Steps to Develop a Champion Animal - Further Information
Show Swine
Show Beef
Show Sheep
RABBITS
Layers
Animal:	Show Swine
Age:	all
Weight:	60 to 260
Caring your animal:	Raising and showing your Show Pig is hard work that demands your dedication to the project. But the rewards are great. You will be well on your way to success with the selection of a top quality pig to raise, proper and adequate facilities, attention to your pigs health combined with a consistent quality feeding program that emphasizes top quality nutrition. While it is certainly the goal of each exhibitor to raise the \"Grand Champion\" animal there can only be one selected. All participants, however, can benefit from their project by taking responsibility for the welfare of their animal and insuring your project pig reaches it full potential. You will need to know what characteristics the ideal show pig needs to have to place highly in your fair when selecting your project pig. You can learn this by attending other competitions, talking with leaders and other experienced and succesful exhibitors. Your biggest challenge is that when you are selecting your project pig at a purchase weight of 50 to 80 pounds you need to try to determine what the pig will look like when at the future fair weight. Genetics will dictate much of what the growth rate, muscling and leanness will be. Be sure to select an animal that not only looks good but has good health with sound legs and walks well. Much of what you see in the shape or your prospective animal will not change from the starting weight to the fair weight. For example if the pig is short bodied when young it will still be short bodied when at full weight. In other words the proportions will remain similar while your pig increases in overall size. 10 Steps to Success with your Show Swine 1) Use common sense when caring for your animal. 2) Always have fresh and clean water available for your animal. 3) Feed your animal a complete ration. 4) Provide a pen with shade from the sun, protection from the wind, safe fencing from predators and clean dry bedding to lie down in. 5) Worm animals once per month. 6) If you experience problems contact breeder or veterinarian 7) Exercise is important, select the proper time of day and make it prior to feeding. 8) Practice showmanship and control of animal at least one month prior to the fair. 9) Proper grooming techniques depending on animal. Contact local breeders, Ag Instructors and 4H leaders for their suggestions and expertise. Washing your animal before the fair is a good idea. If you wait till fair time to wash your hog, your hog may be less cooperative and stains may set in. 10) If you will be selling your animal at the fair you should line up potential buyers previous to the sale. This is a good way for you to develop communication and salesmanship skills. Terms Used with Show Swine: · Gilt – a female that has not yet had a litter of piglets · Sow – a female that has had a litter of piglets · Shoat - a teenage pig. · Barrow – a castrated male · Boar – a fully intact male, able to breed · Piglet – young swine not yet weaned · Pig – any swine 125lbs and under · Hog – any swine over 125lbs · Drive – you will hear the phrase “on the drive”, this means walking or on the move Find more information for Show Swine at \"Feeding and Care Recommendations\" under either \"Feeding and Care Recommendations\" or the \"4H/FFA\" tabs of our website.

Animal:	Show Beef
Age:	All
Weight:	All
Caring your animal:	Beef Show Animals Provide fresh water and a comfortable environment. Feed 2 to 3% of body weight in a Grain Ration, KING Beef Grow & Show or KING T & S Show, and hay twice a day. Worm once a month. Clean out feed troughs before every feeding. Ownership of at least 120 days prior to the weigh-in day of the fair. 10 Steps to Succes with your Show Beef 1) Use common sense when caring for your animal. 2)Always have fresh and clean water available for your animal. 3)Feed your animal a complete ration. 4)Provide a pen with shadfrom the sun, protection form the wind, safe fencing from predators and clean dry bedding to lie down in. 5)Worm animals once per month. 6)If you experience problems contact breeder or vetinarian. 7)Exercise is important, select the proper time of day and make it prior to feeding. 8) Practice showmanship and control of animal at least one month prior to the fair. 9)Proper grooming techniques depending on animal. Contact local breeders, Ag Instructors and 4H leaders for their suggestions and expertise. 10) If you will be selling your animal at the fair you should line up potential buyers previous to the sale. This is a good way for your to develop communication and salesmanship skills. Beef Show Terms: · Fitting – grooming for show · Blocking chute – metal stantion used as the “barber’s chair”. Cattle can walk in and rest with their heads tied in show position while being groomed. · Blower – high speed hair dryer · Clippers – to cut hair, of course! Large clippers are for preliminary work and the small clippers are for the finishing touches. · Adhesive – the maximum strength hair spray used on cattle. This glue comes in several strengths for different areas of the body. · Show stick – used to position and calm the animal. First impression is everything, so you groom and clip your animal’s hair to point out the best features of that animal. Find more information for Show Beef at "Feeding and Care Recommendations" under either "Feeding and Care Recommendations" or the "4H/FFA" tabs of our website.

Animal:	Show Sheep
Age:	all
Weight:	all
Caring your animal:	10 Steps to Succes with your Show Sheep 1) Use common sense when caring for your animal. 2)Always have fresh and clean water available for your animal. 3)Feed your animal a complete ration. 4)Provide a pen with shade from the sun, protection from the wind, safe fencing from predators and clean dry bedding to lie down in. 5)Worm animals once per month. 6)If you experience problems contact breeder or vetinarian. 7)Exercise is important, select the proper time of day and make it prior to feeding. 8) Practice showmanship and control of animal for at least one month prior to the fair. 9)Proper grooming techniques depending on animal. Contact local breeders, Ag Instructors and 4H leaders for their suggestions and expertise. 10) If you will be selling your animal at the fair you should line up potential buyers previous to the sale. This is a good way for your to develop communication and salesmanship skills. Find more information for Show Sheep listed under the "Feeding and Care Recommendations" or "4H/FFA" Tabs of our Website.

Animal:	RABBITS
Age:	ALL
Weight:	ALL
Caring your animal:	How to Feed KING Rabbit Foods In most situations, young animals need a more nutrient dense diet than do older animals. This is especially true if the owner wants her or his animals to project full expression of their genetic potential. When Dr. John first developed LifeLong™, he introduced \"Natural\". It was completely different from Cloverleaf™ in that it had lower starch, lower protein and lower calories. It was specifically designed for an adult show rabbit or an adult pet rabbit, the latter often being given extra \"treats\" by their owners. The Lifelong products had high levels of lecithin and the live bacteria (plus vitamin C). Lecithin has an enormous impact on fur and skin (if the correct amount is used) and the live bacteria and Vitamin C help reduce stress . . . especially at shows. The lower calories help retain prime longer in fur breeds. This is information out of Dr. Peter Cheeke\'s book on Rabbit Nutrition. Dr. Cheeke was Dr. John\'s advisor at Oregon State. We had some customers, especially the German Angora people, absolutely praise the LifeLong Natural and stated they had never seen fur production equal to that produced by Natural. We also had some customers say that their does did not milk as well or produce as many kits as they had previously. When this was discussed with Dr. John, he said that the product, LifeLong Natural, was not designed as a production diet. He recommended the LifeLong Combo* (formerly “Beginner”) which had higher calories, higher protein and higher other nutrients to support production, early growth and lactation. This program works well for 80% of rabbits. The remaining number may be capable of higher milk production or are small frame rabbits with higher rates of metabolism. We offer, therefore, KING Doe Builder as a caloric boost for lactation and to play weight \"catch-up\" when necessary. It must be used as a top-dress only. It has the same protein as LifeLong Combo, the same live bacteria BUT provides 20% more calories. Consequently, in an ideal world, this is how the KING program would work: First, we strongly encourage the weighing of the does. This provides a basis for tracking body condition via weight gain or weight loss. 1 week before kindling, transition the doe to LifeLong Combo. This prepares her system for the lactation diet. After 10 days, mix 10-30% Doe Builder into the diet to increase milk production. Maintain this diet after weaning IF the doe needs to recover weight. If the doe gained weight during lactation, withdraw Doe Builder a week before weaning. This reduces her milk output and forces the bunnies to eat more dry food. Keep the bunnies on LifeLong Combo for at least 3 weeks post weaning. At that time, switch show rabbits to LifeLong Natural. Non-show rabbits may be transitioned to KING Cloverleaf™. The highest starch product we recommend for rabbits is 20%. This is the KING Doe Builder and may not represent the total diet. Cloverleaf is 15%, Natural is 12% and Combo is 11%. Oats, for example, have a 44% level of starch and barley is 70%. No single diet can be perfect in all situations. That is the beauty of management. Hopefully, this helps clarify our program. *Called Combo as it is approved for Cavies and Chinchillas.

Animal:	Layers
Age:	Less than 20 weeks
Weight:	All
Caring your animal: