Discourse

             To begin analyzing the discourse of the sheep project community, I will first discuss some knowledge that is important to the health of the sheep. It is quite important as a sheep owner and shower to know what can be fed to sheep. Sheep need grain and roughage, such as hay or grass to keep their digestive tract evenly flowing. However, no sheep feed should ever contain copper in the ingredients as Amne Brawner suggested in her interview response to what members would need to know to become a part of the community . Sheep are highly allergic to copper and will die quickly if digesting it. Another thing that is important when feeding sheep is to know that they can get Overeaters Disease also called Enterotoxemia, which can also result in a sheep’s death. Sheep can get this disease if they consume too much food at one time. Their bodies cannot handle large amounts. Sheep must also have access or be watered every day. Amne Brawner also says it is important that members know to exercise their lambs “several times a week if not daily.” Throughout my experience in 4-H, I learned from a sheep owner that exercising the lamb is one of the most important responsibilities as a showman because judges want muscular and meaty lambs in a market class, which is the part of the sheep show where the judge observes all the sheep to pick the best lamb that would satisfy the current qualities from the sheep market and butchers.

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                Now, I will describe the language, body language, and terminology that are used specifically in the sheep project. First, showman need to know the common market terms of a lamb such as the location of the loin, breast, rack, shoulder, and leg. Each of these terms identify where the most common parts of meat are. With the market terms, Judy Smith, the 4-H sheep barn leader, says members also need to learn what the current market price is per pound of meat on the sheep and what the requested weight requirement is for a lamb to even be accepted into the market. Second, it is important for a member to know how to show sheep. There is a certain technique that is used when showing a lamb called bracing the lamb. To brace a lamb, the showman must place their right hand under the muzzle of the lamb. The muzzle is the nose of a lamb. The left hand is then placed on the top of the lamb’s head, which is called the poll. Slightly applying pressure, the showman should place their index finger behind one ear and their thumb behind the other. This implies to the lamb that the showman has complete control of them. After gaining control of the lamb, the showman then presses the inside of his or her right thigh into the breast, or chest, of the lamb. The pressure will make the lamb push back into the showman forming the brace.

                When looking at the community, it is noticeable as to what members are new to the project. In an interview a current 4-H member, Kamille Brawner, replies, “You can always tell who is new because they may have their parents or have help doing it a lot more than others….New showers look lost, they don’t know what to do on show day, and some are just so excited to be showing.” New members frequently ask a lot of questions because they are unsure of what to do, where to do things, and how to show their lambs.

                Judy Smith adds to how a person could recognize a new member from an experienced one. She says, “First of all they are younger around 8 or 9 and very shy around adults.  They will have a harder time holding on to the sheep just because of their size.” New members can be both younger kids starting from third grade or older kids who decided at a later age that they wanted to join 4-H and the sheep project. Therefore, for Judy Smith, the age and size of a member makes a person’s membership quite obvious.

                 On the other hand, experienced members tend to “have their animals groomed slightly if not very well before they come to the fair. They also tend to feed (sheep) individually where most new members feed everyone (all their lambs) together.” Amne Brawner said this is one of the ways that a person can distinguish a new member or outsider from the more experienced members in the sheep project.

                Referring back to bracing a lamb, Zach Canada emphasizes that how a showman handles a lamb is one way to distinguish members of the community from new members. He says, “The more experienced you are, the better you can handle the lamb, and have it brace correctly.”

                When asked if the community is friendly or competitive, all three 4-H members agreed that sheep members are both friendly and willing to help new members and competitive in wanting to win the show. Each member would enjoy taking home the Grand Champion ribbon, which is the top winning place, so all members individually prep their sheep for the show.