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8Showmanship Practice Schedule for 2018
Animal Showmanship/Weigh-In Practice for Fair @ Farm
Wednesday 5/9 2-3pm
Wednesday 5/16 2-3pm
Wednesday 5/23 2-3pm
Wednesday 5/30 2-3pm
Rabbit Showmanship
Thursday 5/10 2-3pm
Thursday 5/17 2-3pm
Thursday 5/31 2-3pm
Students should be exercising their large animals at least 3x a week for 30 min each time.
Pigs...Invest in a pig whip, Practice showmanship with a pig bat or whip(preferred) and brush their bodies and washing them with a conditioner so they get used to you touching them ( this will help when you have to shave them)
Wash them down to keep them cool and use a sunscreen and a conditioner for their skin, especially if white.
Keep pens clean and check water each time, correct feeding, weigh each week.
Shaving Animals for Fair
Goat Shaving June 28th -June 29th 9-12 at Farm
Sheep Shearing June 30th-July 1st 9-12 at Farm
Pig Shaving – I will do a demo on June 28th at 9AM ½inch guards over all the animal. June 26th-July 2nd.
Pigs:
Anytime after Wednesday June 28th all shavers will be up in pig barn. Please let me know if you need help and be careful with the shavers. Pigs should be shaved all over body using 1/2 inch guards. SHAVE CLEAN PIGS!!
Fair Reminders:
Sunday July 1st Small Animal Barn Set up 8-12pm
Monday July 2nd- 5-7pm Fair Barn Decorations (Mandatory for all Exhibitors)
Food tent set-up 5-7pm- any help would be great!!
All Poultry must be washed on July 2nd.
July 3rd -6AM-10AM All rabbits and poultry must be taken down to fair on own and weighed in upper lot.
July 3rd- Meet at Farm at 6am for Pigs. Sheep 9 AM
**Mandatory Meeting FFA meeting @ 12:30pm
***Mandatory Livestock Meeting 1:30-Flag Ceremony
See Livestock Schedule for All Show times
Monday July 9th - Rabbit and Poultry Processing
**Remember Stamped and addressed Thank you letter to all of your buyers and Awards provided by you are due on Sunday July 8th or ASAP to fair office
READ THIS HAIR CLIPPING GUIDE SO YOU CAN HAVE A NICE CLIPPED PIG!!🐷🐖🐽
676_pig_hair_clipping_guide.pdf | |
File Size: | 725 kb |
File Type: |
Read for info about fair and show day success!!!
After months of properly training, feeding and caring for a show pig, making sure that everything is in order well before fair weigh-in is crucial to a successful show. Forgetting an item such as a feed pan or feeding a pig too much before it boards the trailer to a show can seriously affect show outcome and animal well-being.
Show preparation starts a week in advance of fair weigh-in. At this time, pigs that are on an ad libitum diet should start being introduced to only what is needed to gain weight. This means for a hog close to fair weight, 6 to 8 pounds of feed per day – so a few handfuls morning and night. This allows them to get used to how they will be fed at the fair and cleans up their middle. The animals will also be used to the pan they will be fed out of at the fair.
At this time, clip the hog’s hair to about half an inch for better muscle definition. Pigs should be introduced to being washed with a mild soap. Low price shampoo works very well and also conditions their hair. For increased hair conditioning use a horse hair polish.
Gather items that will be needed at the show. These include: bedding (usually shavings), health papers, registration papers, watering can, short hose, soap and small scrub brush, towels, driving tool and pocket brush, water pan, feed pan, feed your pig is used to, hammer, nails, wire and a pliers.
When loading pigs on a trailer the morning of departure, take care and patience driving them into the trailer to reduce the chance for injuries. Only feed pigs a little bit before they leave otherwise the motion of driving and feed in their stomach can make them very sick. Give the animals electrolytes in their water to keep them hydrated on the ride to the show.
Allow pigs to take their time coming off of the trailer on arrival. Pigs stress easily, especially in unfamiliar territories and unexpected situations. Rushing them off the trailer can result in high stress levels or injuries. Once the animal makes it off the trailer, move calmly to not scare the pig on the way to its pen.
Fair season always raises the chance for unbearably hot weather, so be mindful to keep animals cool to prevent heat stress and keep them comfortable. Keep their water pan full and sprinkle them down with water every few hours.
If pigs go off feed during their time at the fair, mix in a little bit of water in until it reaches the consistency of cookie dough. Then, sprinkle some electrolytes in the feed for added hydration.
The day of the show can present many problems if not handled correctly. Nerves can interfere with what should be done and can make or break the showing experience. Prepare your pig by feeding it early and making sure if gets plenty of water. Get the right amount of fill on the animal to drop the flank. Make sure the animal is clean and if needed, run it through the wash rack to wash off caked manure or dirt. The main thing to remember is keep calm no matter what the situation and be confident.
Once the show is complete, slowly drive the pig back to its pen if possible. Water the pig down and make sure it drinks plenty of fresh water.
After months of properly training, feeding and caring for a show pig, making sure that everything is in order well before fair weigh-in is crucial to a successful show. Forgetting an item such as a feed pan or feeding a pig too much before it boards the trailer to a show can seriously affect show outcome and animal well-being.
Show preparation starts a week in advance of fair weigh-in. At this time, pigs that are on an ad libitum diet should start being introduced to only what is needed to gain weight. This means for a hog close to fair weight, 6 to 8 pounds of feed per day – so a few handfuls morning and night. This allows them to get used to how they will be fed at the fair and cleans up their middle. The animals will also be used to the pan they will be fed out of at the fair.
At this time, clip the hog’s hair to about half an inch for better muscle definition. Pigs should be introduced to being washed with a mild soap. Low price shampoo works very well and also conditions their hair. For increased hair conditioning use a horse hair polish.
Gather items that will be needed at the show. These include: bedding (usually shavings), health papers, registration papers, watering can, short hose, soap and small scrub brush, towels, driving tool and pocket brush, water pan, feed pan, feed your pig is used to, hammer, nails, wire and a pliers.
When loading pigs on a trailer the morning of departure, take care and patience driving them into the trailer to reduce the chance for injuries. Only feed pigs a little bit before they leave otherwise the motion of driving and feed in their stomach can make them very sick. Give the animals electrolytes in their water to keep them hydrated on the ride to the show.
Allow pigs to take their time coming off of the trailer on arrival. Pigs stress easily, especially in unfamiliar territories and unexpected situations. Rushing them off the trailer can result in high stress levels or injuries. Once the animal makes it off the trailer, move calmly to not scare the pig on the way to its pen.
Fair season always raises the chance for unbearably hot weather, so be mindful to keep animals cool to prevent heat stress and keep them comfortable. Keep their water pan full and sprinkle them down with water every few hours.
If pigs go off feed during their time at the fair, mix in a little bit of water in until it reaches the consistency of cookie dough. Then, sprinkle some electrolytes in the feed for added hydration.
The day of the show can present many problems if not handled correctly. Nerves can interfere with what should be done and can make or break the showing experience. Prepare your pig by feeding it early and making sure if gets plenty of water. Get the right amount of fill on the animal to drop the flank. Make sure the animal is clean and if needed, run it through the wash rack to wash off caked manure or dirt. The main thing to remember is keep calm no matter what the situation and be confident.
Once the show is complete, slowly drive the pig back to its pen if possible. Water the pig down and make sure it drinks plenty of fresh water.