Herdsmanship – The purpose of Herdsmanship is for 4-H exhibitors to properly care for their livestock, pens and equipment, insure safety and to keep the animals and surrounding areas clean and attractive at all times. Herdsmanship will be judged on an individual/family basis. A $50 prize will be given out to the top family/individual by species in three areas (Cattle, Sheep/Goat, and Swine). Guidelines for selecting a herdsmanship winner include:
- Animal(s) clean at all times, with grooming apparent.
- Animal(s) adequately cared for with proper feeding, clean & proper bedding for stalls and cages and adequate equipment.
- Tack & Feed area clean and neatly arranged. Fork handles and similar equipment hung or kept in a secure and safe manner.
- Proper courtesy and conduct shown by exhibitors at all times and at all places. All exhibitors are expected to participate in Herdsmanship.
- Exhibitor’s share of alley area kept clean. Wheelbarrows and equipment kept from aisle when not using.
- An educational poster may be entered (optional for extra points) with the purpose of informing the public about your project. Ideas might be history of breed, health issues, nutrition/feeding program, vaccinations…. Anything that might share your knowledge with the public. Due to limited space, posters should be no larger than 14”x22”.
The following point system will be used:
- 1 thru 5 with 5 being the best
- 5 extra points for educational poster
Herdsmanship judging begins when animals are entered on entry day and ends when the animal(s) is loaded out on Sunday. A Volunteer will serve as superintendent for Herdsmanship and will schedule volunteers to judge the barns. A score sheet will be provided to each of the volunteer judges.