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How to Trim Sheep and Goat Hooves

Guide on how to trim sheet and goat hooves

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 pile of sheep fleeces ready for sorting.

Considerations for Increasing Wool Value

The wool market continually rewards those who emphasize high-quality production. Efforts to increase wool clip value can be made through regular management practices and proper wool clip preparation at shearing.

small group of sheep standing in a pasture

Managing Sheep Body Condition Score Throughout the Year

This fact sheet and barn reference are for sheep producers to implement body condition scoring in their management practices.

A mother sheep cleaning its newborn lamb in a pen.

Colostrum for Lambs

Fact sheet about the importance of colostrum for lambs

small group of sheep standing in a pasture

South Dakota Sheep and Goat Needs Assessment

A summary of South Dakota responses to guide on-going Extension efforts for South Dakota sheep and goat producers.

Fleece of sheep wool with visible plant matter throughout.

Wool Evaluation 101

Guide to evaluating wool.

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Climate and Weather

View resources to predict, prepare and recover from weather-related events year-round, including the latest drought and flood information.

harvester chopping corn silage, depositing silage into green wagon.

Silage: Minimizing Losses and Maximizing Value

Optimizing silage value starts by harvesting at the right moisture content.

Infographic with steps that say 4 hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer, and 24 hours in a half-full freezer.

Power Outages and Your Cold Foods

South Dakota is no stranger to power outages and power surges from weather events. Learn some key actions to take before, during and after power outages to keep your cold foods safe.