4-H Program Flyer
Author: Michigan State University Extension

Tips and Tricks to Assist You in Completing Your U.P. State Fair Market Livestock Record Book

Cover Page (2 points) – Make sure you have all information requested. Exhibitor Number and Club Name are just as important to the judges as they use this in their scoring and sorting the books.
Page 2 Animal information (2 points) – Make sure you have all information requested including breed and identification numbers. Estimated beginning value of animal – Transfer purchase price or value number to page 7 Project expenses in value (a)
Page 3 – Goals/Potential Buyers/Communication Strategies/Marketing Strategies Goals: Beginner (6 points), Advanced & Intermediate (3 points) – see goals for market animals and SMART goals Potential Buyers: Beginner (6 points), Advanced & Intermediate (3 points)
These are easy points. You should contact buyers several months prior to the fair to allow them ample ability to plan time away from work or other activities to attend the auction and opportunity to budget for their purchase.
Communication Strategies: Intermediate & Advanced (3 points) Communication Strategies are how you deliver your marketing ideas to potential buyers.
(some examples)
Contact at least 3 potential buyers personally
Develop a Facebook page for my project
Create a flyer and distribute to 50 potential buyers
Write personal buyers letters
Follow up with potential buyers by making personal contact
Marketing Strategies (3 points) Advanced only
Marketing Strategies are preparing people to buy your product. It involves understanding your product, your customer, your competitors, and the true (and perceived) value of your product. Marketing Strategies – 5 Ps Products – what makes your animal better than other’s - breed, feed, exercise, care, prior animal carcass evaluation, breeder, etc. Price – know the current market value/know your break-even price (estimate) People – who wants to buy your animal and why? Place – inform buyer about the auction. Where will you advertise? Promotion – Promotion involves many business strategies to communicate with the marketplace, and advertising is a specific form of promotion. Promotion creates awareness of your product and is and extension of your communication strategies.

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Project Pictures (4 points) Beginner- Page 3 & Page 7 Intermediate-Page 8 Advanced-Page 9
Is it a good picture of your animal that would make someone want to purchase it? Are you in it?
Page 4 – Feed Records Beginner (15 points) Intermediate (8 points) Advanced (6 points)
Looking for complete records and calculations of cost – notice the different columns for feed types.
These could be commercial brands with different ratios or could be different types of feed.
Do you use any additives – list them and when you fed them to your animal.
You can use this page to often answer one of the reflective questions about feed.
Homegrown feed cost needs to be estimated as well.
If you are feeding more than one animal, you need to calculate the cost based on the number of animals you are feeding.
You may want to keep track of this daily or weekly in the barn and transfer information to this chart.
Check your math – points are deducted if calculations are wrong.
Intermediate and Advanced: Transfer the final feed cost to page 7, Project Expenses in value (b)
Page 5 – Expense Record Beginner (15 points) Intermediate (8 points) Advanced (6 points)
You may not incur expenses in every category every month.
Some categories may not apply – i.e., housing, rent/leasing fees or interest.
Equipment can include things you purchase to care for your animal (generate a list)
Equipment can include items you may need for showmanship – brushes, clothing, canes, halters, etc.
Advertising/Marketing - cost to print and mail letters, brochures, etc. – indicate which month this happened. Use estimates for last months if necessary to complete chart month.
MISCELLANEOUS – include your 4-H participation fee, any fees for workshops, resources and/or UP Fair Pass.
Make sure to record veterinarian charges and costs for medications (if applicable)
Transportation charges should be an estimate of costs to get your animal to the fair
Check your math – points are deducted if calculations are wrong.

Page 6 – Weight Record Beginner (15 points) Intermediate (8 points) Advanced (6 points) You should be weighing or taping your animal at least once a month. There are easy points.
Put an asterisk next to actual weight (If you use a scale or your club or county has a weigh-in).
Page 7
Intermediate (9 points) – 3 points for each section (project income/project expense/break even calculation). Advanced (6 points) – 2 point for each section (project income/project expense/break even calculation).
Check your math.
My Project Animal Chart: You have ALL of this information – It is just a matter of transferring it from previous charts.
Judges will dock points if the My Project Animal Chart is incomplete.
My Estimated Project Income:
Market Price – best source is https://www.canr.msu.edu/uprc/newsletters
U.P. Ag Connections- Market Report
You will have to do some math – need to divide the price by 100 Steers - $95 to $120 per 100 lbs. $1.20 in Market Price line Hogs - $58 to $64 per 100 lbs. $0.64 in Market Price line
Google search for market price of (species) per pound in Michigan
Transfer your final weight from page 6 – this does not have to be the weight of your animal at the time of sale – this can be a weight prior to arriving at the fair (you may use a tape to estimate your weight). It will give you time to do your calculations. Other Income – Are you selling your alternate to someone else? Are there any by-products from your animal you anticipate to sell? You estimated project income will probably be much lower than your auction price. My Project Expenses: Transfer these numbers from previous charts and do the math to determine total project expense.
Formula to Calculate Your Break Even Price: Total expenses – transfer from box above Final Weight – transfer from above or chart on page 6 this number can be used in your marketing strategy and when you talk to potential buyers.

Project Efficiency Information Advanced (6 points) 1 point for each calculation and answer:
Calculations
Total lbs. of Gain – This is your final weight minus your beginning weight Days on Feed – how many days from your purchase date to the sale date.
Total Feed Cost – from page 7(b) Total lbs. of Gain – (a) from #1 above
Total lbs. of Feed – from chart on page 6 Total lbs. of Gain – (a) from #1 above
Check your math !!!– points are deducted if calculations are wrong.
Some good resources:
Average Daily Gain (ADG) University of Idaho Extension
Cost of Feed, Average Daily Gain and Days on Feed University of Arkansas
Planning for your 4-H swine project animal: Estimating costs MSU Extension
Planning for your 4-H beef project animal: Estimating costs MSU Extension
Planning for your 4-H sheep project animal: Estimating costs MSU Extension
Project Reflection: (5 point each)
Utilize 4-H Resources when doing Google searches
Your 4-H Market Hog Project MSU Extension
Your 4-H Market Beef Project MSU Extension
Youth Market Lamb Project Guide North Dakota State University
4-H Market Goat Project Penn State Cooperative Extension
Biosecurity for Livestock Exhibitors
Look for site with (.edu) at the end, other state 4-H programs, or reputable livestock organizations when doing searches
Judges read all the books in a class – if your answers are exactly the same as your sibling or other club members they will tend to judge them harsher.
Points are deducted for spelling, grammar, and neatness.
Use complete sentences.

Tips and Tricks for Completing Your U.P. State Fair Market Livestock Record Book