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Atchison County

Sheep

 

Are You Into It? 

In the 4-H sheep project you can learn about breeds, selection, grooming, production, management, showmanship, marketing, and careers.

• Learn the basic principles of animal science by owning, caring for, and keeping records on one or more head of livestock
• Gain knowledge of sound breeding, feeding, and management practices
• Identify quality in wholesale and retail cuts of meat to understand the relationship to management principles

Here's what you can do all year! 

Sheep

Take Sheep A Step Further ! 

Here are other opportunities to explore Sheep:
• Tour a sheep operation
• Attend a sheep show to listen to a judge give oral reasons and witness the differences in judging sheep
• Visit a local feed mill and see how feed ingredients are mixed, weighed and blended to make a complete ration
• Ride with a local veterinarian to learn about animal health
• Participate in a judging team
• Design a business plan to market lamb meat directly to retailers, restaurants, or private customers
• Write an educational article about some aspect of sheep production for your newspaper
• Research sheep by-products
• Is it fair time? Consider showing in your County Fair sheep show or the Kansas State Fair.
• Contact your county KSU Extension Office for other local workshops, activities, and events
• Interested in a college education in animal science or veterinary medicine? Schedule a visit with Kansas State University to explore those majors. www.ksu.edu

4-H Grows Here

A Skill I Learned...

Neat Sheep!

Clover

KSU Project Page

Identification tags from the Extension Office will be installed at the designated weigh in/tagging.

Fair Resources

Aug  5 Morning  Schedule  TBA

Large Animal Exhibit Card

Livestock Record for Beginning Members

Department N:  Sheep and Wool

Other Resources

Sheep Judging Standards

Showmanship Score Card

Step It Up! 

Pass it on! Now that you know how, share it with others. Here are ideas to get you started.

Communication

• Design a poster on parts of the animal
• Participate in a judging contest giving oral reasons
• Give a shearing demonstration

Citizenship

• Volunteer your lamb for a community petting zoo
• Hand out food samples at your local grocery store
• Volunteer to help at the county sheep weigh-in

Leadership

• Invite other 4-H members to tour your farm
• Teach others how to safely handle sheep
• Lead a sheep showmanship and grooming clinic

Exhibit Ideas

• Participate in the 4-H sheep show
   o Breeding sheep
   o Market lambs
   o Showmanship
   o Rate of gain
• Consider an exhibit, notebook or display showing what you have learned in a sheep-related topic
   o Nutritive value of meat goats
   o Meat cuts and proper preparation
   o Feeding rations
   o Preventative vaccinations
   o Photos of different breeds
   o Daily routine in caring for animals
   o Grooming techniques
   o Developing a breeding herd
   o Best care techniques for newborns
   o How to select and judge your lamb
   o Medical show kit
   o Explain the use of FEPD’s
   o Understanding carcass grading in lamb carcasses
   o Video on how to train your lamb to lead
   o Proper exercising techniques
   o Making ethically sound decisions
   o Feed additives and their proper uses