Project Options

Everything but the MOO - A Selfie Scavenger Hunt
The project:
  1. Research cattle byproducts
  2. Search your house, garage, and barns for 8 different items that are byproducts of cattle.
  3. Snap a selfie of you with the item
  4. Create a Word document or PowerPoint with the photos and a brief description of what the byproduct came from
  5. Submit your photos and your explanations to your species chair via email to receive 1 education credit
NOTE: Each type of byproduct can only be used once. For example, if you choose a steak, you cannot choose hamburger....Only 1 meat allowed!
Here's an idea:
​Try this with another species....what about swine, horse, poultry, etc?
Find 8 DIFFERENT byproducts from another animal and send your selfies with their explanation to your species chair.
Where's the Meat?
The project:
  1. Choose your favorite meal: A meat, a side dish, and a dessert
  2. Make the meal and create a written recipe for each part as you go
  3. Take photos of the raw ingredients, the preparation process, and the final meal
  4. Create a Word document or PowerPoint with the photos and the recipes
  5. Submit your meal presentation to your species chair via email to receive 1 education credit
Choose Your Own Adventure
Everyone has something that they are passionate about. What is that for you?
​Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a short video about your passion.
To Earn Credit:
  1. Create an outline for your video performance. You must include what your passion is, why you love it, what skills you learn from it, and how those skills help you in 4-H.
  2. Create a 5-10 minute video showing us what you love to do.
  3. Post the video to a secure/private URL..
  4. Earn 1 credit by sending your outline and the URL to your species chair to view the video.​
The Perfect Pose
Most species have a point in their show when the animal must be
​"set up" or "posed" for the judge's evaluation.
For this project you will:
  1. Take 4 photos of you with your animal - 1 photo with the animal properly "set up" or "posed" and 3 photos with the animal set incorrectly.
  2. Create a Word Document or Power Point presentation with the 4 photos.
  3. For each of the incorrect photos, state why the pose is wrong and what the benefit is for moving the animal back into the correct position...Why does the animal look better that way?
  4. Email your document or presentation to your species chair to earn 1 education credit.

Species-Specific &
Virtual Learning Options

Multiple Species

2021 Michigan  4-H & FFA Virtual Livestock Judging Contest
Registration Due: June 16, 2021
Contest Date: June 21, 2021
The 2021 MI 4-H and FFA Virtual Livestock Judging Contest will help participants enhance their livestock evaluation and selection skills, as well as improve their communication and decision making skills. This contest will include both individual and team competition.
For more information or to register visit:
2021 MI 4-H and FFA Virtual Livestock Judging Contest - 4-H Animal Evaluation (msu.edu)
The 2021 Michigan 4-H and FFA Virtual Livestock Judging Contest is being held in partnership with Livestockjudging.com
4-H Veterinary Science: Stopping Sickness
Animals get sick, just like humans do. This series of activities explores how sickness spreads among animals, how the immune system fights off illness, and how veterinarians examine and treat animals with medicine to help them get back on all four feet.
Click Here: 4-H Veterinary Science: Stopping Sickness | 4-H
Learn some of the ways that people can help animals stay healthy. The 4 activities include:
​Defense Department
Biosecurity Dominos
Sick or Well: How Can You Tell?
Not A Shot In The Dark
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Select 2 of the 4 activities to complete.
  2. Answer to 4 reflection questions after completing the activity.
  3. Email your answers for both activities to your species chair. Be sure to include which activity you completed, your name, and 4-H club.
To Earn BOTH Credits - Complete all 4 activities and reflection question sets.
Michigan State University Extension
​Hot Topic Series
2021 Topics Include:
  • Horse Health and Safety Considerations
  • Assessing Calf Health
  • Cattle Traceability
  • Preventing and Treating Parasites that Infect Farm Animals
  • Heat Stress and Animal Handling
  • Biosecurity and Signs of Swine Influenza
  • Relationship with Your Local Health Department
  • Small Ruminants as 4-H Projects
Register at:
Michigan State University Extension Hot Topic Series - MSU MediaSpace
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Select a topic and view the webinar.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned from the workshop. Be sure to include which specific session you attended
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.

Youth for the Quality Care of Animals - Online

http://yqca.org/
YQCA is designed as an annual education and certification program focused on food safety, animal well-being and character awareness for youth ages 8 to 21 producing and/or showing pigs, beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, market rabbits, and poultry.
 Log on to the YQCA website using your MSU 4-H Online login information.
​Upon completing the course, send a digital copy of the certificate to nwmi4hlivestock@gmail.com to receive your 1 Education Credit.
​Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and species.
NOTE: There is a $12 fee for this course. - $3 Discount Coupons are available through the YQCA website

Cattle

Sullivan Supply - Stock Show University
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. View the presentation.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned from the workshop.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Choose between:
Developing a Daily Routine
or
Picking Out Your Next Project
Kalmbach Feeds Formula of Champions -
​Show Lamb & Goat Virtual Clinic
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. View the presentation.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned from the workshop.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Click Below to View the Presentation:
FOC Virtual Show Cattle Clinic - YouTube
Farming to the Future Virtual Field Trip
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Click HERE to take the Virtual Field Trip
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned from the field trip.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Ohio State Meat Lab Virtual Tour
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Take the Virtual Tour at:   Virtual Field Trip to The Ohio State University Meat Laboratory - YouTube
  2. Complete the Ohio State Meat Lab Questionnaire
  3. Email your answers to Amanda Wilkins at: wilkinscmu@yahoo.com
Ohio State Meat Lab Questionnaire
File Size: 104 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2021 Beef Cattle Lunch and Learn Series

Picture
6/8-Heifer Selection and Management
6/15- Artificial Insemination
6/22- Pasture Weed Management
pvpanther.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqc-6vpjwqEtQ-sViIsm8-o4kQPekZDbUy
​Register with the link above and participate in a topic. 
         1 Topic equals 1 credit
         More then one topic get both credits! 
   Write a one page summary of what you learned and email it to your specie chair!


Dogs

Dog Aging Project
The Senior Dog Care Series focuses on common challenges that older dogs face and provides helpful tools and suggestions to help your senior dog maintain an optimal quality of life for as long as possible.
Select from one of the following articles:
Preventive Care for Senior Dogs
Mobility Tips and Tricks for Senior Dogs
Understanding Behavioral Changes in Senior Dogs
Beyond Gray Muzzles: Defining Aging in Dogs
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Select one of the articles to read.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned about preventive care.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.

Goats

Kalmbach Feeds Formula of Champions -
​Show Lamb & Goat Virtual Clinic
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. View the presentation.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned from the workshop.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Click below to view the presentation:
FOC Show Lamb & Goat Virtual Clinic - YouTube
American Institute for Goat Research
Langston University
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Visit the Langston University Goat Library
  2. Take the virtual tour and read a few of the articles from the archives
  3. Write a 1 page summary telling us which articles you read and what you learned.
  4. Email your species chair the summary. Be sure to include your name and 4-H club
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Visit the Langston University Goat Program Training website
  2. Sign up and complete 3 training modules toward a goat producers certification
  3. Take a screenshot of each of your completed module tests,
  4. Email your tests to your species chair. Be sure to include your name and 4-H club.
Tennessee Meat Goats
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Explore the Onion Creek Ranch website.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name and 4-H club.
www.tennesseemeatgoats.com

Horses

Lambs

Kalmbach Feeds Formula of Champions -
​Show Lamb & Goat Virtual Clinic
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. View the presentation.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned from the workshop.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Click below to view the presentation:
FOC Show Lamb & Goat Virtual Clinic - YouTube

Llamas & Alpacas

Cotton Creek Farms
Virtual Farm Tours & Alpaca Education and Articles
www.cottoncreekfarms.com
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Visit the Cotton Creek Farms website.
  2. Take a virtual farm tour and read a few of the articles.
  3. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned. Be sure to include which articles you read.
  4. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Penn State Extension
Llama & Alpaca Educational Articles
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Visit the PSU Extension website and search Llama or Alpaca
  2. Select 3 articles to read
  3. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned. Be sure to include which articles you read.
  4. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
 extension.psu.edu
Packing with Llamas and Alpacas
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Use your favorite search engine to search "Packing with Llamas and Alpacas".
  2. Select 3 websites to visit and read what they have to say about packing.
  3. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned. Be sure to include which websites/articles you read.
  4. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.

Poultry

Townline Hatchery Virtual Tour
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. Take the Townline Hatchery virtual tour
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned about the process of preparing, hatching, and shipping the birds.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Click the logo above to access the Townline Hatchery Tour on YouTube
Penn State Extension
Poultry Showmanship
To access the video, go to:
Poultry Showmanship program information — 4-H Poultry — Penn State Extension (psu.edu)
To Earn 1 Credit:
  • Watch the PSE Poultry Showmanship Program Information Video
  • Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned about each of the 4 things the judge is looking for:
    • ​​The bird is properly cared for
    • The showman's ability to handle the bird
    • The showman's ability to examine and position the bird
    • The showman's overall knowledge of poultry
  • Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.

Rabbits & Cavies

Swine

Kalmbach Feeds Formula of Champions -
​Show Swine Virtual Clinic
To Earn 1 Credit:
  1. View the presentation.
  2. Write a 1 page summary telling us what you learned from the workshop.
  3. Email your summary to your species chair. Be sure to include your name, 4-H club, and 4-H age.
Click below to view the presentation:
FOC Show Pig Virtual Clinic - YouTube
Ear Notching 101
To earn 1 credit you must create a slide presentation explaining the process of ear notching.
Your presentation must include:
  • A minimum of 5 slides and 4 photographs explaining:
    • Why is ear notching important to swine breeders
    • How and when is ear notching performed
    • How do you read the ear notches
Email your completed presentation to your species chair. Be sure to include your name and 4-H club.
A Quiz Bowl Challenge
A quiz bowl is a game in which teams or individuals compete head to head to answer questions from all areas of knowledge on a subject. Answers are usually one or two word answers.
To earn 1 education credit, you must:
  • Create a list of 40 quiz bowl questions that have to do with raising a swine project and provide the answer
  • Create a list of resources used to develop the questions and/or verify the answers
  • Email your Quiz Bowl Challenge list to your species chair. Be sure to include your name and 4-H group.
Developing A Biosecurity Plan
Pretend that you are the owner of a 2,000 head swine farm. Your challenge is to create a biosecurity plan presentation for your employees.
Your presentation must include:
  • 10 or more slides
  • A checklist for the employees to follow
  • Steps to ensure biosecurity when entering and leaving your farm
    • What protocol needs to be followed and why
  • A list of references used when creating your plan
Email your completed presentation to your species chair. Be sure to include your name and 4-H club.
Biosecurity Diorama
​A 2-Part Challenge
Part 1: Create a diorama of your farm
  • Use a small box and any crafting supplies you can find
  • Be sure to include:
    • Your barn/shelter
    • Your feed storage area
    • Your biosecurity equipment
Part 2: Record a video
  • Take a walk through of your farm via your diorama
  • Be sure to discuss ALL biosecurity measures used within each area including what equipment you use
  • Post your video on a secure site and email the URL to your species chair. Be sure to include your name and 4-H club