Upcoming Avian Bowl Trainings
Dr. Brigid McCrea of Delaware State University will be holding monthly Avian Bowl training sessions in both New Castle and Kent counties. The March Kent County training sessions will be held on March 10th at 6:30 pm in Rm 125 at DSU’s Washington building and the New Castle County sessions will be held on March 3rd at the New Castle County Extension Office starting at 7:00 pm. For the entire monthly practice schedule through the month of June, please visit:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/udextension/4h/files/2012/02/2014-Avian-Bowl-practice-schedule-mccrea.pdf

Mid-Atlantic Avian Bowl Challenge
The Mid-Atlantic Avian Bowl Challenge is being held as part of the Delmarva Poultry Fanciers show on April 5, 2014. The contest has divisions for both Junior Teams (ages 13 and under) and Senior teams (ages 14-18). The entry deadline for teams is March 15, 2014. The entry form is available on the state 4-H web site https://s3.amazonaws.com/udextension/4h/files/2012/02/2014-Mid-Atlantic-Avian-Bowl-Challenge-Entry-Form.pdf For more information or questions please contact Dr. Brigid McCrea of Delaware State University at (302)857-6432 orbmccrea@desu.edu

Spring 4-H/FFA Dairy Show- entries due March 7th
The Spring 4-H and FFA Dairy Show will be held on April 5, 2014 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds. Entries are due to Charmayne Busker by March 7, 2014. The show is open to all Delmarva Residents who are owners of Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Guernsey and Brown Swiss cattle. The show will include both a Junior Division (age 21 & under as of January 1, 2014) and an Open Division which will run concurrently. For show information and an entry form please visit the state 4-H website. http://extension.udel.edu/4h/projects-activities-for-members/4-h-animal-science/ We are always looking for additional show sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring the 2014 show, please contact Charmayne by March 7 to be featured on the Spring Show t-shirt.

Delaware Livestock Exposition Benefit Dinner and Auction – March 8th
Mark your calendar for the 2014 Delaware Livestock Exposition, October 12-13 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington. The show is a junior breeding show for beef cattle, sheep, swine, and boer goats and is open to exhibitors from across the country. Entry and registration information will be available in the summer. Premiums are paid to the top placing animals in each class. Sponsors and donors support the Expo financially however we still need your help too! The show committee is hosting a benefit dinner and auction on Saturday, March 9th in the Dover building on the Delaware State Fairgrounds. Tickets are $25 each or $175 for a table of 8 and will be available for purchase at the Kent County Extension office beginning in February. Please email Susan Garey truehart@udel.edu or Kristin Cook kristin@udel.edu to reserve yours now. All proceeds will be put towards Livestock Exposition expenses. We will also accept donations of select items for the live and silent auctions. Please join us for a fun filled evening!

Delaware Dairy Princess Contest Applications Due March 9
The Delaware Dairy Princess Committee is looking for a well-spoken, talented young lady to represent and promote the Delaware dairy industry over the upcoming year. The newly crowned dairy princess will receive at least a $1000.00 cash award and the alternate will receive at least $300.00. A cash award is also presented to the contestant that the judges felt had the best skit presentation. The dairy princess and the alternate will be reimbursed for mileage and any expenses they incur throughout the year during their reign.
The applicant agrees that if she is chosen as the Delaware Dairy Princess, she will support the industry by making personal appearances to promote dairy products, and to be the industry’s official representative, upon invitation, at meetings, conventions, and promotional activities. She must be available for activities during the Delaware State Fair in Harrington in July. The Delaware State Fair in Harrington is a very busy time during the reign as the princess(es) help hand out ribbons at shows, attend dinners, participate in stage time in the commodities building, etc. Applications are due no later than March 9, 2014 and the contest will be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at the Delaware Agricultural Museum. There is a complementary training luncheon being held on March 9th at noon at Frazier’s Restaurant in Dover to help contestants prepare. The application and complete contest information and guidelines are posted on the State 4-H website https://s3.amazonaws.com/udextension/4h/files/2012/02/2014-Delaware-Dairy-Princess-Contest-Application-and-guidelines.pdf
Mail your application to Sara Breeding at 315 Bullock Road, Harrington, DE 19952 or email it to saraebreeding@gmail.com. Applications may also be handed in the day of the Training Luncheon which is March 9, 2014. If you have any questions, please contact Sara Breeding (302) 270-8359.

Genetic Edge Livestock Sale
The Genetic Edge Sale will be held on Saturday March 29 at Dill’s Auction. Preview will begin at 9:00 a.m., there will be a short seminar at 11:00 a.m. and the auction will begin at 12 noon. Project animals including pigs, goats and lambs will be sold at the auction. If you have any questions, please contact John Tigner at 242-4315 or Tignerfarms@yahoo.com

Purchasing Market Hog Projects and PEDv
If you have been following U.S. hog industry news over the past 9 months or so, you probably have heard of PEDv or Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus. This virus was first identified in Great Britain in 1971 and was officially confirmed in the United States for the first time in May of 2013 in Ohio. This virus is quite contagious and is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Pigs infected with the virus shed virus particles abundantly in their manure for 7-20 days following infection. The most common sources of infected feces coming onto a farm are pigs, trucks, boots, clothing, or other things that can physically move it.
Pigs show symptoms of virus infection within 12-36 hours of exposure to the virus with the onset of acute diarrhea. This disease is of most concern to breeders of pigs as the mortality level in young, nursing or recently weaned pigs can be high. Older hogs experience a setback in growth rate of about 3-7 days and generally recover with supportive therapy (clean, dry comfortable, draft free environment, low stress levels, access to plenty of clean fresh water and electrolyte therapy). Because this is a viral disease, there are no antibiotics to treat it. There is no vaccine currently on the market to prevent this disease. The virus does not affect other species of livestock or horses and does not affect humans. In recent months, the number of cases confirmed has increased dramatically and at least 20 states have been affected. Samples from pigs and from the environment have confirmed the presence of the virus in our surrounding states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia. It was also confirmed in Canada in early February.
4-H members are reminded to practice good biosecurity protocols when visiting project animal auctions, farms, fellow member’s homes and livestock shows. Examples of disinfectants effective against PEDV include Clorox®, Virkon S®, 1 Stroke Environ®, and Tek-Tol®. 2014 PQA training sessions will cover biosecurity principles and PEDv. For more information, please visit the National Pork Board website www.pork.org or the American Association of Swine Veterinarians website www.aasv.org

PQA Certification
There are two options for obtaining PQA certification. The class certification option is open to any age but youth under the age of 8 (computed as of Jan 1 of the current year) must have a parent attend the class with them as national program guidelines do not permit a child under 8 to hold their own certification. Certification received through the classroom option is valid for one year.
Youth over the age of 12 (computed as of Jan 1 of the current year) have the additional option of taking a multiple choice test in lieu of attending classroom training. The benefit of the testing option is that certification may last for longer than one year, depending on the age of the youth at test time. Youth must score 70% or better to pass the test and can take versions of the test up to three times in one sitting to pass. Youth only need to complete one of these two options for obtaining certification- not both.

The following PQA class training dates have been scheduled for this spring:
April 9, 2014 – Sussex County PQA Classroom Training-Carvel Center 6:30-8:30 pm

April 12, 2014- Kent County PQA Classroom Training- Kent County Extension Office-9:00-11:00 am

April 17, 2014 – NCC PQA Classroom Training- New Castle Country Extension Office 6:30-8:30 pm

June 2, 2014- FINAL PQA Classroom Training- Kent County Extension Office- 6:30-8:30 pm

The following PQA testing dates have been scheduled for this spring (walk in any time):

May 28, 2014 – Sussex PQA Open Testing-Carvel Center- 4:00 pm-6:00 pm

May 15, 2014- NCC PQA Open Testing- New Castle County Extension office- 4:00 pm-6:00 pm

June 11, 2014- Kent County PQA Open Testing- Kent County Extension Office- 4:00pm-6:00 pm

You may attend class or testing in any of the locations. If you plan on attending any of these sessions, please RSVP to Susan Garey (302)730-4000 or truehart@udel.edu at least three days prior so that there will be adequate materials. Please contact Susan Garey if you have any questions or concerns in regards to PQA certification needs.

Delaware 4-H Equine Art Contest
Calling all young artists! With categories encompassing painting, pastels, charcoals, photography, pencil, pen and ink and even crayons and markers for younger youth there is something for everyone in the Delaware 4-H Equine Art Contest. Entries are due to county offices on or before April 11, 2014 and will be put on display for the month of May at Chick’s retail store in Harrington, Delaware. Contest guidelines and entry information is posted on the State 4-H website. https://s3.amazonaws.com/udextension/4h/files/2012/02/2014-Delaware-4-H-Equine-Art-Contest.pdf

4th Annual Delmarva Classic Goat Show
The Delmarva Goat Association will host their Fourth Annual Delmarva Classic on April 25th and 26th. It will take place at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington, Delaware.

Friday – April 25th will feature a Junior Show of ABGA and Pygmy goats

Saturday – April 26th will feature two shows simultaneously; an ABGA show, and a sanctioned Pygmy Goat Show. For more complete rules and entry forms please visit the DGA website at http://www.delmarvagoat.com/news.html

 New Delmarva Goat Association Junior Herdsman Award
The Delmarva Goat Association is very excited to announce the DGA Youth Herdsman Award for all youth 21 and under that are members of the DGA. There are two categories Senior and Junior with a monetary award and a jacket. This award is an accumulation of a youth’s work with the goat industry for a year. They will need to keep records of what and where they were involved in goat activities. This award will be presented at the Delmarva Classic Show in April 2014. For more information please visit the DGA website at http://www.delmarvagoat.com/news.html or call (302)422-5746.

Dairy Leasing Agreements Due to County Offices May 1
2014 Delaware Youth Dairy Leasing Agreements must be turned in to county offices for county agent signatures or to Susan Garey by May 1. Copies of dairy leases will be forwarded on to the Delaware State Fair. The leasing agreement is posted on the state 4-H webpage under the “Dairy” heading. http://extension.udel.edu/4h/projects-activities-for-members/4-h-animal-science/ This is the only version of a leasing agreement that is accepted for Delaware shows.

National 4-H Dairy Conference Applications Due May 1
The 2014 National 4-H Dairy Conference is September 28- Oct 1, 2014 in Madison, Wisconsin. The conference is for 15 to 18 year-olds who have participated in the 4-H Dairy Program for at least three years, who are currently enrolled in 4-H and have an interest in the dairy industry. The Delaware 4-H Foundation provides funding for two delegates and one chaperone each year.
The conference will be held concurrently with the World Dairy Expo. National 4-H Dairy Conference delegates may not participate in the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest or exhibit cattle at the World Dairy Expo due to time constraints. You may not have previously attended National 4-H Dairy Conference. For more information on National 4-H Dairy Conference please visit http://4h.uwex.edu/events/dairyconf/ The updated application is available on the State 4-H Animal Science webpage at https://s3.amazonaws.com/udextension/4h/files/2012/02/2014-National-4-H-Dairy-Conference-Application.pdf and is due to Susan Garey by May 1.

2014 Delaware State Fair Tagging Dates

May 3, 2014- New Castle County- Cook Farm, Newark 9:00 am-12:00 noon

May 3, 2014- Sussex County- REC Georgetown, 9:00 am- 11:00 am (no steers)

May 10, 2014- Kent County- DSF, 9:00 am-11:00am

May 16, 2014- Kent County- DSF (Jackpot and Kent County Show participants ONLY) 6:00pm-9:00 pm

May 20, 2014- Kent County-DSF, Final Tagging 5:00 pm-8:00 pm

Harness Racing Camp Coming June 21-25, 2014!
The Harness Horse Youth Foundation, Harrington Raceway and University of Delaware Cooperative Extension are pleased to be partnering once again to bring a 5 day- 4 night camp back to Harrington Raceway for 2014. Camp will begin on Saturday morning June 21 and end on Wednesday evening, June 25. That evening Harrington Raceway will feature campers participating in televised races on Harrington’s track with well-known drivers as their racing partners. Campers will reside in the state police barracks on the Delaware State Fairgrounds for the duration of the camp. Camp attendance will be limited in order to provide proper supervision for this intensive and fun learning experience. Registration information will be available later this spring.