2021 Rabbit/Cavy Important Information!
Posted: Jun 14, 2021
Rabbit-4-H-Important-Information-for-the-Fair-2021.pdf
READ YOUR RULES and know important dates and times. Contact a committee member if you have any questions.
Important dates:
-- April 18: QA & Educational clinic Art Hall at fairgrounds Sun 3-5 (Mandatory 1st yr members)
-- May 25: Possession date. Must have your rabbit or cavy in your possession
-- July 17: Pre-registration and Tattoo/tag clinic.
9-11am in rabbit barn. Bring entry forms to complete.
July 23: Fair entries due to Junior Fair office. NO postmark will be accepted
NO late entries will be accepted.
August 21: Rabbit and Cavy Skillathon and Showmanship Sign in starts at 8:30am
Skillathon runs 9-12. Showmanship starts at 9:00am and will last until all participants are judged. This will be held in the new arena at the fairgrounds. Intermediate and Seniors start at 9:00am. Must use a rabbit you have entered on your fair entry form. Know your tattoo number.
****Turn in poster for poster contest.
August 30: Stark Co Fair Check In from 12pm-8PM. Must check
in with the Jr. Fair show secretary for coop assignment.
-- August 31: Open Rabbit show 9AM
-- August 31: 4-H Meat pen and fryer show 3PM (maybe earlier)
-- Sept 1: 4-H Rabbit show 9 AM
4-H Meat pen and fryer auction 6:00PM
Open Cavy show 9 AM
-- Sept 2: 4-H Cavy show 9 AM
-- Sept 3: Rabbit Barn Scavenger Hunt Rabbit Barn
-- Sept 4: Champion of Champions Rabbit Showmanship
Champion of Champions Cavy Showmanship.
Sign in by 10:45am. Class begins at 11AM
Thank you cards for meat pens and fryers must be turned in by 4:00pm
******** Rabbit and Cavy Costume Contest******** 3:00pm Poultry tent
-- Sept 6: Check out 6-8PM. Must check out with Jr. Fair show secretary. CLEAN OUT PENS
NO early departures
Sept 8: Barn Clean up 5:00 PM until done
****Oct 11: Pick up meat pen and fryer checks in the Jr Fair Office 6:30pm UNLESS SENT TO YOU
WEB PAGE: www.starkcountyjrfair4h.com
- Pre-Registration and Tattoo/Tag Clinic:
This clinic is where the committee assists the exhibitors in filling out their entry forms. Be sure to BRING YOUR ENTRY FORM WITH YOU. Committee members will check the tattoo/tag number, variety, breed, sex, and age of your animal. If you do not go to the pre-registration clinic, and there is a problem with your entry, you will not be able to exhibit at the fair. There is an opportunity at the clinic for your animals to get tattooed or tagged for free. After this date a fee of $5 will be assessed to tattoo/tag your animals.
Showmanship and Skillathon:
Skillathon: Consists of various stations that will test your knowledge on rabbits and/or cavies. Stations are timed and you will be judged on how well you know the information related to your project. Awards for First Year, Junior, Intermediate, and Senior age divisions for rabbits will be given. Awards for Junior, Intermediate, and Senior age divisions in cavies will be given. Overall Skillathon Champion award will be given for both rabbits and cavies.
Showmanship: Judged one on one on how well you handle your animal, on your knowledge, and overall presentation. The judge is not examining your rabbit but rather judging you. Your showmanship rabbit or cavy must be one that you are showing at the fair in 4-H. For rabbits, senior and intermediates start the showmanship competition, followed by first year and junior. For cavies, the seniors are judged first followed by the intermediates and then the juniors. Champion of Champions in each specie will be on Saturday at the fair. Awards are given at the conclusion of all age divisions. Showmanship is mandatory for first and second year participants and highly suggested for all other age divisions because it will enhance your knowledge about your animal and project. Showmanship may take all day so be prepared to stay as long as needed. Bring chairs and a lunch if you desire.
- Poster Contest
Theme is “BODY or FUR TYPES of RABBITS or CAVY” Illustrate and describe. Use the correct terminology for each. This contest is open to any rabbit or cavy participant. Turn in your poster at skillathon and showmanship judging. Use a standard size poster. Awards will be given in the following age divisions: 8-11 yrs, 12-14 yrs, 15 and up. Posters will be displayed in the rabbit and cavy barn during the fair. Put your name and age division on the back of your poster. Awards will be; $10 first place and $5 for second place in each age division rabbits and cavy.
Costume Contest
Will be held Saturday afternoon at 3:00PM. Watch website for rules and categories. Prizes will be
awarded. Both rabbit and cavy members can participate. Sign up in the rabbit barn at the
4-H desk. Example categories—Best Look Alike, Prettiest, Most Original, Funniest.
There will be an Overall Costume Contest Winner selected. Will be held in outside poultry tent.
New age groups added
- Scavenger Hunt
- Will be held on Friday during the fair from 9am-8pm. Stop at the 4-H desk and pick up your
- Scavenger hunt item list. Search around the rabbit barn to find the items or correct answers for
- the list. Turn in the sheet at the 4-H desk when you have completed it.
- This is a fun way to learn some rabbit and cavy knowledge. Open to all youth.
-- Pen Assignment
Pens in the rabbit and cavy barn are assigned. Be sure to check in with the junior fair show secretary to get your pen assignment. Pen assignments are sometimes available the weekend before the fair when the barn is open for decorating.
- Decorations
Decorations are allowed and encouraged in the rabbit and cavy barn for the Barn Stall Decoration Contest. Check with the Junior Fair Rabbit and Cavy Committee to see where you are permitted to decorate for your club.
- Coop Set-up
Pine shavings will be provided (Thanks to TSC) for your use in your animals’ pen. You may choose to bring your own bedding as well. You will need to bring cleaning utensils from home to clean your animals’ pen daily. A wheelbarrow is provided for your use. Food and water bowls are also available. You may wish to bring your own bowls and any other objects that will make your animal feel more at home.
- Food and Water
You must provide your own food for your animals. City water is provided at the fairgrounds (sometimes rabbits will get sick because they are not use to city water). For this reason, you may wish to bring your own water from home on a daily basis. Bring bowls that are the proper size for your animals,
Especially Meat pens and single fryers. Rabbits must have water at all times
- Care of Your Animal While at the Fair
- It is your responsibility to take care of your animals daily while at the fair. If you are unable to take care of your animal on a particular day, you must arrange for someone else to do so.
- You must keep your animals’ clean while at the fair. You will need your own cleaning utensils. The waste from your animals’ pen may be thrown in a wheelbarrow (not in a trash can) and hauled to the manure pit across from the steer barn. Return the wheelbarrow to the rabbit and cavy barn when finished with it. Cleaning the animals’ pen is the job of the youth- not the parents.
- Once you clean your animal’s pen you ask a committee member to check the pen.
- PEN CLEANING MUST BE DONE DAILY. Pens are checked and if found dirty a Committee member WILL place on a note on your pen to see a committee member. You will forfeit your premiums if pens are not kept clean.
-- Rabbit and Cavy Barn Care
- Please keep the aisles in the barn clean. There are brooms located throughout the barn so be sure to sweep the barn when it is not too busy.
- There are designated areas where you will be able to store your rabbit and cavy materials. Check at the
4-H desk for a location
- Remember, IF YOU DON’T OWN IT, DON’T TOUCH IT (ESPECIALLY THE RABBITS AND CAVY)
- There is NO running or screaming in the barn under any circumstances.
- Rabbits need to remain inside the barn.
Day of 4-H Show
- All are encouraged to attend and show your own animals and assist in carrying other animals to the show table for the exhibitors who cannot make it. If you cannot come and show your animals, don’t worry, your animal will still be put on the show table.
- School excuse forms are available from the Jr Fair Coordinator. These forms allow the exhibitor to have an excused absence from school so they can show their animals. Check with your school to see if they accept these forms (most schools do).
- Meat Pens and Single Fryers
-Meat pen and single fryer animals must be raised by the junior fair exhibitor. You must have the doe (mother) in your possession by May 25th. You do not have to have the buck (father) in your possession so this allows you to get a rabbit breeder to breed your doe for you.
****Meat pen and single fryer babies need to be checked by a committee member within two weeks of the kindling date. Call a committee member as soon as possible after the babies are born to schedule a date and time for the babies to be checked.**** Committee members’ phone numbers are located in the rules packet.
- If you take a meat pen or fryer project, you need to have your picture taken with your animals during the fair. Picture time will be posted on the committees’ bulletin board or you can ask a committee member.
- You must write thank you notes to your meat pen or fryer buyers. They need to be addressed, stamped, and turned in by Saturday at noon.
- Contact as many buyers as possible. The more people you have bidding on your animals, the more profit you will make. It is also suggested to have a gift for your buyer.
- Awards
- Ribbons and remark cards may be picked up at the 4-H desk starting on Friday.
- Ribbons and remark cards should not be displayed on your rabbit or cavies pen. Sometimes the animals like to chew on them or people passing through the barn will take them. It is best if you take your awards home to enjoy.
- You must write a thank you note to your trophy sponsor if you are lucky enough to win one. Thank you notes must be addressed, stamped, and turned into the Junior Fair trophy committee at time of trophy pick up. Pick up your thank you and fill them out at the table. That way you will be done and be free to have fun at the fair. Stamps will be available to purchase.
- Exhibitor Pass
-- Jr Fair. Exhibitor passes/wrist band will cost $5.00 this year. You will receive them from your 4-H club advisor. You need this pass/wrist band to enter the fair each day. Lost passes will be replaced by talking with the Junior Fair Coordinator. This wrist band also allows you to enter exhibits in the Art Hall and Grange building.
Open Class
- You may show your animals twice while at the fair. You may do this by entering open class. The open class animals are housed on the other side of the barn. You may enter your 4-H rabbits in open class in addition to other rabbits that you are not showing in 4-H. The rabbits housed in the open side may be shown and sold. The Stark County Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association is in charge of the open side and takes out a 10% commission if you sell your animals.
- Open class is a separate entry. In order to compete in open class you need to have an exhibitor pass which cost $25.00 (these may be purchased from the senior fair office). The entry fee is $1.50 per rabbit/cavy.
- Deadline to enter in open class is traditionally in the beginning of August (check fair catalog for exact date).
- Entries are to be turned into the Sr. Fairboard Office or to the Stark County Rabbit and Cavy Club Show Secretary (address in fair book).
-- Remember to pick up your premium packet before you leave the fairgrounds on Monday.
-- Premium Vouchers
Premium vouchers are a gift from the Sr. Fairboard to the exhibitor for bringing their animal to the fair. Voucher money must be picked up by noon on Monday in the SC Fair Treasurer’s office.(If possible)
- Selling Your Animals
You may sell your 4-H animals after the 4-H show if you wish. You must register to sell your animal at the
4-H desk in the sales book. The Jr. Fair Rabbit and Cavy Committee will take out a 10% commission.
- Check Out
- Monday at 6PM. You must check out with the Jr. Fair Rabbit and Cavy Committee. If you fail to do this, you will not be able to exhibit next year.
- Absolutely NO EARLY DEPARTURES. If there is an emergency and you need to check out your animals early, you must seek permission from the Sr. Fairboard.
- The Jr. Fair Rabbit and Cavy Committee will not be responsible for any animal left in the barn after 8PM Monday.
****Remember to thank those who have helped you with your animal projects. Without these people,
your project may not have been successful!
Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Remember, the only dumb question is the question not asked!
We are willing and devoted to helping in any way possible.
Trophy Sponsors are still needed. Your name and/or business will be advertised if you sponsor a trophy.
$45 Grand Champion Trophy’s ------ $25 All other sizes
J GOOD LUCK AT THE FAIR AND REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN J J AND MAKE LIFETIME MEMORIES J
