May 11, 2009
TO: Beauregard Livestock Exhibitors and Parents
RE: 2009 State Fair of Louisiana and 2010 LSU AgCenter Spring Shows, Biosecurity, Disaster Preparedness
Dear Exhibitor and Parents,
The 2009 State Fair of Louisiana is set to be held October 20-November 8, 2009. The State Fair will take place in Shreveport. The entry procedure for the 2009 State Fair will be the same as last year. Exhibitors must order ear tags and DNA sample kits through the 4-H office to validate their Market and Commercial animals. The market steer validation took place earlier in May. Market lambs, goats, commercial beef and dairy heifers and commercial ewes and does must be in the exhibitor’s possession and tagged and DNA sampled with DNA and validation cards returned to the State Fair officials by July 10, 2009. Exhibitors should contact the 4-H Office to order 2009 State Fair tags for market hogs, sheep, goats, as well as commercial heifers, ewes and does. Please fill out the form at the end of this letter and return it by June 15 if you wish to order tags and show animals at the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana. Any animal not validated through this process will be ineligible to be entered in the 2009 State Fair. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor and parent(s) to tag, DNA sample and return this information by certified mail being postmarked by July 10, 2009, for cattle, sheep and goats and August 10, 2009, for market hogs. Show entry forms that will cover both breeding and market animals will be mailed out in August. These entries will be due at the State Fair Office by September 7, 2009. The entry process is as follows:
Interested youth and parents who participate in 4-H and FFA Junior Livestock activities should pay close attention to the following information. Possession dates and Validation processes for the State Fair of Louisiana set for October 2009 in Shreveport, La. It is the responsibility of the participating youth and parents to adhere to and follow these procedures. The possession and validation dates for the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana are as follows: Junior Market and Commercial Shows Entry Nominations Rules and Regulations Eligibility for Nominations.
A.All exhibitors must be enrolled in the project in which they are exhibiting. 4-H and FFA exhibits can exhibit only the animals which are part of their project. Feeding practices and keeping records of this work must be done under the supervision of County Extension Agents and Vo-Ag Instructors.
B.To be eligible to exhibit, boys and girls must be nine years of age, but not more than nineteen years old as of December 31, 2009. After this, he or she is no longer eligible to participate in the Junior Division of the State Fair of Louisiana.
C.Market Steers must be owned and in possession of the exhibitor on or before May 10, 2009; Market Lambs & Comm. Ewes July 10, 2009; Comm. Beef & Comm. Dairy Heifers July 10, 2009; Market Goat & Comm. Does July 10, 2009; and Market Swine & Comm. Gilts August 10, 2009.
Nominations for State Fair of Louisiana are as follows: Nominations: All Market Steers, Market Lambs, Market Swine, Market Goats, Commercial Dairy, Commercial Does, Commercial Gilt, Commercial Heifers and Commercial Ewes are required to have DNA identification along with an ear tag. There is not a limit to the number an exhibitor can validate, however, an exhibitor will be permitted to enter and exhibit a maximum of (3) Market Steers, (5) Market Lambs, (5) Market Goats, (5) Market Swine, and (3) Commercial Heifers. Entry deadline will be September 7, 2009. Late entries will be accepted September 8 thru midnight September 21 at double the regular entry fee. Please read all of the rules and regulations in our premium book.
SCHEDULE TO ORDER DNA KITS AND EAR TAGS
Market Steers ----------------------- April 15 thru. May 10, 2009
Lambs, Commercial Ewes --------- June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Goats, Commercial Does ------------ June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Commercial Dairy ---------------- June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Commercial Heifers ----------- ----- June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Market Swine, Commercial Gilt--- July. 15 thru Aug.10, 2009
I will order tags and DNA kits for Lambs, Goats, Commercial beef and dairy heifers and Market heifers on June 19, 2009. Market Hog Tags will be ordered on July 20, 2009.
DNA SAMPLES AND INFORMATION CARD MUST BE IN STATE FAIR OFFICE
BY REQUIRED DATE
Market Steers ---------------------------- Postmarked no later than May 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Market Lambs & Comm. Ewes -------Postmarked no later than July 10,2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Market Goats & Comm. Does --------- Postmarked no later than July 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Commercial Beef & Dairy Heifers ---- Postmarked no later than July 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Market Swine & Comm. Gilt ---------- Postmarked no later than Aug. 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
The cost of ear tags and the DNA kits are $6.00 per unit or animal validated. DNA Kits and Ear tags will be issued to exhibitors through local 4-H Agents and FFA Advisors. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor and parents to have their animals in possession and tagged, DNA validated and their entries postmarked by the above listed dates.
4-H and FFA Livestock Validation and Entry Process for 2010 Spring LSU Shows
Validation dates and Sites are estimated at this time: They will be announced at a later date
At the present time; we do not know the validation process that will be used for the 2010 Spring LSU Livestock Shows. We can assume that the process will be similar to last year’s with a few logistics changes to make the process run smoother. We will forward the validation process on to exhibitors and parents as soon as we receive an update on the 2010 Validation process. It is important that all Livestock exhibitors and parents should be aware of and follow the 2010 LSU Livestock validation process. All Market Steers, Lambs, and Goats as well as Commercial Heifers, Ewes and Does must be validated and classified. This is the same as the 2009 shows. The possession dates for each of these animal species should be similar to last year. All animals listed above must be in the exhibitors care and possession no later than the expected September 26, 2009 possession date. These dates are estimated; we will notify exhibitors through our webpage, news paper and newsletter when we receive the finalized possession and validation dates. All market steers, lambs, and goats as well as commercial heifers, ewes, and does must attend one of these validation sites and validate animals for the 2010 Spring LSU Livestock Shows. There are no exceptions to this validation process. These animals must be taken to one of five centrally located validation sites for tagging, classification and DNA sampling. There will be a fee for each animal validated; this cost should be no more than $5.00 per animal. Exhibitors will be notified of specific cost at a later date. The proposed validation sites, dates and times will be as follows:
Validation Process, Sites and dates will be announced at a later date:
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All animals must be tagged and DNA samples collected.
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Any animals previously validated for The State Fair of Louisiana that intends to be exhibited at the 09 LSU State Show will be required to attend an LSU Ag Center Validation site to be validated for the 2010 LSU AgCenter State Livestock Show.
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All animal entries declaring a breed classification must be classified at the validation site attended.
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The responsibility of tagging animals and collecting DNA/hair samples will be that of the exhibitor and/or parent. Agents/Ag Teachers must be present and can assist.
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An estimate to follow last years’ validation; September 26th will be the final validation; no animals except Market Swine will be validated for the 2009 LSU AgCenter State Show after completion of September 26, 2009 validation. This is an estimate; final date has not been set!
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All classifications at all sites will be conducted by the same three classifiers as selected by the LSU AgCenter.
For the 2010 LSU Swine show, the validation process for all market swine entered and shown for the 2010 Spring LSU Livestock Show should follow last years’ procedures. All market swine must be tagged and DNA tested. There will be a small fee for this process as well. Each parish in Louisiana will follow the same basic market swine validation procedure. All market and breeding hogs must be in the exhibitors care by an anticipated possession date of no later than December 5, 2009.
All market hogs in a parish must be brought to a central location. Parents and 4-H members will be given tags and equipment and envelopes to DNA sample their pigs. It is the parents and exhibitors responsibility to tag and DNA sample their animals. All swine validations must be conducted in the presence and observation of a 4-H agent or Ag teacher. Market hogs will not be officially classified at these locations; however agents/Ag teachers will assist exhibitors in determining correct classification for entries. In Beauregard Parish we plan to conduct tagging in two different locations. One validation will be conducted at the Beauregard Parish Fair Grounds, a second location will be held at the Ag. Shop at South Beauregard High School. Both validations will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2009; one will take place in the morning and the second in the afternoon. Only validated market hogs will be eligible to be exhibited at 2010 LSU AgCenter district and state shows. The anticipated last possible date to validate market swine for the 2010 LSU livestock shows is December 5, 2009. Parish District and State Livestock entries for all animals will be due on December 7, 2009.
Farm Biosecurity
Many of the below mentioned items can be useful in regards to other livestock disaster preparation such as disease outbreaks for example (Swine Flu or Avian Flu). The following information was obtained from the Poultry Post. It relates to Poultry Biosecurity, but these steps should be followed for all livestock enterprises to help prevent any illness or disease such as Avian or Swine Flu. Farm biosecurity means doing everything possible to protect your poultry and livestock. The goal is to reduce the chances of infectious disease being brought onto your farm and also moved off your farm. Diseases can be carried onto your farm by people, animals, insects, vehicles, or farm equipment.
Recent events in avian flu and swine flu should prompt all farmers to review and enhance their biosecurity practices. An outbreak of one of these diseases would not only damage your economic situation but could impact the United States domestic poultry and livestock industries. Some of the greatest risks to your farm are non-commercial birds and Livestock, farm visitors, and unsanitary farm equipment or manure. There are six common sense biosecurity measures that USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service recommend all growers can follow to prevent or minimize the likelihood of and outbreak:
1. Keep your distance-restrict access in and out of your farm.
2. Keep it Clean-wear clean clothes, scrub shoes, and wash hands before entrance to poultry/livestock housing.
3. Don’t Haul Disease Home-wash vehicles and clothing after visiting feed stores, restaurants etc., or friends with birds or livestock.
4. Don’t Borrow Disease-don't share farm equipment!
5. Know the Warning Signs-increase in mortality, sneezing, coughing, poor appetite, drop in egg or livestock production, swelling around the eyes, neck, and head, discoloration of wattles, or tremors
6. Report Sick Birds or livestock immediately –to company personnel or local State Veterinarian
• Keep all household pets out of poultry and livestock houses.
• Monitor rodent control programs regularly.
• Disinfect all equipment going in and out of all livestock houses.
• Designate one pair of shoes to wear in your livestock facility and don’t wear them to another farm or house.
• Shower and change clothes and shoes before going to public places.
• Properly dispose of dead birds or other livestock animals.
• Avoid contact with wild birds, waterfowl, backyard flocks and live bird/livestock markets.
• Keep a log of all vehicles in and out of farm.
Preparing for a Disaster:
The double punch of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the fall of 2005 was devastating to Gulf Coast agriculture. In disasters of this magnitude, it is impossible to prevent all of the devastating losses. However, advanced planning can help producers minimize the loss of animal lives and the health problems associated with all disasters. Because of the vulnerability of Louisiana to hurricanes and their potential to cause widespread damage due to high winds and flooding, hurricane preparedness is essential. And much of the disaster preparation for hurricanes will also help prepare for other disasters, such as fire, hazardous material spills, animal disease outbreaks, etc. It must be stressed that although help may be available from many sources following a disaster, producers/exhibitors themselves are ultimately responsible for the welfare of their animals and should prepare accordingly.
Well in advance of a potential disaster situation, producers/exhibitors should evaluate their herd/flock health programs with their veterinarian. Any animals that undergo evacuation either before or after a disaster will be stressed and are likely to be commingled with other animals. Biosecurity will be breached, which makes increasing immunity against disease imperative. Pneumonia and abortions are anticipated problems and can be minimized with proper nutrition and vaccination.
Animal identification is also important. If show animals get evacuated and commingled, or escape and are later captured, it’s essential to be able to identify the herd/flock of origin through tags or tattoos. Many animals look alike, and plain numbered dangle tags and tattoos can be duplicated. So producers should identify the farm or ranch on the dangle tag or tattoo or use electronic identification that is unique to each individual animal. Pictures and/or videos of animals may also help identify them later.
In situations such as hurricanes where advanced warning is given, health papers should be provided by a veterinarian if animals are to be evacuated, particularly if traveling across state lines. In some situations it may not be possible to evacuate or rescue all animals, so producers/exhibitors should prioritize animals so their most valuable stock gets attention first. Copies of herd/flock records, proof of ownership and registration papers should be stored in a safe place.
Because of their relatively small size compared to cattle and horses, mass evacuation of goats, sheep, and pigs is possible if plans are made weeks in advance of a potential disaster. Producers/exhibitors should partner with other farms/exhibitors to provide trucking and also evacuation space so public holding areas can be used for rescued animals. Biosecurity issues (potential for disease transmission between herds/flocks) should be discussed when making these arrangements. Producers should have safe, efficient penning and loading facilities ready in advance. Livestock trailers should be inspected to make sure they are ready for hauling long distances. If flooding or high winds are expected and animals cannot be evacuated, they should be left in large open pastures and not put in barns.
Early evacuation is necessary as roads may be closed to trailer and towing traffic as a storm approaches.
In large scale disasters involving high numbers of animals, providing food and fresh water is the first priority. Although difficult in many situations, efforts should be made to have an emergency supply of feed and water stored in a safe place. Adult goats, sheep and pigs need 1-2 gallons of water per head per day. Cattle need even more water 3-8 gallons per day. Storage tanks previously holding chemicals should not be used to store water. If wells depend on electricity to pump water, hand pumps or generators should be available in case of electrical outages.
These are some pre disaster readiness items to place on your checklist: Herd/flock health and vaccinations up-to-date; Animal identification; health papers; prioritize herd; records stored in safe location; Evacuation plan; Cash available for emergency purchases; Food and water for 1-2 weeks; emergency equipment and first aid supplies stored; Partner with other exhibitor families; and Coordinate plans with other local producers. This information is provided to you from a publication distributed by the LSU AgCenter on preparing for disasters for sheep and goats. It is provided to help you as exhibitors and parents plan for a potential disaster that hopefully will never come again.
I have included a copy of a livestock hardship form. It is important to remember that if you plan to show an animal and do not have the facilities to house your animals at your home or have other extenuating circumstances related to your livestock projects; it is your responsibility to properly fill out this form and return it for approval prior to purchasing your potential show animals or attending the event in question. Hardships must be approved by your 4-H agent or Ag Teacher and sent through the district and state show managers. It is important to follow these procedures in order to properly enter your livestock projects. Those new and seasoned 4-H and FFA members wishing to show market swine in the 2010 LSU shows must contact Mike LaVergne at the Beauregard 4-H office at 463-7006 or your Vocational Agriculture teacher by October 15, 2009 with the number of market swine to be entered. This will allow for the ordering of the correct number of tags and DNA sample kits.
Those with questions concerning the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana or the LSU livestock show validation process may contact Mike LaVergne at (337) 463-7006 or by email. You may order tags and DNA kits by filling out the attached form and returning it to the 4-H office by June 15th for State Fair animals and by October 15th for 2010 LSU show animals. Good luck with your projects.
Sincerely,
Michael A. LaVergne
County Agent (ES) (4-H)
Beauregard Parish