4-H Dairy and Livestock Breeding Animal Leasing Program Description and Rules

Program Description

The intent of the 4-H animal leasing program is to provide opportunities for 4-H livestock or dairy project involvement to youth who:

• lack financial resources needed to purchase and care for an animal,
• lack facilities and equipment necessary to provide proper daily care for a large animal, or
• are prevented from participating in project experiences requiring ownership and daily care of a large animal due to circumstances beyond their control.

Breeding animals owned and housed by a sponsor are leased by 4-H members for the project year. A schedule for sharing with the owner in the care and training for each animal is developed and agreed upon. Four-H members do scheduled tasks and participate in 4-H activities with the animals. Four-H members may exhibit leased animals only at 4-H shows permitting showing of leased project animals.

Objectives

• Youth unable to participate in 4-H animal projects requiring animal ownership and complete responsibility for animal care will have the opportunity to participate in breeding animal project experiences involving dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, goats, or swine.
• Youth will develop an appreciation for animal agriculture.
• Four-H members will be provided with the opportunity to develop life skills in areas including leadership, citizenship, communications, careers, personal and value development, and relating to people.
• Four-H members will be provided with the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge related to animal sciences and the care, management, marketing, and use of animals and their products.

Eligibility

Youth (lessees)

Youth must meet requirements for 4-H membership in Pennsylvania. For a youth to be considered a 4-H member, he or she must:

• be at least 8 years of age and must not have passed his or her 19th birthday before January 1 of the current year.
• be enrolled in one or more 4-H projects
• have such enrollment recorded in the county extension office
• not enroll in the same project in two or more counties or states.

The 4-H member must enroll in a 4-H project for the animal species leased and file a copy of the project plan and the written lease, if one exists, with the extension office in the county where the member is enrolled by May 1 of the project year. A written lease is not required.

The member must be in good standing and attend a minimum of 50% of the meetings or follow club standards for attendance of the 4-H club in which the project is carried.

Sponsors (owners or lessors)

Sponsors must have proof of ownership of the animals to be leased on or before the date when the lease agreement is to take effect.

Owners who are not volunteer leaders and owners' employees and family members do not need to complete the 4-H volunteer screening process. Sponsors (owners) who will be advising 4-H members as volunteer 4-H leaders should be screened volunteers approved by Penn State Cooperative Extension.

Parents or guardians are not permitted to lease animals to their children. Ownership should be encouraged whenever possible.

Animals

Animals to be leased must be dairy cattle or goats, beef cattle, sheep, swine, or other large livestock suitable for exhibition as breeding stock in the county where the 4-H member is enrolled. Market animals may not be leased for 4-H projects.

Title of ownership as stated on the registration certificate of the leased animal will remain in the possession of the sponsor.

Cows may be leased and exhibited as project animals only if they were leased by the 4-H member during the project years when they were calves or yearlings. Sows may be leased as project animals only if they were leased by the 4-H members during the years when they were gilts. Mature ewes may be leased and exhibited only if they were leased by the 4-H member during the years when they were lambs or yearlings. Mature does may be leased as project animals only if they were leased by the 4-H members during the years prior to freshening for the first time.

Rules

General Rules

A project plan must be signed and filed for each animal leased.

A written lease is not required. If the parent or sponsor require a written lease, it must be submitted to the county extension office for liability insurance approval before it is signed. At least 30 days must be allowed for insurance approval. (See Section E.)

The approved project plan must be signed by the 4-H leader, sponsor, lessee, and parent or legal guardian of the lessee and filed in the county extension office with the written lease (if one exists) by May 1 of the project year.

The lease agreement will remain in effect until the end of the project year or until terminated by either party. The lease agreement may be terminated prior to the end of the project year for reasons such as: a. failure of lessee or lessor to carry out responsibilities as outlined in the lease agreement. b. changes in the farming operation of the sponsor

The project plan must be reviewed by the leader, sponsor, and lessee prior to entering the leased animal in a show to insure that responsibilities are being carried out by the lessee. The leader and sponsor will sign the section on lessee compliance in the project plan and a copy of the signed project plan will be sent to the county extension office.

Responsibilities of 4-H Members

Four-H members leasing animals (lessees) must:

• Complete responsibilities for animal care agreed upon between the 4-H member, sponsor, and member's 4-H leader. It is recommended that the member assist with the care of the animal at least one time per week.
• Keep records of project plans, animals, activities, expenses, and income in the appropriate 4-H project record. The record must be turned in to the member's 4-H leader for evaluation at the end of the project year.
• Attend regularly scheduled 4-H meetings.
• Participate in activities recommended for project completion.
• Exhibit leased project animals in Pennsylvania 4-H shows, only. Leased animals may not be exhibited in open or junior shows requiring proof of ownership by the 4-H member. The youth shows at some county fairs, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and Keystone International Livestock Exposition are not 4-H shows. They are junior shows with their own rules and regulations; therefore, leased animals are not eligible to show at them. It is the responsibility of the 4-H member to consult show rules to determine if he or she is eligible to participate in a particular show.

Responsibilities of Families of 4-H Members

Families of 4-H members leasing animals should:

• Agree to transport or arrange for transportation of the 4-H member to perform feeding and management chores for the leased animals on a pre-determined schedule. At least once per week is recommended.
• Let the owner have final say in all decisions about the maintenance, transportation, and disposal of the animal.
• Provide proof of liability insurance coverage.
• Pay expenses incurred in exhibiting the animal(s), including veterinarian, transportation, entree fees, and miscellaneous expenditures, as negotiated with the owner (sponsor).
• Pay expenses incurred as negotiated with the owner.

Responsibilities of Sponsors

Owners of leased animals (sponsors) should:

• agree to make the animal available to the 4-H member (lessee) as negotiated for project activities during the period of the lease agreement.
• house and maintain the animal at his or her own farm facilities and pay routine expenses associated with its housing, feeding, and maintenance.
• provide proof of liability insurance coverage.
• allow the 4-H member to keep any premiums or awards won while exhibiting the animal during the duration of the contract.
• not exhibit the animal. During the term of the lease, an animal should not be exhibited by its owner.

Liability Insurance

Four-H members that lease an animal for a project are in the same position from a liability standpoint as if they owned the animal. The parents and owners should have their own liability insurance to provide coverage as if it was an owned animal. The 4-H liability insurance is not twenty-four hour coverage. It is intended to cover 4-H activities, such as club meetings or project activities. A Certificate of Insurance can be issued to show coverage for a meeting or activity, but such certificate will not relieve the owner/lessor of their liability. All contracts regarding the leasing of animals must be approved by the 4-H liability insurance company prior to signing to verify coverage. Even though the contract is not signed by a 4-H volunteer, the court might impute coverage to 4-H by the language of the contract or lease if the parent is construed to be operating under the 4-H program.