Chinchillas and 4-H?

[Mandy]

Does anyone here have experience with chinchillas and 4-H?
Maybe a child who was/is in it and worked with the rodent side?

I use to be very active when I younger. I'm still young enough to be in my local 4-h, so am looking into the rodent side of it more.

When I was looking around for my 2nd chinchilla, I stumbled across shoots chinchillas site. One tab was explaining how their granddaughter had chinchillas as a 4-h thing.

I see a lot of 4-h being about kids 'raising' these animals. I'd be willing to fun-show my current pet-chins, but breeding the ones I have is really out of the question.

Any knowledge or opinions on this?
I know they show rabbits, livestock, and horses at the fairs. I'd think the shows would fall under that.
I'm waiting for a reply from my local extension on if we'd go about this as a self-determined project.

 

[Sandi]

Don't know if this thread would help...

http://chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28021

 

[Mandy]

Huh.
I searched 4-h in the box and nothing came up. lol

Thanks for the link

 

[Mandy]

Just got an email back. They don't have anything veered towards exotics here.
Bummer.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Be a leader and start up a club for exotics. That is what a good friend of mine did. She and her son (he graduated from college) are still helping with the 4H although now they help with the annual fair

 

[Mandy]

Could look into that. With all the correct information I've learned from this site, maybe we could spread a bit of it around here. Good idea.

I wonder if we have to live in the same area as certain 4-h groups?
I'm about 10-15 minutes south of OH (northern KY). It looks like they have a small animals project in the Ohio 4-H.

 

[Chin_Pig]

we had an exotics group in 4-H we basically brought in our animal and made a big poster board of 'facts' and how much it costs to own one monthly. we then had to write a report on the animals it was a 3 section paper with a 'funny/cute story about your personal animal' and we had to basically learn public speaking with this. we were graded on how well we present our animals on the poster board and on how well we presented our paper. i got GSC 2 years in a row.... im glad i was able to do this for my last 2 years of high school. it helped a LOT with public speaking and i am glad i did it!.

 

[Godofgods]

what the heck is 4-h

 

[Shooper]

Im kinda surprised there hasnt been mixed views on this. Sounds like a great idea, but when I think of kids and chins...they dont really go together. Young adults, sure! As far as a fair type showing goes, would it be safe for chins to be around all the people, comotion and other animals? I envy the breeders with georgeous chins that know how to show them (I think it's awesome)! I agree that it would be fun to be able to show off your chin in a not so profesional way because everyone likes to show off their babies! I will be very interested in how this turns out. Great topic, by the way!

 

[Mandy]

I'm going on 16, and would be in the teen program. I wouldn't even think of chins and the little 'cloverbud' groups. lol

I've looked up the state fair grounds. The areas that hold the rabbits and other animals (different barns for different species) are all climate controlled. That doesn't mean if I saw my animals under stress, I wouldn't pull them that instant!
I understand where you are coming from, though.
I think 4-h could re-think some of their programs. (Like the raising animals trips)
I think it invites UN-responible people to allow their children to bring more un-wanted animals in than it's worth. I can't pull up craigslist or any animal listing site without seeing rabbits that were part of 4-h projects.

We contacted the Ohio 4-h, and I'm allowed to join their group as long as I get permission from both county extensions, have a show of grades (home-schooled..shouldn't be an issue.), and I meet the age requirements.
Now we just have to make sure the program we were looking at includes chins. (Which I'm pretty sure it does.)

 

[Mandy]

what the heck is 4-h

http://www.4-h.org/

 

[Godofgods]

never heard of it before...

 

[Shooper]

I'm going on 16, and would be in the teen program. I wouldn't even think of chins and the little 'cloverbud' groups. lol

I've looked up the state fair grounds. The areas that hold the rabbits and other animals (different barns for different species) are all climate controlled. That doesn't mean if I saw my animals under stress, I wouldn't pull them that instant!
I understand where you are coming from, though.
I think 4-h could re-think some of their programs. (Like the raising animals trips)
I think it invites UN-responible people to allow their children to bring more un-wanted animals in than it's worth. I can't pull up craigslist or any animal listing site without seeing rabbits that were part of 4-h projects.

We contacted the Ohio 4-h, and I'm allowed to join their group as long as I get permission from both county extensions, have a show of grades (home-schooled..shouldn't be an issue.), and I meet the age requirements.
Now we just have to make sure the program we were looking at includes chins. (Which I'm pretty sure it does.)

Good luck and let us know! :thumbsup:

 

[3CsMommy]

I've seen it go both ways. One of the "pocket pets" groups where I grew up had a chin owner participate. She was a high school student and did well at keeping her animals clean and fed, etc.. Then there was the other pocket pets group. I was tempted to call the SPCA and Jr. Fair Board on them.

I think if the group leader is dedicated to proper animal care, chins can work in 4-H, but if they're treated like rabbits or guinea pigs by the "experts", I'd rather not see the animals suffer.

 

[ticklechin]

I don't see the difference between this and back yard breeding, its my opinion.

 

[Mandy]

I don't see the difference between this and back yard breeding, its my opinion.

I can agree with this, too.
Like I said though, I'm more of interested in the non-raising portion of the program. If they tell me the only thing they have to offer is a breeding fling, I'm not going to waste my time with them.
I'm considering this, or just going to real chin shows to watch and learn.

 

[ticklechin]

Since other animals are killed when the project is done, I am assuming the chin would be pelted also.

 

[Mandy]

Since other animals are killed when the project is done, I am assuming the chin would be pelted also.

I see they separate companion animals from 'market' animals with all of their projects.
They don't have a category for market chinchillas or market pocket pets.

Maybe I'm miss-understanding something here.

 

[Chin_Pig]

for my group it was strictly pocket pets and how to properly care for them. no breeding or pelting. they were viewed as pets only. when we showed it was in a building that is heated and a/c controlled and they were only there for that day and as soon as the reports were finished and the GSC and RGSC were decided you could take your animal home. they allowed people to walk past and look at them but there was always someone there to make sure nobody messed with the animals through the bars or try to open the cage. the group was mostly hamsters and guinea pigs. i was the only one with a chinchilla. there really wasn't a lot of commotion, it was a lot like a chin show except they are in a bigger cage and not picked up in the cage.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

The club my friend belong to and was the leader of was for pets - there was no breeding. The kids were taught how to properly care for their chins. 4-H is no longer just for raising animals for the 'market'. Some clubs (actually a lot of clubs now) don't even involve animals - for instance, cooking, sewing, trains, so forth