Welcome to the Tuscarawas County 4-H Animal Sciences page. You will find event information and resources for all livestock - large and small - in this section of our web site.

In animal science projects, 4-H members:

  • Learn about animals and their behavior, health, and reproduction.
  • Practice leadership skills and roles, take part in community affairs, and demonstrate citizenship responsibility.
  • Explore career, job, and productive leisure opportunities.
  • Learn to use accepted practices for mental, physical, and emotional health.
  • Develop personal integrity, a sense of sportsmanship and team cooperation, and an ability to speak in public through participation in related activities, such as demonstrations, talks, judging events, field days, tours, and exhibits.
  • Share acquired knowledge and skills with other 4-H members.
  • Show their animal science projects at county fairs and expositions.
  • Develop skills, knowledge and attitudes for lifelong use.

Click on the links, below, for more information.

General Information Large Livestock Small Livestock
Livestock and Exhibition in Ohio Fairs Hog Hair Length Requirement Scrapie Tag Requirement - Goats
Veterinary Feed Directive Market Hog ID Information Poultry Resource Handbook

4-H Livestock
Judging Team

Market Beef Tag-In Pullorum Testing
Pennsylvania Livestock Judging Manual    
Scrapie Tag Information - Sheep    
2024 Junior Fair Livestock Requirement Summary    
Tuscarawas County Livestock Ages    
ODA Animal Posession and Livestock Registration    

 


General Information

ODA Animal Posession and Livestock Registration

Why do we have livestock registration deadlines? Why are some species required to turn in a registration form and not others? Why can I finish my project but I can’t show my animal at the county fair if I missed turning in my project registration form by the deadline? These are questions we hear almost every year. We also, unfortunately, have a few members each year who don’t complete and turn in a registration form and become upset when they hear they can’t show their animal at the county fair. This section will hopefully answer these questions and help you understand the market animal possession deadlines.

  1. Why do we have livestock registration deadlines? Anyone selling a market livestock animal is required to have that animal in their possession by a certain date. Contrary to what many believe, this is not a county 4-H rule or county agricultural society (fair board) rule. The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) requires that all market animals have a possession deadline. This ownership requirement rule (OAC #901-19-39) has been in force since at least 1996. (See the complete rule here.)
  2. Why are some species required to turn in a registration form and not others? With projects such as breeding, feeder, dairy, fancy, and production, it isn’t known that members physically have these animals until these forms are completed and turned in. For all other projects (market), we physically see that members have these animals. For example, members enrolling in Market Beef have to have the animal in their possession and bring to tag-in in December. Members enrolled in other market projects such as lamb, hog, or rabbit, we see these animals at their designated tag-in dates. With the market poultry projects, we physically distribute these animals to members. It’s a matter of knowing when members have possession of their market animals.
  3. Why can I finish my project but can’t show my animal at the county fair if I missed turning in my project registration form by the deadline? Contrary to what people think, 4-H and county fairs are separate entities. 4-H requirements state that members must complete an interview process and successfully raise the animal for processing in order to complete the project.  4-H does require that members at least have a project display in their club’s fair booth. Members are not required to show their animal at the county fair. If members would like to compete/show at the county junior fair division, the county agricultural society (fair board) – in accordance with the ODA ownership requirement rule – requires that members have completed and turned in the project registration form.

In short, project registration forms fulfill the ownership requirement rule set forth by ODA, are enforced by the county agricultural society (fair board), and there is no compromising on this.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21 and restrictions to large public gatherings, adjustments had to be made to those market projects that required an in-person tag-in. Although tags were still required, members were also required to complete and turn in a project registration form as the fair board did not see these animals in physical possession with the member at tag-in.

If you have further questions or would like additional clarification of this information, please feel free to contact us.

Livestock and Exhibition in Ohio Fairs

If a youth wants to take a project to the State Fair that is not available in the county (i.e., swine breeding), the youth must enroll in that project to be able to exhibit at the State Fair.

Click here for the Fact Sheet "Requirements of Livestock Projects for Exhibition in Ohio Fairs." It includes information about QA, project enrollment, etc.

Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) Fact Sheet for 4-H Youth Livestock Producers and Families

A VFD is a written (nonverbal) statement issued by a licensed veterinarian that authorizes the use of an approved VFD drug or combination VFD drug in or on an animal feed. Starting January 1, 2017, you can no longer stop by a feed store and buy a bag of medicated feed containing certain types of antibiotics. Cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, honey bees and fish, as well as other food-producing species, even if they are not intended for food production are required to have a VFD. Read the VFD Fact Sheet here.

4-H Livestock Judging Team

Any Tuscarawas County 4-H member who is interested in the 4-H Livestock Judging Team is welcome to join! Contact Terri Specht, DVM, to be added to the email list or if you have any questions.
4-H Livestock Judging Team Flyer

Pennsylvania Livestock Judging Manual

This is an optional book for older youth that builds advanced evaluation skills. Learn to use performance data in oral reasons. Refer to it for information on how to handle market animals and understanding expected progeny differences. Available at ohio4h.org/publications.

Scrapie Tag Requirement - All Sheep and Goats

USDA Goat Requirements Fact Sheet - explaining the national scrapie eradication program for all sheep projects (#198, #199) and all goat projects (#135BD, #135BM, #135H, #135P, and #135PY). Contact us with any questions. Scrapie tags must be in the animal before they arrive at the fairgrounds (including the June tag-in).