4H projects
- Thread starter Hedgelj
- Start date
Atta girl, congratulations to all involved!!
Dr. H. is a great judge! I really enjoy how he talks to the kids. Your rabbits from Boes/Harper by chance?
Dr. H. is a great judge! I really enjoy how he talks to the kids. Your rabbits from Boes/Harper by chance?
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He did do a nice job. My daughter agrees with your impression of him. Our rabbits came from K Wright in Marengo. New Zealand Whites, though she wants to try NZ blacks next year. Do I have to teach them rugby or a hakka?
A look into my future this weekend at Ohio's oldest independent fair, the 152nd Barlow Fair. Or as we call it around here, The World's Fair. This kid is infatuated with cows and dressing like a fancy cowgirl 
She can't take a project until 2025, but we're looking at a spring heifer calf for her to take to a couple breed shows and show in open class next year. We'll see how that pans out, but I don't see us not being back in the cattle business in the next 12-18 months.
She can't take a project until 2025, but we're looking at a spring heifer calf for her to take to a couple breed shows and show in open class next year. We'll see how that pans out, but I don't see us not being back in the cattle business in the next 12-18 months.
First 4H mtg of 2024 is in a week from this Saturday. Ty switched on me, getting prepped for market hogs now instead of chickens and Myles is doing self-defined for 3D printing. Dude got a small printer for his room for Christmas and has been having a blast making gifts for folks. Next step is to get him setup with some 3D modeling software and start talking design standards.
Going with 2 pens for the hogs, 6'x10' each. Put up treated 1/2" today to protect barn walls, left a 1/2" gap underneath so sweeping and washing the crete isn't and issue and air can flow behind to keep building skirt boards dry. The pens will be freestanding off the wall a few inches in the rear and about 5' off front of barn, bolted to the concrete floor. The 5' area up front will house a work bench or table, feed, scales, record keeping, etc. Barn wasn't designed with hogs in mind, the things we do for our kids lol.
Going with 2 pens for the hogs, 6'x10' each. Put up treated 1/2" today to protect barn walls, left a 1/2" gap underneath so sweeping and washing the crete isn't and issue and air can flow behind to keep building skirt boards dry. The pens will be freestanding off the wall a few inches in the rear and about 5' off front of barn, bolted to the concrete floor. The 5' area up front will house a work bench or table, feed, scales, record keeping, etc. Barn wasn't designed with hogs in mind, the things we do for our kids lol.
Great work buddy! That’s gonna be awesome. One of these days I’ll have to pick your brain. I’ve already got a couple stalls set up on concrete just for pigs, but I don’t know the first thing about raising them. I would like to, eventually.
If you can raise chickens, you can raise hogs. They're pretty simple animals to get to market. Enjoy the smell in that barn come mid-July! 
If you can raise chickens, you can raise hogs. They're pretty simple animals to get to market. Enjoy the smell in that barn come mid-July!
No way, she could pass an elephant thru
. With 3 windows on the W wall, she was specifically designed to be wind tunnel when necessary along with plenty of head space volume. Stalls will be tended 2x/day and full clean out each week with replaced shavings. Pigs are actually clean animals when given the chance. And it doesn't hurt they go to fair on 8/4.
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Caught my eye on FB marketplace for a cool foundation for our tack box. Lane cedar chest that turns 69 in 8 days (03/14/1955). Dims were close for a small-medium sized, lightweight box. Will hold a 5gal bucket sideways, 3gal bucket, feed, soaps, brushes, whips, beer, etc. Original push button lock still works (recalled due to kids dying when hiding inside and can't open), and a drawer on the bottom. The lid seal is still in place and in great condition, and it smells awesome. Hinges are strong and no rot, just a busted off leg and it was painted at some point. Plan to disassemble and strip, with the boys helping. Will see what lies underneath before deciding how to finish.
Now the cool part. The location was only 6mins away, and was an old dairy farm and wood/furniture shop thru the years. Mom just passed and this was one of the last items hiding in the barn. I paid asking price and said let me know if any of the signs can be preserved with the chest in our barn. Hopefully the new owners will find a way to turn the lights back on in here:
Now the cool part. The location was only 6mins away, and was an old dairy farm and wood/furniture shop thru the years. Mom just passed and this was one of the last items hiding in the barn. I paid asking price and said let me know if any of the signs can be preserved with the chest in our barn. Hopefully the new owners will find a way to turn the lights back on in here:
ThatBuckeyeGuy
Active Member
Neat that'll make a good tack box. I need to find or make a new one soon as well
Good luck Buckeye. If I was going to build one, I was going to do vertical. I thought about it with this one, but I don't want to hide the model & s/n brands on the back (would be LH side when vertical).
I got it for $50, less than original ad, they're out there.
I got it for $50, less than original ad, they're out there.
ThatBuckeyeGuy
Active Member
Thanks I'm going to start keeping an eye out . I prefer the horizontal chest style especially for the kiddos access and easier way for them to put stuff away in a hurry when I'm not there but if I find a vertical set up I like I'd jump on that to
Tack box is 80% stripped and sanded, ran out of sanding discs. Need to finalize base design to incorporate casters (think I'll leave current skirt/feet boards as-is, and have wheels a 1/4" proud to carry the load but still be hidden. Then it's onto a stain or light burn, then poly for the finish.
The homemade small animal hauler is 75% complete, 40"Wx83"Lx36"xH inside height Just needing a few more vertical side boards installed, then the outside metal, design a drop in door, and a removable roof. Cut in some ventilation holes, add some corner metal trim and paint any exposed wood. The entire thing outside of screws so far has been free from left over house or barn wood, barn siding or free pallets which is pretty cool.
It will surely haul the little guys together here soon, but I may make 2 trips if both end up going to fair in Aug.
The homemade small animal hauler is 75% complete, 40"Wx83"Lx36"xH inside height Just needing a few more vertical side boards installed, then the outside metal, design a drop in door, and a removable roof. Cut in some ventilation holes, add some corner metal trim and paint any exposed wood. The entire thing outside of screws so far has been free from left over house or barn wood, barn siding or free pallets which is pretty cool.
It will surely haul the little guys together here soon, but I may make 2 trips if both end up going to fair in Aug.
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Whatever you do, DO NOT let your kids join 4H and show animals. Your summer will be spent in the barn. You will have to spend time together and help each other. You’ll have to learn and grow together. The whole family will learn patience. You will sweat, work hard, possibly yell and overcome it all together. There will be no time for movies, Netflix, tv or tablets. You will instead have to spend time talking to each other and working through problems together like facing fears, building confidence, bracing a lamb, clipping a calf, managing a budget, learn about nutrition and respect where our food comes from. At the end of the summer, you’ll be soo nervous watching your kids show their project. They will learn how to control their nerves in HARD situations and so will you. They will learn how to win humbly and lose graciously. Your kids will make new friends and learn skills to last them a lifetime. In the end, you’ll all probably be sad. All the hard work you’ve done all summer is OVER. Projects are done and gone to market. You might even cry TOGETHER. Maybe it’s because you’ll miss the animals or maybe because you’ll miss the late nights together in the barn. It might even be because you are beyond proud of what you have accomplished together. We only get 10 of these summers together in 4H - don’t waste them
+ meet future wife at 14yrs young and start the whole thing over for the next generation
Concordmeadowsfarm
Junior Member
Chickens. Pigs. Beef and Dairy Feeders in our past.
Only chickens and pigs this year.
Only chickens and pigs this year.
