Interested in learning more about livestock? Join us for the Madison County 4-H Dairy Heifer Project to learn more about dairy calves. This project will allow youth to get hands on experience with gentle calves while learning about their life cycle, animal care, the dairy industry, and preparing for a show.

Until dates are confirmed, we will keep a registration interest list, in the order sign-ups are received, with priority registration going to current/active 4-H members. Any youth ages 10-18 can apply, regardless of 4-H membership. All participants will be required to enroll as 4-H members in 4-H Online. There are only ten spots available, so please sign up ASAP.

An interest/introduction meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 9th at 4:00 p.m. at the Extension Center for those signed up and for those on the waitlist.

This project is sponsored a local Madison County farmer, Matthew Cody with Lyndel Farms. Each calf is approximately 4-5 months old and will be halter broken by the end of this project. The calves will be housed behind the animal shelter in Marshall, so no barn, pasture, or facilities at home will be required. We will visit the calves to practice three times a week. A care schedule will be made for each youth to take a turn caring for the calves on non-practice days (in the evenings after school, as well as on the weekends). Each calf will be assigned two youth to work with it, so encourage a friend to sign up with you!

Projected Practice Schedule Dates & Times:

• Three practice days per week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
• Practice Dates: Begin August 18th, 2025 and end on October 1st.
• Show Date: Thursday, October 2nd
• Practice and show dates are subject to change, depending on multiple county construction and hurricane debris removal projects. We will make every effort to maintain a 6-7 week program in the Fall of 2025. If our start date is delayed, we will shift the practice and show dates accordingly.

Registration:

• The registration fee is $50, which covers your t-shirt and helps with some costs of keeping the heifers. Anyone who cannot afford to pay is encouraged to contact misty_varnell@ncsu.edu for a 4-H Scholarship!
• The registration fee will be due at or shortly after the July 9th interest meeting. It will be nonrefundable, unless a major date change to the program prohibits you from being able to participate. We will communicate program updates as we have them regarding the start date and any potential modifications to the schedule. We will do our best to work with everyone who is interested in this program, especially if we have to delay our program start date and show date.

The goal of this project is for each child to participate in showmanship with their calf at the final show. Attendance on this date is mandatory. Participants and parents/guardians are also required to attend the first practice August 18th (or as scheduled). Youth are expected to attend practices in appropriate clothing such as work jeans and boots/tennis shoes. There will be muddy days along with the sunny and hot days, so please plan accordingly. This is NOT an easy project, but it is incredibly rewarding to watch a youth lead their calf through the show ring all by themselves after just six short weeks. Our goal is to create a confident young person who can do all these things themselves.

If you do not have annual 4-H enrollment forms on file at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Madison County Center, you will also be asked to complete those online for insurance purposes. For more information and to sign up please call Peyton Duckett at 828-649-2411 or email at peyton_duckett@ncsu.edu.

If you’re interested in signing up, click the link here to get on our program interest list → Sign Up Here!