Area Youth Programs

The following articles are helpful for the management of market beef projects. The articles were written in the point of view as if I (Cindy Kinder) enrolled as a beef project member.

Just as members do, I weighed-in my steer “Cowboy” in March and my fair date is Aug. 30 at the Open to the World Steer Show at the Twin Falls County Fair.

• I weighed-in my steer, now what? (pdf)
• Feeding, weighing and clipping. Oh my! (pdf)
• Cowboy says it’s HOT! (pdf)
• See you at the fair! (pdf)
• SHOWTIME! (pdf)
• Cindy’s record book — profit or loss? (pdf)
• The meat we eat (pdf)
• The grocery value (pdf)

The following articles were written as a follow up to the above articles and contain additional management tips.

Remember when Cowboy did this?

• I weighed-in my steer, now what? (pdf)
• Feeding, weighing and clipping. Oh my! (pdf)
• Cowboy says it’s HOT! (pdf)
• Practice, Practice, Practice and Ultrasound! (pdf)
• Bovine Beautician! (pdf)
• Fitting for Showtime (pdf)

• Can I afford a market project? (pdf)
• Breeding project cash flow/budget worksheet (xlsx)
• Which animal should I choose from the pen? (pdf)

The following articles are helpful for the management of market swine projects. The articles address some of the challenges of feeding and raising a project pig. The articles were written in the point of view as if I (Cindy Kinder) enrolled as a swine project member.

• My pig pen (pdf)
• What do my pigs need for feed? (pdf)
• Healthy piggy! (pdf)
• How do you do Mr. Pig? (pdf)
• Fit and show! (pdf)

Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills with these science activities. Science programs create hands-on learning experiences to encourage young minds and help fill our nation’s shortage of young leaders proficient in science, engineering and technology. Agriculture will continue to use science and technology to feed the world.

Below are experiments that are “Bringing out the Science.”

• Bringing out the science in 4-H leaders forum (pptx)
• 4-H Book of experiments (pdf)
• Bringing out the science article (pdf)

ADG supplemental activity 2 (pdf)

Livestock judging is a part of 4-H and FFA youth programs that youth can do very well and get excited about. They gain many benefits from competing on a livestock judging team. They interact with current and future leaders of the livestock industry. They also build life skills in critical thinking, oral presentations and personal confidence.

Livestock Evaluation

• Judging 101 — Teach youth “How to Judge” five different species. Groups of participants rotate between classrooms, learning about all species using PowerPoint presentations and publications.
• Judging 201 — Offer detailed species information and more hands-on with livestock. Live animals are used for teaching differences in muscle, structure, condition etc. Demonstrations of oral reasons are given and youth work directly with a personal coach to understand reasons format.
• Judging 401 — Offer advanced topics in animal selection and scenarios, breeding and EPD’s. Classes also provide youth opportunity to advance their oral reason skills.
• Southern Idaho Livestock Judging Camp — A three day advanced camp that hones participants oral reasons skills while they work with junior and senior college students. Youth and adult participants from six states have attended the annual event the last six years.
• Judging Contests — Coordinated and networked with breed associations, summer show sponsors, FFA Chapters, the College of Southern Idaho judging team and U of I Ag Days to host multiple contests throughout the year.

Resources

• Judging Beef Cattle and Oral Reasons 101 (PNW 669)
• Judging Meat Goats and Oral Reasons 101 (PNW 678)
• Judging Sheep and Oral Reasons 101 (PNW 679)
• Judging Swine and Oral Reasons 101 (PNW 677)

How to Run a Judging Contest

• Registration forms
• How to set up classes and official placing
• Cards
  
  • Judging card (PDF)
  • Judging question card (PDF)
• Questions and oral reasons

A challenge or contest contains a series of one to six stations where participants test their animal and production knowledge and demonstrate their skills on a variety of production topics. Livestock species include, beef, sheep, goats and swine. Skill-a-thons have two parts; individual competition and team competition. Read the state contest guidelines for more details. 

Common Skill-a-thon classes for the individual competition

• Livestock equipment identification
• Livestock breed identification
• Retail meat cut identification
• Hay and wool judging class (judge the class and answer questions)
• Quality assurance exercise (demonstrate a skill)
• Livestock industry quiz (multiple choice)

Common Skill-a-thon classes for the team competition

• Quality assurance exercise
• Meat and carcass evaluation
• Animal breeding scenario and exercise
• Evaluation of performance and marketing information
• Livestock feeding

Example Skill-a-thon cards

These cards have various formats. Challenge youth with the different format so they are accustomed to change.

Individual cards

• Beef skill card (pdf)
• Sheep/goat skill card 1 (pdf)
• Sheep/goat skill card 2 (pdf)
• Swine skill card (pdf)
• Horse skill card (pdf)
• ID cards: General livestock card 1 (pdf)
• Feeds: General livestock card 2 (pdf)
• Cooking: General livestock card 3 (pdf)
• Jackpot: General livestock card 4 (pdf)
• District – Junior breed & equipment (pdf)
• District – Junior meat & wool (pdf)
• District – Senior breed & equipment (pdf)
• District – Senior meat & wool (pdf)
• NAILE meat card

Situations

• Money management: Beef situation 1 (pdf)
• Money management: Beef situation 2 (pdf)
• BBQ: Beef situation 3 (pdf)
• Carcass: Beef situation 4 (pdf)
• Carcass: Beef situation 5 (pdf)
• Hay judging: Beef situation 6 (pdf)
• Money management: Sheep/goat situation 1 (pdf)
• Money management: Sheep/goat situation 2 (pdf)
• Hay judging: Sheep/goat situation 3 (pdf)
• Money management: Swine situation 1 (pdf)
• Money management: Swine situation 2 (pdf)
• Performance and marketing: Swine situation 3 (pdf)
• Grain judging: General livestock 1 (pdf)
• Ear tagging: General livestock 2 (pdf)
• Injections: General livestock 3 (pdf)

Team activity cards

• Team: General livestock 1 (pdf)
• Team: General livestock 2 (pdf)
• Team: General livestock 3 (pdf)
• Team: General livestock 4 (pdf)
• Team: Feeds (pdf)