Mandatory Meat Quality Assurance Training Requirements – Click for FULL requirements

MQA training is required for anyone new to 4-H, which includes Juniors (ages 8-10), as well as first year Intermediates (ages 11-13) and first year Seniors (ages 14-18) if they are taking cattle, dairy, hogs, goats, sheep, rabbits, or poultry. Attendance at a meat quality assurance workshop is required. This applies for market and breeding projects.

MQA Dates in Arapahoe County
February 21 – Byers Ag Shop 4:00 – 7:00

April 5 – Arapahoe County Fairgrounds 9:00 – 12:00

Animal Record Book Policy

• Members must complete a record book for each project the member is enrolled in with a score of 70% or above.
• Please be aware that some record books have a supplemental form that must also be submitted as well.

Breeding Supplements

• Record books for Dog, Horse, Livestock and Small Animal projects are due to the Extension Office following county fair after first being graded at the club level (either by the club leader or project leader or any one designated by the club) and must receive a score of 70% in order to be considered complete.
• Member’s with record books which score less than a 70% will be considered incomplete for that project and will not be allowed participate in the incomplete project the following year. Furthermore, the exhibitor will forfeit their premiums in that project area.
• The official score sheet will be used when grading record books. Score sheets (rubrics) will be posted on the COUNTY 4-H website.

State Fair Nomination Cards and Premise ID’s

Remember all 4-H and FFA exhibitors must have their premise ID# on their nomination cards to be accepted for State Fair.  This is a State Fair Policy NOT a requirement to participate in the local 4-H program. This information should be completed on ALL cards at the time of weigh-in. You will need to apply for your premise ID number well in advance of weigh-in so they have time to assign you one. Apply online through Colorado Location Identification (LID) or call303-869-9000 for more information. Allow 3-4 weeks for processing. Click hereto find out more information. 

Leased Livestock Procedures

4-Hers may only lease two animals for project areas which they do not already own. For example, if you already own dairy goats you may not lease a dairy goat but if you own dairy goats and would also like to try breeding Boer goats you are allowed to lease a breeding Boer goat. Also, a standardized universal lease form has been developed that will require the animal’s tattoo or ear tag number listed on it. This lease form is universal so anyone leasing an animal will need to use this form and have it on file at the Extension Office by May 1st. If you have additional requirements specified by the person or a written lease agreement with the person leasing the animal out, you should include that information as a separate sheet, but this “universal” form must be filled out if leasing an animal for 4-H. These projects ideally should begin in October and go through September since only breeding animals can be leased. Leases are not permitted on market livestock.

New requirements for the Producers Classes

• Producers Class Details
• Producers Class Nomination Form – Goat and Sheep
• Producers Class Nomination Form – Beef
• Producers Class Nomination Form – Swine

 Resources

• Non-Market Goat Registration
• E-Records and Manuals
• E-Record Book Tips
• Animal Care and Housing Form
• Colorado Premise ID Number
• Livestock record book rubric and score sheet 2018

Superintendents

• Goat – Regina Hopping– 303-242-0024 and Katy Hamill – 303-913-7314
• Poultry –
• Beef – Jonny and Kayla Hess
• Sheep – Nichole Harrell
• Swine – DJ Jackson – 303-902-2170
• Rabbit – Roxie and Rod Brockelman – 303-598-1850

Enrollment & Ownership Deadlines

Members must be enrolled in projects by the time ownership is required. Members must own animals and have them in their possession by the time of the corresponding projects tag-in or ID due date.

To sign-up for a 4-H project, each youth must join 4-H as a member in either a community club or an individual family club. For more information about enrolling as a member, please call the 4-H office at 303-730-1920 or visit our Enrollment Page.