Routt County Junior Livestock Sale Rules
Approved February 7, 2023.
1. The Junior Livestock Sale will be held on the second Saturday of the Routt County Fair at the
Routt County Fairgrounds.
2. Declaration sheets for each market animal will be due by fair weigh-in. Private treaty animals
that do not have a buyer by weigh-in can be marked as going HOME or your family can be named as the
buyer while you look for a buyer. Declarations may be changed up to one hour after your market
show. (Exceptions may be considered with your superintendent if you are in multiple market
classes.)
○ What is a Declaration? The Declaration is a document that transfers ownership of the market
animal from the seller to the buyer. A Declaration sheet needs to be completed and signed by the
exhibitor/parent for ALL market animals – even if you just have one animal, or if your animal is
going home and not through the sale.
○ If you have not properly declared your animal(s) or in a timely manner, then you may be
prohibited from selling through the Routt County Junior Livestock Sale.
3. Market (buy-back) prices for the livestock sale will be determined by the Committee and posted
at least 24 hours prior to the sale.
4. All Livestock Sale Commentary Cards must be completed by the Exhibitor and turned into the 4-H
office by Friday at 5 pm.
5. Exhibitor must offer the following warranties of their animal to participate in the sale:
○ Carcass of said animal complies with the United States Department of Agriculture Wholesome Meat
Act and is fit for human consumption;
○ Carcass of said animal contains no trace or residue of any illegal drug or any other substance
not approved for administration to such animal under applicable laws;
○ Carcass of said animal reveals no evidence of any unethical fitting process, as defined in the
4-H Handbook;
○ There exist no unusual circumstances or condition of the carcass of said animal that would
materially diminish the value of the carcass.
6. Exhibitors must bring their own animal into the sale ring. Requests to substitute
another youth to bring the animal into the sale ring must be approved by the 4-H
Extension Agent and species superintendent prior to the sale, otherwise the exhibitor and
animal may be disqualified from current sale and/or future sales.
7. Ring stewards will assist exhibitors with animals in the sale ring.
8. The Committee reserves the right to determine eligibility for sale at any time based on
health, quality, or suitability of all market livestock. If an animal is deemed unruly and/or a
safety hazard to the exhibitor or others by the superintendent or sale Committee, then the animal
may be disqualified from the sale, or prohibited from entering the sale ring.
9. All stock offered for sale must have been continuously owned and cared for by the declared
exhibitor throughout the entire stated dates.
10. All market beef, sheep, swine, and goats must have been designated to show at the Routt County
Fair and ear-tagged appropriately.
11. The Routt County Junior Livestock Sale is a terminal sale for all large animals (INCLUDING
goats), but not small animals. It is the responsibility of the small animal consigner (seller) to
arrange for processing of their animals and deliver the finished product (meat) to their buyer
within 30 days.
12. Any animal that sells in the Routt County Junior Livestock Sale is automatically INELIGIBLE for
the State Fair. The Routt County Extension Office will provide a list of all animals that passed
through the sale, and the animal(s) will not be allowed on the State Fairgrounds.
13. Each exhibitor may sell only one large animal (steer, sheep, goat, or swine) and one small
animal (one pen of market poultry or one pen of market rabbit), unless you win Grand and/or Reserve
then you may get to sell more animals per rule 14.
14. When an animal receives Grand or Reserve Grand Champion it automatically becomes designated for
sale. If an exhibitor receives more than one Grand/Reserve Grand Champion then each animal must
sell.
○ If you place one Grand or one Reserve Champion large animal, you may sell another large animal
of another species for the maximum of one non-Grand or non-Reserve placing. Placing two or more
Grand or Reserve large animals eliminates this option.
○ If you place one Grand or one Reserve Champion small animal, you may sell another small animal
pen of another species for the maximum of one non-Grand or non-Reserve placing. Placing two or more
Grand or Reserve small animals eliminates this option.
○ A youth may consign no more than three consignments unless all are grand and/or reserve
champions.
Examples 1: exhibitor places Grand or Reserve with their swine. They now have the option to also
sell their goat.
Example 2: exhibitor places Grand or Reserve in both a large and small animal species. They now
have the option to sell one additional species of either large or small animal.
Example 3: exhibitor places Grand & Reserve in beef and turkeys. They will now consign all four
animals.
15. Animals below minimum weight are not eligible for sale. The fair weigh-in weight of stock will
be the sale weight. Market (buy-back) prices for the livestock sale will be determined by the
Committee and posted at least 24 hours prior to the sale.
16. Beef brand inspections will be conducted during beef weigh-in at Fair. Please have your brand
papers with you during weigh-in.
17. Once an animal is designated for sale, it may not be substituted or withdrawn. Failure to
appear for the sale after being accepted and included in the sale order will automatically bar an
exhibitor from selling in the Routt County Jr. Livestock Sale for the following year. Extenuating
circumstances will be considered by the Committee on an individual basis.
18. The livestock species judge will rank the final championship drive animals. This will determine
the order of sale within each species.
19. The sale order shall be turkeys first then scholarship animals, beef, chickens, goat, rabbit,
ducks, lamb, geese, swine.
20. All animals will be sold by the head, not by the pound. Bids will be taken at dollars per
head, not cents per pound.
21. DO NOT decorate your animal(s) with paint or glitter for the sale as it effects slaughter.
22. Exhibitor/seller is responsible for care and feeding of all breeding and market livestock until
loaded/released from the Fair.
23. The Committee is not liable for any breaches of contract between seller and buyer.
24. The Committee reserves the right to drug test any animal declared for sale. If an exhibitor’s
animal is
drug tested, then payment will not be issued to the exhibitor until all testing results are
received and
declared negative or non-suspect.
25. Only livestock sold through the Routt County Junior Livestock Sale will be under control of the
Committee after the sale.
26. Due to transfer of ownership of all livestock upon completion of bidding at the Junior
Livestock Sale, not all animals are guaranteed to be in the carcass contest.
27. Each consignment in the sale (ie. 1 large animal or a pen of small animals) will pay a fee of
up to
$115 per consignment. This money will be deducted from the sale check and used to cover
Routt County Junior Livestock Sale expenses.
28. Prior to the release of check to consignor, the consigner will provide the buyer
with a framed professional auction photo or photo plaque and thank you note and will present the
extension office with signed form from buyer confirming delivery. In the event of a buyer
complaint, the consigner will work with the buyer to provide a thank you suitable for display.
*The Committee is the Junior Livestock Sale Committee