4-H Animal Science Resource Blog

STEM Connections, know-how & Inspiration

  • Alpaca/Llama
  • Dairy Cattle
  • Dog
  • Goat
  • Herpetology
  • Horse and Pony
  • Poultry
  • Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal
  • Sheep
  • Swine

Week #1 Activities – 4-H Animal Science

April 10, 2020

FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE NJ 4-H CONTEST, WE ARE NO LONGER AWARDING POINTS FOR WEEK #1 ACTIVITIES; HOWEVER, THE ACTIVITIES ARE STILL AVAILABLE Welcome to the first week of our adventure together! You have from now until the end of Friday, April 17 to complete as many of these activities as you like.  They are all optional, but you will earn up to 5 points for your club for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Dog, Goat, Herpetology, Horse and Pony, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, STEM Learning, Swine

Win $200 for Your 4-H Club! – Leaders Register Now – Contest Begins April 10

April 3, 2020

April 10 through May 31, 2020 WEEK #1 ACTIVITIES WILL BE POSTED BY 8:00 P.M., FRIDAY, APRIL 10! Members of your club (4th grade and above) can earn points each week over the next two months, through the end of May. The 5 clubs with the most points per member after seven weeks will earn $200 to support their club’s efforts to learn or teach animal science.  In addition, up to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Dog, Goat, Herpetology, Horse and Pony, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, Swine

How to Prepare for a 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest

March 30, 2020

Are you preparing for the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest? Maybe you are stuck inside and can’t get your club together on the farm. In this day of online learning, there are many options for helping our 4-H members prepare for contests and events. Consider using these resources. The National Holstein Foundation Judging Workbook is an excellent guide for both beginners and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Featured Resource Tagged With: Cattle, Dairy, Judging

Starting a Poultry Science Project at Your School

March 15, 2020

It isn’t uncommon to see a school or community garden in urban New Jersey, where residents come together to grow fresh food. Some people step it up a notch by introducing new members of the farm: chickens! As backyard chickens become more and more popular, some schools are considering the idea as well and are able to integrate Animal Science into their school day program.  In … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Club Programming Idea, Featured Resource, Poultry Tagged With: brooder, chicken, coop, poultry science

Helping Youth Understand the Vocabulary of Zoonotic Diseases

March 15, 2020

The understanding of zoonotic diseases, those that can transfer between animals and people, is one important topic within Animal Science. Still, it can be challenging to instruct youth in ways to prevent the spread of such illnesses; lessons are in-depth, vocabulary is challenging, and as educators we may worry that the material is dry. Michigan State University Extension … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Animal Health, Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Dog, Featured Resource, Goat, Herpetology, Horse and Pony, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, Swine Tagged With: CDC, free teaching resource, zoonosis education

4-H Animal Science Video Contest – Expanded to Include ALL Animal Projects

January 27, 2020

The informational flyer and entry form for the 4-H Animal Science Video Contest and Film Festival are available on our website.  New Jersey 4-H, in cooperation with the New Jersey Junior Breeder Symposium, is sponsoring the contest and film festival, now expanded to include ALL 4-H animal project areas - including ALPACA, CAT, CATTLE (BEEF/DAIRY), DOG, GOAT, HERPETOLOGY, HORSE, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Animal Project Areas, Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Dog, Goat, Herpetology, Horse and Pony, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, STEM Learning, Swine

Animal Quality Certification Programs: Opportunities for 4-H Youth and Project Mastery

January 26, 2020

Quality Assurance in Animal Production Adults working in commercial agriculture are often required to maintain a quality assurance certification. For example, Pork Quality Assurance Plus aids pork producers in maintaining best practices for food safety. Another example is the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. While youth in 4-H learn many aspects of animal care and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal Health, Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Featured Resource, Goat, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, Swine Tagged With: 4H Essential Elements, quality assurance

Animal Science at Fair: Our Chance to Showcase

December 14, 2019

While County Fair season may be months away, 4-Hers know that now is the time to plan for this annual showcase of our project year, which provides a great opportunity for public engagement. Animals are an integral part of our fairs - 4-H members care for and exhibit their livestock, horses, poultry, and small animals (a major draw for fairgoers). We show animals under tents … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Animal Project Areas, Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Dog, Goat, Herpetology, Horse and Pony, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, STEM Learning, Swine Tagged With: county fair, public engagement, STEM education

The Value of Consistence & Inconsistency in Training

November 15, 2019

When learning something new, it helps to first experience the new material under the same conditions.  This is called "consistency".  Think of your experience on the first day of school.  You don't know what to expect from your new teacher and this new environment.  Over time, consistent routines helped you learn when to sit at your desk and pay attention, how to raise your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Club Programming Idea, Dog

Five Essential Ag Safety Practices for Youth Programs

October 12, 2019

Kids working on the farm

4-H programs can happen anywhere - rural, suburban or urban areas. Often, these programs will interact with the agriculture industry - even if for a short time or day trip. While it is important for youth to learn more about agriculture, these settings can be a hazardous place for young people. Agriculture is the only industry where children of all ages may be present at any … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Animal Project Areas, Club Programming Idea, Dairy Cattle, Featured Resource, Goat, Horse and Pony, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, Swine Tagged With: Agriculture Safety, animal health, Tractor Safety

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A Project of New Jersey 4-H Youth Development

New Jersey 4-H provides educational outreach programming for youth in grades K-13 (one year out of high school) through 4-H clubs, special interest programs, school enrichment, afterschool programs, and overnight camping.

Regardless of the subject matter – whether it be science, healthy living or citizenship, 4-H uses a learn-by-doing approach to help youth learn responsibility, community awareness and character development.

New Jersey 4-H Youth Development is a department of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

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