In the 4-H beef project, you can select from a breeding animal or a market animal. Breeding animals allow you to start your own herd while market animals produce meat products for people.
4-H Beef manuals and project books provide an interactive curriculum for youth that is hands on and grounded solidly in subject matter. Youth identify breeds, halter break a calf, show a steer, recognize a healthy animal, and select feed ingredients. Challenges youth with activities related to leg structure, oral reasons, feed ingredients, behavior, parasites, and ethical issues. Youth will develop life skills while exploring beef science!
Please note there are age restrictions on this project area:
Youth must be 8 by October 1st of the current 4-H year to be eligible for:
- Competitive situations, such as livestock shows or sales
- Enrollment in large animal projects, including Beef, Dairy, Goat, Horse, Sheep, Alpaca/Llama, and Swine
- Enrollment in shooting sports projects
- Enrollment in projects using motorized vehicles
- Enrollment in food preservation projects
Cloverbuds, 4-H youth ages 5-7, may participate in a number of age-appropriate activities, though they may not participate in competitive events.
If you have questions about eligibility please, contact your county 4-H coordinator.
Objectives
Youth will:
- Learn basic principles of animal science through the owning, raising, and care of one or more animals
- Select cattle based on breed characteristics and feed, winter, house, and care for for the market steer, as well as potentially breeding the animal
- Fit, show, and market the steer for auction
- Evaluate a carcass
- Manage a herd, if more than one animal is raised
4-H Beef Curriculum
Available from the Extension office or online.
Youth identify breeds, locate parts, judge, halter break a calf, fit a steer, show a calf, recognize a healthy animal, select feed ingredients and shop for beef and beef by-products.
Challenges youth with activities related to leg structure, oral reasons, feed ingredients, behavior, nose printing, parasites, fitting, ethical issues, beef carcass composition and retail meat cuts.
Selection and judging, feeds, careers, health, reproduction, and meats and marketing encourage more in depth learning.
Selection, breed identification, parts identification, handling, grooming, showing, budgeting, identifying parasites, controlling fleas and spaying activities are featured.
Exploring Beef Health and Husbandry
This curriculum is designed as the guide for a project facilitator. The activities and background information in this curriculum will help youth develop the requisite knowledge and skills associated with raising and showing beef cattle. Activities are youth centered and include opportunities for the application of knowledge and skills at three different levels of experience: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Washington 4-H Records, Forms, and Guides
For youth members
C0728E – Market Livestock Record
Worksheets for keeping track of costs and returns on 4-H market livestock projects.
C0729E – Breeding Livestock Record
Worksheet for keeping track of costs and returns on 4-H breeding livestock projects.
C0914E – Animal Science Record
Sheet that records inventory, expenses, and income from an animal science project.
C1054E – Producer Affidavit & Market Beef Health Record
Youth producers will record all relevant health information for their market beef on this form. A sample form includes instructions for completing the form.
C1113E – Supplemental Animal Affidavit & Health Record
A supplemental sheet to go with the 4-H health forms for individuals that need to record more treatments, etc.
PNW614 – Pasture and Grazing Management in the Northwest
The comprehensive resource for anyone who manages livestock on pastures in the Northwest, this 208-page book offers pasture managers information and tools to enable their pastures and their livestock to reach their maximum production potentials
EM3125 – Advanced Livestock Science 4-H Member Manual
NEEC20594 – Livestock Judging Guide
PNW669 – Judging Beef Cattle and Oral Reasons 101
PNW593 – Youth Beef Quality Assurance Program Manual for the Pacific Northwest
For adult helpers and club leaders
FS048E – Meating the Grade: Raising Market Ready for 4-H Beef Projects
A poster, 17 in. x 23 in., that shows the outward parts of beef cattle anatomy.
4-H104E – How to Make a Rope Halter
A step-by-step guide to tying adjustable rope halters for dairy or beef cattle. Each step is illustrated with photographs.
PNW614 – Pasture and Grazing Management in the Northwest
The comprehensive resource for anyone who manages livestock on pastures in the Northwest, this 208-page book offers pasture managers information and tools to enable their pastures and their livestock to reach their maximum production potentials.
EB1460E – Washington Steer of Merit
EM4789E – Teaching 4-H Oral Reasons
Teaches leaders how to help 4-H members give oral reasons for judging items and exhibits. Emphasizes knowledge and gives steps for oral reasoning process.
Helpful Resources
Activity Ideas
Cows give a lot to humans. Learn what goes into taking care of them.
Animal Science Anywhere: Examining Growth Hormones in Beef – Michigan 4-H (PDF)
This website was created by the University of Illinois Extension to help you learn more about beef, dairy, horses, poultry, sheep, swine, forage, and meats.
Washington Specific Reference Material
Washington State Beef Commission – Raising Beef
Home on the range…and in the pasture, and at the feedyard. Raising beef is a complex process, but throughout the entire journey, one thing remains constant – the shared commitment to raising cattle in a safe, humane and environmentally sustainable way.
Washington Beef Commission Unites Against Hunger (YouTube video)
The Beef Counts program is a partnership between the Washington State Beef Commission, Second Harvest, and Food Lifeline that provides high-quality, nutritious beef to local food banks to help hungry, local families.
Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory – Cattle
A full range of testing and consultation services for cattle.
Other Reference Material
From 4-H Programs
Should I take a Market Beef as a 4-H project? – Ohio 4-H (PDF)
Ohio State University Extension fact sheet detailing the space needed for beef cattle, as well as their temperature comfort zone, water requirements, feed considerations, and market considerations, in addition to budgeting estimates.
Should I take a Feeder Calf as a 4-H project? – Ohio 4-H (PDF)
Ohio State University Extension fact sheet detailing the space needed for feeder calves, as well as their temperature comfort zone, water requirements, feed considerations, and market considerations, in addition to budgeting estimates.
4-H Beef Showmanship – North Dakota State University Extension 4-H (YouTube video)
The basics of beef showmanship.
From Higher Education Institutions
Breeds of Cattle – Oklahoma State University
A comprehensive list of cattle breeds with links to information pages on each breed.
From Related Organizations, Journals, and Professionals
- Kits, Projects, and Activities from National 4-H
Veterinary Science Curriculum Collection
Livestock Curriculum Collection
4-H Activities – Beef Cattle Nutrition Course
We depend on cows for a huge amount of the food we eat, including beef and milk. They may seem so commonplace that you don’t even wonder about them anymore, but they actually are fascinating animals – and you probably don’t know some very basic things about them. Like, what do cows eat? How do they digest food? How many stomachs do they have? And what, exactly, are they chewing when they are ‘chewing their cud?’
In this series of at-home activities, kids will get an up-close look at how cows work (they grow fungi in their stomachs?!), and what it takes for farmers to take care of them. By the end of each activity, kids will have newfound knowledge as well as a fun craft to take their bovine knowledge to the next level.
Requires a free Clover account to access lesson plans.