There are many of us with kids of that age. Anyone have expertise in the different projects or recommendations of any type for certain projects?
4H projects
- Thread starter Hedgelj
- Start date
I'm a beekeeper and could help with that project.
My in laws have a beef farm and sell steers and heifers for show as well as market.
My daughter has convinced me to help her do market/meat rabbits and also meat chickens this year. So any advice in that area is welcome.
My in laws have a beef farm and sell steers and heifers for show as well as market.
My daughter has convinced me to help her do market/meat rabbits and also meat chickens this year. So any advice in that area is welcome.
Ohiosam
*Supporting Member*
My kids did a wide variety of projects, sewing, woodworking, creative writing, shooting sports, self determined, chickens, ducks, pigs, dairy feeder, beef.
I’m a certified 4H rifle instructor.
I’m a certified 4H rifle instructor.
We're equipped for dairy feeders, market steers, meat chickens, and a host of "home maker" activities. Kaydence went to state for a nutrition project last year and was Reserve Champ market chickens her first year. My wife was a multiple time state qualifier for sewing and other homemaking activities. My sister won multiple awards with cows and I learned by osmosis 
If you bring the buyers, market chickens bring a handsome award. Our deal with the girls is we eat the cost of the projects and they put all the proceeds in the bank for a car/college. Kaydence made $1,300 on 2 pens of broilers last year, so she's off to a good start! Kenna wants cows, so I'll have dairy feeders in the near future.
If you bring the buyers, market chickens bring a handsome award. Our deal with the girls is we eat the cost of the projects and they put all the proceeds in the bank for a car/college. Kaydence made $1,300 on 2 pens of broilers last year, so she's off to a good start! Kenna wants cows, so I'll have dairy feeders in the near future.
Trapping muskrats in ohio is a good one. Not a lot of competition in that category. I used to judge that project at our fair years ago.
4H & fair is where my wife and I met. We both were involved from cloverbuds through HS graduation, with her showing & placing at state fair regularly. Now we get to enjoy all 3 boys involved, with 2 being active and 1 in cloverbuds. I attended 4H camp on Kelley's Island every year, and the oldest 2 went last year for their 1st time and loved it. Feel free to ask away, here's what we have taken project wise:
Hogs
Beef calf
Beef steer
Market lamb
Dog obedience
Gardening
Fishing
Archery
Rockets
Woodworking
Engines
Geology
Market rabbits
Easiest, best return is poultry, followed by rabbits for our small fair. Animals are only with you 6-10wks, unless you are doing a breeder project. Sure they can make more $ with larger projects, they just have to be grand or reserve.I wish all kids had to complete a 4H project atleast 1x!
Our auctions have changed a lot since we were kids, you can now do joint buyer lists, etc. Our middle son cleaned up last year with a GC rabbit. Was happy the $ didn't sway his decision this year.
Hogs
Beef calf
Beef steer
Market lamb
Dog obedience
Gardening
Fishing
Archery
Rockets
Woodworking
Engines
Geology
Market rabbits
Easiest, best return is poultry, followed by rabbits for our small fair. Animals are only with you 6-10wks, unless you are doing a breeder project. Sure they can make more $ with larger projects, they just have to be grand or reserve.I wish all kids had to complete a 4H project atleast 1x!
Our auctions have changed a lot since we were kids, you can now do joint buyer lists, etc. Our middle son cleaned up last year with a GC rabbit. Was happy the $ didn't sway his decision this year.
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The joint buyer thing is pretty cool. Both our state reps partnered with a county commissioner and one of our largest manufacturing companies to buy her one pen of chickens for $800. It helps them buy more PR for the same $ by spreading it around and Kaydence got to experience 4 buyers supporting her instead of one. Of course old dad appreciated it since that's a reflection of my day job going well. It also validated what I said when they started, I'm just here for my wallet, my back, and I can bring the buyers
The joint buyer thing is pretty cool. Both our state reps partnered with a county commissioner and one of our largest manufacturing companies to buy her one pen of chickens for $800. It helps them buy more PR for the same $ by spreading it around and Kaydence got to experience 4 buyers supporting her instead of one. Of course old dad appreciated it since that's a reflection of my day job going well. It also validated what I said when they started, I'm just here for my wallet, my back, and I can bring the buyers
It took me a bit to wrap my head around it. I get the better $ for the kids, but most kids aren't the ones asking the business, which defeats a big part of the "why" in my book. I also find it crazy I can't just go to the auction and buy a 1/2 pig for the freezer. They all go carcass now unless top 2 or 3, so it's all pre-arranged.
The daughter is full swing as we got the meat chickens and meat rabbits within the last week.
Wowzers, when is your fair? Best of luck to her!
We moved into our small fair yesterday, awards tonight for boy's still projects. Ty got 1st and Myles 2nd. I wish 1 of them would have taken animals this year but I would be lying if I didn't enjoy the extra free time, lol.
We moved into our small fair yesterday, awards tonight for boy's still projects. Ty got 1st and Myles 2nd. I wish 1 of them would have taken animals this year but I would be lying if I didn't enjoy the extra free time, lol.
Project book judging on three first time projects for my daughter = 3/3 outstanding awards (the highest). We also finished the chicken tractor and she helped me move it to its first position.
Well done young lady (and old man)!
We're two weeks from sale time for Kaydence's market chickens. I'll add an update here soon. We're doing much better compared to last year!
We're two weeks from sale time for Kaydence's market chickens. I'll add an update here soon. We're doing much better compared to last year!
The time has come for us to move from the farm to the fair. We kept 11 of 12 alive and have one really strong pen and another decent one. In all honesty, these are some famn fine meat chickens if I say so myself. Kaydence has worked hard and we benefit from having family (my in-laws) that have decades of market chicken projects to lean on. Our 4-H extension deserves credit this year, too. These came from a different supplier and I suspect it'll be a much stronger year across the board. As chicks, these were much more vibrant than last year. She netted $1550 last year on her two pens, so that's the goal again this year. The sale is Tuesday at 4P and it's supposed to be 94, so it'll be a rough one. Fingers crossed we make it unscathed. 
Judging was a bit like the Buckeyes, underwhelming. Took 4th in showmanship, 5th in market. The judge said he didn't care how clean the birds were, which is BS in my opinion since some kids went the extra mile and others brought birds I'd have been embarrassed to have had our name attached to. Overall, it was a good learning experience and that's the whole point.
Middle sis participated in pee wee showmanship and she's hooked. All she talks about is getting a cow and today only drove it home. I suspect we'll be back in the cattle business in the next year or so.
Middle sis participated in pee wee showmanship and she's hooked. All she talks about is getting a cow and today only drove it home. I suspect we'll be back in the cattle business in the next year or so.