July 2020- 4-H Animal Lines

State Fair Reminders & Information

REMINDER: NEW 4-H/FFA MEMBERS MUST BE ETHICS CERTIFIED TO SHOW!!
The Mississippi State Fair will be here soon and the Mississippi Livestock Quality Assurance training for NEW exhibitors, parents or guardians, and volunteers must be completed by October 1, 2020. Code of Conduct Forms are to be requested from ADS.

OFFICIAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE – REMINDER
An Official Health Certificate with each animal identified will be required on all livestock showing at the 2020 Mississippi State Fair. This includes all market animals, beef breeding cattle, commercial beef heifers, dairy cattle (purebred and commercial dairy heifers/cows), dairy goats, commercial breeding ewes, and commercial meat goat does.

MISSISSIPPI STATE FAIR PREMIUM BOOKS
Each county will receive 2 Mississippi State Fair Premium Books in the county packet as soon as they are available. A PDF file of the premium book will also be sent by email and posted on the MSU Extension website under the link for Livestock and then Youth Livestock. Please make sure your exhibitors and parents have a copy of the rules for the shows in which they participate. A copy of the schedule of events is included in this newsletter.

DAIRY SWEETHEART CONTESTS AND MEAT GOAT PRINCESS CONTEST
A Junior and Senior Dairy Cattle Sweetheart, a Junior and Senior Dairy Goat Sweetheart, and a Junior and Senior Meat Goat Princess will be selected during the Mississippi State Fair. Winners will be selected based on poise, beauty, personality and knowledge of their project. The top 3 of each division will receive awards. Rules and regulations concerning the contest are found in the Mississippi State Fair catalog. Please have the entries to our office by September 25, 2020. Please encourage your girls enrolled in dairy and goat projects to enter this year. Winners will be announced according to times listed in the 2020 Mississippi State Fair Premium Book.

COMMERCIAL HEIFER AND MARKET STEER EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Check with your 4-H/FFA exhibitors that are exhibiting steers and commercial beef and dairy heifers about horns. All commercial heifers and steers showing at the Mississippi State Fair and District and Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Shows must be polled or dehorned with no scurs or re-growth to exceed 11⁄2 inches above the skin line. Remember the minimum weight on commercial heifers is 500 pounds for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their commercial heifers and market steers and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

MARKET GOAT EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Check with your 4-H/FFA exhibitors who are exhibiting market goats about horns. Goats may be shown that are polled, dehorned, or disbudded with no re-growth to exceed 11⁄2” above the skin line. Removal of horns is not allowed on the show grounds. Remember the minimum weight of market goats is 40 pounds with no maximum weight for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their market goats and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

COMMERCIAL MEAT GOAT DOE SHOW EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Remember the minimum weight of commercial meat goat does is 40 pounds with no maximum weight for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their commercial meat goat does and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

MARKET LAMB EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Remember the minimum weight of market lambs is 70 pounds with no maximum weight for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their market lambs and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

6. The first and second place animals in each class of market hair sheep will be required to weigh back after their respective class. The animal must weigh within 5% of the overage or it will be disqualified. Animals will be weighed once (no re- weighs). If either or both first or second place animals are disqualified, weighing through the order of the class will continue until an official first and second are determined. Show management will designate an individual to accompany each animal and exhibitor to the scales for weigh back.

7. All livestock must remain in their assigned pens except animals that are being washed, groomed, shown or exercised. Animals taken to be exercised must remain in their assigned barn or in their respective show arena. After entering the show grounds, at no time will animals be allowed in a trailer except for loading to leave.

8. Exhibitors must purchase an 840 USDA Official EID ear tag matched set for each market hair sheep through the State 4-H Livestock Office. Market hair sheep must be ear tagged prior to making entry and the EID tag number must match what was entered at the time of show or that animal will be disqualified. The Extension Agent or FFA Advisor must verify all market hair sheep are under the exhibitor’s supervision by September 1. In addition, all other ear tags must be removed from market hair sheep excluding MS Bred tags, official show tags or scrapie tags.

9. Each exhibitor shall clip, groom, and dress his/her own animal throughout ownership period and while at the Mississippi State Fair. However, an exhibitor may be assisted in the clipping, grooming or dressing of his/her animal by his/her immediate family (limited to parents, legal guardians, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles), county extension agents, agriculture education teacher, other eligible 4-H or FFA exhibitors or volunteer leaders (un-paid) who are permanent residents of Mississippi and are officially certified by the county extension agent or agricultural education teacher. It is unethical to pay anyone to assist in grooming or fitting of animals. In addition, exhibitors and their animals may attend dressing, grooming and showmanship workshops or clinics where experienced persons may teach exhibitors how to prepare themselves and their animals for shows. However, no animal to be shown at any of the shows shall be taken to any such workshop or clinic within 10 days prior to the show at which the animal will be shown. An educational workshop or clinic is defined as a group training session which is available to all exhibitors within a certain county, area or district. Such educational workshops or clinics may consist of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on experience by the participants. This rule does not apply to the removal of horns or the trimming of hooves.

10. 10 All entries are to abide by and subject to the General Rules and Regulations.

11. Individual exhibitors at the Mississippi State Fair are limited to three entries per class.