AGES: 8+

GROUP B: Wednesdays & Saturdays

WEDNESDAYS: Summer Hours: 5:00 - 6:00PM / Winter Hours: 4:30:00 - 5:30PM

SATURDAYS: Summer Hours: 9:00 - 11:00 AM / Winter Hours 10:00 - 12:00AM

*Certain days/special activities will require longer meetings time, for example sheep sheering days and shows. This will be communicated in advance.

Regular Activities: Raise and care for goats and sheep in TUF’s year long livestock club. Participants will work collaboratively to learn hands-on about feeding, nutrition, record keeping, general animal care, breeding, maintaining shelters and more. Participants will learn the ins and outs of raising animal for multiple production purposes.

Groups will meet twice a week. This is when the majority of the husbandry is done by the participants- including cleaning pens and water tanks, checking hay and feeding grain and minerals, handling the sheep and goats, and exercising the sheep and goats. In addition, each week participants spend time learning about all aspects of nutrition, disease management, general animal care, breeding, costs, body conformation, meat production as well as showmanship and showing animals. On an as-needed basis, participants give vaccinations, shear sheep, trim hooves, bathe and groom the animals, band tails, perform weight checks, insert ear tags, perform parasite checks, and take care of any other animal needs. As restrictions allow, participants may interact with the visitors and volunteers who come to the farm on Saturdays for self-guided tours, farm events, birthday parties, etc.

Annual Events: Club members have the opportunity to participate in three events throughout the year, The National Western Stock Show in January, the Estes Wool Fest in June and the Adams County Fair in July. Each event has a different focus and gives participants opportunities to practice and demonstrate specific skills they learned at TUF. The National Western Stock Show focuses on breeding high-quality animals, the Estes Wool Fest focuses on wool production and the Adams County Fair focuses on meat production, showmanship and record keeping. Each event also provides the animals an opportunity to be shown by the participants and to compete against one another and other animals. During each event sheep and goat participants develop their public speaking skills as they interact with judges and be tested on their animal husbandry knowledge. A 4-H membership is required for Adams County Fair Participation, this is completed externally of TUF.

NOTE: Participants are only permitted to enroll in a Market Project (i.e. husbandry for meat production) after 1 year of Livestock Club participation. This is required so that the youth can observe and understand the process start-to-finish first. Market projects include purchasing, owning, and boarding an animal at TUF, along with additional farm chores without staff supervision but with parental supervision. Additional cost are associated with market projects (i.e. purchase of animal, additional feed, etc). First year participants are permitted to participate in other projects and showing animals for other purposes.

TUF FAMILY MEMBERSHIP:

Family Membership is required for your youth to participate in TUF's Livestock clubs as there will be events and activities that you will be encouraged to attend and participate in. In addition, some participants will be required to complete or volunteer for additional responsibilities at TUF. These supplementary activities will likely require parental supervision. ($100/year) Register for you TUF Family Membership Here
A Family Membership Form & Waiver is required and should include anyone included in the Family Membership, even if they are not be registering for a Livestock Club. (Completed Once annually at registration) Complete TUF Family Registration Form & Waiver

** You will have to register 1 child at a time**