This Week in Gillespie 4-H: November 27th - December 3rd
Monday - November 27th, 2023
Tuesday - November 28th, 2023
- National 4-H Conference
- D10 Fall Round Up Educational Presentation, Public Speaking & Livestock Quiz Bowl
- Robotics @ 5:30 PM (must be pre-registered)
- Dog Project Meeting @ 6:30 PM
- Cave Creek 4-H Meeting @ 7:00 PM
Wednesday - November 29th, 2023
- D10 Fall Roundup Food Show, FCH Quiz Bowl & Entomology
Thursday - November 30th, 2023
- D10 Fall Roundup Food Challenge
Friday - December 1st, 2023- DEADLINE Grandstand Entries
- Natural Resources Photography Contest Opens
- Fredericksburg Christmas Parade
Saturday -December 2nd, 2023- Sheep Sheer at FISD Ag Barn @ 9:00 AM
- Robotics Sumobot Competition in Seguin
Sunday - December 3rd, 2023- Doss 4-H Meeting @ 6:30 PM
- December 13th- Gillespie 4-H Christmas Party
- December 15th- DEADLINE for Natural Resources Photography Contest
- January 3rd-6th- Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show & Sale
- January 10th- DEADLINE for Dog Validations
Club Meetings
New News
Quality Counts is required for county and major livestock show entries and must be completed at each grade level division (junior – grades 3-5, intermediate – grades 6-8, senior – grades 9-12). It does not have to be renewed every year.
EACH CHILD WILL NEED A DIFFERENT EMAIL ADDRESS
If you are having login or technical issues, please contact: learnonline@ag.tamu.edu.
NATURAL RESOURCES PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
We are excited to announce the continuation of the state-level Natural Resource Photography Contest. It is open to junior, intermediate, and senior members, and categories are focused solely on the Natural Resource project areas.
Here are a few key points:
- Open contest (no qualifying required) to all counties
- Open to juniors, intermediate, and senior age divisions
- 10 Natural Resource themed categories
- Same scoring matrix and general rules as the state contest
- Entry timeline is December 1-15
- DEADLINE to Enter: December 15th
- No late entries accepted
STATE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
The rules for the 2023-2024 state contest are also attached. For those who may be new to Extension, the state 4-H photography contest is a senior-only qualifying contest where photos qualify directly from COUNTY to STATE. Each county may submit no more than 1 photo per category (15 total). As stated in the rules, counties are highly encouraged to have some type of selection process in place to determine which photos are eligible. The timeline for entry is April 1-15.
Key points:
- Qualify from county level (district contests have no bearing on qualifications)
- Open to senior age division only
- 15 categories (includes a new “Abandoned” theme for this year)
- Entry timeline is April 1-15
- No late entries accepted
Texas 4-H Dog Show will be held on July 11-13, 2024 at the Walker County Fairgrounds in Huntsville, Texas. To be eligible for this show, dogs must be validated by January 10, 2024 in 4-H Online. Attached are detailed written instructions. Video instructions are also available at https://youtu.be/3NzoIjK9Pco if that is more convenient. 2024 Texas 4-H Dog Show Rule Book is also attached and will be posted https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/projects/dog-care-training/ soon.
Montgomery County 4-H Dog Show will be February 3, 2024 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Conroe, Texas
Brazos County 4-H Dog Show is normally a couple of weeks later
Tarrant County 4-H Dog Show has been in April
Wise County is has historically been done in June.
We will send details of each of these as soon as we have them. If your county is planning to host a dog show, please let us know so we can help you publicize it.
For purebred dogs (they do not have to be registered, just look purebred) you will select the correct Group and list the breed.
Preparing for Arrival
If you haven’t already, it’s time to get your housing set up for your chickens, they are arriving in less than one week. Make sure everything is cleaned and sanitized especially if you used it the year before. I have attached the Producers handouts for raising broilers for show. This is important to re-read for reminders.
Set up heat lamps and get them going before the chickens arrive. Make sure they are the correct distance from the floor(18 inches first week). I keep a tape measure in the coop because as the birds get older, we are moving the lamps. The chart for temperature is very important to follow, this is included in the handout. I like to make sure my temperature is consistent.
A thermostat is helpful for us. We plug out heat lamps into it. It helps keep a more accurate temperature in the coop. This is the one we use: Inkbird WiFi ITC-308 Digital Temperature Controller Thermostat Remote Monitoring Controlling Home Brewing Fermentation Breeding Incubation Greenhouse
I also like to have a thermometer in the coop. I prefer digital. This is the one I use: AcuRite Digital Thermometer with Indoor, Outdoor Temperature and Daily High and Lows (00424CA), White Amazon.com: AcuRite Digital Thermometer with Indoor, Outdoor Temperature and Daily High and Lows (00424CA), White : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Get all feed and water ready BEFORE the birds arrive. Remember to make sure the water is 80 degrees for the first week. I also like to add electrolytes. This helps with the stress of the transport. We use Citra-Lite.
The most important thing we do as a family is put everything on the calendar. The temperatures, the height of the heat lamps, when we are stretching wing bands, and when we are changing feeds. Time goes by quick, and this reminds us of what stage we are at.
Sheep & Goats
When was the last time your sheep was sheared?!
Sheep should be rough sheared about every 30-45 days. Rough shearing uses sheep head shears (different type of clipper than we use to shear for the shows) to shear sheep in the grease (WITHOUT WASHING THEM). This allows their natural greases to stay in them, but removes the wools you can make better management and feeding decisions.
If your sheep has more than an inch of wool on them you need to put rough shearing on your calendar. If you do not have the ability to rough shear your own sheep we have set up a sheep shearing day on December 2, 2023 @ 9 am at the FISD - AG barn. A shearing crew will come in and shear for $20 a head. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND if your sheep have not been sheared since you got them to SAVE the DATE and sign up to come.
Sign Up HERE: https://forms.gle/uwbda5VzGiBDmmnN8
How Much Do Your Pigs Weigh
Keeping track of your pigs weekly weight is the best way to see how much they are gaining per day. Weighing one day a week, on the same day is important and when they are full. You want to be sure you’re keeping track as well because most importantly, will they make weight at the show?
Each show besides County has a weigh back. What’s a weigh back? Usually, it’s ten (10) pounds over or under the actual weigh you turned in. Please be very aware of what you’re putting in the feed/water bucket after declaring your weight.
With County being the first show, the minimum weight is 190lbs and the maximum is 290lbs but we do not have a weigh back, therefore the over and under rule does not apply.
Every show after, does have a weigh back, be sure to check each show premium books/rules to find out the minimum and maximum weights.
Example: Minimum Weight: 230lbs
Maximum Weight: 290lbs
This means your project can weigh as less as 220lbs and as much as 290lbs with most using a ten (10) pound weight back.
Also, keeping a “days until weigh in at the show” calendar on your phone is a great way to know what they could possibly weigh on check-in day! If you’re not weighing your pigs weekly, now is the time to start! 64 days until County!!!
4-H Spotlight
This week's spotlight highlights our 4-Hers who attended the National 4-H conference in Washington D.C.! Jace Raab and Brylie Roeder did a great job of representing D10 and Texas 4-H!
If you have someone you would like to nominate for 4-H spotlight please email emily.grant@ag.tamu.edu
There are ALOT of opportunities available for 4-H youth on a county, district, and state level and through external organizations. We do our best to keep you updated with these opportunities through the following methods! If you have any questions please let us know.
The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
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