4-H Youth Development

Market Goat, Market Sheep and Market Swine - Due Tuesday, May 27

Online registration for commercial sheep, commercial goat, market goat, market sheep, market swine and pygmy goat is open until May 27th.

1. Read the registration letter from Sheryl
2. Register online and print
3. Print out the Liability - Informed Consent Agreement
4. Print out the Payment Form
5. Make check payable to:  University of Maryland
6. Mail online registration, Liability - Informed Consent Agreement, Payment Form and Check to University of Maryland Extension, Attn:  Livestock Registration, 8930 Stanford Blvd, Suite 25, Columbia, MD  21045

If you have any problems please email Rick Hodiak

Dairy Lease, Dog, Horse, Poultry and Rabbit Forms - Due June 1st

• Dog 4-H Identification Card:  For each dog you will use to be part of your 4-H project, a care Dog ID card needs to be completed.  For example: if you use one dog for agility and a different dog for obedience, then you need to complete a card for both dogs.
• Horse 4-H Identification Card:  For each horse that will be part of your 4-H project, you need to complete a Horse ID card.  You cannot exhibit a horse at the county or state fairs in the 4-H show that you have not completed a card for, therefore, if you have more than one horse available, it is recommended to complete a card for each horse.
• Lease Forms:  If you are leasing an animal, you need to complete the Statement of Understanding and Release and (Performance Animal Lease OR Breeding Animal Lease).
• Poultry Registration Form:  All 4-Hers with poultry are required to complete a project registration form and submit the form to the Howard County Extension Office by June 1st.  If you are familiar with the Market Livestock Registration Form, this form is very similar.
• Pygmy Goat Registration Form:  All 4-Hers with pygmy goats are required to complete a project registration form and submit the form to the Howard County Extension Office by June 1st.  If you are familiar with the Market Livestock Registration Form, this form is very similar.
• Rabbit Registration Form:  All 4-Hers with rabbits are required to complete a project registration form and submit the form to the Howard County Extension Office by June 1st.  If you are familiar with the Market Livestock Registration Form, this form is very similar. 

4-H Spring Swine Show on Saturday, June 7, 2025

Howard County 4-H is pleased to provide updated information about the upcoming 2025 Howard County 4-H Spring Swine Show to be held on Saturday, June 7th at the Howard County Fairgrounds.

This is a great opportunity to learn and have an opportunity to work with your market hog projects prior to the fair so we encourage all Howard County 4-Hers with market hogs to attend.

Please read through all of the information that is attached and be sure to get your entries completed and returned by June 1st. June 1st happens to be a Sunday so plan ahead. We will be accepting entries at the Swine ID Day on May 31st so feel free to bring your entries that day. You most likely will not have your 4-H tag number to write on the form unless you do it at Swine ID Day, so feel free to leave blank and the 4-H staff will take care of that for you.

• Letter and Instructions
• Schedule
• Print out the Liability - Informed Consent Agreement
• Entry Form

Route 144 Showdown on Saturday, June 28, 2025

Howard County 4-H is pleased to announce we are hosting the Route 144 Showdown on Saturday, June 28th at the Howard County Fairgrounds. This show is open to all Howard County 4-Hers with breeding sheep, market lambs, breeding meat goats and market goats. Please find a letter, entry form and other pertinent information attached.

There will be a $15.00 entry fee per child entered. Registration is due to the Howard County Extension Office by June 2nd. We will not have the ability to take late entries. We will be collecting entries the day of the tagging and weighing so you are welcome to bring them then. As you will not have the 4-H tag numbers, please make sure you complete everything else and we will take care of the tag numbers
to assign to your entries.

• Letter and Instructions
• Schedule
• Print out the Liability - Informed Consent Agreement
• Entry Form

2025 Maryland 4-H/FFA On-line Animal Husbandry and Quality Assurance (AH&QA) Program is Open

All 4-H members enrolled in alpacas, beef, dairy, goats, horse and pony, llamas, poultry, sheep, swine and rabbits are required to have completed the on-line training prior to July 1st to be eligible to exhibit their project animals in 2025 Maryland County 4-H and State 4-H Shows. Counties may set earlier deadlines to accommodate their local program.

• Download Instructions

• AHQA website

The 2025 program must be completed using Firefox, Chrome, Edge, or Safari web browsers. The program is not supported by Internet Explorer.  The narrated program contains two levels, a Junior-aged Level and an Intermediate/Senior-aged Level. The program automatically directs members to the correct level based on their birthdate. 4-Hers are required to complete the on-line training program when they reach each 4-H age division (juniors (8-10), intermediates (11-13), seniors (14-18) – all as of January 1 of the current year) OR when an Intermediate or Senior 4-H member chooses to show a new species since last completing the program within their age division - they must return to the program and complete it for the new species area (The Junior program does not have species-specific sections like the Intermediate/Senior program does). Passcodes issued to members between 2015-2024 should still be viable for returning members. 

Market Exhibition Classes Clarification

Exhibition classes have been conducted as part of each of the 4-H/FFA market shows at the Howard County Fair. This year there is a slight adjustment and we wanted to make everyone aware as many 4-Hers will be purchasing their market lamb, market goat, and market hog projects in the near future.

Market animals under the sale weight or above the sale weight will be moved to exhibition only classes. 

Livestock sale weights are as follows:

• Hogs must weigh between 235-300 lbs
• Sheep must weigh between 100-150 lbs
• Goats must weigh between 55-125 lbs
• Beef steers must weigh between 1100-1500 lbs
• Dairy steers must between 1100-1600 lbs