What do you think about 4-H?

Question

I'm not even entirely sure what 4-H is - I don't think it exists around here.

However, I've been to some fairs in rural parts of Connecticut and there are usually some 4-H kids there. Last time I went, there was some kid with a guinea pig that he kept in a grubby Rubbermaid bin. And the kid looked PROUD!

YA seems to attract a lot of 4-H kids asking questions, and it appears that lots of them don't know how to properly care for their animals.

It also seems that they're encouraging breeding of animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. Now, I understand that it seems to be an agricultural program primarily, but children shouldn't be encouraged to breed pets! I'd never recommend breeding rabbits or guinea pigs to most adults, and certainly not an 11 year old who keeps them in plastic bins!

I guess the premise is to "teach kids responsibility" but it doesn't seem to be working. Why are parents discouraged from getting pets for that purpose, but 4-H seems to be thriving?

Answer 1

Every individual 4H chapter is very different. Some take a more 'pet-oriented' take on things with it mostly being about how to care for animals and showmanship competitions.

4H was started as an agricultural program. Back in the day, you raised the rabbits for food.. Normally, 4H groups are closely linked to ARBA, though not always. Where I used to live, show breeders frequently partnered with 4H kids for the breeding project aspect of it. Most parents didn't have the space or the time to have their child complete a rabbit breeding project. The way it was commonly done back where I lived, was the 4H kid would buy a beginner show quality doe off of a show breeder- usually for a discounted price. They would do conformation shows, learn about proper care, and if they did the breeder project- they usually bred the rabbit to one of the show breeders studs. Since most kids in 4H didn't do the breeder project, usually the resulting bunnies are just circulated to other 4H kids.

However, not all 4H clubs are created equal and their view of rabbit care is more of a commercial/agricultural rather then the '100% anti-breeding, anti-eating House Rabbit Society.'

Many, many show breeders eat their 'extra' rabbits same with the 4H children.

It all depends on your outlook, if you're against eating meat, then you probably don't agree with programs like 4H that were originally meant to teach children about raising animals for food.

I currently have a spayed house rabbit that has free roam of my house. She will do nothing else but be a pet, so I feel that she should live inside and get as much interaction as possible. I did used to raise show rabbits though and they lived in a barn outside. I would still say they were relatively happy, but, being able to house enough to breed for meat and show meant they couldn't all live in the house. I did frequently have individual rabbits in the house, and I raised the bunnies in the house so they would be well socialized. But, I can recognize that there has to be a difference between the way a pet is kept and the way an animal raised for food is kept.

4H is about how a rabbit raised for food is kept in most areas.

I feed my dogs a raw diet. It's hard to find whole carcass and most of what I buy comes from rabbit breeders.. If you keep a carnivorous pet, then you support the death of animals somewhere even if you don't personally see it. Why should only large farmers you don't meet be allowed to raise meat animals?

Answer 2

I have been a 4H advisor for 10 years. 4H is a great program. The goal is to teach kids responsibilty in the decisons they make about their pets.

I am also a rabbit breeder. I have been raising rabbits for 6 years.  I am proud of the rabbits I produce. I will not feel gulity or shmaed by people who are against all breeding.

My rabbits are produced to improve the breed and to carry on the wanted traits of that breed. I get tired of reading all the posts about how all breeders are evil and terrible.

I also do not feel it is anyone's business that I also eat the rabbits I cull or that I sell to a processor who feeds raw meat diet to her dogs.

Rabbits as a breeding project is a good project for kids to do. Rabbits are in fact part of the food source in our country.

Rabbits were first domesticated as a food source. And the meat is good and good for you. 4H members raise rabbits to be eaten also. It teaches a kid how to raise a quality product for consumers.

Most of the rabbits that the 4H kids in our county raise go to other 4H'ers to help with their breeding program. They are never encouraged to breed cross-bred rabbits. We teach them to strive for the best possible animal they can breed.

Maybe you could go to some 4H club meetings and find out what it is all about before you judge something you know very little about. Every county in the US has an Extension Office. That is where the 4H clubs are regulate. Try giving them a call.

How do you feel about the ARBA? Are you against what it stands for to?

If you have any other questions about 4H and the rabbit projects you can email me.

Answer 3

4-H is a great program if its led by qualified people.  In Rice County where I live our county fair is full of young people who have raised what can only be called 'outstanding cattle and other animals'.  The standards are set very high and picking a winner gets harder every year.  Of course 4-H is more than just raising animals.  Its learning about all facets of agriculture and enviroment.

Answer 4

Lol  very good question...I'm an AG major and grewe up with 4H.  To make things simple, its not a program to encourage breeding.lol.  The boy you saw was probably from a small 4H program.  Where there are bigger programs, kids learn about all the aspects of the animals.  Also it is not just animals.  It is photography, crafts, animals, plants, past times, leadership....lots of things.  I promise it has a good meaning!

"I pledge my HEAD to clearer thinking

My HEART to greater Loyalty

My HANDS to better service

and my HEALTH to better living

For my club my community my country and my world"

Answer 5

*Cringe.*  It sound like those groups are really screwed up but to my knowledge, that is the exception, not the rule.  I was in 4H for many years growing up in rural Maine and a big part of it was PROPERLY taking care of the animals.  It helped that we had to be in contact with an adult who was a professional (such as a farmer) who worked with the animals we wanted to care for.  While mistakes did occur occasionally, they were almost always minor and the leaders corrected them promptly.  A large part of Maine still relies on agriculture for their livelihood so s******g up like that was not acceptable.

I'd be tempted to find the adult 4H leaders and parents in that area to bang some sense into their heads.  The adults are responsible for making sure that the kids are caring for their animals properly and are the ones to blame.

I will admit to showing and breeding guinea pigs in the past but the animals were very good show quality and without defects and we took really good care of them and almost never had problems of any kind.  No babies were born with defects and we never lost a single female except to old age (and one bee sting).  There was only one incident (in the several years of breeding) of a complication which resolved itself before we even fully realized what happened.  There was some room for improvement like when I found out recently that cedar was REALLY bad to use for any small animal.  They had fresh veggies twice a day, a good timothy/clover hay all the time, a really good pellet food, vitamin C supplements, very large cages, ect.  If I had found out about the problems with breeding them, I would never have done so to begin with and instead just have taken care of rescues and ones from shelters.

Answer 6

i have been in 4-h for 9 years now i am 19...i am in the light horse project and i have never heard anything about how we should breed...ever...??? yes there are alot of 4-h kids who don't know alot about care but we get books and take clinics to try and teach us the ins and outs so its not like they are promoting bad care. and face it there are alot more "dumb" adults with pets than dumb kids how many grade horses get bred everyyear and then sold for 25$ becuase they are worthless and i sure know i kid can't buy and breed horses!!