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Youth For The Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) logo in front of a black and white image of a young girl feeding a small animal with a bottle

Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) in South Dakota 4-H resources

About YQCA – the national program
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national multi-species quality assurance program for youth ages 8 to 21 with a focus on three core pillars: food safety, animal well-being, and character development. The YQCA program is an annual certification created for youth producing and/or showing beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, meat goats, dairy goats, swine, poultry, and rabbits. The program has been designed by extension specialists and national livestock program managers to ensure it is accurate, current and relevant to the needs of the animal industry and shows, and is appropriate for youth learning levels.

A combine harvesting soybeans at sunset.

Trade Impacts on Soybeans

Agricultural trade agreements were first established in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), legal treaty signed initially by 23 nations in 1947. The purpose was to promote international trade by reducing barriers such as tariffs.

A group of red chickens feeding.

Tips for Feeding Poultry Wisely

During the March 1st Animal Care Wednesday Webinar, we learned the basics of feeding poultry. Brett Kreifels, Extension Assistant-4-H with University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained the nutritional requirements and basic feeding tips to help ensure the health and well-being of chickens.

Group of men playing a board game outside.

The Emotional Challenges of Relocating

Our home is the physical embodiment of our memories. Unfortunately, our home is not always the best place for us to remain as we reach advanced age.

A small group of children at daycare.

Choosing the Right Child Care

Finding a place/provider that will help be a “second parent” and have a major impact on raising your child can be frustrating and challenging at times. I want to give you a few steps to use when starting the search and offer resources to help find quality childcare for your child.

A small group of calves in a snowy pasture.

Determining the Best Method of Castration for Beef Calves

Spring is an important time for making the best management decisions for the health and well-being of your calves, with an extremely important one being the castration of the bull calves.

Freshly cut hay in a field.

Determining Hay Prices

Before pricing forages, producers will want to have a good understanding about the cost of growing a ton of hay, alfalfa or straw.

pair of hands reviewing a budget sheet with a calculator and pen

Budgeting With an Irregular Income

If you are a business owner, farmer, rancher, earn based on sales commissions, or are seasonally employed, you may not have consistent income from month to month.

A father reading a book with his young daughter.

Make Reading Aloud Fun And Routine

Reading aloud is one of the most important things parents and teachers can do with children.

Black angus cow with calf in a well-kept cattle pen.

Clean Calving Environment: Pasture and Barn

Setting newborn calves up for success starts with a clean calving environment whether that be a clean pasture or fresh bedding in the barn. A clean environment prevents illness in newborn calves.