Please scroll through the page below to see all of the latest 4-H livestock project information. If you have any questions about the information on this page, please contact Whitney Ingram at (254) 933-5305 or whitney.ingram@ag.tamu.edu. Thank you!
SCHEDULED DATES & SPECIAL NOTES FOR UPCOMING VALIDATIONS
If you have any questions or concerns regarding livestock validations, please contact Whitney Ingram.
Steer & Heifer Validation:
Monday, June 19 from 7:00–10:00 AM and 4:00–6:00 PM at the Bell County EXPO
REGISTERED HEIFERS: The deadline for ownership, transfer, and registration for Registered Breeding Heifers is June 30, 2023. A color, PDF copy of the original registration papers should be emailed to your County Extension Agent or Ag Teacher by June 30, 2023.
**NEW** FOR 2023 All state validated heifers will be tagged similar to steers. This will bring our heifer validation program in line with breeding sheep, breeding goats, and breeding gilts.
**NEW** FOR 2023 Both steers and heifers will be charged at an increased validation fee. In an effort to be in compliance with Texas Animal Health Commission, we are switching our previous EID frequency tags to 840 frequency EID tags. This will allow our state validated livestock to move in compliance with TAHC across state lines and be in compliance when issues a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health papers).
1. Heifers already validated do NOT have to be revalidated or have a tag. Heifers ONLY need to be revalidated if they change breed or ownership.
2. If your heifer has a previously existing 840 premise ID tag, there will be retag form/process, in coordination with TAHC, to remove the tag and replace with an official Texas Validation 840 tag. More information will be forthcoming on the official process and form for doing so.
State Fair of Texas & Heart O’ Texas Fair Swine Validation:
By appointment at the exhibitor’s home or school barn
All Registered and Commercial Gilts must be validated for the State Fair of Texas and Heart O’ Texas Fair.
REGISTERED GILTS: The date of ownership, transfer, and registration must all be on or before June 30, 2023. A color, PDF copy of the original registration papers should be emailed to your County Extension Agent or Ag Teacher by June 30, 2023.
State Fair of Texas Sheep & Goat Validation:
Thursday, June 15th from 8:30 AM–5:00 PM at the Extension Office
**NEW** FOR 2023 Lambs and goats validated during the 2023 State Fair Validation Period will be eligible for 2024 Spring Major Shows. Market animals validated for the 2023 State Fair will carryover for 2024 Spring Major Shows. Once validated, the project must stay in the care of the exhibitor that project is validated to; if the exhibitor chooses to sell the project to a new exhibitor, the new exhibitor must revalidate the project within the next validation period. Please see the Validation Guidelines for more details.
BREEDING SHEEP & GOATS: All Registered and Commercial Breeding Sheep and Goats must be validated to be eligible to show at the State Fair of Texas. Once validated, Breeding Sheep and Goat projects will be eligible for 3 years unless a change in ownership occurs. The deadline for ownership, transfer, and registration is June 30, 2023. A color, PDF copy of the original registration papers should be emailed to Whitney.Ingram@ag.tamu.edu by June 30, 2023. If applicable, please carbon your ag teacher.
Texas 4-H and FFA Livestock Program Ethics Policy
Changes to 2022-2023 Texas 4-H & FFA Livestock Project Ethics Policy
Please read the updated 2022-2023 Texas 4-H and FFA Livestock Program Ethics Policy. This policy has new and enhanced verbiage throughout the document, but most specifically, in Rule #3. It is very important that you read and understand this document in its entirety. Please pay special attention to the NEW section of Rule #3 with changes in regards to housing and care for livestock projects. If you have any questions regarding this document, please ask. The exhibitor, parent, County Agent, and County Validation Chairman is required to review and sign this document during each validation.
Rule #3 of the Texas 4-H and FFA Livestock Program Ethics Policy states that exhibitors and immediate family/guardians are responsible for providing the primary and continuous daily care of livestock projects throughout the validation period. However, there are certain instances when the livestock may be outside of the direct care of the livestock exhibitor, their family, or their supervising County Extension Agent/Agriculture Science Teacher. These instances and the third-party providing care must be approved as noted in Rule #3. This form is to serve as an approval process for state validated livestock projects requesting to be outside of the care of the above listed parties for certain livestock management practices. For more information about Rule #3 or if this form is applicable for your situation, please review the Texas 4-H and FFA Livestock Program Ethics Policy and contact Whitney Ingram.
Please reference the premium book of each show for all rules and regulations regarding entries and classification as they take precedence over this information.
Market Lamb Classification Guidelines
Lamb Breed Classification Guidelines
Market Barrow Classification Guidelines
Swine Classification Guidelines
Market Steer Classification Guidelines
Steer Classification Guidelines
BCYF
For the most up to date information regarding the youth fair visit the BCYF page at: http://agrilife.org/bellctyyouthfair/
