General Knowledge Information
Taking part in a 4-H Livestock Project can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Through the sheep project you are given the opportunity to learn about taking care of an animal, working with other young people, and developing sound judgment skills. When beginning with any new project or activity it is a learning experience for all involved, but remember the more you practice and participate the more you will develop the necessary skills to be a success.
Below are the most important aspects that you should know about your project animal to make your learning experience complete. These items will expand your knowledge above the five and six year old level into new and more challenging areas.
Items to Learn and Know
|Species Terminology:||Ram - male||Wether - castrated male|
|Ewe - mature female||Ewe lamb - immature female|
|Body Parts to Know|
|Basic Equipment to Know|
Elastrator Band and Elastrator
Sheep Showmanship Danish Standards for 7 and 8 Year Old Exhibitors
Showmanship provides the opportunity to show an animal to the best of your ability. You are judged on how well you show your animal. Judging for showmanship does not include the conformation of the animal. Practice and planning will help you improve your showmanship skills. "Market Lamb Showmanship" fact sheet (ANS 96-003B) and a "4-H Market Lamb Manual" from your county Cooperative Extension office are reference materials available for more in depth coverage of showmanship styles and care of the project animal.
Below are the showmanship standards for 7 and 8 year old youth. These standards are established to provide youth with guidelines of the more important aspects of developing showmanship skills.
Showmanship Skills to Develop
|Purple||Far exceeds established showmanship standards|
|Blue||Exceeds established showmanship standards|
|Red||Meets established showmanship standards|
|White||Does not meet established showmanship standards|
Reviewed by: Darwin G. Braund, Ph.D., Jeannette A. Moore, Ph.D.,
Department of Animal Science and Jean-Marie Luginbuhl, Ph.D., Department
of Crop Science, North Carolina State University.