# demonstration ideas?



## HoosierShadow

We finally got to attend a 4-H meeting tonight, we've missed going the last few months, either we were busy since I get busy in Sept/oct/Nov, and last month we thought it was on Tues and the meeting was on Mon!

We learned tonight that there will be a County 4-H Communications Day on Jan 21st. The kids can do a speech or demonstration. I'd really LOVE for them to participate, and they want to do a demonstration if possible. 
We're going to a meeting on Thurs that covers how to prepare a speech or demonstration.

Anyone do these kind of demonstrations? What exactly do you do?

I know my kids want to make posters, and I think one of them wants to do one on kidding, but not sure about the other. 

Any ideas for demonstration topic since they both want to do them on goats?


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## DulmesFamilyBoers

Our demonstrations are very low key. The kids should keep it to around 3-5 minutes. Over the years my boys have brought a goat and explained parts of a goat, another time how to train and show a goat and what is needed for that, they have also brought in a bunch of supplies/feed for caring for goats and talked on that subject.


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## brbn

Some of the demonstrations our 4-H kids have done are:

Common goat diseases/treatments
Ways to castrate a wether include age and tools needed
How to fit your animal for show
How to trim hoofs
Breeds of goats
What to pack in your tack box for fair
Proper way to show and clothes to wear
How to load and tattoo a goat
How to load and tag a goat
What to look for when picking out your goat
5 ways to give medication with examples of meds. (topical, oral, subcutaneous, iv, inner muscular)
Thats all I have for now. 
I agree keep it short 5-10 min is good. Visuals are always good.
Good luck


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## DulmesFamilyBoers

In the past if the timing is right and we have a fair project complete, my boys have used an actual project (poster or something else they made to enter at the fair) and did their demonstration on that. I figure why not, if they are going to take the time to make something, and it gives them practice for judging day at the fair when they present the project.


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## HoosierShadow

Thanks everyone! I'll see what they decide when they get home 

They 'think' a demonstration is just having an item such as a poster on display LOL They don't realize they have to talk - they are INCREDIBLY shy. But I told them last night if they want to show goats, there is more that they have to do, they have to learn about the goats, and participate in 4-H events such as this. I figured doing a demonstration would help them relax more than just getting up there and doing a speech. 

BTW, my son is 10 and my daughter just turned 13 last month. My daughter has ADHD, is more on the 'level' with my son and is more shy than her brother.

Also if they like doing the demonstration I thought maybe they could do a similar one for the fair. Our fair is one of the earliest fairs in the state, usually 2nd sometimes 3rd week in June. State fair is at the end of Aug.
They also have a 'youth expo' for all the kids in 4-H towards the end of July and that's when they do final judging for items/animals to go to state fair.


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## 4kids

Our best one was how to give injections- orange for IM and banana for sub q. If you also do a poster, it will be a hit!


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## HoosierShadow

Thanks so much! I talked to my son about it a little bit at his doctor appt and he likes the idea of medications/injections, different breeds/uses, and ear tagging/tattooing. We wouldn't bring a goat in for it, but i have a tagger & tattoo kit he could learn how they work and demonstrate - do a poster too if he wants.

I think my daughter really wanted to do the Kidding process. 

I also think that the winners will go on to do a competition with other counties? Not sure, but we'll see. At least my son didn't fully cringe at the knowledge he HAS to get up and speak during his demonstration LOL


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## Dani-1995

Presentations are one of my favorite things to do! Last year I did mine on a ruminants digestive system, but that might be hard for younger kids to do. 

I think the injections, medication, breeds and tools are a good place for your son to start- The only thing would be making sure he didn't try to cover too much info. Maybe he could do "Introduction to goat care" or something. 

Kidding would be good for your daughters age IMO. Her's could be "The odds and ends of kidding", just talk about kiddding process, after birth care and possibly a few issues that could arise before/during and after.

If your 4-H is like ours then they'll compete at county level and the winners will go to their 4-H district and district winners go to state level- which BTW is loads of fun!


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## GoatGirlMO

I made one of these guys when I was in 4-H
http://www.4-hmall.org/Product/4-hcurri ... 07514.aspx
I named him Scout and he was my best friend for all my demonstrations. I rigged up a way to tube feed him (a tube leading from his mouth to a bottle in his belly-- I put in velcro pouch so I could remove the liquid after the demonstration.

You can band him, remove extra teats, disbud, etc. If you all have an exhibit hall where the kids put in posters or items made, he works for that too.

I'm not sure how strict your county is, but I teen-judged at a neighboring county and a young man did an excellent illustrated talk on different breeds and uses for goats. I thought it was great, but the senior judge gave him a red ribbon since the project was Meat Goat and his talk was really not about meat goats. I always try to get my kids (project kids) to either pick something that works across the goat world (tattooing, for example) or specific to their project (cuts of meat for Meat Goat, or mastitis prevention for dairy goat).

Of course, we all know that true goat people love all aspects of the goat world and even if they don't milk their Boers, they'd love to know how to make cheese. But sometimes you get stinky judges.

Speaking of which... once they are older, or if they are comfortable doing this, AND your county is okay with it, explaining how to make a goat dish or cheese is an excellent idea. Most counties are fine with bringing samples to share with the judges!!!


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## GoatGirlMO

And I found this, in case you dont already have it. 
http://ces.ca.uky.edu/cumberland-files/ ... mRules.pdf

It's just guidelines for Kentucky 4-H demonstrations. I moved to a new county and was appalled at the number of kids who didn't know the Missouri guidelines for demonstrations... it was very sad. They had no idea about introductions, time limits, expectations, etc. So now I make sure EVERYONE has a copy of their respective state's demonstration guidelines


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## HoosierShadow

GoatGirlMO said:


> And I found this, in case you dont already have it.
> http://ces.ca.uky.edu/cumberland-files/ ... mRules.pdf
> 
> It's just guidelines for Kentucky 4-H demonstrations. I moved to a new county and was appalled at the number of kids who didn't know the Missouri guidelines for demonstrations... it was very sad. They had no idea about introductions, time limits, expectations, etc. So now I make sure EVERYONE has a copy of their respective state's demonstration guidelines


Great info Thanks! I wish we had known about this sooner, but we just couldn't get to the last few meetings  
Our county is pretty laid back, they try to get all the kids to participate. I think 90-95% of the livestock club kids are in it for the Country Ham Project. They are trying to encourage those kids to do a speech/demonstration on their Country ham projects so they can add/take away/change/etc anything they need to work on before the fair.

I'll give my kids a list of ideas suggested on here and a few I came up with after we go to the meeting tomorrow.


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## HoosierShadow

Well I 'think' the kids have settled on:
Daughter - kidding <how long goats are pregnant, how to determine when labor is close, process of normal labor, and basics you have to have on hand>

Son - ear tagging & tattooing which I've shown them how to do but it was last spring, so I'll show him how to use the tools again, so he can use them in his demonstration.

If you have any suggestions they can add let me know! I WISH I could find a medium to large stuffed animal goat for my daughter to use, as she wants to use a stuffed animal to show how to check ligaments, hehe...

Some ideas on showing what a tattoo will turn out like that we have is, getting some material to make a fake ear, Possibly put it over a stuffed animal? put paper on the inside of the ear, and draw the two main <vertical> blood veins in the ears, and he can use that to show how to do an ear tattoo. Possibly how to tag too but we'll see, but all I have are our scrapie tags...which he can bring in to show what the state scrapie tag looks like.

We're all looking forward to this, my kids have never done anything like this, just small stuff in school, so they will need a lot of help, I'm hoping they enjoy it, so they will want to do it again next year <I'd also like them to try the country ham project since it's a huge deal in our state>.

My rule this year was if they want to show goats in 4-H they have to do other things too, and I think doing a demonstration will be a great learning experience for them.

Again if you want to add any suggestions please do! We'll get stuff so they can make posters as well.

BTW we only have 2 weeks ACK!


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## HoosierShadow

Well my daughter is doing a speech instead, so she isn't competeing against her brother. SHe'll do her's on kidding. 
My son is doing a demonstration on ear tagging and tattooing. The 'talking' part is nearly done, we just have to finish the posters and then adjust it so we include them. They dont want them memorizing these, so I'll try to make the paper he uses easier <highlighting> so when he gets to the talking part he'll know <LOL>.

Of course I wish we had started on the posters sooner! LOL

Anyway, it'll be fun for their first try. I just want them to do their best and have fun, be more involved in 4-H


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