LIVESTOCK NEWS UPDATES

NEW VOLUNTEER LEADERS MUST BE CERTIFIED

NEW VOLUNTEER LEADERS WHO MAY BE HELPING YOUR 4-H’ERS GROOM ANIMALS MUST BE OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED VOLUNTEER LEADERS OF THE 4-H PROGRAM IN MISSISSIPPI. Be sure to list the volunteer leaders who will be assisting your 4-H’ers with animals at the show. All parents that assist with animals should be signed up as volunteers.

REMINDER: NEW 4-H/FFA MEMBERS MUST BE ETHICS CERTIFIED TO SHOW!!
The Mississippi State Fair will be here soon and the Mississippi Livestock Quality Assurance training for NEW exhibitors, parents or guardians, and volunteers must be completed by September 1, 2010.
SENIOR 4-H LIVESTOCK JUDGING CONTEST
The senior 4-H livestock judging contest will be held Saturday, October 9th. This contest will be held in conjunction with the FFA livestock judging contest.  All 4-H contestants in the 2010 contest must be pre-registered by September 24, 2010. A county may enter as many senior contestants in the contest as they desire. However, you must designate your teams, if you have more than enough contestants to fill one team (Example: Oktibbeha A Team and Oktibbeha B Team). Individuals may compete for individual awards.
The state winning senior 4-H Livestock Judging Team will represent Mississippi at the Western National 4-H Roundup in Denver, CO in January 2011.

OFFICIAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE – REMINDER
An Official Health Certificate with each animal identified will be required on all livestock showing at the 2010 Mississippi State Fair. This includes all market animals, beef breeding cattle, commercial beef heifers, dairy cattle (purebred and commercial dairy heifers), dairy goats and commercial meat goat does.

MISSISSIPPI STATE FAIR PREMIUM BOOKS
Each county will receive 2 Mississippi State Fair Premium Books in the county packet as soon as they are available. A PDF file of the premium book will also be sent by email and posted on the MSUcares.com website under Livestock, 4-H Youth and 2010 MS State Fair Premium Book. Please make sure your exhibitors and parents have a copy of the rules for the shows in which they participate. A copy of the schedule of events is included in this newsletter.

DAIRY SWEETHEART CONTESTS AND MEAT GOAT PRINCESS CONTEST
A Junior and Senior Dairy Cattle Sweetheart, a Junior and Senior Dairy Goat Sweetheart, and a Junior and Senior Meat Goat Princess will be selected during the Mississippi State Fair. Winners will be selected based on poise, beauty, personality and knowledge of their project. The top 3 of each division will receive awards. Rules and regulations concerning the contest are found in the Mississippi State Fair catalog. Please have the entries to our office by September 24, 2010. Please encourage your girls enrolled in dairy and goat projects to enter this year. Winners will be announced according to times listed in the 2010 Mississippi State Fair Premium Book.

OUTSTANDING SHEPHERD AWARD AT STATE FAIR
Individual exhibitors or county groups can enter. Competition will be based on (1) creativity, (2) educational value of exhibit, (3) attractiveness of exhibit and (4) cleanliness of pens and exhibit area. The Mississippi Junior Sheep Association will sponsor this award which goes to an exhibitor or county group that maintains the most outstanding stall area and educational exhibit. Judging will be from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 1, to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 2, 2010. The winner will be announced during the Junior Sheep Show. Contestants and county groups should register at the weigh-in Friday afternoon and pick up their exhibitor number.

COMMERCIAL HEIFER AND MARKET STEER EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Check with your 4-H/FFA exhibitors that are exhibiting steers and commercial beef and dairy heifers about horns. All commercial heifers and steers showing at the Mississippi State Fair and District and Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Shows must be polled or dehorned with no scurs or re-growth to exceed 1½ inches above the skin line. Remember the minimum weight on commercial heifers is 500 pounds for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their commercial heifers and market steers and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

MARKET GOAT EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Check with your 4-H/FFA exhibitors who are exhibiting market goats about horns. Goats may be shown that are polled, dehorned, or disbudded with no re-growth to exceed 1½” above the skin line. Removal of horns is not allowed on the show grounds. Remember the minimum weight of market goats is 40 pounds with no maximum weight for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their commercial heifers and market steers and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

COMMERCIAL MEAT GOAT DOE SHOW EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Remember the minimum weight of commercial meat goat does is 40 pounds with no maximum weight for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their commercial heifers and market steers and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

MARKET LAMB EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Remember the minimum weight of market lambs is 70 pounds with no maximum weight for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their commercial heifers and market steers and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

MARKET HOG EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Remember the minimum weight of market hogs is 200 pounds with no maximum weight for the Mississippi State Fair. ALL exhibitors are responsible for weighing their commercial heifers and market steers and declaring their animal’s show weight on a weight card. Official scales will be made available for weighing livestock.

COMMERCIAL DAIRY HEIFER EXHIBITORS – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Remember the minimum weight of commercial dairy heifers is 200 pounds for the Mississippi State Fair.

NO GROOMING CONTEST AT DIXIE NATIONAL JUNIOR ROUND-UP – SPECIAL NOTICE!
Since the Mississippi Livestock Directors did not take any action on reinstituting the grooming contest, there will not be one held at the 2011 Dixie National Junior Round-Up. Their minutes stated that items that they did not discuss would remain the same for the upcoming year.