Knox County 2023 Handbook
GENERAL LIVESTOCK RULES & GUIDELINES FOR ANIMAL EXHIBITS
1. Each 4-H member shall own his/her 4-H exhibit. Ownership, personal possession, and regular care of
the animal must be in effect on or before the county and state enrollment deadlines and continuously
until after the 4-H show at the county and/or state fair.
2. 4-H Livestock Possession Date:
a. For Beef, Dairy, Goats, Horse & Pony, Llama & Alpaca, Sheep, and Swine is May 15,
2023.
b. For Poultry and Rabbits it is the date on Banding and Tattooing.
3. For 4-H breeding animals: family corporations and/or partnerships of 4-H members with one or more
parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or legal guardians are acceptable.
4. For 4-H dairy cattle: family corporations and/or partnerships of the 4-H member with unrelated
persons or dairy operations are also acceptable.
5. Dairy heifers, horses, ponies, alpacas and llamas may be leased subject to approval of both the
county 4-H dairy, horse and pony, or llama committee and the respective County Extension Educator.
4-H animals (horse and pony, dairy, alpacas and llamas are only eligible to be leased by a single4-H
member in a 4-H program year.
6. 4-H animals exhibited after the animal enrollment deadline (May 15th), at any show by anyone other
than the person whose 4-H enrollment record is connected to the ID of the animal in Indiana
4HOnlinewill not be eligible to be shown in the 4-H show at the Knox County Fair and Indiana State
Fair.
7. 4-H market animals and commercial animals must be individually identified and verified under the
supervision of the county 4-H program at county identification events by May 15th(May 16 in 2022
since the 15thfalls on a weekend).These species include market lambs and commercial ewes, dairy
wethers, dairy feeder steers, dairy beef steers, beef steers, market and commercial heifers, meat
goat wethers, and market wether dams.
8. This term/condition does not apply to siblings and parents, who may show each other’s animals at
any show during the year without jeopardizing Knox County Fair and State Fair eligibility, regardless
of whether or not the sibling is a 4-H member.
a. Policies on how to handle a violation of ownership: The individual filing the compliant must
provide evidence and a written statement detailing the violation to the Extension Educator as
soon as the violation been identified. Once the Extension Educator has received the evidence
and the written statement, that Extension Educator will meet with another Extension Educator to
form a 3 person unbiased committee (1 representative from each 4-H Council, Livestock
Committee, and Extension Board) to review the evidence. If the evidence shows violation of
ownership the animal will then be disqualified from the show and showmanship.
9. NOTE: This term/condition does not apply to the horse & pony program where a parent MAY
also show the horse or pony after it has been enrolled in the 4-H Program.
10. 4-H animals are expected to be in the possession and regular care of the 4-H member who
owns/leases them (unless other arrangements have been agreed upon by the county 4-H council)
from the animal enrollment deadline until the conclusion of the county and/or state fair.
11. 4-H animals purchased, sold or offered for sale after the enrollment deadline and prior to the Indiana
State Fair (including animals that have gone through a "Premium Only Auction"), shall not be
eligible to show in the 4-H show at the Indiana State Fair.
12. Livestock exhibits should not be handled by anyone except the 4-H’er and/or family members, without
permission. In the event of concern for the health and/or welfare of the animal, one should contact a
4-H Livestock Superintendent and/or Extension Educator.
13. All EXHIBITORS, PARENTS, and SPECTATORS, will conduct themselves as ladies and
gentlemen. They are to conduct themselves in such a way as to set a good example for other
4-H exhibitors and spectators at the show. IMPOLITE BEHAVIOR, POOR SPORTSMANSHIP,
OR DISRUPTIVE ACTIONS (as deemed by the show management) will result in disqualification
and/or removal from the fairgrounds.
14. All 4-H Exhibitors exhibiting the following species (Beef, Dairy, Goats, Poultry, Rabbits,
Sheep, & Swine) are required to be certified in the a Youth Animal Quality program designate
by the Indiana 4-H before they are allowed to check-in their animals.
15. The Fair Board veterinarian will determine if animals are sick and need to be sent home.
16. All animal/s must stay in their area/pen/cage until approval is given by an Extension Educator before
they are release from the fair. Failure to comply, the 4-H’er will forfeits any 4-H premium money, 4-H
auction money, all auction privileges for that year, and will not be allowed to show that specie/s the
following year.