Dairy Cattle

Our 4-H youth can work with breeding & market beef, breeding & market sheep, breeding & market swine, and/or dairy cattle. These projects help them to learn about agriculture and helps them develop an appreciation for the livestock industry. When a child owns and works with their animals, they learn about selection, care, feeding of livestock, animal health, and importance of good record keeping and this information will help them do well in their project. All livestock projects require the youth to take the Meat Quality Assurance (MQA) training that is provided each year.

Are you interested owning a dairy animal? Are you wanting to learn more about Dairy Cattle Production and Management? Then the 4-H Dairy Cattle project is for you. In this project you will learn how to select a dairy animal, care for and feed one or more dairy cows and/or heifers. You will also learn how to keep good records.

Dairy Cattle, Jr./Int./Sr.

Dairy Cattle

Inspiring youth to:

  • Explore the possibility of expanding to make a profitable enterprise
  • Learn:
    • Selection and Judging
    • Record Keeping
    • Nutrition
    • Health
    • Reproduction and Genetics
    • Quality Assurance
    • Competition
    • Consumer Awareness

 

Showing Your Animal and Industry Knowledge, Jr./Int./Sr.

Showing Your Animal and Industry Knowledge

Inspiring youth to:

  • Increase awareness about issues of animal well-being and the assurance of quality products from dairy cattle
  • Learn how to groom and show your animal and how to win and lose graciously in the show ring
  • Better understand how dairy products enter the food chain

 

Selecting and Raising Your Animal

Selecting and Raising Your Animal

Inspiring youth to:

  • Learn which characteristics to look for in a modern dairy animal
  • Learn about the costs associated with feed, equipment, and birth or purchase of an animal
  • Understand the nutrition requirements for dairy cattle at all stages of production and how to balance for maximum production
  • Learn about common diseases and parasites of dairy cattle and what to do to prevent them
  • Learn about reproductive systems of dairy cattle and how traits are passed from parents to offspring

 

 

E-Record Book

Project Information and Tip Sheet

Project Information and Tip Sheet

Dairy Diseases

Vesicular Stomatitis (VS)(PDF, 36KB)

Forms

Animal Care and Housing Form(PDF, 102KB)

Dairy Heifer Replacement Application - Due March 15, 2024

Dairy Heifer Replacement Application

Breeding Animal ID Instructions

Breeding Animal ID Form Instructions(PDF, 239KB)

 

Dairy Cattle Lease Program

Dairy Cattle Lease Program Rules(PDF, 93KB)

Dairy Cattle Lease Form(PDF, 109KB)

Weld County Extension Program

Colorado Dairy Youth Extravaganza

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