4-H Agent's Message

The possession deadline is fast approaching! If you haven’t secured your livestock project yet, please do so by November 6th, exception is swine and miniature cattle. Registered animals need to be in the name of the exhibitor, not a parent or farm name.

If you plan to show any market or commercial animals, validation kits should be available soon. The deadline to turn in validation kits and payment is November 6th for all specie except swine. Swine validation kits and payment are due December 4th. No Exceptions! Please note that kits will not be accepted without payment.

Remember to enroll or re-enroll in St. Landry 4-H for the 2020 -2021 year through your school’s 4-H Club, through the St. Landry 4-H Office or online.

4-H Online Enrollment

If you are a new livestock exhibitor or a previous exhibitor whose contact information has changed, please fill out the Livestock Exhibitor Form.

Livestock Exhibitor Form

If you have any questions please contact the 4-H Office at 337-948-0561 or email me at mrobnett@agcenter.lsu.edu.

COVID-19 Statement

Given the health concerns with COVID-19 there is no guarantee that livestock shows will occur as advertised. With that in mind all livestock show participants and families should note that purchase and/or validation of animals is at their own risk and financial investment.

Dates to Remember

November 1, 2020 - Exhibition Poultry Possession Deadline

November 6, 2020 - Commercial & Market Animal Validation Deadline

All commercial and market animals except swine

November 6, 2020 - Possession Deadline

All breeding animals except swine and miniature cattle

November 13, 2020 - Miniature Cattle Possession Deadline

December 4, 2020 - Breeding Swine Possession Deadline

December 4, 2020 - Commercial & Market Swine Validation Deadline

January 22-23, 2021 – St. Landry Parish Livestock Show, Opelousas

January 27-30, 2021 – Acadiana District Livestock Show, Lafayette

February 13-20, 2021 – LSU State Livestock Show, Gonzales

Fall Livestock Shows

Each year, St. Landry Parish 4-H’ers have the opportunity to participate in several local livestock shows and the State Fair of Louisiana Livestock Show. It is the responsibility of the livestock exhibitor(s) and parents to complete and turn in entries to the appropriate person(s) by the entry deadline for the given show.

Information for the 2020 fall shows is typically sent out via the Livestock E-mail list, however if you would like a hard copy mailed to you, please contact the St. Landry 4-H Office. If you need assistance with completing entries for any of the 2020 fall shows or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the 4-H Office.

State Fair of Louisiana Livestock Show

Date: October 28 – November 8, 2020

All species

For State Fair of Louisiana Livestock Show information, please visit the State Fair of Louisiana website.

LSU Broiler Chick Orders

It is time to think about broiler chick orders for the 2021 Livestock Show. The 2021 LSU Junior Broiler Show will be a straight run show. Exhibitors will be allowed to show one pen of pullets and/or one pen of cockerels. An entry must consist of three broilers.

All broiler chicks for this show must be ordered through the St. Landry 4-H Office. Please complete the broiler chick order form and submit payment no later than November 16, 2020. The cost will be $.50 per chick. Only orders that have completed the order form and submitted payment by November 16, 2020 will be included in the parish total.

LSU State Show Broiler Order

LSU Livestock Show Breeding Animal Possession Procedures

Possession Deadlines

November 6, 2020: Beef, Sheep, Goat, and Dairy Breeding

November 13, 2020: Miniature Cattle

December 4, 2020: Swine Breeding

Exhibitor Responsibility and Hardship

Exhibitors must have animals in their possession and under their personal care (and must not be in possession of a custom fitter) after possession dates. The possession requirement covers the period from the date of possession (listed above) to the completion of the state show. If an exhibitor does not have animals(s) in his/her possession during the entire possession period, the exhibitor must turn in a project/hardship form before possession dates. Any exhibitor housing his/her animal on any property other than their own must acquire and have approved a project/hardship form prior to purchase of animal.

LSU Livestock Show Validation Procedures

Validation/Possession Deadlines

August 14, 2020: Steers

November 6, 2020: Beef & dairy commercial heifers, market lambs, commercial ewes, market goats, and commercial does

December 4, 2020: Market hogs and commercial gilts

Exhibitor Responsibility

1. Animals must be in continuous possession of exhibitor from time of validation until the LSU AgCenter State Livestock Show.
2. Exhibitors should request validation kits from agents and Ag teachers as per parish guidelines. Each parish LSU AgCenter 4-H office will supply validation kits to exhibitors upon request.
3. Validation will consist of ear tagging animal and pulling a hair sample; hair sample should be placed in a properly identified validation envelope for each animal validated. Validation envelope must be returned to local LSU AgCenter office with validation fee ($7/envelope) by specified deadline. The responsibility of tagging animals and collecting DNA/hair samples will be that of the exhibitor and/or parent. Agents/Ag teachers may be present and can assist.
4. Animals previously tagged for the 2020 Louisiana State Fair may utilize the State Fair tag to complete LSU AgCenter State Show validations. All animals must be tagged with an LSU tag or State Fair tag to validate.
5. Animals must be validated in either the exhibitors name or in a family name (family consist of parents, legal guardians, brothers, and sisters). When official entry forms are turned in at the parish level, animals validated under family name must be entered in the name of the exhibitor that will show the animal at the Parish, District, and State Shows.

Validation Hardship Statement

District and/or State Show manager must be notified within seven days after the validation deadline to be considered for a validation hardship. After contacting District and/or State Show manager, hardship forms must be immediately filed with supporting material stating hardship. These hardships will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by parish agent, district show manager, and state show manager. Only cases where it is determined to have been unavoidable will the exhibitor be allowed to validate. This decision will be final and not subject to appeal. Note: Forgetting to validate by the deadline is not an acceptable hardship and will not be considered.