5. Animal Project Care and Maintenance
a) All Gainesville FFA students will be individually responsible for the care, security and cleanliness of their animal, stalls, equipment, and supplies.
b) Students are expected to make trips to the barn to feed, water, exercise, clean, and maintain their own animals TWICE DAILY.
c) Any student unable to feed or care for their project due to absence must make arrangements with an alternative person to maintain their project while absent. This person should be an immediate family member of the student. If an immediate family member is not available, the student should make contact with the FFA Advisor(s) for assistance.
d) Failure to care for your animal on a DAILY basis, at the discretion of the Gainesville FFA Advisor(s) and GISD Administration, will be in violation of the rules.
e) Any student and/or family member using illegal drugs or practices on animals will be removed immediately from the Gainesville ISD AFNR Center.
f) No animal projects should be left unattended in the aisles. There is to be no animal that should be tied short and left unattended for any amount of time. If you do this, you must be on the premises during the time that the animal is tied-no exceptions.
g) Secure your animal properly. Make sure that you are using a knot that is easy to get untied in case of an emergency. If you do not know how to do this, please ask an FFA Advisor to show you.
h) Bathe animal projects only at the wash racks. After using the wash rack:
i. Clean up all manure left behind by your animal
ii. Remove all shampoo bottles, towels, rags, and brushes.
iii. Roll the hose back up & turn the water OFF.
i) Cattle, sheep, and goats must all be haltered/collared at all times, except while in stalls or runs.
j) Do not feed, water, put items in other project pens, or move another students’ animal project without their permission or direction from an FFA Advisor.
k) Anyone caught stealing is subject to immediate eviction and possible criminal charges. *This includes feeding your animal feed or hay that you did not purchase, or used without permission. It is your responsibility to purchase your own feed and hay-not anyone else's. "Borrowing" does not produce responsibility.
l) Any student/family member tampering with another students’ animal project and/or personal property and/or tack and supplies will lose barn privileges immediately for the remainder of the year. This can continue the following year if the incident is severe.
m) Each student is responsible for worming under the supervision of a Gainesville FFA Advisor.
n) Ethical treatment and feeding of animals is required at all times.
o) No animal shall be abused in any way. Report abuse to a Gainesville FFA Advisor or GHS Administrator immediately. Please obtain a photo of the abuse if possible.
p) Abusive treatment may include physical damage, neglect, abusive training, malicious actions, malnutrition, or an unclean environment. Violations of this rule will not be tolerated and the student and their animal are subject to permanent removal from the Gainesville ISD AFNR Center.
q) Extended Stays - Only registered Breeding animals which are eligible to be shown in a junior livestock show during the current school year are eligible to be kept at the Gainesville ISD AFNR Center for extended periods. All other animals will only be housed at the Gainesville ISD AFNR Center during the current show season. In the case of graduating seniors, the student's project must be removed from the property on or before the last day of school. If a student's project has an unweaned offspring(s), this does not make the project eligible to stay onsite. Communicate your plans with your FFA advisors.
r) End of show season – animals should be removed from the facility immediately following the final show of the season. Market animals must be purchased for market and will not be allowed to stay in the facility after the market show. Students will be provided with a deadline for pens to be cleaned and personal items to be removed. Failure to meet this deadline may result in a hold on market animal check distribution or diploma pickup. Show seasons are as follows:
a. Summer/Fall Season- April to October
b. Winter/Spring Season- July to March
s) Student project management will be monitored daily by the ag teacher and when an issue arises the student will receive a message on the whiteboard in the barn and also using a remind system.
t) Students are expected to maintain a consistent disinfectant program for animals regarding fungus-based infections. In the event that a student carries an animal to an event off the premises, complete disinfection protocol should be followed before re-entry to the facility. If an animal becomes significantly infected, the student may be asked by advisors to quarantine or remove the animal from the project center.