With deadlines approaching for the 2019 Suwannee Valley Youth Livestock Show and Sale (SVYLSS), it is a good time to start planning for the year. Below is the important information to keep in mind:

Important Dates

November 1, 2018 – 4HOnline Registration and Membership Fees due; Entry forms due to local Extension Office (NEW RULE)

December 8, 2018 – MANDATORY Weigh-In and Tag-In (Steers, 8-9am; Hogs, 9:30-11am)

March 11, 2019 – Recordbooks due to the Suwannee County Extension Office

March 18, 2019 – Swine Weigh-In (8-10am) (230-290lbs)

March 18 2019 – Swine Showmanship @ 6:30pm

March 19, 2019 – Steer Weigh-In (8:00 – 10:00 AM)

March 19, 2019 – Swine Show @ 6:30 PM

March 20, 2019 – Steer Show @ 6:30 PM

March 21, 2019 – Awards @ 8:30AM

March 21, 2019 – Sale @ Following Awards

March 21, 2019 – Buyer’s luncheon at the Dixie Grill Following the Sale *NOT BEFORE

Entry Forms

NEW RULE: All entry forms must be turned in to the Extension Office by November 1, 2018. There will be a grace period for entry forms, November 2-16, 2018, but a $25 late fee will be enforced. That fee will be due to the SVYLSS with the entry form. If you think you want to show, turn in an entry form!

Forms can be found at the following links: Swine Entry Steer Entry

New Rules

Full rules and regulations can be found at the following links: Swine Rules Steer Rules

Residency Restrictions: Exhibitors must be a resident of and enrolled in school or a 4-H club in Suwannee, Hamilton or Lafayette Counties.

Entry Deadline: Exhibitors must be enrolled in 4-H or FFA no later than November 1, 2018. Entry forms will be due on November 1st, 2018 to the Extension Offices in either Suwannee, Hamilton, or Lafayette Counties. These forms will be accepted up to November 16, 2018. Any forms turned in after November 1st but before November 16th are subject to a $25.00 late fee to be paid to the SVYLSS. Late fee payment must accompany the entry form. No entry forms will be accepted after November 16th.

Premise ID Tags: All swine must be purchased or raised from a farm that can use a tag with their premise ID number. A pig that does not have a premise ID tag at the initial tag-in on December 8, WILL NOT be allowed to enter the 2019 SVYLSS Swine Show, per Federal/State Regulations. NO EXCEPTIONS! It is recommended, to ask the farm if they have premise identification tags prior to purchasing a pig. Premise Identification number can be obtain by visiting the freshfromflorida.com website and search for, “premise identification”.

Mandatory Tagging and Weigh-In

Steer: A Gain-In-Weight contest will be sponsored, and the official weigh-in is Saturday, December 8, 2018. All steers must be weighed on this date at the Suwannee County Fairgrounds, between the hours of 8:00-9:00am. Please note the time; all trailers must be in line no later than 9:00am for your steer to be weighed. Steers will be tagged and exhibitors are responsible for ensuring their tag number is provided to the SVYLSS clerk or other designated member before leaving the fairground. Steers will also be given an official starting weight for calculating the Average Daily Gain.

Swine: Entries must be owned and in the possession of the exhibitor by December 8, 2018, which is the mandatory ear tagging date. All animals must be brought to the Suwannee County Fairgrounds for identification and tagging by members of the Suwannee Valley Youth Livestock Show and Sale (SVYLSS) Committee; tagging will be done between the hours of 9:30-11:00am. Trailers must be in line no later than 11:00am for hogs to be tagged. Once tagged, exhibitors are responsible for ensuring their tag number(s) are provided to the SVYLSS secretary or other designated member before leaving the fairgrounds. Any animal not tagged at this time will not be allowed to show at the Fair.

Record Books

Record books are due to the Suwannee County Extension Office by March 11, 2018.

First and foremost, the Suwannee Valley Youth Livestock Show and Sale is about educating youth. It is designed for exhibitors to get a real life experience of raising an animal. A great way for youth to demonstrate their experience and knowledge gain is through their record book. Record books should be given the necessary time in order to be complete and contain valuable information.

To make you feel less anxious about record books, a great blog was written by Brian Estevez, the previous Suwannee County 4-H Agent, and can be found here.

Showmanship

Showmanship is Mandatory, all showmanship absences must be approved by the SVYLSS Board of Directors. Please check with coaches NOW, to ensure you will be present during showmanship.

Showmanship preparation is best done by viewing YOUTUBE videos of the National Junior Swine Association and start practicing as soon as you purchase the pig.

Weight Suggestions

The following weights are for the pig to reach the minimum weight of 230 pounds at 1.7 pounds/day gain. The ideal weight for your pig to be shown at its highest potential is 260-280 pounds. The average daily gain should be higher than 1.75 pounds per day. Also, remember that pigs must weigh 230-290 pounds at the final weigh in.

DATE:	SUGGESTED WEIGHT:
December 8	70-100 lbs.
February 1	150-180 lbs
March 1	198 – 230 lbs

Weighing Your Pig

There is a scale available at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Suwannee County. To reserve a time to use the scale, please call at 386-362-2771. Reservations are given on a first come, first serve basis. A truck or trailer is recommended to come pick the scale up along with enough strength to get the scale into the truck or trailer. Assistance from the Extension Office will be given if available, but it is not guaranteed.

Clipping

It is recommended to clip your pigs hair, two weeks prior to the show. Make sure to use clippers with guards. The guard should be ½ inch or longer.

Medications and Dewormer

As of January 1, 2017, feed can have NO medications as part of its ration.

Ivomec – Injectable Dewormer (under the skin) 1CC/75 lbs.

Dextromax – Injectable Dewormer (intramuscular) 1CC/75 lbs.

Safegard – Dewormer (Feed additive and use 3 straight days)

LA 200 – General Antibiotic

Licomix – Antibiotic for pneumonia

Tylan – Antibiotic for Intestinal Issues

Draxxin – Prescription antibiotic for respiratory and pneumonia

Proper Official Dress

4-H Members will wear:

Pants – Can be green, black, or khaki. No blue jeans, or pants with tears or visible stains will be accepted.

Shirts – Must be white, collared, and button down with 4-H emblem on front left side. The emblem can be sewn, silk-screened, fused or securely fastened using Velcro type fastener or spray adhesive. Visible pins (safety, stick, and straight) are not an acceptable method of attachment. Shirts should be of sufficient length to be tucked into the pants/skirt. Patches available at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Suwannee County. 4-H jackets or vests are optional.

Buyers

It is a good idea to figure out who your prospective buyers will be. A buyer may be a business, family member, a group of businesses, a group of supporters, etc. It is ideal to initiate contact with your potential buyers as soon as your pig is purchased. Send a letter stating that your swine project has begun and describe when, where, and what your project looks like. A month prior to the sale visit your potential buyers and hand deliver your invitation to the sale. Make sure you are neat and professional. Remember, multiple potential buyers are needed for your pig to bring the maximum amount of money. The more “bidding” goes on, the higher the price. REMEMBER, IF A POTENTIAL BUYER(S) ATTEND THE SALE AND DOES NOT PURCHASE YOUR ANIMAL, DO NOT GET MAD! Thank them for coming and thank them for either bidding or buying another 4-H or FFA member’s pig or steer.

Make sure to properly thank your buyer. Some exhibitors have a thank you basket ready at the day of the sale, but a thank you letter still needs to be mailed! Also, a copy of the thank you letter must be given to the Extension Office in order to receive your check.

Remember, the purpose of this project is NOT to make a profit, it is designed for exhibitors to get a real life experience of raising an animal. Whatever price you receive above market value, it is a blessing and generosity shown from our giving community.

Please contact your local 4-H Club Leader or 4-H Extension Agent for any further information, questions, comments, or concerns.