LIVESTOCK
Ages 8-18
Responsible Stock Owners Grow Here
Queen Creek 4-H Livestock Project is designed for children, ages 8-18. Members will learn all about caring for Beef, Swine, Sheep, Goat, & Dairy as they work to prepare their animals for Market & Showing.
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Inside, & outside of weekly meetings, youth will engage in activities that expand their knowledge on animal care, husbandry, nutrition, financial literacy, showmanship, meat marketing quality assurance, and careers in agriculture. Members can participate in various Shows and Fairs—Including the Maricopa County Fair in April.
Project Meetings
On Saturdays, starting at 9:00 a.m., members and their large animals gather together to bond, and grow their stock-based Smarts.
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Through instruction, hands-on-experience, and group discussion, members will discover how to care for their animal, and prepare their project for the best possible fair experience.
Meetings are held at Chandler Heights and Sossaman. For more information, or to receive advice on where to get your animals, please contact: pygmygoatlover@yahoo.com.
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Images: (Learning and Growing alongside your fellow Project members is always a valuable experience).
Market & Dairy Goats:
Whether raising a market or dairy goat, members will grow in responsibility and expand their knowledge as they seek to raise their incredible animals. View descriptions of each project below:​
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Market Goat: The meat goat project will help you learn how to raise a market or breeding animal. Throughout the different levels of this project you will learn to identify healthy and sick animals, keep proper records, define the difference between milk-type and meat-type goats, learn how to score body condition, and many other skills.
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Dairy Goat: Youth from the novice to expert will expand their dairy goat knowledge and skills of goat management, selection, health, reproduction, showing, judging projects and careers. You will also practice life skills of recording keeping, decision making, leadership, communication, planning and organizing and more.
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Images: (Sweet Baby Goat).
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Super-Star Sheep:
Whether you are raising a market lamb, or breeding your sheep, members will learn how to analyze their stock and take on responsibility for their daily care. You can view the various types of sheep project's below:
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Market Lamb: This program allows a 4-H member to go out and purchase a market lamb, or young sheep that was bred for its carcass qualities. Once that lamb has been raised to market weight (through proper nutrition and exercise), 4-Hers can then bring that animal to the annual Maricopa County Fair for Market and Exhibition.
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Breeding Ewe: In this project, a 4-Her raises a female sheep (ewe) of any market sheep breed with the intent to breed that animal to produce marketable off-spring. At the conclusion of the project year, 4-Her's can enter there Breeding Ewe into the annual Maricopa County Fair. Emphasis is placed on good growth and performance capabilities, functionality, balance and eye appeal, and muscle quality.
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Images: (Top Left: Member and sheep circle the ring. Bottom Right: Showing an animal takes focus and pride in your project).
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Market Beef & Dairy Cattle:
Cattle are the largest animals raised in the Livestock Project. Both market & dairy cattle have great promise in the Livestock industry, and responsible, hard-working members can raise an animal with exceptional market/showmanship quality:​
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Market Beef: In this Project, youth take ownership of a market beef which they must purchase before October, and raise until April of every year. Maricopa County Fair is the capstone of any Livestock experience. Members work to have the best animal possible for presentation, with the common Market Beef entry deadline being October 1st.
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​Dairy Cattle: Throughout the different levels of this project you will learn general dairy cattle knowledge, including, breeds, the milk production system, showmanship techniques, anatomy, and more!
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Images: (Top-to-bottom: First: Youth stands next to his prize market cattle; Second: Dairy Cattles enjoy some hay)
Stunning Swine:
Many 4-H’ers who have swine projects hope to raise champions. Over the 4-H Season, you will learn about the swine industry and how to produce a safe, wholesome product. You will also learn to assume responsibility and build life-long relationships with your fellow swine-raisers.
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Raising and showing a champion pig requires dedication, hard work and a little luck. Selecting a good animal, providing good facilities, developing a sound feeding and health program, learning showmanship and paying attention to details every day are all important. Overlooking any one of these areas can prevent you and your pig from making it to the first pen.
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Image: (Left: Child Feeding their Porky Pal).
Raising Up Community— (Livestock Committee & Community Service):
Maricopa County's, Livestock Committee puts on educational and showmanship clinics which prepares youth for livestock shows and fairs.
The Livestock Committee has a board consisting of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary with an adult and youth member from each club that has a Livestock Project, also participating.
Committee Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month. The Committee is always looking for more adult volunteers and youth to get involved in the Livestock Project!
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Lastly, no Livestock Experience would be complete without doing some Community Service Projects! Whether participating at Founder's Day, decorating the 4-H float for the QC Holiday Parade, or handing out flyers/collecting food during the Trick or Treat so Others Can Eat Drive—Members are sure to have a blast while making an impact on the community.
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Images: (Top Right: It's always great to use our Health to make things better for our Club & Community. Bottom Right: Livestock lovers can pour the same hard work and dedication they share with their Project, into their Community).
Thank you for your interest in our Project! As always, it is our goal, "To Make the Best, Better." We look forward to helping your child take ownership of their pet, teaching them all about raising prize animals that make them proud.
For more information, please contact: pygmygoatlover@yahoo.com
