Sheep Rules and Regulations
REFER TO PRE-FAIR & JR. FAIR SCHEDULE FOR SPECIFIC DATES & TIMES
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS:
1. All lamb projects (breeding or market) must have a “scrapie tag” present in their ear (prior to county
tagging) identifying their flock of origin. Contact USDA for information on scapie tags at (614) 469-
5602. Animals without official scrapie identification are ineligible to exhibit, compete and/or sell at the
Scioto County Fair.
2. All tags and identification must remain on animals at all times. According to the USDA official Scrapie
tags cannot be removed. If a tag is lost, it must be reported to the Extension Office immediately.
Animals not having tags or identification (or evidence of them) are ineligible to exhibit at the fair.
3. Lamb tails must be docked by the spring tagging. Ultra short docks are discouraged in accordance to
Ohio recommendations and may contribute to prolapse problems.
4. The use of a stomach tube or pump for any purpose other that the relief of temporary gas anytime is
prohibited. Any such action must be in accordance with vet instruction and related to the animal’s well
being.
5. The drenching of lambs or metering of water is prohibited as provided under paragraph (Q) rule 901-19-
12 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
GENERAL SHEEP RULES:
1. All sheep projects must be in the member’s ownership, possession and continual care by the tagging
deadline of the current year. Any special arrangements must be approved individually and on file at the
Extension Office by the tagging deadline.
2. All projects must be identified at an official county tagging (for that project) during the current 4-H
project year. 4-H’ers must all appropriate enrollment and identification forms on file in the Extension
Office for the current year. Only entries meeting these standards are eligible for exhibition, show and/or
sale at the fair.
3. All sheep projects must be brought to the fairgrounds to be officially identified (during the county
tagging) to be eligible to exhibit and show at the Scioto County Fair. Official identification will be an
official scrapie flock identification tag that must be present in the animal’s ear by the county tagging
(identifying the animal’s flock of origin) and a Scioto County tattoo. The tattoo will be placed in the
animal’s ear at the county’s identification event. Market lambs will also be identified with an official
Scioto County ear tag.
4. 4-H members are responsible for their project animals from the start of their project year until they are
loaded for shipment, their sale contract is fulfilled, the animal is taken home and/or their project year is
completed. Members are responsible for their project animals at all times. 4-H Volunteers, Extension
Personnel, or Agricultural Society members are not responsible for the safety of the animals under any
conditions.
5. 4-H members must show and/or sell their own projects. If a 4-H’er has other commitments/interests and
feels that they cannot be present to show, exhibit and/or sale their own project according to Junior and
Senior Fair exhibition guidelines, then the 4- H’er and their parents must decide what is most important
for them. If their project animal dies after the project enrollment or identification deadline, they may not
substitute another animal for any reason but are encouraged to create a poster or similar educational
exhibit about their project to be exhibited at the fair. This includes showmanship classes and Showman
of Showmen competition. Only Exceptions:
a. A medical condition and/or emergency excused by an Extension Educator and
superintendent-in-charge prior to the event. Proposed situation must be received in writing
and accompanied by a medical excuse/statement from doctor prior to the event.
b. The 4-H’er is participating in a 4-H competition at the State Fair. Only under these
circumstances can a junior fair member show and/or sell another member’s project.) Adults
are not eligible to show and/or sell animals during the Junior Fair. If a 4-H’er is not excused
prior to the Junior Fair Animal Sale, and is not present to sell their own market animal, that
animal will be sent to the stockyard and sold for market price. It will not be eligible to sell in
the Junior Fair Sale and cannot be taken home.
6. 4-H members taking beef, sheep, swine and goat projects may begin their project(s) by identifying and
weighing two (2) animals of the same species and project. One animal may be used as an alternate (in
case of sickness, etc. of first animal) and/or registered for exhibition at the Ohio State Fair. The second
identified animal in the market beef, sheep, goat and swine projects may also be enrolled in the
appropriate carcass activity. A family alternate can be tagged per immediate family. Each child
that tags a carcass animal will be excluded from the family alternate option. The names of the
children must be included on the family alternate form. Note: 4-H’er may only show and sell one
market animal (project) at the Scioto County Fair. Absolutely no substitutions or change of animals can
be made after the animals have been brought to the fair for competition.
7. All lambs must be washed and clipped according to breed and industry standards before coming to the
fair. Only touch up clipping is allowed at the fair. Refer to project manuals and pre-fair clinics for
assistance.
8. All sheep projects must be stalled by 5:00 p.m., Sunday of the Fair.
BREEDING SHEEP RULES:
1. Animals designated at the county identification to compete as breeding ewes cannot be taken as a
primary or alternate market lamb project. Ewes may be designated as a breeding or market project, but
not as both.
2. 4-H members may register two breeding animals per class but only one per class may be exhibited and
shown at the Scioto County Fair. 4-H’ers may enter as many breeding classes as they wish. Selection
of which animals to bring, per class, must be made at home before coming to the fair.
o Define class as;
Yearling (as stated in rule 3)
Fall ( September 1 of previous year through December 31)
Spring (January 1 of current year)
3. Project lambs must be under one year of age and show lamb mouth. All lambs must have 8 temporary
incisors. Yearlings must be one year old, but less than two years of age at time of show.
4. Breeding animals will be shown in accordance to breed standards.
5. 4-H members must show their own lambs. In the case that an individual has more than one breeding
ewe in the championship drive, other Scioto County 4-H’ers may assist in showing the breeding ewes.
6. Breeding ewes will be identified and officially checked in at the fair immediately following the market
lamb weigh in which begins at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday of the Fair. Ear tags and ears must be cleaned by
the 4-H’er prior to check in so the identifications can be easily read. Check in details and location will
be posted on the barn bulletin board.
7. Breeding ewes may be removed between 12:00 midnight on Friday of the Fair and 6:00 a.m. on
Saturday morning. If they are not removed by 6:00 a.m. Saturday, they must be removed after midnight
on Saturday and before 12:00 noon on Sunday.
MARKET LAMB RULES:
1. Market lambs can be wethers or ewes. All market ewe lambs will be treated as wethers and are not to be
“bought back” after being through the Junior Fair Livestock Auction as breeding stock or for any reason.
2. Breeding animal projects cannot serve as primary or alternate market animal projects. Ewes can be
designated as a breeding or market project, but not as both.
3. Market lambs must be properly castrated by the spring county tagging deadline and must be completely
healed by the Scioto County Fair. Animals determined by the Fair Vet or a representative of ODA, as
not meeting these standards are ineligible for any awards, exhibition, show and/or sale proceeds or
participation.
4. Members may identify two market lambs. Members are allowed to show and sell only one market
animal. The other animal may be used for carcass competition as long as the member is registered in the
carcass class before the enrollment deadline. See the Carcass Section of the Advisor’s Project
Requirements or the Extension Office for additional information on this county activity.
5. All 4-H’ers wishing to exhibit a market lamb at the fair must be verified as attending a Scioto County
Quality Assurance (Q.A.) Session for the current year. Session information is available at the Extension
Office or from club advisors. Youth who do not attend a Scioto County Q.A. session for the current
year are ineligible to exhibit and compete at the Scioto County Fair during that year. It is the 4-H’er’s
(and their parent or guardian’s) responsibility to see that they attend a session. No make-up sessions
will be offered in Scioto County. .
6. Rams are not permitted to be exhibited at the fair.
7. All market lambs must be slick shorn prior to the fair. Body shearing is prohibited on the fairgrounds
during the fair.
8. Market lambs will be weighed on Sunday of the fair, 6:00 p.m. Lambs will be weighed one isle at a
time to reduce crowding and help ensure that all market animals are weighed. Ear tags and ears must be
cleaned by the 4-H’er prior to the weigh in so the identifications can be easily read.
9. Market lambs must weigh a minimum of 90 pounds to sell in the 4-H livestock sale. The exhibitor
should avoid showing extremely heavy or excessively finished lambs even though they are not barred.
10. Market lambs weighing less than 90 pounds will show first in the first class and receive participation
ribbons. Lightweight lambs will not sell through the Jr. Fair Livestock Sale. They must remain on
exhibit at the fair until midnight, Friday of the fair (if eligible animals are not removed by 6:00 a.m.
Saturday, they must stay until12:00 midnight Saturday). 4-H’ers must submit a “light weight slip”
(received at weigh-in) to the Junior Fair Office no later than one hour after the lamb show. On this slip
they must indicate whether they wish to take their lightweight lamb home (after midnight on Friday) or
sell it for market price to the stockyards. Lambs without forms will be sold for market price and cannot
be taken home.
11. Lambs will show by weight classes.
12. The Grand Champion, Reserve Champion, Best Scioto County Champion and Reserve lambs must sell
through the livestock auction. If other lambs are to be withdrawn from the sale, 4-H members must
notify the Junior Fair Office, in writing, within one hour after the sheep show, otherwise the animal
must sale. (See General Breeding & Market Animal Rules) If sold through the Jr. Fair Livestock
Auction, these animals are for terminal sale only. 4-H’ers and adults should respect the terms of the
market animal project rules and honor them. Buyers will not give back animals to 4-H’ers.
13. MARKET LAMB SALE:
a. Saturday of the fair, See Fair schedule for current time and date.
b. Lambs will be sold as follows: Grand Champion, Reserve Champion, Best Scioto County
Champion and Reserve lambs, followed by a rotation of weight classes as selected by the data
base.
c. ORDER OF SALE: See the Fair schedule for current listing.
SHOWMANSHIP RULES:
1. 4-H members must show their own animals in all classes including showmanship. Animals cannot be
substituted in the event a member’s project animal has died, or is injured.
2. Members must sign up for the appropriate showmanship class according to their age as of January 1 st of
the current year. (8-11: Junior; 12-14: Intermediate; 15-18: Senior)
3. Sign-up sheets for showmanship will be posted in the barns prior to the contest.
4. The winner of the senior showmanship class will show in the Showman of Showmen Contest, Friday of
the fair, in the show arena.
5. Refer to “Jr. Fair Livestock Special Rules & Regulations” and “General 4-H Breeding Market Animal
Rules” for other rules pertaining to this project.
CLASSES:
1. Yearling ewe one year old, but less than two years of age at time of show.
2. Fall ewe lamb born on or after September 1 of previous year and before January 1 of the current year.
3. Spring ewe lamb born on or after January 1 of the current year. Class may be split according to number of
entries.
4. Underweight Lamb Class
5. Market Lamb Class (broken down by weight classes lightest to heaviest)
6. Senior Showmanship (Ages 15-18) Winner will represent sheep in Showman of Showman Contest
7. Intermediate Showmanship (Ages 12-14)
8. Junior Showmanship (Ages 8-11)
SKILLATHON and OUTSTANDING EXHIBITOR
All livestock project members are encouraged to participate in the livestock skillathon. Specific date
information is located on the pre-fair schedule.
One Outstanding Exhibitor will be selected in each specie area each year. This person is selected based upon
their scores in the skillathon contest, showmanship and a project class. Therefore, 4-H’ers must participate in
all of these events in order to compete for this award.
For complete rules, dates and guidelines on these programs refer to the “Educational Livestock Event and
Activities” section of the county project requirements.