4-H Question

Morning Ladies, Gents and Buns,

I'm considering getting my 9 year old into 4-H. I know very little about
how it runs these days. My big question is, can kids *just* show bunnies or
do they have to breed them as well. And is it acceptable for show bunnies
to be spayed/neutered by 4-H guidelines.

I think it's be a good experience for my daughter, and I think there is a
lot for her to learn there but if breeding is mandatory, I don't want to get
her involved.

Any info from anyone in 4-H or 4-H parents and so on, would be greatly
appreciated.

Jess
Molly,Poppy, Pete & Gryffin
Orchid from the bridge

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 07:20:03 GMT, "Jessica Vincent"
<jeileenvincent.TakeThisOut@earthlink.net> wrote:

>Morning Ladies, Gents and Buns,

>I'm considering getting my 9 year old into 4-H. I know very little about
>how it runs these days. My big question is, can kids *just* show bunnies or
>do they have to breed them as well. And is it acceptable for show bunnies
>to be spayed/neutered by 4-H guidelines.

Breeding really depends on what state you are in. Some states are
more adamant about the breeding guidelines than others. Oregon is
pretty flexible, at least in the shows and counties I've experienced.
Kids still need to know about breeding mechanics--and care of brood
does and kits, and a little bit about genetics.

Best results would be to buy an animal competitive in breed
competition, either an entire buck or doe, and if you want a pet
bunny, make a pet of it. Competitive age is generally about to 2
years old, and at that time you can retire the bun and spay or neuter
it.

We just had a little girl bring a neutered buck to the show table at
our Fair. Fortunately, I was superintendent and the judge (ARBA VP)
was quite generous and we had her put him into Beloved Pet/Crossbred
class (where he took Champion, for his conditioning and care). Not
all judges and show supers will be that generous.

I think 4-H is a very good way to learn about bunny care and handling,
and there are usually ways to work with the guidelines. The catch is
that your child may catch the breeding bug from those 4-Hers who are
breeding--on the other hand, it's a good place to learn about the
mechanics of *responsible* breeding, at least in the situations I've
been in (no bunny mills here!), breeding for quality of temperment and
conformation. Our fair here--kinda poignant because it's our last
year of 4-H in this county--was very neat in many ways because the
kids were playing with their bunnies and networking and sharing. Some
kids brought does with kits, and last night before teardown the kids
were playing on the grass with the kits--four girls using their feet
and legs as fences to keep the kits within bounds, giggling and
playing with binkying bunnies.

jrw
>
>I think it's be a good experience for my daughter, and I think there is a
>lot for her to learn there but if breeding is mandatory, I don't want to get
>her involved.
>
>Any info from anyone in 4-H or 4-H parents and so on, would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>Jess
>Molly,Poppy, Pete & Gryffin
>Orchid from the bridge
>
>