Steer Project
Beef Cattle Explore Project Book (pdf)
Managing Beef Cattle for Show(pdf)
Texas Show Steer Breed Classification(pdf)
- Purchase steer in March or April
- Order validation tags in April
- Validate steers in June
- Have hooves trimmed throughout feeding period
- Treat for external parasites
- Steer must be dehorned
- Stock Show entry forms and fees for all stock shows are due in mid November
- Steer must be shorn to no more than ¼” on any location of the body except tail (exception of County, District and Fort Worth)
- Must attend half of all club meetings to be eligible to show at the Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show
- Age for County: 1st grade – 18 years old
- Age for other stock shows: 9 (or 8 & in the 3rd grade) – 18 years old
Let’s Get Started With The Cattle Project
Goat Project
Sheep and Goat Explore Project Book pdf)
4-H Meat Goat Guide(pdf)
- Purchase goats in July
- Order validation tags in August
- Validate goats in October
- Stock Show entry forms and fees for all stock shows are due in late October
- Must attend half of all club meetings to be eligible to show at the Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show
- Meat goats must have milk teeth for some shows. Check rules for each show.
- Goats must be shorn slick (3/8”)
- Horns must be tipped to show
- Age for County: 1st grade – 18 years old
- Age for other shows: 9 (or 8 & in the 3rd grade) – 18 years old
Let’s Get Started With The Goat Project
Sheep Project
2020 – New Lamb Classification Guidelines
Sheep and Goat Explore Project Book (pdf)
4-H Show Lamb Guide(pdf)
- Purchase lambs in early June
- Order validation tags in August
- Stock Show entry forms and fees for all stock shows are due in late October
- Must attend half of all club meetings to be eligible to show at the Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show
- Need to consider age of lambs when purchasing for shows
- Must have milk teeth in place for show (they lose these around one year of age)
- Lambs must be shorn slick for show
- Age for County: 1st grade – 18 years old
- Age for other stock shows: 9 (or 8 & in the 3rd grade) – 18 years old
Let’s Get Started Sheep Project
Swine Project
Swine Classification – updated summer of 2019
NOTE: not all major shows have accepted these classifications. You will want to check the show Premium Books whenever they are released later in the fall to see if a show has adopted these guidelines.
Swine Project Guide(pdf)
Keeping Show Pigs Healthy (pdf)
- Order validation tags in September
- Purchase swine in October
- Validate swine in November
- Entry forms and fees for all stock shows are due in late October
- Must attend half of all club meetings to be eligible to show at the Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show
- Age for County: 1st grade – 18 years old
- Age for other stock shows: 9 (or 8 & in the 3rd grade) – 18 years old
Let’s Get Started Swine
Turkey Project
Producing Turkeys for Show (pdf)
- Order poults in April from the Extension Office
- Pick up poults in October
- Entry forms and fees for all stock show are due in late October
- Must attend half of all club meetings to be eligible to show at the Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show
- Age for County: 1st grade – 18 years old
- Age for other stock shows: 9 (or 8 & in the 3rd grade) – 18 years old
Let’s Get Started Poultry Projects
Broilers
Getting Started with Show Broilers (pdf)
How to Produce Broilers and Roasters for Show (pdf)
Nutrition and Feeding of Show Poultry (pdf)
- Order chicks in September from the Extension Office for County and major stock shows
- Pick up chicks in November for County Stock Show
- Pick up chicks in early January for San Antonio Stock Show
- Pick up chicks in late January for Houston and Austin Stock Shows
- Entry forms and fees for all stock shows are due in late October
- Must attend half of all club meetings to be eligible to show at the Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show
- Weight requirements for County Show is 15 lbs. per pen
- Each exhibitor must order a minimum of 25 broilers
