Bucket Calf Record Books and Other Beef Project Information
IDENTIFICATION OF BEEF ANIMALS FOR COUNTY FAIR - All ID forms for market beef, breeding heifer, feeder calf, bucket calf, second-year bucket calf, and fall feeder calf are due by June 15. Market beef, second-year bucket calf, feeder calf, bucket calf, and fall feeder calf for county fair only are identified by 4-H ear tags or EID tags. Commercial breeding heifers that are only being shown at the county fair can be identified with a 4-H ear tag, EID tag or tattoo. Registered Breeding Heifers must be identified by tattoo or identification type accepted by the breed association, not by ear tag. Calfhood vaccination tattoos are not acceptable for identification.
IDENTIFICATION OF BEEF ANIMALS FOR STATE FAIR (refer to Animal Identification Guidelines)
ARRIVAL TIME - Assigned stalls for market beef, breeding heifers, second-year bucket calves, fall feeder calves and bucket calves will be available at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 7. Animals may check in with the superintendents from 9:00 am to 11:00 a.m. The cow/calf and feeder calf projects check in from 8:30 am to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, August 8. At the exhibitor’s choice, they may stall their projects during the entire fair, which must be indicated on the pre-entry form. If you choose to stall your cow/calf and feeder calf projects the entire fair, they need to be checked in on Thursday, August 7 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. All market beef, breeding heifers, second-year bucket calves, and fall feeder calves must stall their exhibit during the entire fair. All bucket calves may be released after the show on Friday, August 8 or may stay the entire fair.
GENERAL RULES - See Livestock/Animal General Rules.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS - See Livestock/Animal General Rules.
GROOMING RULES - See Livestock/Animal General Rules.
YOUTH for the QUALITY CARE of ANIMALS (YQCA) - All 4-H youth enrolled in livestock projects are required to complete annual quality assurance training through YQCA.
4-H and FFA MARKET BEEF GAIN CONTEST
PREMIUMS: First, $5.00; Second, $4.00; Third, $3.00; Fourth, $2.00; Fifth, $1.00
To be considered for the Gain Contest, the market beef animal or second-year bucket calf must be weighed at the official weigh-in set by the extension office. The final weight will be determined on fair entry day. An award will be given to the Champion Market Beef Gain.
LARGE BEEF CLUB GROUP OF THREE
PREMIUMS: First, $8.00; Second, $6.00; Third, $4.00
The three animals must be owned by at least two (2) or more 4-H exhibitors within a single club. The 4-H member may exhibit one calf used from FFA Division to complete the group of three. The 4-H member may only be involved in 1 pen of Large Beef. The premium will still be issued to the 4-H club.
MARKET BEEF
PREMIUMS: Purple: $10.00; Blue: $8.00; Red: $6.00; White: $4.00
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR: Two Market Beef
ARRIVAL TIME: Market Beef animals must check-in between 9:00 am to 11:00 am on entry day, Thursday, August 7.
TROPHIES: See Knox County 4-H Trophy or Award List.
AGE REQUIREMENT: All market beef are required to be born on or after September 1, 2023.
MINIMUM WEIGHTS FOR MARKET BEEF: Any market beef animals may be subject to inspect for physical alteration. Minimum weights have been established for the State Fair. These minimum weights, stated below, are adapted as desirable goals for 4-H beef for the Knox County Fair, but not as a requirement.
Steers: Minimum Show Weight - 1000 lbs. Heifers: Minimum Show Weight - 900 lbs.
REGISTRATION OF MARKET LIVESTOCK FOR STATE FAIR: Refer to State Fair Animal Identification Guidelines
MARKET BEEF CLASSES (classes will be divided by weight)
Registered Steers (divided by breed)
Market Heifers
Crossbred Steers
STEER BONANZA - The Farmers & Merchants State Bank is sponsoring a Market Steer Bonanza to encourage the project. The FFA & 4-H purple winners will compete against each other for the cash prizes. The Steer Bonanza will show right after the 4-H Market Beef Show.
First Place: Trophy + $100 Second Place: Trophy + $75.00 Third Place: Trophy + $50.00
HEIFER CLASSIC - The Farmers & Merchants State Bank is sponsoring a Market Heifer Classic to encourage the project. The FFA & 4-H purple winners will compete against each other for the cash prizes. The Heifer Classic will show right after the 4-H Market Beef Show.
First Place - Trophy + $100 Second Place: Trophy + $75.00 Third Place: Trophy + $50.00
SECOND-YEAR BUCKET CALF
PREMIUMS: Purple, $10.00; Blue, $8.00; Red, $6.00; and White, $4.00
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR: Two Second-Year Bucket Calves
ARRIVAL TIME - The Second-Year Bucket Calf must check-in between 9:00 am to 11:00 am on entry day, Thursday, August 7.
TROPHIES: See Knox County Trophy and Award List
SECOND-YEAR BUCKET CALF SHOW RULES: Any 4-H’er may participate in the second-year bucket calf project. There are two age levels (age on December 31 of previous year): Beginner (ages 8-12) and Advanced (ages 13 & over). To be eligible for this class, the calf must have been shown as a bucket calf the previous year and needs to be shown by the same exhibitor. The judging of the project will consist of three parts: 1/3 record book; 1/3 interview; and 1/3 show ability of animal (showmanship, cleanliness, health). If there were a tie in the total score, the break will be on the interview score.
Ownership affidavit forms are due to the Extension Office by June 15 and the calf must have the same 4-H ear tag as last year. Record books are due by 6:00 pm on entry day, Thursday, August 7. You will need to hand in the record book from the previous year also.
If you choose to exhibit the animal in the Second-Year Bucket Calf project, it will NOT be allowed to show in the Market Beef Show or the Breeding Beef Show. The Second-Year Bucket Calf is eligible to participate in the Large Beef Rate-of-Gain Contest and needs to be weighed at the official weigh-in set by the extension office. The final weight will be determined on fair entry day.
NOTE - A bucket calf may be exhibited by a Clover Kid and then shown the following year as a Second-Year Bucket Calf, if they meet the age requirement as a traditional 4-H member. You may want to consider completing a record book as a Clover Kid to meet the guidelines for the Second-Year Bucket Calf.
SECOND-YEAR BUCKET CALF CLASSES
- Advanced Second Year Bucket Calf (all breeds) – 4-H ages 13 & over
- Beginning Second Year Bucket Calf (all breeds) – 4-H ages 8-12
BREEDING HEIFERS
PREMIUMS: Purple: $10.00; Blue: $8.00; Red: $6.00; White: $4.00
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR: Two Breeding Heifers
ARRIVAL TIME – All Breeding Heifers must check-in between 9:00 am to 11:00 am on entry day, Thursday, August 7.
TROPHIES: See Knox County Trophy and Award List
BREEDING HEIFER SHOW RULES - All breeding heifers must be born in 2024. All breeding heifers must be recorded on the ownership affidavit and in the Extension Office by June 15 of the current year. The heifer does not have to be bred to be eligible to show. All breeding heifers will show by age.
- REGISTERED HEIFERS: To be eligible to show in a registered class, the breeding heifer must be owned by the exhibitor, be identified by a legible ear tattoo or identification type accepted by the breed association that corresponds with the registration papers and recorded on the ownership affidavit in the Extension Office by June 15 of the current year.
- COMMERCIAL HEIFERS: All non-registered animals will be placed in the commercial class and be classed by age. A commercial breeding heifer must have a known birthdate, be identified by an ear tattoo, EID tag or 4-H ear tag, and recorded on ownership affidavit in the Extension Office by June 15 of the current year.
IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF BREEDING HEIFERS FOR STATE FAIR: refer to State Fair Animal Identification Guidelines
BEEF BREEDING HEIFER CLASSES
- Angus Heifers - Must be registered in the American Angus Association.
- Charolais Heifers - Must have an American-International Charolais Association (AICA) registration certificate and must be 100% purebred Charolais.
- Composite Charolais Heifers - These heifers must have an AICA Charolais-Cross Record and must be at least 50% or more Charolais influence, i.e., be sired by a registered purebred Charolais bull or be out of a registered purebred Charolais female.
- Chianina Heifers - Must be registered in the American Chianina Association. Includes Chiangus, Chianina, Chiford, or Chimaine.
- Commercial Heifers – At State Fair: classed by birthdate and must all be born between August 2023 and December 2024 (should be bred but not calved prior to show).
- Gelbvieh Heifers - Must be registered in the American Gelbvieh Association.
- Balancer Heifers - Must be registered with the American Gelbvieh Association and be 25-70% Gelbvieh and 25-75% Red Angus or Angus.
- Hereford & Polled Hereford Heifers - Must be registered with the American Hereford Association. (For State Fair, miniature Hereford heifers are not acceptable and should enter in the AOB division)
- Limousin Heifers - Must be registered with the North American Limousin Foundation.
- LimFlex Heifers - Must be registered with the North American Limousin Foundation and must be 37.5-75% Limousin and 25-62.5% Angus or Red Angus.
- Maine Anjou Heifers - Must be registered with the American Maine-Anjou Association and must be 75% Maine or higher. Chimaine are not accepted.
- Mainetainer Heifers - Must be registered with the American Maine-Anjou Association and be 25-62.5% Maine-Anjou.
- Piedmontese Heifers – Must be registered with the Piedmontese Association of the United States.
- Red Angus Heifers - Must be registered with the Red Angus Association of America.
- Shorthorn Heifers - Must be registered with the American Shorthorn Association and must be 15/16 registered purebreds.
- Shorthorn Plus Heifers - Must be registered with the American Shorthorn Association and must be at least ¼ blood and up to and including 7/8 blood Shorthorn.
- Simmental Heifers - Must be registered with the Simmental Association and must be 75.1% or higher.
- Foundation Simmental Heifers - Must be registered with the American Simmental Association and must be 50-75% Simmental.
- All Other Breeds (AOB) - The AOB Division may include registered heifers for which a separate division is not listed, but which meet their state breed associations’ criteria for exhibition, or registered heifers with registration papers not meeting the state’s breed association requirements listed above. Heifers entered in the AOB class must have appropriate registration papers.
HIGH POINT BREEDING HEIFER - The Knox County Cattlemen's Association is sponsoring a High Point Breeding Heifer to encourage the project. The FFA & 4-H top purples will compete against each other for the cash prizes. The High Point Breeding Heifer will follow the 4-H Livestock Show.
First Place - Trophy + $150 Second Place - Trophy + $100 Third Place - Trophy + $50
SUKUP ANGUS TRAVELING TROPHY - The 4-H and FFA top female Angus animals will compete for the Sukup Angus Traveling Trophy. This includes breeding heifers, feeder calves, and cow/calf pairs.
FALL FEEDER CALF
PREMIUMS: Purple, $8.00; Blue, $6.00; Red, $4.00; White, $2.00
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR: Two Fall Feeder Calves
ARRIVAL TIME – All Fall Feeder Calves must check-in between 9:00 am to 11:00 am on entry day, Thursday, August 7.
TROPHIES: See Knox County Trophy and Award List
FALL FEEDER CALF SHOW RULES: This project will allow all 4-H members to participate. The calf may be purchased or raised. The calf must be born between September 1 and December 31 of the previous year. The calf must be owned and weaned by June 15. The calf must be tagged with an official 4-H tag and the ownership affidavit form is due to the Extension Office by June 15.
FALL FEEDER CALF CLASSES
- Fall Feeder Heifer
- Fall Feeder Steer
COW CALF PAIR
PREMIUMS: Purple, $8.00; Blue, $6.00; Red, $4.00; & White, $2.00
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR: Two Cow/Calf projects
ARRIVAL TIME – All Cow Calf Pairs may check-in between 9:00 am to 11:00 am on entry day, Thursday, August 7 and stay the entire fair or they must check-in between 8:30 am to 9:30 am on Friday, August 8 and will be released after the show is completed.
TROPHY: See Knox County Trophy and Award List
COW-CALF CLASS - The Cow/Calf Pair must be a mother and calf (bull, steer, or heifer) that was born from January 1 to May 31 of the current year. The calf is also eligible to be shown as a feeder calf.
FEEDER CALF
PREMIUMS: Purple: $8.00; Blue: $6.00; Red: $4.00; White: $2.00
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR: Three Feeder Calves
ARRIVAL TIME – All Feeder Calves may check-in between 9:00 am to 11:00 am on entry day, Thursday, August 7 and stay the entire fair or they must check-in between 8:30 am to 9:30 am on Friday, August 8 and will be released after the show is completed.
TROPHIES: See Knox County Trophy and Award List
FEEDER CALF SHOW RULES: Calves born January 1 and no later than May 31 of the current year may be shown in the feeder calf classes. ID forms are due June 15, and the commercial calf must be tagged with an official 4-H tag or an EID tag. Registered calves must be identified by registration tattoo, 4-H tag or EID tag. Classes will be divided by breeding heifer, market heifer, steer, and bull and then by age.
The Feeder Calf Breeding Heifers and Bulls will be separated by breeds if there are 3 or more animals of the same breed. No registration papers will be required.
FEEDER CALF CLASSES
- Breeding Heifer
- Market Heifer
- Steer
- Bull
FEEDER CALF BREEDING HEIFER BONUS - Double K Show Cattle of Bloomfield is sponsoring a Feeder Calf Breeding Heifer Bonus. The top 4-H and FFA purples will compete against each other for cash prizes.
First Place - Trophy + $150 Second Place - $100 Third Place - $50
FEEDER CALF MARKET HEIFER BONUS - CHS of Wausa is sponsoring a Feeder Calf Market Heifer Bonus. The top 4-H and FFA purples will compete against each other for cash prizes.
First Place – Trophy + $150 Second Place - $100 Third Place - $50
FEEDER CALF STEER BONUS - J.E. Meuret Grain Inc. is sponsoring a Feeder Calf Steer Bonus. The top 4-H and FFA purples will compete against each other for cash prizes.
First Place – Trophy + $150 Second Place - $100 Third Place - $50
FEEDER CALF BULL BONUS - CVA of Bloomfield is sponsoring a Feeder Calf Bull Bonus. The top 4-H and FFA purples will compete against each other for cash prizes.
First Place – Trophy + $150 Second Place - $100 Third Place - $50
SMALL BEEF CLUB GROUP OF THREE
PREMIUMS: First, $8.00; Second, $6.00; Third, $4.00
The three feeder calves must be owned by at least two (2) 4-H exhibitors within a single club OR three feeder calves owned and exhibited by one (1) 4-H member but can use one of their calves from the FFA division to complete the group of three. The premium will still be issued to the club. The 4-H member may be involved in only 1 pen.
BUCKET CALF
PREMIUMS: Purple, $6.00; Blue, $4.50; Red, $3.00; White, $2.00
NUMBER OF ENTRIES PER EXHIBITOR: Two Bucket Calves
ARRIVAL TIME – All Bucket Calves must check-in between 9:00 am to 11:00 am on entry day, Thursday, August 7 and may be released after the show on Friday, August 8 or they may stay the entire fair.
TROPHIES: See Knox County Trophy and Award List
BUCKET CALF SHOW RULES: Any 4-H member may participate in the bucket calf project. There are two age levels (age on December 31 of previous year): Beginner (ages 8-12) and Advanced (ages 13 & over). The bucket calf (heifer, steer or bull) must be born anytime from January 1 to May 31 of the current year and be raised by the 4-H member by artificial means. The calf may be any percent dairy or beef animal. The judging of the project will consist of three parts: 1/3 record book; 1/3 interview; and 1/3 show ability of animal (showmanship, cleanliness, health). If there would be a tie in the total score, the break will be on the interview score. Bucket Calves must be tagged with an official 4-H tag and recorded on ownership affidavit form due to the Extension Office by June 15. Record books are due by 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 7.
Recognition will be given to the top record book score; top interview score; and top show score. If a 4-H member with the top score has already received an award, such as a bucket, the award will be given to the next highest score. Bucket calves are not allowed in the Feeder Calf Showmanship, which is for feeder calves only.
BUCKET CALF CLASSES
- Advanced Bucket Calf (all breeds) calf born between January 1 and May 31 of current year
- Beginning Bucket Calf (all breeds) calf born between January 1 and May 31 of current year