Beef General Guidelines

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  1. No horns allowed. When in question, 4-H Council Livestock Committee with consideration from Beef committee will have the right to allow or deny animal.
  2. Champion Market Heifer will compete for the Grand Champion Market Animal (Beef and Dairy Steers and Market Heifers)
  3. If there is a single entry in a breed class, the single entry will compete for 1st and 2nd in All Other Breed class to move on to Grand Champion Drive.
  4. Animal Education posters need to be turned in on check in day for the exhibit buildings. DO NOT turn any posters in at animal check in.

ANIMAL HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR EXHIBITION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS IN INDIANA

2023:

For more information on cattle health requirements, call the Indiana State Board of Animal Health at (317) 544-2400 or visit BOAH’s website at www.in.gov/boah/species-information/cattle-sheep-and-other-ruminants/cattle-dairy-and-beef/

  1. SEE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SPECIES
  2. Identification (ONE of the following)
    1. 840 tags
  • May or may not be an RFID (radio frequency device)
  • 15 digits, beginning with “840,” with US Shield
    1. NUES (brite) tags
  • National Uniform Ear Tagging System
  • Steel or plastic acceptable, with US shield
    1. Official USDA Program tags
  • Orange calfhood vaccination tags, with US shield
  1. Testing
    1. Cattle that originate within Indiana do not need a brucellosis test or a tuberculosis test for exhibition in Indiana.
    2. Cattle that originate outside of Indiana do not need a brucellosis test or a tuberculosis test for exhibition in Indiana as long as the state of origin is classified as brucellosis free AND tuberculosis free by the USDA.
  • Cattle from the states that are NOT designated as free by the USDA must meet additional requirements for entry into Indiana. Contact the Indiana State Board of Animal Health for specific information.

 

Contact Us

Lauren Fenneman, Youth Educator
lhaase@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension Dubois County
505 W 5th Street 
P.O. Box 588
Jasper, IN  47547
812-482-1782

  1. Breed Classifications: Steer – Black Angus, Belted Galloway, Charolais, Chianina, Crossbred, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Maine-Anjou, Red Angus, Red Poll, Salers, Santa Gertrudis, Shorthorn, Simmental, and Dairy Beef. Heifer ‑ Angus, Belted Galloway, Charolais, Chianina, Commercial/Crossbred, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Maine-Anjou, Maintainer, Red Angus, Red Poll, Santa Gertrudis, Shorthorn and Polled Shorthorn, Shorthorn Plus, Simmental, Sim-Solution, and Salers. Crossbred heifers will show by weight. All other heifers will show by age.
  2. Breed classifications will follow Breed Association Standards.Beef Enrollment, Identification, Weighing, and Ownership -  All beef animals must be identified at county beef weigh-in day and enrolled in 4-H Online. All beef animals must follow Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) exhibition requirements. (Found at the end of the handbook). County and State Fair beef animals must be identified in 4-H Online by May 15. Potential State Fair entries must be tagged to the individual 4‑H member and DNA hair samples submitted to Purdue Extension office, otherwise, members may show those animals tagged in their family profile in 4-H Online. Any cattle with ringworm will be run through chute last. Bulls must be castrated prior to weigh-in.
  3. Stall Selection will be determined following the information meeting 10 days prior to the 4-H fair. Individuals not present at time of drawing will take available space left. If you can't be there for drawing, have a representative there for you at drawing. Early pen selection is NOT allowed.
  4. Weighing ‑ Animals will be weighed immediately upon arrival at the 4‑H Fairgrounds for show weight. Rate of gain will be calculated and awards made to the top two animals.
  5. Mouthing Age ‑ No steer can be shown that does not have his milk teeth in place, and no permanent teeth showing or evidence thereof. Steers not meeting mouthing requirements will show in a separate class but will receive no higher than a blue ribbon.
  6. All Beef show animals not tagged at county beef weigh-in need to be tagged and entered into 4HOnline by May 15.
  7. Any animal with a questionable health issue, such as pinkeye, warts, ringworm, or other disease, may be isolated while at the fair, or sent home. The 4-H Council Livestock Committee will make this decision.
  8. Equipment Placement ‑ No chutes in wash area until after check-in. Show boxes are to be placed in specified areas designated by the committee. Grooming chutes allowed in barn any day while in use. Chutes must be stored outside otherwise and may not be used between 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. except on show day.
  9. Beef check in, show, and check out dates and times will be in 4-H newsletter and on the fair schedule.
  10. Cattle must remain in stalls beginning at 5:30 p.m. except on night of show. No animals will be permitted to go out to tie outs no earlier than 9:00 p.m. OR the conclusion of the evening show. Whichever is later.
  11. For the safety of the 4-H members, if any 4-Her needs assistance in the ring, please contact the beef committee prior to show to have ring masters assist your 4-Her in the ring!! Only parents or assigned legal guardians allowed with Mini 4-Hers.
  12. Order of Show – To be determined after check-in on Sunday.
  13. Class Make‑Up – the Purdue Extension and 4-H Council Livestock Committee reserves the right to combine classes or to divide classes whenever deemed advisable. Final decisions on classes will be made following check-in at the fair. These classes will be posted prior to the show. Classes with insufficient numbers may be combined in an “all other breeds” class.
  14. Ribbons ‑ Group placing (blue, red, white) with 1st and 2nd in each class. Champion and Reserve Champion in each breed (designated by committee). Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion on the market animal show (Feeder calves are not eligible for Grand champion competition). Top 5 will be selected in market and breeding heifer show.
  15. 4‑H Beef Species Committee ‑ this group has the responsibility of bringing needs of species to the 4-H Council Livestock Committee, oversee check in at fair, oversee ID days, provide barn chaperones as needed, provide volunteers to run the show, and livestock barn set up.
  16. 4-H Council Livestock Committee – this group is the decision makers, review suggestions from species committees, review concerns and grievances from livestock individuals, set livestock dates, oversee and enforce rules, and procedures of the livestock program.

Heifers may show as market heifer or breeding heifer. The member must declare which category the animal will show in at check-in. There will be one class of market heifers.

Commercial breeding heifers will show by weight classes.

Registered breeding heifers will show in alphabetic order of breed beginning with the class with youngest animals.

a) Senior Calves ‑ Born between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 of preceding year.
b) Summer Yearlings ‑ Born between May 1 and Aug. 31 of preceding year.
c) Junior Yearlings ‑ Born between Jan. 1 and April 30 of preceding year.
d) Senior Yearlings ‑ Born between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, two years previous (if in milk will show in cow class)
f) Dairy Steers ‑ dehorned to show

will show in alphabetic order of breed, beginning with the lightweight class.

a) 1200 lbs. & up
b) 1100‑1199 lbs.
c) 1000‑1099 lbs.

Steers below 1000 lbs. will show in heavy feeder calves (700-999 lbs.) and light feeder calves (699 lbs. and below). Feeder heifers are eligible to be shown in the feeder calf classes also. All feeder calves must be selected, tagged, and entered in 4HOnline by May 15. Male feeder calves must be castrated.

Calf must be less than six months old as of show date and have own tag identification. Calf may also be shown by Mini 4‑H'er but will stay all week. If calf is to be shown in the feeder calf class in addition to the cow-calf class, it must be identified in 4-H Online under both the Feeder calf and Cow-Calf category.

Top 5 rate of gain competitors will be brought through arena. Awards for top two will be announced.

Members compete by grade unless they have won in Junior, Intermediate, or Senior division. Prior year winners must move up one level. Members must show their own animal (Only exception is if 4-H member does not have an animal on the premises). The show will be a “blow and show” type exhibit with no fitting of the animal.

Junior ‑ 3rd-4th graders

Intermediate - 5th-6th graders

Senior ‑ 7th-9th graders

Master - 10th grade & up

Refer to Mini 4-H Class rules

        NOTE: Mini 4-H class will start the Beef Show.