stay for the entire week. If wanting to remove sooner, exhibitors must contact the superintendent for permission. Market animals may not check out until after the Livestock Sale. 
3. Back Tags: Back tags with individual 4-H member numbers MUST be worn during ALL events in which competing. Exhibitors may pick up their back tags in the 4-H Building on Monday, during Static Exhibit Check- In. Those competing in Horse, Cat and Dog Shows may pick up their number during check in of those events. Back tags will also be available at the Extension Office one week prior to Fair, so they can be laminated in advance. Safety pins are the responsibility of the exhibitor. EXHIBITORS WILL ONLY BE ISSUED 2 BACK TAGS FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK OF FAIR.
4. Livestock Tags: Tags for Beef and Swine are available at the Nebraska Extension Office. Members are allowed three, free tags per species and will be charged $1.00 for additional tags. Livestock tags need to be in animals ears when they come across the scale at species initial weigh ins. 
5. Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA): Any 4-H youth, ages 8-18, enrolled in a livestock project including beef, dairy cattle, dairy goat, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep, and swine are required to complete three modules online or attend the in-person YQCA training by JUNE 15th!
6. Ownership of Animals & Poultry: All animals and poultry in the 4-H Show must be owned by the exhibitor who entered it. Horse lease arrangements are acceptable, but must be certified on the appropriate forms in the Extension Office. Ownership affidavits for beef, horse, sheep, swine, dairy, companion, exotic, and meat goats, must be submitted to the Extension Office by June 15th. ID’s will be checked on entry day.
7. Showmanship: An exhibitor must use their own animal for the showmanship class and the animal must be entered and shown in a market, breeding, stocker feeder, or bucket/bottle class. 
8. Unruly or Uncontrollable Animals: An animal that becomes wild and uncontrollable during the fair or show may be declared ineligible by the division Superintendent.
9. Animal Testing and Examination: Any animal entered in 4-H classes that are tampered with by unusual means to change appearance or weight may be declared ineligible by review of Superintendents, 4-H Executive Council and Nebraska Extension staff. If necessary, the cost of testing will be the responsibility of the exhibitor if an infraction is documented.
10. Substitute Showman: An animal must be shown by the 4-H owner who entered it unless the exhibitor is excused by the division Superintendent because of serious illness, disability due to an injury (e.g. broken arm or leg) or conflict with other livestock classes. An exhibitor who has more than one animal in a class needs to secure approval for another 4-H member, eligible to exhibit livestock, to show the additional animal in the class. Substitute showmen must be a 4-H member exhibiting in one of the livestock shows at the Dawes County 4-H Fair.
11. Dress Code: 4-H livestock and small animal exhibitors (excluding horse) are required to wear a plain white shirt (collar button only may be left undone) OR an official Dawes County 4-H T-Shirt, blue jeans (no holes), and hard-soled shoes or boots. Dairy and dairy goat exhibitors may wear dark blue jeans or white pants. No club identification, hats, caps or other types of headgear are to be worn. Neckties are permissible in horse events only. Horse exhibitors are required to follow the dress code outlined in the official 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide. Dress code violation reduces placing by one ribbon. 4-H armbands will be required to be worn by all Horse exhibitors. These are available for purchase in the Extension Office or can be borrowed on the day of the horse show.
12. Market Animals to be Shown at State Fair: MUST have hair samples for DNA on file along with an EID Tag. Deadline for DNA is June 15th. Pre-entry deadline for the State Fair and Ak-Sar-Ben is August 10^th, 8 P.M Central Time.
13. Rate of Gain Contest: Calculated as follows: pounds gained divided by number of days on feed. Days on feed will be the number of days from initial weigh in to the date of weigh in at the county fair. Rate of Gain results will be posted immediately following announcing winners during species show.
14. Grooming of Livestock:

• Preparation and grooming of an animal should be the primary responsibility of the exhibitor, however, assistance may be provided by other 4-H or FFA exhibitors, immediate family members or another person acting in a mentoring and teaching capacity. Exhibitors shall not add materials, natural or synthetic, which extend body shapes beyond normal limits.
• Upon violation of above rules, the4-H member's animal involved may be lowered one or two ribbon placing(s) or may be disqualified from the show.

15. Breaking market classes into weight divisions: Superintendents for each species are responsible with the general rule being a minimum of four animals per class.
16. Reweighs: Exhibitors will be allowed to weigh their market animals only once. Exceptions can be made by Superintendents if there are mechanical malfunctions of the scale but the animal must be backed off the scale and immediately reweighed. Animals should be clean (excessive mud, manure, etc. removed) for weigh-in.
17. Health Requirements: All exhibitors must comply with the respective Livestock Health Requirements. All livestock are subject to examination, upon arrival, for evidence of infectious or contagious diseases, open wounds and other animal health concerns and if such is found, they will not be allowed entrance onto the grounds. Diseased or injured animals may be removed from the grounds upon a recommendation of a veterinarian.

• Under no circumstances may animals under quarantine be exhibited.
• Only animals not showing signs of infectious or contagious diseases will be allowed to show. Animals with active ringworm, lesions, visible warts, dermatitis or abscesses will not be allowed on the grounds or allowed to show.

18. MINIMUM/MAXIMUM WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS:

• Market Beef: Steers – 1,150 lbs./1,800 lbs.; Heifers – 1,050 lbs./1,700 lbs.
• Market Sheep: 100 lbs./180 lbs.
• Market Swine: 220 lbs./350 lbs.
• Market Goat: 50 lbs./ 120 lbs.  

Herdsmanship Contest: 

General Rules: 

1. Herdsmanship duties are the responsibility of exhibitors rather than leaders and parents.
2. Herdsmanship begins with the check-in of livestock and ends with the clean-up after the Fair.
3. 4-H Members are responsible for their animal(s) at all times. Animals are on display to promote 4-H and proper animal handling.
4. Judges will be anonymous.
5. Scoring: 100 points possible each day with a maximum of 500 Points.

• 25 Points Animals – clean at all times with proper grooming, feeding, bedding and care apparent.
• 10 Points Stalls – clean and neat, bedding clean and fresh, feed and feed pans/buckets clean and in place. Stalls and pens must be cleaned before 9:00 a.m. each day.
• 10 Points Tack and Feed Area – kept clean and neatly arranged, fork handles, and similar equipment kept down.
• 25 Points Alley – Exhibitors’ share of alley area kept clean. Wheelbarrows and equipment kept from aisle. Alleys must be swept by 9:00 a.m. each day.
• 25 Points Exhibitors – Proper courtesy and conduct shown by exhibitors at all times including with the public and other exhibitors. Need to be near animal so as to answer questions about your project, unless otherwise showing.
• 05 Points Promotion – Ribbons/award stickers and signs displayed so sponsors can be recognized. 

Carcass Contest: 

General Rules: 

1. Any 4-H’er with market beef, swine, sheep, and goats will be eligible for the Carcass Contest.
2. All market animals will be ultra-sounded at weigh ins on Tuesday, July 28th.
3. The 4-H Council will pay for an ultrasound for one market animal per 4-H’er if they attend the educational session about ultra-sounding provided by 4-H. If youth doesn’t attend, 4-H Council will not pay. 
4. 4-H’ers are allowed to purchase as many ultrasounds at they would like at their own cost at $10.00/animal, non-refundable.
5. 4-H’ers must turn in a Carcass Contest registration form and payment to the Extension Office by July 1st. 

Showmanship Contest Round Robin: 

Superintendents: Large – Justin Tollman & Ron Betson / Small – Connie Moore & Alexa Tollman 

1. A showmanship contest will be held at the beginning of each animal project show. Exhibitors taking part in this contest will be judged on their skill as showmen and appearance of their animals. While grooming counts, breed and individual excellence of the animal does not. Round Robin contestants will be comprised of senior showmanship winners (champion and reserve). In the event there isn’t a senior representative in a species, the champion intermediate will be chosen to round out the field of contestants. Please refer to the fair schedule for date and time of Round Robin contest. 

General Rules: 

1. The champion senior showman for each species will be eligible to compete in the Round Robin contest.
2. If a senior level youth wins showmanship in more than one species, he/she will draw to see which species they will represent in the Round Robin contest. The reserve champion senior from the species not drawn will then be eligible to compete.
3. In the event that there is no senior exhibitor in a showmanship contest for a particular species, then the champion intermediate showman will be allowed to participate in the Round Robin contest.
4. A maximum of 7 youth will show in the Large Animal Round Robin, and 4 in the Small Animal Round Robin.
5. Contestants will not be allowed to look at their cell phones during contest.
6. Both Small and Large Animal Round Robin contestants will not be allowed to see the Final Master scoresheet. Participants will be able to view any individual feedback if given by judges.
7. Large Animal:

• Includes Beef, Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Swine, Goat, Horse, and Dairy Goat
• No BULLS of any age can be shown in the showmanship contest/Round Robin.

8. Small Animal:

• Includes Dog, Cat, Poultry, and Rabbit
• Dog and cat species will need to go first followed by rabbit and poultry. A draw for species can still be made, however, draw from dog/cat first and then rabbit/poultry.

9. Superintendents: (Large and Small Animal)

• Superintendents for each species must confirm with the champion showman as soon as possible on their intention of entering the Round Robin competition.
• Superintendents for each species are responsible to select remaining animals for the Round Robin contest besides the animal for the round robin champion contestant that represents the species.

10. Contest Structure:

• Round Robin Superintendents will draw for order in which species will be shown except for swine. Swine will always go first.
• The youth representing the species will go first in order with other contestants drawing for the remaining positions.
• Contestants will not be allowed to watch other contestants.
• Contestants will draw from the animals selected by the large and small animal superintendents and will then compete with the animal drawn.
• A Round Robin contestant CANNOT show their own animal EXCEPT for the champion contestant representing the species. Showmanship champions will be allowed to show their own animal in the round robin contest. If youth wins two species showmanship, youth is ONLY allowed to show their animal in the species they represent.
• A winner will be chosen for Large Animal and Small Animal based on their cumulative point total.
• If there is a tie, a tie breaker question will be asked about the last species shown to each exhibitor.  

Foundation Livestock Sale Rules and Guidelines: 

The Dawes County Foundation Livestock Sale will be a Retained Ownership Option Auction. This offers an option to exhibitors in which ownership may be retained. The exhibitor must notify the sale committee of the intent to retain ownership when their sale cards are turned in before the sale list is compiled. The buyer therefore knows the ownership will remain with the exhibitor allowing the exhibitor to show the animal at other shows if they so desire. For the Retained Ownership Option, the buyer will pay the amount above the resale price. The resale price is deducted from the4-H member's sale total for the animal. The exhibitor only receives the amount above the resale price. Animals that go through a change of ownership sale are ineligible to show at State Fair, Ak-Sar-Ben, and Western Junior Livestock Show. 

1. 4-H member’s sale quota will be TWO animals ONLY. It can be a combination of two different species or two animals of the same species. Qualifying animals include beef, sheep, swine, goat, market poultry and market rabbits.
2. 3% will be withheld from each exhibitor’s check as sale commission. The commission will be used to pay for advertising, brand inspection, beef check-off, yarder, sale pictures, buyers’ meal, scale testing, shavings, and improvements to the fairgrounds. 
3. 4-H members selling animals MUST fill out SALE CARDS and turn into the Fair Office by Thursday at the conclusion of the last livestock show.
4. 4-H members retaining ownership MUST let the sale committee know by Thursday, July 30, at the conclusion of the last livestock show.
5. Exhibitors unable to be present for the sale must provide a written statement in advance to the Foundation Sale Committee and receive approval for their request.
6. 4-H Dress Code applies to exhibitors selling animals at the Foundation Livestock Sale.
7. All Superintendents need to work with the Sale Committee.
8. All exhibitors participating in the Foundation Livestock Sale must have received Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) Training.
9. Species must meet the market weight requirements to be eligible for sale.
10. The “Champion Pen of 3” award will not impact the sale order. 
11. Treatment of Sick Market Animals at Fair: Animals which are administered treatment of medication having a withdrawal time period will be disqualified from the sale. 

***IN THE CASE OF SOLD MARKET ANIMALS*** 

IF THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT AN EXHIBITOR VIOLATED THE YQCA AGREEMENT AND HAS USED DRUGS OR OTHER MEASURES TO ENHANCE ANIMAL PRESENTATION WHILE RISKING THE QUALITY OF THE ANIMAL – VERIFIED BY OBSERVATION OR FROM TESTING RESULTS AFTER THE SALE OF THE ANIMAL –THE EXHIBITOR WILL FORFEIT ALL MONIES RECEIVED BACK TO THE BUYER AND WILL BE SUBJECT TO ONE YEAR INELIGIBILITY OF SELLING ANY MARKET ANIMALS.