Livestock & Animal Science Program

Interested in learning more about raising a project animal? This program will help you with the basics needed for raising meat birds, turkeys, beef, pigs, sheep, rabbits and goats for market at Broome County Fair 4-H auction or to fill your own family freezer. You are also welcome to participate and learn more about animal science even if you are not raising a project animal.

The livestock market program runs from January-July (ending with our livestock auction at the Broome County Fair). Each month we will hold meetings to learn about different aspect of choosing, raising and processing a livestock animal.

NEW THIS YEAR:
-Youth need to commit to the livestock program by 1/31/26
-MUST ATTEND 2 club meetings to participate in the auction. Below is a list of club meetings and important deadlines for the year. 

• January 8th - Kick Off Meeting
• January 22nd - Livestock Nutrition with a Keystone Mills Expert 
• Feb25th - Raising Poultry
• Feb 4th, 11th, 18th, 25, and Mar 4th- Livestock Summit Workshops. register HERE
• March-TBD
• March 1st – Market Animal Project Paperwork Due for beef, dairy feeder and dairy steer
• April 17th – Livestock Skill-a-thon
• April -TBD
• May 2nd- Farm Bureau Auction, our yearly fundraiser-please plan on signing up for a shift HERE
• May 8th – Market Animal Project Paperwork Due for swine, sheep, rabbit and goat
• May - TBD
• June 1st- Horse Project Paperwork Due and Leased Animal Project Paperwork Due
• June -TBD
• June 30th - All Paperwork and Entries Due
• August 1st- Livestock Market Auction at the Broome County Fair

The 4-H office has ordered turkey and meat chickens for youth who are interested in doing a turkey or meat chicken animal project. Families are responsible for paying for them. To reserve turkeys or meat chickens, reserve them HERE
Turkeys are expected to arrive the week of March 17th
Meat Chickens are expected to arrive the week of May 26th

The livestock auction will be held on Saturday, August 1 at 4pm in the Livestock Pavilion on the Broome County Fair Grounds. Youth who participated in a market animal project will be auctioning off their hard work. This is a great opportunity to purchase, fresh, local meat while supporting our youth as they develop entrepreneurship skills. To learn more about the auction and how you can support our youth visit out auction page!

All youth that are selling animals in this years livestock sale MUST complete Market Animal Project Certificate.

March 1st, 2026 for beef, dairy feeder and dairy steer
May 8th, 2026 for swine, sheep, rabbit and goat

Market Animal Project Digital Form

Market Animal Project Paper Form

Last updated January 9, 2026