GENERAL LIVESTOCK INFORMATION FOR ALL 4-H and FFA MEMBERS
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
ELIGIBILITY
4-H MEMBERS MUST MEET THE CURRENT AGE REQUIREMENTS. A 4-H’er and/or FFA member becomes ineligible if he/she is 19 years old before January 1st of the current calendar year according to state rules. Voc. Ag & FFA exhibitors must be currently enrolled in the 4-H program. All livestock entries must be work performed as part of the current year’s 4-H or FFA program.
ELIGIBILITY OF ANIMALS
Qualified animals for a 4-H or FFA class at the fair must be registered purebred or non-registered commercial breeding animals, market beef, feeder calves, market lambs, breeding sheep, market goats, breeding goats market swine, breeding swine and those exotic breeds of breeding beef where the respective associations issue certified papers. A breeding animal to be eligible for show in a registered (purebred) class must be owned by the exhibitor by June 15 of the current year and be registered by the official breed association. The registration paper or certificate must indicate one of the following (1) the name of the exhibitor (2) the name of the exhibitor and/or a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor's family (members of a household, including parents, brothers and sisters, and youth in care of the head of the household) or (3) the family or ranch name or parent's name. Copies of the registration paper or certificate must be submitted to superintendent with entries. REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY FAIR DATE.
DRESS CODE
4-H and FFA exhibitors showing beef, dairy, meat goats, dogs, cats, sheep, swine, poultry and rabbits are required to wear official Polk County 4-H T-Shirt. Dark jeans (dark blue jeans preferred) are required for beef, dog, cat, sheep, swine, poultry and rabbits exhibitors (NO SHORTS). No hats, caps or other types of headgear are worn in the show ring. Closed toed shoes required for all species, no tennis shoes allowed in larger animal shows. Horse Dress Code must follow current state Horse Rule Book.
YOUTH QUALITY CARE OF ANIMALS (YQCA) TRAINING
All exhibitors in beef, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, swine, rabbits, and poultry are required to receive YQCA training or testing through the YQCA website or Face to Face YQCA training held by the Extension program prior to the fair. Program attendance or completion of a test in the county extension office IS required for county fair, but also IS REQUIRED TO SHOW AT STATE FAIR OR AK-SAR-BEN. JUNE 15th deadline for and County Fair.
ONLY PURPLES CAN BE CHAMPIONS
Any animal science entry must be awarded a first or second purple ribbon in a class to be eligible to compete for champion or reserve champion.
HOW TO MAKE ENTRIES
All animal science entries will be pre-entered by the date designated on the pre-entry sheet mailed to exhibitors in June.
STALL ASSIGNMENTS
Stall assignments will be made by the Superintendent & Extension Office one week prior to fair. Exhibitors will be required to complete and return any information found in the letter that will be received for pre-entry. EXHIBITORS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PREPARE STALLS UNTIL STALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE MADE. STALL ASSIGNMENTS WILL CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR BASED ON CLUB SIZE.
NUMBER OF ENTRIES IN LIVESTOCK
A club exhibitor is limited to exhibiting: three market beef (including pre-market) with no more than two market steers or heifers included in the three total, two feeder calves, two breeding heifers, one cow/calf pair, one bucket calf, six swine, with no more than one breeding gilt, four market lambs, two breeding ewes, four market goat and two breeding does.
NUMBER OF ENTRIES IN RABBITS AND POULTRY
POULTRY - 8 entries per exhibitor. (Please note that pen of three is one entry)
RABBITS - 5 rabbits per exhibitor.
NOTICE TO 4-H EXHIBITORS AND LEADERS
All state rules will be followed unless otherwise stated. However, final decisions will be made by department superintendents and Extension Staff. STATE FAIR RULES will be followed if this book does not cover the situation. The Polk County Fairbook is the final rule.
ALL EXHIBITS removed prior to release time will be subject to a LOSS OF PREMIUM unless arrangements have been made with the Extension Office. STALLS AND PENS must be left clean after livestock leaves the fair. Failure to comply will result in a $5.00 penalty per day until the stall is cleaned out.
BEEF RATE OF GAIN CONTEST
Grand and Reserve Rosettes will be given in Market Heifer and Steer. All market beef animals need to be weighed on the dates specified by Market Beef Weigh and Tag Day, to be eligible to compete in the rate of gain contest. Only animals weighed on these dates/or within seven days of the weigh in with Extension Staff or Veterinarian Staff at the Osceola Veterinarians Clinic will be eligible.
MEAT GOAT & MARKET LAMB RATE OF GAIN CONTEST
Grand and Reserve Rosettes will be given. All meat goat and Market Lamb animals need to be weighed on the date approximately 100 days prior to county fair, to be eligible to compete in the rate of gain contest. Only animals weighed at this event will be eligible. Breeding animals are not eligible.
SHOWMANSHIP
CONTEST RULES
- ELIGIBILITY-All 4-H livestock exhibitors must show their own animals to be considered as participants in the Showmanship Contest. Showman will be allowed to compete in a division each year based on their age. Ownership is determined by Fair entry and appropriate ownership/ID affidavits from the Extension Office.
- AGE DIVISIONS – Showmanship classes will be divided into three age divisions: Junior (8-10 by January 1) Intermediate (11-13 years old by January 1) and Senior (14 – 18 years old by January 1).
- ASSIGNED CLASSES - In species where showmanship classes are assigned and posted prior to the show, exhibitors must show in the class assigned, or receive prior permission from the species superintendent, or they will be disqualified.
- BASIS FOR JUDGING-Showmanship judging is based on preparation of animals for show, their apparent training and the appearance and behavior of the showman. Minor technical points are not to be over-emphasized, nor do minor infractions disqualify. Primarily in showmanship it is the skill of the showman in presenting the animal before the judge that counts, while individual excellence of the animal does not.
- EXHIBITOR DRESS CODE- Livestock/ Animal General Rules.
- LIVESTOCK GROOMING RULE- Livestock/Animal General Rules.
- EXHIBITOR NUMBERS-To allow for easy and rapid identification, all exhibitor numbers shall be pinned on the back of the exhibitor in the area of the shoulder blades.
- DISQUALIFICATION-The exhibitor may be disqualified from showmanship for any violation of rules or unsportsmanlike conduct at the Fair.
Beef showmanship will be Blow and Go; animals are clipped, blown and brushed or combed to enhance their appearance.
Guidelines for the Blow and Go show:
- 4-H beef animals will be shown free of any compounds that are applied by aerosol propellants.
- Alcohol, water or any water- or alcohol-based products with no adhesive qualities are permitted.
- Any compounds that have adhesive qualities or alter the color of the animal are forbidden.
SUBSTITUE SHOWMAN
This only applies when the animal is being judged, not showmanship. An animal must be shown by the owner who entered it unless the exhibitor is excused by the Superintendent or Extension Staff because of serious illness, physical disability, or disability due to an injury (e.g., broken arm or leg).
An exhibitor who has more than one animal in a class needs to find a substitute exhibitor for that 4-H animal, but they can only be another 4-H exhibitor from the Polk County 4-H program.
ROUND ROBIN SHOWMANSHIP
Sponsor is Double Z Cattle
The grand champion senior showman in Beef, Swine, Horse, Goat and Sheep are eligible to compete for the round robin showmanship championship. An individual is eligible to show in only one species. If qualified in more than one, he/she must choose which one species to show. The reserve champion showman, if also a purple ribbon winner, is the only alternate. The winner will be eligible for future species showmanship contest, along with the round robin.
Animals will be selected by the Superintendent from each species with the winner of that species showing their own animal. The winner in the horse division must provide a horse for this contest. Exhibitors will be judged on their knowledge of each species shown and the specific showmanship skills required as well as their presentation of each species.
There is no premium money for this contest, the grand champion will receive a special prize. The winner will also be eligible to compete in the State Showmanship Contest at the State Fair on Labor Day Weekend. To compete at state fair, exhibitors MUST be exhibiting at state fair in either beef, sheep, or swine for 4-H or FFA. Alternates will be chosen if the winner chooses not to compete in the state competition.
HERDSMANSHIP
All livestock exhibitors are required to maintain their quarters as orderly as possible and must keep the part of the building they occupy neat and attractive. All clubs/chapters as well as individual members will compete in the herdsmanship contest. Herdsmanship will be done by species/barn.
Responsibility
Herdsmanship duties are the responsibility of exhibitors rather than leaders, advisors, and parents.
Judging
A committee will be chosen to judge herdsmanship. Herdmanship will be judged by species.
Basis of Ratings
Herdsmanship judges will use the following scoring guide in judging herdsmanship:
- Animals: clean at all times with proper grooming, feeding, bedding, and care apparent.
- Stalls/Pens: clean and neat; bedding clean and fresh; feed and feed pans and buckets clean and in place. Club and exhibitor signs identifying area clearly in place. Club signs should be appropriate for the exhibit.
- Tack and feed area kept clean and neatly arranged.
- Alleys: exhibitor’s share of alley area kept clean; kept free of equipment; dust kept under control with proper sweeping and/or sprinkling.
- Exhibitors: proper courtesy and conduct shown by exhibitors at all times including the public and other exhibitors. Evidence that exhibitors are doing herdsmanship.
- Pre-fair cleanup participation.
- Added attractiveness of display due to nonessential equipment or material in excess of needs for the show period is permissible (if complying with general show rules) but will not be considered in ratings.
Times of Judging
Herdsmanship will be checked twice daily for the duration of the fair except the day of the show.