What the State 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl and Skillathon Are
The State 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl and the State 4-H Livestock Skillathon are two knowledge contests for Alabama 4-H members who work with livestock. The Skillathon tests hands-on identification and decision skills across beef, sheep, swine and goats. The Quiz Bowl is a head-to-head buzzer competition for county and club teams. Alabama Extension and Auburn University organize the youth livestock calendar, and in 2026 the Skillathon was held January 23 and the Quiz Bowl January 24 in Auburn.
Who Can Enter
- Open to enrolled Alabama 4-H members ages 9 to 18 in good standing.
- Junior division: ages 9 to 13. Senior division: ages 14 to 18. Age is figured as of January 1 of the competition year, and contestants must enter their own division.
- Skillathon: a member is not eligible if he or she has already represented Alabama at a National Skillathon event, including the Louisville contest, or has competed in official postsecondary events of a similar kind.
- Quiz Bowl: each county or chartered club may enter one team per division.
How the Skillathon Works
Teams have up to four members, and only the top three individual overall scores count toward the team score. A county with more than four contestants in a division may field more than one team. A county with fewer than three contestants may combine with another county to form a team of three or four. In a four-person team the lowest scorer is the alternate: that score is left out of the team total but still counts for individual awards.
The individual round is ten classes of 15 minutes each, and contestants stay with an assigned group. Junior classes include retail meat cut identification, livestock feed identification, breed identification, equipment identification, meat judging, hay judging, wool judging and a livestock quiz. Seniors take the same kinds of classes with heavier weighting on meat cut, feed and breed identification, plus a quality assurance class. Seniors also complete team activities in 20 minutes: animal breeding and selection, livestock marketing and management, and a quality assurance exercise.
Bring a notepad, clipboard, blank paper and a pencil. Hats, books, notes, reference materials and cell phones are not allowed in the contest area, and breaking the reference-material or phone rule means disqualification. Calculators are not allowed; one is provided if needed.
How the Quiz Bowl Works
A team is four contestants in the same division. A written quiz seeds the teams into brackets, and Junior and Senior matches run at the same time in a double-elimination format. A county with more than four members in a division uses its four highest quiz scores for the team; the others become alternates and are paired with other alternates.
| Phase | Questions | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| One: one-on-one | 8 questions, 2 per pair of designated contestants | 10 points for a correct answer; -5 for buzzing in and not answering |
| Two: team questions | 8 questions, 4 per team | 10 points; no penalty for a miss; only the captain answers |
| Three: buzz-in | Up to 16 questions | 15 points; -10 for a wrong answer; every third question is a toss-up with a 15-point bonus |
Tied matches go to three extra toss-ups and then sudden death. Dress is clean and neat with no hats indoors, and no electronic devices are allowed in the contest room. Each coach gets one 30-second timeout in Phase Three.
Awards and What You Get
The high-placing Senior Skillathon team is invited to represent Alabama at the National Skillathon Contest in Louisville, Kentucky, in November. That national team has four members, and if the winning county has only three Seniors it adds a fourth from another county who competed at the state contest. Individual awards are also given in the Skillathon.
Key Dates and Registration
- State Skillathon: January 23, 2026, Auburn.
- State Quiz Bowl: January 24, 2026, Auburn.
- Register through 4HOnline. Registration deadlines come from your county 4-H agent.
Questions
Can I compete in both?
The rules do not bar a member from entering both contests, which were held on separate days.
What if my county has only two Seniors?
Counties with fewer than three contestants in a division may combine with other counties for a Skillathon team.
Can coaches bring study material to the Quiz Bowl?
Coaches may bring reference materials and use them for up to 2 minutes to support a protest. Contestants may not use prepared aids.
Who do I ask?
Contact your county Extension office or 4-H agent; offices are listed in the directory at www.aces.edu/directory.
Official Links
- Livestock Skillathon rules
- Livestock Quiz Bowl rules
- Auburn and Alabama Extension youth livestock events for 2026
- Alabama 4-H state events calendar
Alabama Cooperative Extension System: The Essentials
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System carries out the land-grant mission of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University, in cooperation with Tuskegee University, and lists 67 county offices, per its A Ready Partner flyer.
What it covers
Program areas include agriculture, forestry, wildlife and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, community development, 4-H and urban affairs. The state office is at Duncan Hall, Auburn University, phone (334) 844-4444.
Soil tests and 4-H
Soil sample boxes come from your county office or a garden center, per Auburn's sampling guide. Alabama 4-H is open to ages 9 to 18, with Cloverbuds at 5 to 8, per the eligibility page.
Next steps
Call your county office before you visit, and ask which agent covers your question. The Master Gardener Helpline is 1-877-252-4769.
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest
Held each year in Auburn for Alabama 4-H livestock judging teams; the most recent date was June 16, 2026.
- State 4-H Avian Bowl Contest
Held each year in Auburn for Alabama 4-H poultry project members; the most recent date was July 24, 2026.
- National Peanut Festival
Held each year in Dothan and tracked on the Alabama Farmers Federation calendar; the most recent dates were November 6 to 15, 2026.
- Alabama Farmers Federation Annual Meeting
Annual meeting of the Alabama Farmers Federation, held in Montgomery on the organization's events calendar for December 6-7, 2026.
- Gulf States Horticulture Expo
Horticulture trade expo in Mobile for Gulf Coast growers, shown on the Alabama Farmers Federation events calendar for January 6-8, 2027.
Mobile, AL | Organizer: Alabama Farmers Federation Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.