Purpose of projects There are 3 major purposes of students getting involved with project programs: Character Development Knowledge of the livestock industry Proper Showing Techniques

Character Development “Adversity doesn’t build character; it reveals it.” Six Pillars of Character Trustworthiness Responsibility Citizenship Caring Respect Fairness In order to exhibit projects of any type in the major shows in Texas students must complete a program called “Quality counts”. Part of this program includes character development.

Knowledge of the Livestock Industry Proper care of livestock includes the following Selection Feeding Health Grooming Show preparation Students should develop knowledge about their project program. Having more in depth knowledge will lead to a more successful experience at shows.

Knowledge of the Livestock Industry (cont.) Selection Know the end point for that animal. What are your plans for that animal. Set a budget. Projects can cost a lot of money. Example: Show pig $400 & up, feed $300 to 500 total investment $700 to $900. Start with a high quality animal. All animals are not created equally. Get someone to help you if you don’t have enough knowledge.

Knowledge of the Livestock Industry (cont.) Feeding Feed a high quality feed. All feeds sold at feed stores are regulated by the Texas Dept of Ag. Know how the feed “Feeds” How will your animal grow on this feed Feed on a regular schedule—within 2 hours every day. If you feed at 6:00 am on the week day then you should feed at 6:00 on the weekend as well. Have a clean source of water available at all times. Water is the most important nutrient.

Knowledge of the Livestock Industry (cont.) Health Signs of good health Vigorous appetite Alert attitude Thrifty Appearance—slick hair, bright eyes, full belly Proper waste production Scours (diarrhea) Urinary calculi –most often in sheep and goats Your animal is like a race car if it’s not running right you’re not going to win. Know when your animal is not performing to the best of it’s ability.

Knowledge of the Livestock Industry (cont.) Proper Vaccinations Parasite Control Accepted Practices—castration, dehorning A knowledgeable vet or producer can help you with this. Medications Know what you’re giving your animal Observe withdrawal dates Know how to administer medication

Knowledge of the Livestock Industry (cont.) Grooming Proper grooming will help make your animals more manageable at show time. Pigs—brushed every day Goats—brushed several times a week Sheep—kept relatively short fleeced Cattle—rinsed, if not too cold, and brushed several times a week It will also make your animal have a better appearance which will help it get a better look at the show.

Knowledge of the Livestock Industry (cont.) Show Preparation Good showmanship takes cooperation between the exhibitor and the animal Proper showing techniques are developed over the entire feeding period. There are no short cuts—you cannot have a crash course for the animal or the exhibitor. Know how to safely work or move your animal. It needs to be in be put in different situations so that it and you can learn how to act

What is the end result ? There are several things that could happen to your project after your done showing. Make sure you have a plan. County—Premium Sale; all animals come home Sell at auction sale Processed—need to make arrangements early Sell privately Go on to another show Major Shows—Terminal shows for all species(market ) except steers. Breeding Animals—Keep and breed, sell to a breeder or treat as a market animal

Assistance Lots of people will be willing to give advice. Be sure the advice you are listening to comes from a good source and is not just “barn gossip”. Nobody has more at stake that will be giving you advice than us, your ag teachers.

Staying within the guidelines

Definition Drug--: a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease; a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body.

Types of animal health products Rx—prescription Can only be used on the animal prescribed as instructed by the vet prescribing it OTC—over the counter. Anybody can buy & use according to the label directions

Types of drug use Labeled use—using the drug exactly as it is specified on the label (this includes feeds and additives) (ok) Extra Label—vet prescribes a drug to be used in a manner other than what’s on the label. (ok with vet documention) Off Label—Feeders use drugs on their own in a manner other than what is stated on the label w/o Vet guidance (not allowed)

Drug Label- all information concerning correct use can be found on the label including the following. Expiration Date Lot Number Dosage Warnings Cautions Application Methods Precautions Active ingredient Trade name Withdrawal time

Other things to know Withdrawal period—the amount of time needed for a drug’s level in the animal’s body to reach a level that is acceptable for that animal to enter the food chain. Check each shows policy for drug use and other rules concerning drug residues. For example Houston has a zero tolerance for any drug in an animal’s system. The cattle supplement Zilmax (Zilpaterol hydrochloride), although FDA approved, was removed from the market in All stock shows will not tolerate residue from Zilmax present in cattle.