Youth Livestock Projects: Your Responsibilities

The following points will help guide instructors in discussing the situations presented in the accompanying Power Point Presentation.

Animal Care and Ownership

Situation I

After you county's weigh-in date, Larry Lambjockey offers you a market lamb he's sure will win the show. All you have to do is switch the ear tag, which he will take care of. In return, Larry gets half the sale proceeds from this potential champion. The grand Champion market lamb usually brings about $2000 at auction.

1. It is against ownership rules to obtain a project animal after your local weigh-in date.
2. Switching ear tags among animals is unethical and also against the rules.
3. If Larry is to be paid half the sale proceeds, then half the project animal belongs to Larry instead of the youth member. Larry may urge the member to try other unethical practices to ensure the lamb wins so that he can collect his half of the sale proceeds.
4. If disclosed, the "half the sale proceeds" clause may disenfranchise sale buyers who assume the member collects all the sale proceeds from a project animal.
5. You should not accept Larry's offer and inform him that's what he's suggesting is against the rules, and unethical.

Situation II

You become aware that a club member's project lambs are being housed and fed at Sheba Sheepskin's farm in the next county.

1. It is unlikely that the club member is feeding and caring for the lamb on a regular basis. Therefore, the member is not realizing the benefits of carrying the animal project.
2. This situation should be brought to the attention of your parents, leaders, and extension agent, or agriculture instructor.

Honesty and Sportsmanship

Situation I

An aunt of a fellow exhibitor openly criticizes the market hog judge after the show because her nephew placed third with a very expensive hog.

1. Judging livestock is a subjective task. There is seldom, if ever, a "right" placing. The judge was asked for his or her opinion on a given day. When you enter the ring, you agree to accept the judge's decision. It is not acceptable behavior or good sportsmanship to criticize a judge's decision.
2. The aunt's behavior should be brought to the attention of a leader or other authority. The judge should be quickly removed from this uncomfortable situation. If he or she is willing, the exhibitor of the hog could ask the aunt to calm down. Otherwise, it would be acceptable for show authorities to ask the aunt to leave.

Situation II

You have the opportunity to show two pigs at the fair. Both of them win their divisions and compete for Grand Champion. Your little brother is showing the pig that the judge selects for Grand Champion.

1. You have two options: remove the second pig from the ring (since you already achieved your performance goal of winning Grand Champion), or allow the pig to compete for Reserve Champion.
2. This situation may generate vigorous debate. Removing the second pig from contention for Reserve Champion would display the highest degree of sportsmanship.

Animal Health and Biosecurity

Situation I

When presenting your health papers to show officials, you are informed that your $2,500 steer did not have one of the required health tests.

1. It is the exhibitor's responsibility to ensure that all health requirements are met.
2. The steer should be taken home without complaint.

Situation II

It's 6:45 PM and you just finished cleaning out your pig pen. You suddenly remember you have a mandatory 4-H swine club meeting at 7:00 PM at a club leader's hog farm 30 minutes away.

1. Going directly from your pig pen to a producer's farm would clearly violate good biosecurity practices. You may be subjecting the leader's herd to a costly disease.
2. You should phone the leader's home and describe the situation, then shower and changes clothes and shoes before leaving for the meeting. Realize you will be late for the meeting.

Quality Assurance

Situation

At the county fair, you observe a club member's parent giving an injection to a steer two days before the show and sale.

1. Many injectable products have a withdrawal period longer than two days. Depending on the contents of the injection, the steer could contain violate drug residues when it is sold. At the least, the steer will probably have some bruising and meat staining due to the injection.
2. Members may or may not confront the individual, depending on the situation. However, members should bring their observation to parents, leaders, and proper show authorities and let them find out the facts and make a decision on the outcome.

Human Health

Situation

You are preparing your steer to compete in the PA Farm Show youth steer show. Adult fitters in the stall next to you are applying aerosol fitting products to a market steer and the fumes drift directly into your stall. The aerosol cans are completely wrapped with duct tape.

1. Adults should not be fitting another youth member's steer.
2. Fumes from the fitting products may be dangerous for you to breathe.
3. Since the product label is concealed, you don't know for sure what you are breathing.
4. The product in question may be absorbed into the fat of the steer next to you and violate quality assurance for this food-producing animal.
5. You should ask the fitters to stop spraying the product in a poorly ventilated area.
6. You should ask your parents, leaders, and show officials to examine the situation in the next stall.
7. You should re-locate your preparation area if the offending parties refuse to stop spraying the product.