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

The Search for Urban Snakes in NJ

July 17, 2020

Written by Tianqi Huang, a PhD student majoring in Ecology and Evolution at Rutgers University - New Brunswick , currently working on urban snake ecology. Tianqi is co-advised by Dr. Peter Morin and Dr. Sara Ruane.         Nowadays, a large proportion of world’s population lives in urban areas, but we know that cities are not only home to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal Project Areas, Career Profile, Current Issue, Herpetology, Herpetology, herpetology, STEM Learning

East Brunswick, NJ Shuts Down Road For Salamander Migration

March 18, 2020

Originally posted February 11, 2020 | Updated Feb 12, 2020 at Patch.com.   Re-posted with permission from author, Carly Baldwin, Patch Staff. Yup, you read that correctly. One of the earliest signs of spring in central New Jersey is the annual salamander and frog migration. EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — New Jersey residents are used to roads closing for flooding, downed trees … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Current Issue, Herpetology

Poachers and habitat loss are endangering these N.J. snakes. This professor works to keep the reptiles safe.

January 25, 2020

Originally posted Sep 29, 2019 at NJ.com.   Re-posted with permission from author, Avalon Zoppo, NJ Advance Media. Deep in the Pine Barrens, poachers can wander for hours at a time. Their eyes scan the forest floor for dull orange, camouflaged corn snakes, a state-endangered reptile long threatened by a combination of encroaching development and collectors who sell … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ask the Expert, Career Profile, Current Issue, Herpetology

Winter Weather Safety Tips

December 15, 2019

The temperature is dropping and there may be snow in the forecast.  Everyone knows this is the time of year to bundle up, stay inside when the weather is bad, and do what we can to keep warm.  But what about our dogs?  Is your pet ready or even able to adapt to the cold winter weather?  Some breeds hold up better than others, but all dog owners must monitor their pets closely … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Current Issue, Dog, Featured Resource

Sheep Identification – USDA Requirements

November 4, 2019

Photo of ewe with an ear tag

Proper identification is an important aspect of raising sheep. Whether you are a 4-H member raising only one market lamb per year or working toward establishing your own breeding operation, you will need to know U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) identification requirements and NJ Division of Animal Health rules. Scrapie Identification is required by the USDA for almost … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal Health, Current Issue, Focus on STEM, Sheep Tagged With: 4-H Animal Science, animal science project area, Focus on STEM

Emergency Preparedness and 4-H Animal Projects

August 26, 2019

September is National Preparedness Month - a great time to build awareness of the need for emergency planning.  New Jersey 4-H now offers a disaster preparedness program for youth, which teaches young people how to plan to shelter in place or evacuate with their families during an emergency. This program is in line with FEMA guidelines for youth emergency preparedness and can … [Read more...]

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

Paleontologists identify small fossils as that of oldest frog relative found in North America

August 21, 2019

This article was first published in the February 27, 2019 Virginia Tech News  https://vtnews.vt.edu/.   A team of paleontologists led by Virginia Tech’s Michelle Stocker and Sterling Nesbitt of the Department of Geosciences have identified fossil fragments of what are thought to be the oldest known frogs in North America. The fossils are composed of several … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal Project Areas, Career Profile, Current Issue, Focus on STEM, Herpetology

I’m All Ears – Understanding the Universal Ear-Notching System for Swine

July 14, 2019

The Universal Ear-Notching System used to identify individual pigs in a litter has been around for.., a while.., but finding the actual historical roots of the how and why this system originated has proven elusive.  What was found is not altogether that informative, nor does it come from any legitimate primary source.  As of this writing, the best guess at the history of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Current Issue, Focus on STEM, Swine Tagged With: animal identification, ear-notch, math

Webinars as Tools for Animal Science Education

July 14, 2019

In recent months, the University of Kentucky Department of Animal and Food Sciences has been offering biweekly, 20-minute webinars on very specific topics in animal care and animal science. These livecasts  are an effective educational tool because they are interactive. The hosts issue a call for questions at the end of each session and give answers in real time and incorporate … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Animal Health, Animal Project Areas, Ask the Expert, Career Profile, Club Programming Idea, Current Issue, Dairy Cattle, Dog, Featured Resource, Field Trip, Focus on STEM, Goat, Herpetology, Herpetology, herpetology, Horse and Pony, Post Types, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, STEM Learning, Swine, Uncategorized Tagged With: University of Kentucky Department of Animal and Food Sciences, webinars and animal science

Dogs in Cars: What do the laws say?

June 15, 2019

Dog excited for a car ride.

Part of the fun in having a dog is being able to go places together.  Most dogs love any excuse for a car ride, even if it is just down the street to the local shops.  In their mind, it's an adventure with their best friend (you!). But, what happens when your destination does not allow dogs?  How many of us have left Fido in the car for just a quick minute?  It's a common … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Current Issue, Dog, Featured Resource Tagged With: Current Issue, dog, featured resource

Next Page »

Content Type

  • STEM Learning
  • Career Profile
  • Field Trip
  • Ask the Expert
  • Club Programming Idea
  • Current Issue
  • Featured Resource
  • Focus on STEM

Statewide NJAES Events

Visit the NJAES Calendar »

sign up for monthly updates

Subscribe by Email or RSS

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.

Copyright © 2021 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is an equal access/equal opportunity institution.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers web sites to: accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or Provide Feedback Form. | Webmaster | Log in