Minnesota Operation: Military KidsExtension > Youth Development > Minnesota 4-H > Projects > Animal Science > Sheep
Sheep Project
Explore the sheep industry. Learn to raise and show purebred or crossbred yearling ewes, aged ewes or market lambs. Topics include budgeting, digestive systems, reproduction, genetics, lambing, ethics, marketing and careers.
State & regional events
To view county or local club events, visit the county website.
Livestock Quality Assurance & Ethics Training
All youth participating as a State Fair 4-H livestock exhibitor in beef, dairy, sheep, swine, poultry, rabbit, meat and dairy goat, and lama must have completed the Livestock Quality Assurance and Ethics workshop. Certification is good for three fair seasons. The level of training required is determined by the grade of the youth at the time the training takes place.
Dates and locations vary by county. Check this list for more information.
4-H Regional & State Project Bowls
Project Bowls are an exciting way for youth to explore a project area. Teams compete in quiz competitions with questions about specific project areas. Project Bowls are available for Dairy, Dog, General Livestock (Beef, Sheep & Swine), Horse, Poultry, Rabbit and Wildlife projects. Winners of the Regional Project Bowls advance to the State Bowl. More info
4-H Animal Judging Contests
Effectively evaluating breeding and market animals is highly important in the animal industry. Judging is an art developed through patient study and long practice. 4-Hers interested in Dairy, General Livestock (Beef, Sheep & Swine), Horses, Poultry, and Rabbits can learn to be a good judge by knowing the parts of the animal and their location, which parts are most important for meat and breeding stock production, making keen observations and comparing to the ideal, weighing the good and bad points of each animal, and much more. More info
- Check with your county for local county judging contests.
- State Fair contest details in the State Fair Premium Book - Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul
Minnesota State Fair
4-H plays a pivotal role in youth development and public education at the Minnesota State Fair. More than 7,000 4-H youth have the opportunity to interact with the public and educate fairgoers through 4-H exhibits, demonstrations, performances, and 4-H promotion. More info
Sheep Project resources
Beginning to learn about sheep:
- Sheep 1 - Lambs, Rams & You ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
Some experience with this project:
- Sheep 2 - Shear Delight ($3.95 (40 pages)
Find this in the 4-H Mall)
Looking for a challenge:
- Sheep 3 - Leading the Flock ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall
Learning resources for all levels:
- Sheep and Diseases
- Sheep knowledge interactive page
- Sheep Manual $4.00 (40 pages)
- Livestock Care and Showmanship (56 K PDF)
- Herdmanship (45 K PDF)
Project leader resources
- Sheep - Helper's Guide ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Sheep - Set of Four ($3.95 (40 pages each) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Exploring Farm Animals - Helper's Guide ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Sheep Medallion ($7.50 Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Sheep short course
- Judging Wool
- Introduction to spinning wool
- Lamb Lead information and reference (772 K PDF) Updated Dec. 2011
- Sheep Safety & Quality Assurance Program Manual (American Sheep Industry Association)
- Sheep Production Handbook - Volume 7 - 2002 Edition (American Sheep Industry Association)
- The Ohio State University 4-H Sheep Resource Handbook (Ohio State University Media Distribution Bulletin)
- Sheep Crossword Puzzle (79 K PDF)
- Sheep Chart (306 K PDF) Best when printed at least 17" x 22"
Other online resources
4-H Youth record keeping
Project evaluation
- Animal Science Project Interviews - Junior Level (26 K PDF)
- Animal Science Project Interviews - Senior Level(26 K PDF)
- Lamb lead evaluation sheet (125 K PDF)
- Wool fleece evaluation sheet (176 K PDF)
- General Livestock (Beef, Sheep, Swine) Judging Reasons (33 K PDF)
