4-H Livestock Interview Judging
Saturday, August 10, 2024
All 4-H members enrolled in a livestock project (breeding and market) are required to complete Livestock Interview Judging to exhibit at the Hardin County Fair. Hardin County 4-H will hold one main judging date (August 10) and an opportunity for make-up judging by appointment the following week. Members must attend the main judging date in order to be eligible for awards. Our livestock interviews were moved to a Saturday this year to avoid all conflicts with Ohio State Fair.
Making an Appointment:
Interview times are by appointment only. Youth will sign up by clicking the date below and selecting the appropriate species. Arrive 10-15 minutes before your first appointment.
- Link to Judging Appointments will be available in July
- Link to Late Judging Appointments will be available in July
ONE interview will be conducted for each species. So a member who is enrolled in Market Chickens, Turkey Exhibition, and Market Ducks will only sign up for ONE Poultry interview. A member who is enrolled in market hog and market lamb will sign up for one hog interview AND one sheep interview.
What to Expect:
Livestock interview appointments last 10-12 minutes. You will sit with an adult judge who has volunteered for the day. You will show the judge your project records, poster, and any other visual display you chose to bring. It is your job during this interview to tell the judge about your animal, what you learned this year, and anything else you’d like to share about 4-H. The more you talk, the less questions the judge will ask, so take charge of the conversation!
The judge will ask general questions about your project, such as:
- What breed is your animal?
- What does a normal day of taking care of your animal look like?
- What is one new thing you learned about your species this year?
After the interview is over, the judge will give you a grade of A, B, or C. Members who receive a C grade are not eligible for fair, but will be given an opportunity to improve their work and attend make-up judging.
What to Bring:
- Completed project book or 2024 Livestock PDF
- Poster – this is a visual display of your project or a topic you learned about this year. It can be any topic you are interested in! The point of the poster is to show the judge you learned something new and help guide your interview conversation. Some example topics are:
- How to ear notch a hog
- Common rabbit breeds
- Biosecurity in your barn
- Equipment needed to care for cattle
- Photo of your animals (if not on your poster)
- Any other visual display you’d like to share
What to Wear:
This is a graded interview, so you will want to look A+. You can wear your show clothes, dress up, or jeans and a nice shirt. The point is to have pride in your appearance and show the judge you care.