What is 4H like?

[aaronzclark]

So I am thinking of joining 4H I have goats and chickens and I want to show them tell me what I need to know how much it costs do you have to talk alot lol just give me the basic info

 

[twixerella]

The 4-H club is a great opportuninity! I'm in my county's 4-H Horse club and we do so much fun stuff! I don't think that it costs anything to be in a 4-H club, or if there is a fee it is minimal. I don't think you have to "talk a lot" You should definitely talk and join in at the meetings, but if you're shy I'm sure it wouldn't be that much of a problem, Imean i don't think they are going to make you write speeches or anything Join! 4-H fun shows are the best and you can meet people your age who love the exact same things that you do

 

[aaronzclark]

LOL I am not shy trust me I was just wondering what it is like my oldist sister said her friend was in 4H and got animals for cheap or free like goats sheep etc for pets is this true? I still need more info lol

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

we started our kids in a group last fall and it was the pits! We moved into another group and it's great. Everyone gets involved but only to their comfort level. One of the goals of 4h is leadership development, so you may have to do some public speaking. It's not just about animals our group also does community service type stuff.
In our area 4h kids get a discount on animals, supplies and even first choice when picking out an animal to raise for show.
No fees to join or be involved in any activity, so be prepaired to help out with fund raisers.

 

[saddina]

It really varies a bit. I had friends that were very active in HS, and they enjoyed it. The club here in town only does horses and dogs, my son wanted to do chickens, and instead they tried to talk me into putting a horse in our back yard (20x60sqft, over 1/2 is a wrap around patio), a horse would be miserable there. so we decided to get the chickens, but skip the 4H. I know other people have really enjoyed thier groups, but our just seemed... "off".

 

[tamlynn]

I think 4-H is a lot like other youth groups such as boy or girl scouts, in terms of so much depends on the volunteer leaders and participation of families. A great leader and supportive families will equal an outstanding club.

Overall, I think 4-H is a great program. In animal showing, the judge wants to know how well YOU know/handle/take care of your animal, not just that your animal has the correct breed type or performance. So when you show, you are judged on your showmanship and knowledge, not whether you have the most high-quality animal.

Of course, there are speaking competitions too! I competed in horse judging as a teen and to speak for 2 minutes non-stop defending my choices of placement was a huge challenge. Great experience though.

 

[twixerella]

I'm not sure if you get free animals, but it seems like with the economic recession free animals are getting tossed left and right

 

[Break an Egg]

Last year, I signed up two of my stepdaughters and I think the fee was like $5 each. We never participated in any activities since they entered late in the year.

 

[4hLuvers]

Our family joined the 4h club about a year ago and (as you can see from the username) we LOVE it! There was minimal fee which changes depending on the club/county you join. We belong to our chicken group and meet once a month to discuss diseases, body parts, care, grooming, showing and anything else chicken. All of the groups are like this in that they usually meet once a month and are mostly a way to help you raise you animals. Every summer/spring there is also a Fair which our whole year revolves around. What i am wondering now is if you have any kids that would be joining becuase the 4h organization is mostly made for kids. As far as talking goes, you dont really have to talk much if you dont want to. It all depends on the club really. Some clubs when you join will tell you all about their year and how you can be a "happy 4her" but others will require talking to other members to find out about what is going on. For example, in our club, it took a few months to fully understand what was happening and we had to be brave and talk to some people. But of course, talking to people leads to making A LOT of new friends which makes the whole 4H experience more enjoyable.

That is basically the rundown on 4h. If you have any other questions i would LOVE to help and im sure there are many other BYCers that would love to help.

-4HLuvers