Last Day to Join 4-H for Fair

All 4-H members who wish to participate in the 2008 Larimer County Fair must be enrolled by April 30. Members may join after this date, but will be ineligible to participate in the County Fair. If you are a member of a 4-H club, your organizational leader must sign your enrollment form. Enrollment is not complete until fees have been paid, Animal Care Form (if you have an animal) and the enrollment form is in the Extension Office.

Important Update
Premises Identification (ID)

In earlier editions of the Clover Connections, we stated that, for the 2008 project year, Premises ID was highly recommended for 4-H members with horse and livestock projects. We anticipated that in the near future Premises ID might be required by the packer  (buyer) who purchases animals at County and State fairs. This is now the case! Therefore, all MARKET Beef, Sheep, Swine,  Goat, Rabbit and Poultry youth are REQUIRED to have a valid Premises ID prior to the fair entry date, in order to  show at the 2008 Larimer County Fair. This does NOT apply to breeding animals. Market Rabbits and Poultry refer to all meat  pens/exhibits. There will be a place on this year’s Larimer County Fair 4-H Entry Form to put your Premises ID number. All other 4-H youth are still highly encouraged to register their premises as well, since members may come across activities and events where Premises ID is mandatory, as is the case for participation in the Colorado State Fair. Premises ID is one component of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). For NAIS’s purposes, a premises is defined as a location or site where livestock and poultry are born, handled, housed, managed, marketed, processed, or exhibited. Premises ID is critical to rapid detection and evaluation of the scope of animal disease outbreaks and in improving emergency response efficiency. A Premises ID is NOT the same as a Scrapie ID (there is no ear tag  associated with Premises ID). A Premises ID is always seven digits made up of both numbers and letters. If your 4-H project animal is housed/boarded somewhere other than your property, the Premises ID would need to be obtained from/through the landowner where your animals are housed. It’s easy (and free) to obtain a Premises ID. You can register online at   www.coanimalid.org or call 1-877-842-0102. If this information is unclear or if you have questions, feel free to contact Wendy at the Extension Office (498- 6000).

State 4-H Conference Being Held
June 23 - 27

The Colorado State 4-H Conference will be held June 23 - 27 at the CSU Campus. This conference features educational workshops, keynote speakers and the opportunity to network with over 700 members and leaders from the 63 Colorado counties. The conference also sponsors the State 4-H Livestock, Horse and Consumer Choices Judging Contests, the 1st Annual Livestock Quiz Bowl, the Public Speaking Competition and the Horse Hippology, Quiz Bowl, Demonstration and Public Speaking Contests. 4-H Members 14 - 18 years old and 4-H Leaders who are not involved in the contests may attend the conference as delegates. The 4-H Foundation offers 8 general scholarships to help youth delegates attend the conference. To receive a scholarship, members need to fill out an application form which is part of the registration packet. 4-Hers who are participating in the contests at State Conferenece will automatically receive other scholarships and will be mailed their registration forms. Members and leaders who want to attend the conference as  delegates need to complete the registration packet and return it to the Extension Office Friday, May 23.

Colorado State 4-H Conference

Scrapie ID Requirement- New for 2008

ALL sheep and goats, regardless of age, sex, or breed purpose, are required to have a flock ID (Scrapie ID) tag to show at the 2008 Larimer County Fair. When purchasing animals for show, producers should be able to provide you with a Scrapie ID tag. Otherwise, tags can be requested by calling USDA at (866) 873-2824. Tags should be ordered soon after sheep and goats are purchased. We prefer that you place all Scrapie ID tags in the animal's left ear.

All dairy goats, pygmy goats, breeding meat goats and breeding sheep, which have a registered, legible tattoo in the animal's
ear and registration papers with matching tattoo number do not need a scrapie tag.

For your information, a Scrapie ID is NOT the same as a Premises ID. A Scrapie ID will be sent to you printed on ear tags and will always begin with "CO" followed by several alpha/numerical digits.

Animal Care & Housing Form - New for 2008

Previously called the "Primary Care" form, the new "Animal Care & Housing Form" is required for all Colorado 4-H Livestock Projects in 2008. This includes: Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Goats, Horse, Alpaca/Llama, Poultry, Sheep, Swine, Dog, Rabbit, and Cat (Since cat is a county project, please check "other" on the form and write in "Cat".) These new forms were included in the enrollment packets which were mailed to every 4-H club organizational leader. This year, we are requiring that these forms must be turned in at the same time as the enrollment forms. Please see your club leader if you have not completed one of these forms. 4-H enrollment will not be entered unless a youth has completed this form. Leaders, please ensure the entire back page is filled out completely for those 4-H members whose animals are not housed at their home location.

Animal Care & Housing Form.pdf 

4-H Horse Project Deadlines

May 31, 2008
Deadline to register any new horses for the Larimer County Horse I.D. form. Must be registered with the Extension office.
This is the I.D. form that has the outline of Larimer County in the corner, with a horses head.
If a member is leasing a new horse, the lease form must be turned in with the I.D. form.

June 30, 2008
Dead line to complete Levels testing to ride in the Larimer County Fair.

July 1, 2008
Stalling request forms for the Larimer County Fair must be turned into the Extension office.

September 30, 2008
Riding hours log must be turned into the Extension office to qualify for awards.

October 1, 2008
Horse record books to be turned into the Extension office for judging