Ucanr.edu



Talking Points for Exhibitors at FairAs a 4-H exhibitor at fair, you will likely be asked questions from fairgoers visiting the livestock area. It is important to be polite and courteous to members of the public. Many of these individuals are one or more generations removed from the farm, and their questions may sound unconventional, but always be polite in answering them. Remember you are not only representing 4-H; you are also representing the agricultural industry. If there is a question that you are not sure how to answer or if there is a person that you don’t feel comfortable talking to, ask a leader or older member for help.In order to help youth prepare for interactions with the public, the 2015-2016 Animal Science Educational Advisory Committee drafted a list of talking points to help youth respond to some to the most frequently asked questions at fair. Why do riders wear spurs?Spurs are used to help reinforce the rider’s leg. Some riders do not have the strength in their legs or the horse may just ignore the riders’ leg; this is an aid for them rather than continuously kicking the horse.Why do some riders carry a crop?Crops are used to help reinforce the rider’s leg. Some riders do not have the strength in their legs or the horse may just ignore the riders’ leg; this is an aid for them rather than continuously kicking the horse.Why is a bit used?A bit is used to control the horse, it is an aid to convey to the horse what the rider wants such as to turn, stop or back up. Bits are made of metal but they do not hurt the horse’s mouth, the bit sits in the area of the mouth called the bars where there are no teeth Why are horses lunged, why is a whip used?We lunge our horses for different reasons including: To allow the horse to warm up and exercise without the rider on his backTo allow the horse to work off excess energy prior to being ridden so he can focus on what the rider is asking him to do.To allow the rider to watch the horse from the ground to make sure the horse is feeling good, not lame or sore.A whip is used as an extension of the handlers arm to direct the horse and if needed to snap to encourage the horse to go forward. Why is a chain used on the halter during showmanship or while lunging?A horse is significantly larger than the handler, sometimes a chain is used to help the handler control the horse from the ground. Are tranquilizers or other drugs used on horses at shows?Most drugs and all tranquilizers are illegal to use on a horse during a horse show. Some therapeutic drugs are allowed on a limited basis that will not cause harm or mask other drugs.Why do you cut off the goats horns?The goat’s horns aren’t actually cut off. When their horns just start to develop, there is a little bump and when that bump appears, we cauterize the area around it, which causes the horns to never develop (or in some cases only slightly develop). Because this also cauterizes the nerves, the goats are only in pain for a brief second. This is called “disbudding”. We do this because dairy goats are handled at least twice a day, to be milked, with lots of close contact, and if the horns were allowed to grow, even every day handling could result in injuries to humans. Goats with horns aren’t any more aggressive than disbudded goats, but they don’t know to be careful with them, so horns can be very dangerous to the handler. A goat with horns can also get their horns stuck in fences and become victims of predators.What happened to that goat’s ears (in reference to the LaMancha breed of goats)?Nothing happened to the goat’s ears, they are born that way. These goats are called LaManchas and part of their breed characteristic is a small ear flap. There are two types: elf ears and gopher ears. All goats of this breed have these small ear flaps.Why are is their udder so full?Dairy goats/cows are bred to produce milk. Their udders have developed so that they have a large capacity for milk, so they can expand to look very large even though the goat/cow is still comfortable. The Dairy goats/cows are milked two to three times a day. A healthy udder is the most essential part of a dairy animal, and we are very careful to be sure the udders don’t become overfilled or uncomfortable.Is this dairy goat pregnant?The goats that are here have either had their babies already or were not bred. Goats are ruminants which mean they have four compartments in their stomachs. The rumen is the compartment that ferments their food and is very large (up to 4 gallons). This is the part that makes all goats look like they are pregnant (even male goats). It is actually a sign of a healthy rumen.Can I hold/pet your animal?I’m sorry, but I can’t let you hold/my animal. There are a lot of other animals here that are from different places. Although all of these animals should be healthy, an animal could have a bug that isn’t making them appear sick. If an animal from another farm or a human gets exposed to the disease, it could cause them to become sick. Good biosecurity practices are something that we have to implement and be very conscious of when we take our animals to different places. That’s why we recommend that you wash your hands or use hand sanitizers before and after going through the animal barns.Why are there numbers and letters printed in the rabbit’s ear? Does it hurt?This is a tattoo. It is the accepted method of identification for rabbits in the United States. It is permanent.?It does hurt, but only for a minute. It is like getting your ear pierced.Why do the rabbit cages have wire floors?The wire floors are for sanitation reasons. It keeps the rabbits separated from feces and urine. They also have good ventilation. Rabbits have thick fur padding on the bottom of their feet to protect them from the wire.Why are rabbits eating green pelleted food instead of greens?These high quality, commercial rabbit pellets have been scientifically formulated to provide a well-balanced diet with all of the nutrients needed for a rabbit to grow and remain healthy. A rabbit might not get a balanced diet if it is only fed hay and fresh foods. ?You can feed your rabbit fruits and some vegetables in small amounts as a treat.Why do you use a large stick when you handle your cattle?This stick is called a showstick. Showsticks are an essential tool used to show beef cattle. The show stick is used to: Assist the handler in placing the feet.During a beef show, 4-H exhibitors are asked to “set up” their animal’s feet. 4-H members are taught to use their show stick to gently nudge their animal’s feet so that they are placed in a particular arrangement. This allows the judge to adequately evaluate the animal from the front, side and rear views, and it shows the judge that the 4-H member has control over their animal.Calm the animal.A 4-H member will often use their showstick to scratch their calf’s belly. This helps to keep the animal calm and relaxed. Control the animal.Cattle are significantly larger that 4-H members, so it is essential that 4-H members have control over their animals. If the animal is moving too fast, the handle of the showstick can be used to gently tap the nose of the animal, which will aid in slowing the calf. 4-H members are taught to never use their showstick to hit or strike their animals. Why do you use a whip to hit your pig?4-H exhibitors use their showsticks to control and drive their project pigs. Proper training begins long before the start of the show. 4-H members use their showstick to gently tap their animal on the neck, shoulder, and hock to drive their animals where they want them to go. Pigs are intelligent animals and quickly learn to respond to visual placement of the showstick. This means that often times, the 4-H exhibitor does not even have to touch their animal with their showstick to get their animal to respond to their directional cue. 4-H members are taught to never use their showstick to hit or strike their animIt is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at ). Inquiries regarding ANR’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to Linda Marie Manton, Affirmative Action Contact, University of California, Davis, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618, (530) 750-1318. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download