McHenry County 4-H Livestock Information
4-H LIVESTOCK EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Preliminary Livestock Exhibit Guidelines - ALL livestock shows are pending approval and these guidelines are NOT final! DO NOT PRINT THIS VERSION! This is a preliminary copy for general livestock information ONLY to help you plan your potential livestock entries. More information to come soon.
McHenry County will observe all Birth & Ownership dates set by the state, as well as, Tattoo & Weigh-in dates for Beef & Sheep.
YQCA – Required for Beef, Dairy, Goats, Sheep & Swine.
IN-PERSON Training is schedule for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 23 at the Extension Office in the Farm Bureau Auditorium.
Please follow the instructions below to create your new YQCA account and register for your preferred certification method.
NEW WEBSITE FOR YQCA: https://yqcaprogram.org
How to Get Certified: There are three ways to earn YQCA certification.
- Web-based training
- Instructor-led training (Trainings are not listed in any order. You need to scroll through the list to find McHenry county)
- Test-out
YQCA Age Requirements
- Age is determined by the youth’s ages on Jan 1 of the current year.
- The YQCA program is for youth 8-21 years of age.
Age Brackets & Recertification Period
- Online module and instructor-led training certification is good for 12 months from date of earning
- There are 4 age levels
- Junior ages 8-11
- Intermediate ages 12-14
- Senior ages 15-18
- Young Adult ages 19-21
ASSISTANCE: If you need assistance with helping your youth earn their certification, please check out these help documents to guide you through the process.
QAEC – Required for companion animals one time in a 4-H members career for each project area participating.
Includes: Cats, Dogs, Horse, Poultry, Rabbit, Small Pet
Open NOW: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/qaec/
Deadline July 1
Illinois 4-H Livestock Issues
State and Federal laws dictate the production and exhibition of livestock. Know what's required of you as an Illinois 4-H livestock producer and exhibitor.
4-H LIVESTOCK AUCTION:
Volunteers on the Livestock Auction Committee are hard at work planning to offer a livestock auction this summer. While they have high expectations to move forward, the following is a message from the committee, "All NON-auction animals will need to either be sent to market or home."
YQCA Information
About YQCA or Youth for the Quality and Care of Animals
For members enrolled in dairy cattle, beef cattle, swine, sheep, and goats: All 4-H exhibitors of these animals will be required to certify in the YQCA program by attending either a face to face class (pre-registration required) or certify online via the website: YQCA.org. The cost for the face-to-face training will be $3 and $12 for the online version.
For members enrolled in horses, rabbits, poultry, dogs, and cats: The Quality Assurance and Ethics training is still required for youth in horses, rabbits, poultry, dogs, cats and small pets. You only need to take it once in your lifetime. Those who do not complete the training will be removed from the animal science project and will not be eligible to exhibit at county fairs. The website is open year round at web.extension.illinois.edu/qaec.
NOTE: Youth must be logged on to a computer for this program, either a desktop or laptop; not an iPad or iPhone.
Livestock Issues & Health Requirements
State and Federal laws dictate the production and exhibition of livestock. Know what's required of you as an Illinois 4-H livestock producer and exhibitor.
Find more information HERE.
