Name: Address: 4-H Club: 4-H Leader: 4-H Age (as of 1/1): Years Showing 4-H Sheep:

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1 Name: Address: 4-H Club: 4-H Leader: 4-H Age (as of 1/1): Years Showing 4-H Sheep: Record Started: Month/Day/Year Record Closed: Month/Day/Year MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Rev. 11/2014

2 Why Keep Records? Good Records will: Keeping records on your project can be interesting and fun - not dull or boring. Help you learn about animals, their rate of growth, the feed they require, the cost of the feed and their habits. Help you plan future projects. Let you know if you made or lost money and how much. Improve your management practices. Give you a record of your project activities. Keep this record as part of your Personal 4-H Records. This information is helpful for you to plan future year s market projects as well as if you ever apply for 4-H awards or a 4-H scholarship. Remember - Records are no better than what YOU put into them! Objectives - To let 4-H Members: Experience the obligation and responsibility required in a livestock enterprise. Experience and cope with the values and attitudes of responsibility, in a relatively unsupervised environment. Supervision will be on a periodic basis. Contribute to the family table with meat, or to experience the marketing process and system, through sale of the product. Experience competition through showing the animal at local area organization sponsored shows, the fair, and state wide shows. I understand that this is a completed Market Sheep Project Record Book as required. 4-H ers Signature: 4-H Leader s Signature: MSU Montcalm Extension 211 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 368 Stanton, Michigan (989) Fax: (989)

3 Montcalm County 4-H Sheep Program Member s Achievement Summary Year: Your Name: Date Of Birth: School Attending: 4-H Age (as of 1/1): Grade: Number of Years Showing 4-H Sheep in Montcalm County: Have you participated in sheep projects outside of the county? Yes No If Yes, list the activities and the number of years in each: List some of the Sheep project activities you would like to participate in (outside of the fair) such as trips, shows, clinics/workshops, posters/projects, demonstrations, quiz bowl and judging team and WHY: What do you want to improve this year in your sheep project? 3

4 or Raised (R) Sex Sheep Number Ear Tag Number Side of Ear My Market Sheep Project Animal(s) Name Breed(s) Color(s) Purchased (P) Beginning Weight For Price/Value, use either the Purchase Price of your lambs or the market value of the animals at the time of your weight measurements. For information on determining your current market value, contact the MSU Montcalm Extension Office. Finished Weight Date Date Price/Value Method Method The method of weight is asking how you measured your animal s weight. There are many ways to weigh your market animal. If the young animal is light enough, you can use your own home scale Just weigh yourself holding the animal and without the animal. Subtract the difference and you will have your animals weight. Other methods of recording a weight for your market lamb are a traditional livestock scale. Close approximations with tools such as a weight tape are also methods of measuring a weight. Be sure to describe your method of measurement on this worksheet. 4

5 My 4-H Sheep Project Photographs Be creative. The more photograph the better, but a completed record book should at least have a beginning photograph and a finished picture. You are encouraged to be in the photo with your project animal(s) and include more photographs. You should also include captions on your pictures that at least include the date of the photograph. You may use additional pages. 5

6 My 4-H Sheep Project Feed Record and Expenses In this section, you will calculate your cost to feed your market lambs. Record by months amounts of feed purchased, weighed out or fed during each month. For grain minerals, record the amount and cost of grain, amount and cost of minerals including commercial mixture (protein, mineral, salt, etc.) Brand names do not matter but content and cost do. Home grown feed should be listed by fair market value. To simplify this chart, you do not have to weigh your feed every feeding. Averages are ok and encouraged. This report should be for the animals that you are planning to take to the fair. If you are feeding more animals than your market sheep, simply find the average price per lamb and multiply the average by the number of animals that you are exhibiting at the fair. FEED TYPE Prior to April April May June July TOTAL Type of Grain: Lbs. Used Cost of Feed (per lb.) Monthly Cost Type of Concentrates: Lbs. Used Cost of Feed (per lb.) Monthly Cost Type of Minerals: Lbs. Used Cost of Feed (per lb.) Monthly Cost Type of Hay (Quality): Number of Bales Fed Cost Per Bale Monthly Cost MONTHLY FEED TOTAL Find the sum of your monthly costs TOTAL FEED COST Monthly cost (feed) = Cost of the feed (per lb.) x lbs. used. Monthly Cost (hay) = number of bales fed x cost per bale 6

7 My 4-H Sheep Project Feed Ingredients Attach a Feed Ingredients Slip/Nutritional Analysis from each of your feed sources. If the feed is mixed in a mill, ask the mill operator for a list of ingredients. If a slip is not available, please describe your feed sources as best as possible. Attach Feed Slip Here 7

8 My 4-H Sheep Project Expenses on Project Animal In this section, you will calculate your cost to prepare your Market Sheep Project for the fair and auction. Please feel free to include attachments of actual expenses with your record book. Expense Items Prior to April April May June July Monthly Feed Total (from page 6) Veterinary Charge Bedding Insecticides Fitting & Showing Supplies Trucking Marketing of Animal Miscellaneous Monthly Totals TOTAL EXPENSES FOR THIS ANIMAL Project Totals ($) 8

9 My 4-H Sheep Project Weight Record A Total Number of Sheep in Record B Total Feed Cost (from pg. 6) - For All Animals $ C Average Feed Cost per Animal (C = B/A) $ D Total Sheep Expenses (From pg. 8) - For All Animals $ E Average Total Expenses per Animal (E = D/A) $ F G H I J K L M N Ear Tag Number Starting Weight (lbs.) Date of Starting Weight Finished Weight (lbs.) Date of Finished Weight Weight Gained (lbs.) K = I G Days of Feed L = # of Days from H to J Average Daily Gain (lbs./day) M = K/L Cost Per Pound of Gain ($/lb.) N = C/K 9

10 Your Market Sheep Project Break Even Price 4-H animals are sold by the pound at our 4-H Livestock Auction. Find out what bid price (per lb.) you need to get at the 4-H Livestock Sale to break even on your 4-H Market Sheep Project. Sale Animal #1 Sale Animal #2 Other A B C D E F Ear Tag Number Average Total Expenses per Market Animal (from pg. 9, E) Note: This number is the same for each lamb. Purchase Price/Value (from pg. 4) Total Animal Expense D = B + C Finished Weight (from pg. 4) Break Even Price/Pound F = D/E ($/lb.) What is the current selling price of sheep (per lb.)? This live weight price should be current as of June 1 of current year. Would you have been able to make a profit selling on the open market? Why? What does your Average Daily Gain (pg. 9, M) tell you about your market lamb? Sheep producers must try to reduce their Cost Per Pound of Gain (pg. 9, N) while maintaining a proper Average Daily Gain. What are some ways that you can reduce your cost per pound of gain and maintain or increase your average daily gain? 10

11 Marketing My 4-H Market Animals One of the most important parts of any market animal project is marketing. This includes writing letters and talking to prospective buyers. It also includes knowing the nutritional value of your product. CONTACTING POTENTIAL BUYERS: Sending out letters and making personal contacts are good marketing tools for your market project. In your letter, you should introduce yourself, state why you are participating in the 4-H Auction, let them know the dates and times of the sale and why you would like them to come while keeping your letter to only one page with proper margins. Remember, you are representing the Montcalm County 4-H Program in your letter. With this in mind you should never pressure the prospective buyer into buying your animal. A better tactic is to invite the buyer to come early to meet you and see your animals. A positive approach will work better. A good letter should also be personalized. To give your letter a more personal feel, make sure you spell the individual and business s name correctly and that you PERSONALLY sign each letter. Feel free to personalize your individual letters as well to have the buyer feel like you are only writing your letter to them. ATTACH A SAMPLE COPY OF YOUR MARKETING LETTER. If you would like to personalize it, address the letter to: Chris Clover, c/o MSU Montcalm Extension, PO Box 368, Stanton, Michigan How many letters have you sent? Phone Contacts? Personal Contacts? Another important part of marketing your animal for the future is to write THANK YOU NOTES. In your note, you should thank the buyer for taking time to come to the auction, supporting the 4-H program and for purchasing at the sale. Assuming Chris Clover (at the address above) purchased your market beef project ATTACH A SAMPLE THANK YOU NOTE here. Some ideas to include in your Marketing and/or Thank You Letters: How many years have you been involved in this project area Where you are from; a little bit about you & your family A little bit about your project animal where it was purchased; your care & feeding regiment; What you plan to do with the money from this project; your future goals Include a funny or interesting story that may have happened to you during this project What were some goals you set at the beginning of this project (Marketing Letter)? Did you achieve them (Thank You Letter)? What were some challenges you encountered? Did you overcome them? How? (Thank You Letter) 11

12 Know Your Cuts of Meat Match the cuts of a sheep carcass to the wholesale cuts of the lamb; use the list below: 1 Breast Flank Leg Rack Example: 3 A_ LEG Neck Foreshank Loin Shoulder 2 8 C 3 7 A B G D E H F Of the eight wholesale cuts of meat listed above, which two cuts are the most valuable? What is your favorite food from lamb? Which wholesale cut (one of the eight listed above) does your favorite come from? Name at least 5 products produced from sheep, other than meat: 12

13 My 4-H Sheep Matching Game Match ALL of the 25 listed Parts of Sheep: Back or Rack Belly Breast or Brisket Cannon Dock Face Fore Flank Forearm Forehead Hips Hock Hoof Knee Leg Loin Middle Muzzle Neck Pastern Poll Rear Flank Rump Shoulder Twist Top of Shoulder 13

14 Grade That Carcass ONLY fill out if participating in the Carcass Class What two types of grading determines the value of a sheep carcass? Explain how you can determine the difference between lamb carcasses and mutton carcasses: Explain Flank Streaking and how it is used to help figure a final quality grade for a sheep s carcass: What does the Final Quality Grade tell the consumer about the meat? Would a low-fat, heavy-muscled carcass or a high-fat, poor-muscled carcass have a higher yield grade? Explain what Yield Grade tells you about the carcass: 14

15 EXTRA CREDIT Market Sheep Project An outstanding 4-H project is one that goes above and beyond what is expected. This section will help you identify projects that you can do to enhance your learning about your market lamb. Please check the project that you have completed Write a report on one of the following topics. Report must be at least one page: Folkpatterns: Visit with a former sheep or livestock farmer to compare and contrast today s Sheep Projects with those in the past. What is better today? What was better in the past? OR Describe the significance of using wool in your family s history. Leadership: How you have become a better leader through your years in the 4 -H Sheep Project. Describe what you have done and how you have grown. Animal or Veterinary Science: Describe the proper care and nutrition of your market animal OR a veterinary practice, procedure in sheep. Other sheep topics may be used for your report. Photography Report. All photos are to be taken by the exhibitor (you). Choose one of the following topics: My Sheep Project: Keep a photo journal of your market sheep project. Photographs should represent the entire length of the project. A minimum of 12 photos from eight DIFFERENT TIMES must be included. Photos do not all have to be of the animal. They could be of club meetings, field trips, shows, etc. Farm Visit: Create a photo journal of a large sheep operation. A minimum of 12 photographs are required. Entomology: Create an Insect Collection with a minimum of 8 insects that affect sheep. Note: this could be pests, such as flies and mosquitoes or insects that eat crops that sheep use as feed, such as corn, hay or oats. You can include insects that can eat and destroy wool. Environmental Science: Draw a diagram of your sheep set up. From that diagram, show how you can protect resources, such as groundwater. Include manure management and storage of hazardous materials. Check with MSU Montcalm Extension s groundwater resources for more information. Foods and Nutrition: Outline the nutritional content of Sheep (it varies depending on the cut.) Include sample recipes of healthy sheep foods. Clothing/Textiles: Create a display that shows wool production from the raw farm product to the shelves in a store OR display a sewing project from wool. Plant Science: Create a display of field crops that are beneficial to a lamb s diet OR using actual samples create a project that outlines a certain agriculture food source from seed to feed. 15

16 4-H Sheep Record Book Score Sheet (Ages 16 to 19) 4-H Member: 4-H Club: Points Page Possible 1-3 COVER SHEET & MEMBER ACHIEVEMENT SUMMARY 5 All Information is neat and complete. All questions are answered. 4 4-H SHEEP PROJECT ANIMALS 10 Information complete on PRIMARY animal. All weights/prices recorded. 5 4-H PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHS 5 A beginning and finished photograph is included. 6 MONTHLY FEED COSTS 15 Table completed and totals tabulated. 7 FEED INGREDIENTS 5 Feed slip attached OR the ingredients are listed 8 PROJECT EXPENSES 10 Table completed and total expenses calculated. 9 WEIGHT RECORD 10 Calculations are completed and questions answered. 10 MARKET SHEEP BREAK EVEN PRICE 10 Calculations completed and questions completed. 11 MARKETING 10 Questions answered. Samples of a marketing letter and thank you note are attached KNOW YOUR CUTS OF MEAT & SHEEP PARTS 15 Worksheets completed. 14 GRADING THE CARCASS 5 Your Points Worksheet completed, ONLY if participating in carcass class 15 EXTRA CREDIT: A Project from page 13 (or another worthy project.) Points are at Judge s discretion. TOTAL POINTS: A: ; B: 79-60; C: