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Cattle

4-H Québec Beef Project

Every spring, members with projects related to cattle raising select the best animals to train and present during the upcoming show season. It takes a lot of time and training to halter-train a calf for a show, and the selected heifers may have been born at any time during the previous or current calendar year. In some clubs, members may also choose to train a steer to present in a competition and sell it at auction at the end of the summer, although they do not participate in any other competitions except on the final day of Achievement Day and the sale.
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The beef is the second most popular animal project in Quebec, with about half of the clubs having beef-related projects.

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Club Activities
Fairs and Exhibitions
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Club Activities and Services

Members attend club meetings throughout the year and focus on different topics at various times of the year. Many clubs offering multiple project types hold general meetings, but there may also be meetings specific to the cattle project to teach evaluation, animal selection, or to visit producers on their farms. Clubs also organize presentation workshops and mock competitions to help members practice preparing and presenting their calves before awards day or another show.

Community Service

Members also perform community service as part of their project. In some clubs, members help maintain local fairgrounds by picking up trash and repainting buildings. Others contribute to the global community by donating funds raised by members to nonprofit organizations or community groups. Members of the Shawville 4-H Club helped their community by planting trees and donating funds raised at pancake breakfasts to the Relay for Life charity.

Innovative Agricultural Tour

Members interested in learning more about agricultural operations—or cattle farming in particular—can participate in this provincial weekend activity, organized annually in March by a different 4-H club in Quebec. Each year, the tour includes at least one visit to a cattle farm, often two. These agricultural operations demonstrate some form of innovation, whether technological, genetic, or marketing-related.

Achievement Day

This special day marks the culmination of a member’s 4-H project. It offers all club members the opportunity to showcase their animals or other projects to fellow members, parents, and the public. For members in the cattle sector, this day includes classes on conformation and presentation, and sometimes a judging class or competition.

Fairs and Exhibitions

Throughout the summer and into early fall, most cattle division members will attend at least a few fairs or shows in their area. Some members travel farther to attend a show. Just like at Achievement Day, but generally on a larger scale and over several days, members prepare and feed their animals and take classes on conformation and presentation. Some members who also belong to their cattle breed’s junior association participate in provincial or national shows, which may take place here in Quebec or in other provinces. Many of our members have achieved success at the national level at shows dedicated to their breed. Members strive to improve or maintain their rankings throughout the show season.

Quebec 4-H Provincial Rally

Each year, the Quebec 4-H Provincial Rally is organized by a different 4-H club in its local community.

Members who own beef calves participate in conformation and presentation competitions and have the opportunity to represent their club in the cattle handling competition and the three-calf group. Members put their handling skills to the test again on competition day, as only participating members are allowed to shear and prepare the animals for the competition.

Junior Beef Heifer National Competition

This 4-H national competition is held in Toronto during the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November each year. It is the most prestigious 4-H interbreed competition in the country, bringing together more than 300 4-H members from across Canada. They compete in presentation and conformation events.

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Find a 4-H club

There are several 4-H clubs in Quebec for young people aged 6 to 25, offering them the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, public speaking abilities, and community involvement.

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