Starting kids in 4H

[ValleyView]

My wife and I recently enrolled our kids (1st grade and Kindergarten), almost Irish twins in 4H. We have a small cow calf operation, but don't own any other animals currently. My goal is to eventually raise a calf or two of high enough quality to show and we'll get there eventually.

In your experience(s), what is a good animal to show at those ages? Neither my wife nor I showed growing up. I'm sure we'll learn at the first meeting, but thought you all my have some advice on what to do or what not to do!

Thanks!

 

[Son of Butch]

1st graders - bunny rabbits
Lion taming, Clydesdale horses and brewing specialty beers should all wait until their teen years.

 

[sstterry]

My wife and I recently enrolled our kids (1st grade and Kindergarten), almost Irish twins in 4H. We have a small cow calf operation, but don't own any other animals currently. My goal is to eventually raise a calf or two of high enough quality to show and we'll get there eventually.

In your experience(s), what is a good animal to show at those ages? Neither my wife nor I showed growing up. I'm sure we'll learn at the first meeting, but thought you all my have some advice on what to do or what not to do!

Thanks!

They are starting early now. We could not join 4-H until 4th grade (State winner here). Lambs are a good start for about 4th grade and then graduate up to steers in Jr. high.

 

[ValleyView]

Yeah I'm not sure if all schools in OK start that early or if it's unique to theirs.

Lambs would be great bc then I could justify buying something that would eat Sericea Lespedeza instead of strictly spraying it!

We're excited to get them involved and keep them away from all the Da@& electronics and what not.

 

[Bigfoot]

Ours showed goats at that age. I hate goats, and hope I never own another. i will say it was a great project for that age. they can handle everything about the animal by then. They can carry enough water or feed to be sufficient.

 

[TCRanch]

The younger kids around here show goats and even dogs. Neighbor girl showed her 3 legged dog & came in 2nd.

 

[DLD]

In OK they will be able to show anything at OYE in March at age 8. I think Tulsa State Fair has gone to 8 also, but it could still be 9. I believe you can show breeding gilts at those shows at an earlier age, but I'm not sure what that is - I'm pretty 6 anyway, maybe younger. There is also a miniature Hereford class available at both OYE and Tulsa and probably the State Fair too, that allows much younger kids - again I'm not sure exactly how young, I'm thinking maybe 4. In these classes it's encouraged for the youngest exhibitors to be accompanied by a parent or an older sibling in the ring. It's probably a good place to start if you want to start with cattle. Kids are all different, as are animals - you have to try to be objective about what your child is ready for. Our kids all started at 5-6 years old with cattle, just younger, smaller ones, and we got along well with that. But, if I had it to do over we'd probably have shown some goats or sheep to start out with.

 

[ValleyView]

Ours showed goats at that age. I hate goats, and hope I never own another. i will say it was a great project for that age. they can handle everything about the animal by then. They can carry enough water or feed to be sufficient.

Haha, thanks for the info! I've been around a few of them and helped work some but can't say I like them or hate them. But as it goes, all things are subject to change! I'll reserve the right to change my mind at a later date!

 

[ValleyView]

In OK they will be able to show anything at OYE in March at age 8. I think Tulsa State Fair has gone to 8 also, but it could still be 9. I believe you can show breeding gilts at those shows at an earlier age, but I'm not sure what that is - I'm pretty 6 anyway, maybe younger. There is also a miniature Hereford class available at both OYE and Tulsa and probably the State Fair too, that allows much younger kids - again I'm not sure exactly how young, I'm thinking maybe 4. In these classes it's encouraged for the youngest exhibitors to be accompanied by a parent or an older sibling in the ring. It's probably a good place to start if you want to start with cattle. Kids are all different, as are animals - you have to try to be objective about what your child is ready for. Our kids all started at 5-6 years old with cattle, just younger, smaller ones, and we got along well with that. But, if I had it to do over we'd probably have shown some goats or sheep to start out with.

Very good info, I'm thinking it may best to wait for them to show cattle for the time being and start with something else.

 

[ValleyView]

The younger kids around here show goats and even dogs. Neighbor girl showed her 3 legged dog & came in 2nd.

Haha, nice! I'll keep my dad jokes to myself on that one!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

When we lived in Kansas (many years ago), my 7 year old daughter started with a hog project.
Sheep, goats, hogs, dogs, chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits. Lots of great animal projects for little ones.
Funny, now that I think about it, no one shows cats???? I have been involved with 4-H juniors for ?? almost 50 years and I can't remember any cats/kittens at a fair. That's strange.
Anyway, you have the right idea. Keeping kids involved in something that HAVE to take care of and work with is great. Teaches them responsibility and work ethics.
But, YOU have to learn HANDS OFF. Too many parents make it "their project" instead of the kids. I've been an advisor for many, many years. Kids don't learn if the parent does the work.

 

[sstterry]

Funny, now that I think about it, no one shows cats???? I have been involved with 4-H juniors for ?? almost 50 years and I can't remember any cats/kittens at a fair. That's strange.

Have you ever tried to put a halter on a cat???
But you are 100% correct on the parents hands-off (supervise for safety only). It teaches responsibility and pride in their work!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

LOL - my in-laws traveled in a camper and had a cat that they would put on a lead. It worked.
I started our "Fall Festival" 28 years ago. I was ADAMANT that parents did not do the work. I posted signs "Parents - Hands OFF - you could get your child disqualified". I "retired" about 3 years ago. Now, new advisors don't think there is anything wrong with the parents doing the work. That's because he grew up doing all his brother's & sister's fitting - and still does it - at 4-H shows.

 

[DLD]

I think the kids need to do all they can, and always strive to learn and be able to do more next time, but at the same time I don't have a problem with parents, older siblings, etc... helping. They learn by watching and doing - I pull one back leg, the kid pulls the other and tries to get it to match mine. In time, if the kid has the want to, I'm the one that has to work to make my side match theirs. And if a kid has multiple animals, they may need a parent to bring that next one to the ring or get their steer up while they're showing their heifer. For us it's always been a family activity, from breeding/selection all the way through.

Besides all that, every show we go to here is covered up with jocks and fitters, and in many cases the kids don't do much besides show. We're not going to do it that way, but when we have to compete with it, if Dad or big brother is the best fitter we got, they're definitely going to be in on the fine tuning. If you want to discourage a kid, let them look a couple aisles over at a row of chutes, lit up like an operating room, with 2-4 professionals working on every calf, then say "You're on your own son - good luck". I can't do that to my kids, or the ones I sell calves to either.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

But, if NO ONE is allowed to hire fitters, than it is an even competition. That is the way the youth shows SHOULD be. I agree, they are not. Shame on all us parents that let it get to this.

 

[DLD]

True, but nowadays, at least in this part of the country, it's way beyond control. Even if you don't allow fitters at a show, you can't keep them from maxing them out before they get there so the exhibitors don't have to do any actual clipping. It would at least make the kids do everything else, and gets the hired guns out of sight, I guess.

 

[darcelina4]

I'm in Oklahoma. My daughter started in 4h then ffa. She has had grand champion rabbit 3 straight years. She now shows cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. Last Friday she won the calf scramble at the Tulsa state fair. She is buying a heifer with the certificate. Your kids could start but showing goats or dexter cattle or a bucket calf. The goat and a dairy bucket calf is the cheapest way to go. But in 4h they can do speech contest, talent show, demonstrations, and community service. My daughter does these character building projects. I do want to say that we started with cattle in 2016. She mostly competed with calves we raised as bottle calves before this year. We dont expect to win so anytime we do we are thrilled. She clips and fits her own cows. This year she has been teaching upcoming kids how to fit their calf and ring showmanship. I'm pretty proud of her.

 

[VCC]

Around here they have to be 9 on January 1st in order to show large animals, goats - cattle, they can show small animals, chickens and rabbits prior to that. Goats or hogs are good for their first year of large animals, they can handle the goats and any kid can follow their hog around the ring (they just need to remember which one is theirs).

 

[OwnedByTheCow]

In New Hampshire the kids start at 8 years old. I've got an 8...just turned 9 year old right now in my club. She's a tiny thing but we found her a little bottle Jersey calf and it was just perfect for her. She never won a darn thing, the calf was always too small. But the calf follows her around like a puppy and she couldn't care about ribbons. Never underestimate the tenacity of some children. Goats and sheep are a great start too. I've never been a fan of showing rabbits and chickens myself.

As mentioned there is so much more to do than just livestock showing. You sometimes just have to look for it. Our state has cooking competitions, wild game cooking competition (they give us our choice of meat and judge us on how well its prepared and how clean of a job we did cooking it), cake decorating, floral design, sewing and "fashion review", I've made many dresses this way, many leadership camps and clubs. Along with those, the older your kids get they can compete to attend many national trips. Just this year many of my 4-Hers have been across the country for free. Our state pays for everything. There's a shooting sports club, and so much more.

It's my favorite youth organization and you can really get a lot out of it. Good luck.

 

[Lucky_P]

OBTC,
I was surprised to see that NH has a 4H working steer/oxen program, with a pretty nice handbook online... been wanting to train a pair for decades and finally have time; ran across the NH 4H deal recently...have seen a few 4H kids with started/trained pairs of working steers for sale on oxen-related FB pages