Starting kids in 4H

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Maine also has a big oxen following.

 

[Lucky_P]

Most of the oxen activity I see online is in the Northeast...particularly VT, NH, ME.
I'd not realized that there was a 4-H Oxen program until I ran across the NH 4-H Oxen handbook while doing some searching recently.

Midwest Ox Drovers Assn./Tillers International are headquartered in MI, IIRC.

 

[Porkchopfat]

We had great luck starting with chickens. I called them broilers little velociraptors. Sure was a good laugh watching the kids trying to get the feed in those "rain gutter" feed troughs with the chickens underfoot. They then chose their projects from year 2 and forward.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Youth shows should all be showmanship classes. My best friend and I have had this conversation several times; Do we pull the best calf out of the feedlot and teach the kids that you "shouldn't buy a win" or do we take his donor cow breed her cluby, and get some ET club calves and teach the kids that " that ribbon or county fair trophy is all that counts" ?
My kids may never win a steer show, but they are going to learn that hard work pays off. And in a showmanship class they will be a force to contend with.

A lot of 4H kids with a cattle background start by showing bottle calves. That's what we did. It's broken up by age groups so all the younger kids just starting out show together.

Good Luck.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I am a STRONG supporter of Showmanship. Best class ever. It's the kids work, not the Dad's checkbook.
At one of our Junior shows, they put grooming chutes in the ring along the outside. Each age group gets 20 minutes to "fit" their own animal, then take it out of the chute and are judged on showmanship & fitting. Love it.
Another way we do it, is give the judge 10 cards (sometimes he needs more). As he judges the different age groups, he can give out 1, 2 or 3 cards to his pick as being the "best" in class (he places classes like normal, but picks out the TOP kids). The top 10 kids that get a card, have a grooming chute brought into the ring and they fit their own animal. Then, the judge places the 10 kids based on their showmanship & fitting.

 

[OwnedByTheCow]

Most of the oxen activity I see online is in the Northeast...particularly VT, NH, ME.
I'd not realized that there was a 4-H Oxen program until I ran across the NH 4-H Oxen handbook while doing some searching recently.

Midwest Ox Drovers Assn./Tillers International are headquartered in MI, IIRC.

4-H does not recognize it as a program only an interest. If more states did it hopefully they will move it to a project.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

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!

1st grade's the best time to get them started showing big wild heifers. Then when they're about 4th or 5th grade they'll know how to break them, and also be tougher than nails. That would be also a good time to start training them for their bull riding career. :cowboy:




:lol: :hide:

 

[Chevy]

Domain cats scare me. I love big tigers, lions, and cougars.

 

[Dave]

4H is not necessarily about showing. I went through 4H and FFA. Never showed a single animal I raised or owned. It is about projects and keeping records. In my senior year the FFA advisor complained that my friend (chapter Pres) and I (VP) never showed anything. He had 10 acres of cucumbers he raised and had contracted to a pickle factory. I had about 40 head of commercial cattle. I direct marketed 20 steers that year. The advisor complained enough that we each borrowed a rabbit and entered the county fair. We were the only 2 FFA rabbits. We asked some 10 year old 4H girl how to show a rabbit He won grand champion FFA rabbit, I was reserve champion. After the fair we returned our rabbits and went back to real farm activities.

 

[1982vett]

I think they fixed that borrowing thing. Now everyone gets their rabbits, turkeys, and broilers at the same time from the same source. Back in the day I won reserve champion turkey the first year our show had turkeys. Blind luck...the next 3 years I had 3 grand champions and 2 reserve champions after we learned how to pick....yeah it was a bit unfair. I had 5,000 to pick from. Although I still had competition. I had cousins picking from an Uncles brood of 10,000. That's why I missed that 4th Reserve Champion.

 

[rlrobinhood]

Youth shows should all be showmanship classes. My best friend and I have had this conversation several times; Do we pull the best calf out of the feedlot and teach the kids that you "shouldn't buy a win" or do we take his donor cow breed her cluby, and get some ET club calves and teach the kids that " that ribbon or county fair trophy is all that counts" ?
My kids may never win a steer show, but they are going to learn that hard work pays off. And in a showmanship class they will be a force to contend with.

A lot of 4H kids with a cattle background start by showing bottle calves. That's what we did. It's broken up by age groups so all the younger kids just starting out show together.

Good Luck.

I totally agree. We only do 4H projects, not a real farm. With this being said, we buy farm pigs and strive for showmanship. My oldest daughter has place Champion and Reserve Champion every year. We win it at home with lots of work. And the animals are WAY cheaper. In market class, the poor thing comes in close to the bottom. And that in itself is a good lesson too about economics.

 

[JKCattle]

My girls started showing cattle at 2 years old. I've always told them I would help, but not do do it for them. Had issues one time and when they found out their calves were turned out the problem was corrected. They have a ton of purple ribbons showing red and black angus. What I'm most proud of are the herdsmanship and showmanship awards.