4-H Beef Cattle Rules and Regulations

1. All 4-H youth project beef cattle must have been owned or leased (leased see New York Youth Livestock Non-Ownership Policy),and cared for by the exhibitor, and must be registered with a 4-H Project Animal Registration certificate at the CCE, TC 4-H office by:  a) February 1 of current year for market beef; or b) June 1 of current year for breeding beef cattle.

2. No deviation from the printed rules and regulations, the numbers, or class descriptions will be permitted unless initiated by the CCE staff, designated leaders, or requested by the judge.

3. All 4-H youth must show their own animals unless they have more than one animal in the same class.

4. All 4-H youth beef entries must conform to the Animal Health Requirements of the New York State Department of Agriculture Markets and, the Tioga County Board of Health Order.

5. The CCE, TC staff or the New York State Department of Agriculture & Market Veterinarian are authorized and empowered to cause the removal from the buildings and grounds of all animals failing to meet the health conditions specified.

6. An appropriate brand, legible tattoo, or tag must permanently identify all beef entries.

7. Exhibitors who have registered breeding cattle must have the registration papers with them.  All registration papers must be original certificates.  NO COPIES unless otherwise stated by Breed Associations.

8. All 4-H youth market steers will be weighed after arrival on the fairgrounds, then again at 7:00 a.m. the morning of the auction.

9. Any market beef that show evidence of implants will be disqualified.

10. Exhibitors are to wear a clean and neat shirt, with clean and neat jeans, slacks or khaki type pants; with work boots. NO sneakers.

11. On show days, all care, fitting, and grooming must be done by the 4-H youth.No parents, adults or professional groomsmen may help with project animals.

BEEF STEERS

4-H youth must be a full member (age 8 as of January 1st of the current year or older) to participate in the 4-H Market Beef Programs. Youth participants raise a feeder steer for approximately 6-9 months and then show the animal at the Tioga County Fair. At the conclusion of the fair the youth raisers auction off their market steer to the highest bidder for the meat market. The youth participant receives the money from the auction, minus commission, to pay for the costs of raising the animal and any left over is theirs to save or spend.

Steers and/or heifers must be more than 15 months of age and less than 24 months of age by July 1 of the current year with no more than one set of permanent teeth at time of sale. The Livestock Sale Committee Project Chairman is responsible for determining acceptability of the animal for show and sale.

MARKET DAIRY FEEDER STEER & DAIRY STEER

1. All 4-H youth project dairy market steer and dairy feeder steer must have been owned and in the care of the exhibitor by January 1 of the current year, and must be registered with a 4-H Project Animal Ownership paper at the CCE, TC 4-H office by February 1 of the current year.

2. 4-H member participants must designate their project animal(s) as a non-market or market animal by June 1 of the current year.

3. 4-H member participants can sell no more than one (1) Market Dairy Steer and (1) Market Feeder Steer at the 4-H Livestock Auction.

4. Calves must be dairy cross.  NO beef crosses.

5. An ownership form must be completed and signed by the seller of the calf (for source verification), and signed by the 4-H member and parent/guardian.  This form must be kept with the 4-H’ers records.

6. An appropriate brand, legible tattoo, or tag must permanently identify all dairy steer entries.

7. Dairy Market Steer is a two-year project.4-H member must show the animal as a Feeder Steer and bring back the following year as Market or Non-Market Dairy Steer.

8. Dairy Feeder Steers must be 12 months of age or younger by July 1 of the current year.

9. Dairy market steers must be over 12 months and less than 24 months by July 1 of the current year and have been shown as a feeder steer the previous year.

10. Calves must be castrated and dehorned, and must be free of testicular tissue.

11. Market dairy steer and market dairy feeder steer must be of a healthy weight and in good condition

12. Fair classes will be determined according to weight.  Animals will be divided, as evenly as possible, into one of the following weight classes:lightweight, medium-weight, or heavyweight.

13. A suitable ½ inch rope halter must be left on any feeder steer sold through the sale until the animal is loaded onto the trucks.  The buyer has the option of keeping the halter.

14. Exhibitors are to wear a clean and neat shirt, with clean and neat jeans, slacks or kaki type pants; with work boots.  NO sneakers.

15. On show days, all care, fitting, and grooming must be done by the 4-H youth.  No parents, adults or professional groomsmen may help with project animals

Last updated July 26, 2019