Many youth are involved in the Lancaster County 4-H livestock program, which includes beef cattle, dairy cattle, bucket calves, dairy/pygmy goats, meat goats, sheep and swine. Youth ages 8–18 may participate by joining a club or as an independent member. Some clubs focus on a specific animal project while some clubs work on a variety of projects including specific animal projects. Except for the Pick-a-Pig 4-H club, youth are required to provide their own animal — raising an animal develops life skills such as goal setting, discipline and a sense of responsibility. To compete in 4-H/FFA livestock, poultry and rabbit shows (such as at the Lancaster County Super Fair) exhibitors must complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animal (YQCA) requirements — see box below.
For more information about the livestock program, contact Extension Assistant Madelaine Polk at 402-441-7180 or mpolk2@unl.edu.
Lancaster County Super Fair 4-H Livestock & Poultry Information
This web page has non-fair 4-H livestock and poultry project information. Resources, identification information and forms for the 4-H livestock and poultry shows at Lancaster County Super Fair are on the 4-H at Lancaster County Super Fair web page.
4-H Overall Livestock Project Resources
4-H project books are available to view and purchase at the Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County office. They may also be ordered online through Shop 4-H.
- Nebraska 4-H Livestock Program Website
- Nebraska 4-H Premier Animal Science Event (PASE)
- Nebraska Department of Agriculture Information on How to Get a Premises ID Number
Lancaster County 4-H News & Announcements
4-H Beef/Dairy/Bucket Calf Project Resources
Extension Beef & Dairy Websites
4-H Goat & Sheep Project Resources
Extension Sheep Websites
4-H Swine Project Resources
Extension Swine Websites
4-H Poultry Project Resources
- UNL Extension Publication (EC282) "Exhibiting 4-H Poultry" (pdf)
- Lancaster County 4-H Embryology & EGG Cam
Extension Poultry Website
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Requirements for 4-H/FFA Members Exhibiting Livestock, Poultry and Rabbits Updated for 2024!
4-H/FFA youth participating in any of the following animal projects will need to complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) training:
- Beef (bucket calf, feeder calf, breeding beef, market beef)
- Dairy cattle
- Goat (breeding meat goat, market meat goat, bottle meat goat, dairy/pygmy goat)
- Poultry
- Rabbit
- Sheep (breeding sheep, market sheep)
- Swine (breeding swine, market swine)
Deadline to complete YQCA and submit certificates of completion is SATURDAY, JUNE 15. Send completed certificates to lancaster4H@unl.edu or Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68528.
Youth must be currently enrolled in 4-H Online at https://v2.4honline.com. Only parents/guardians may enroll 4-H members.
In Lancaster County, youth may choose one of two options to complete their YQCA requirements:
- Complete online training at https://yqcaprogram.org. Cost is $12. For directions and more information, visit https://4h.unl.edu/yqca.
- Attend an in-person training held Thursday, May 23 or Thursday, June 6, 6–7 p.m. at the Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County conference rooms, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A, Lincoln. To sign up for in-person trainings, you must go to https://yqcaprogram.org before the training. The training will cost $3 payable by credit or debit card on the website. We cannot take payments in person; all families must register and pay online. Note: You will need to take a 5-question pre-test at https://yqcaprogram.org before attending. You must sign in at the training as proof of attendance — certificates will be available online.
In the YQCA online system at https://yqcaprogram.org, you can create a parent account and add children, essentially creating one family account for all your YQCA needs. On the More Info/Parents & Youth page, you’ll find Help Documents detailing the steps to getting your web-based training certification or instructor-led (in-person) training certification.
If you have further questions, contact Lancaster County 4-H at 402-441-7180 or lancaster4H@unl.edu.
Connect With Lancaster County 4-H
