Swine validation deadlines near

By Sam Waller

Stock show season is drawing close with 4-H and FFA members in Shackelford County getting their animals ready.

Albany FFA advisor Chris Beard said entries for all county and major shows are due Nov. 12. All money is due at the time of entry.

Validation deadlines for swine, chicken and rabbit projects are also looming.

“We’ve already validated all the cattle, sheep, and goats,” Beard said. “And we’ve got all our pig tags in.”

Moran FFA will validate swine projects at 4:00 p.m. Nov. 17, while validation for Albany will be spread out over three days. Beard said Albany’s schedule will be 1:00 p.m. on Nov. 21, 4:00 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 1:00 p.m. on Nov. 23, the day Albany ISD lets out for Thanksgiving.

Chicks will be delivered to the ag building on Dec. 3.

“We’re getting chicks from Texas A&M, and they’ll all be wing-banded,” he said.

Rabbits will arrive Dec. 12-14.

“All rabbits will need to be validated and tattooed in their ear,” Beard said.

Quality Counts

All FFA members should be working on their Quality Counts program, Beard said.

“That needs to be done by Nov. 12 so I can start entering kids,” Beard said. “They can’t enter any majors without finishing Quality Counts.”

Students needing assistance with the program can contact Beard, Moran FFA advisor Minnie Denson, or Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell.