Ethics Workshop

[KatsMeowTree]

Hey everybody,

For those of you involved in 4-H and know something about the ethicsworkshop you'll know what I'm having some trouble with. For the rest ofyou I will try to explain. Our 4-H requires that each member goes to an"Ethics Workshop" to be able to exhibit their animals at the fair. Theworkshops may be divided into: beef, swine, dairy, goats/sheep, equine,rabbits/poultry. The workshops are supposed to be used to show 4-Herskey parts of the project and what to do with their animals. My job isto conduct the rabbit workshop and I'm having trouble coming up withgood topics to be addressed. I've given so many demonstrations onShowmanship lately, I don't think that would be a good subject; butcouldn't hurt because hopefully Venango County will be adapting the newARBA guidelines. I tried getting some tapes from different judges andthe A.R.B.A. office; but none would really fit "Ethics." Is thereanybody out there that could help me? I'm really not sure what todo.....

Katrina

 

What about my Petpeeve , cross breeding andthe results , and conciquences, the dangers , Im not sure if thisis what your looking for butits a thought .

 

[pamnock]

If you do a search for "ethics showing animals", you should come up with some ideas you can work into rabbit showing.

I'm not really sure what is involved in the "ethics" program (we had"quality assurance" in Ohio) -- but I think you should cover drugwithdrawal specifications for market animals, altering (illegalgrooming products, plucking, etc.), tampering with another exhibitor'slivestock. Sportsmanship (parents included) also makes for agood topic, as well as humane treatment of animals.

I also think that finishing it it off witha showmanship demo would be great!

Pam

 

[pamnock]

gypsy wrote:

What about my Petpeeve , cross breeding andthe results , and conciquences, the dangers , Im not sure if thisis what your looking for butits a thought .

Crossbreeding (mating rabbits of different breedstogether)can actually be a valuable tool for creating hybridvigor in production animals as well as being an importantwhencreating new breeds, or when improving the type and genepool of very rare breeds.

Nearly all the breeds we have today are a result of crossbreeding at some point in the past.

Pam

 

[KatsMeowTree]

Pam,

The workshop is actually "Ethics/Quality Assurance". We usuallydisapprove of pre-medication for the fair and such at the workshop andI'm thinking of giving out a calendar for them to write the deadlineson. Showmanship according to the new guidelines would be great; do uthink maybe it'd be good to actually have some of the kids do it? Youknow.. like walk them through the steps? So far showmanship in Venangohas been improving so much lately, every kid I've taught has placed inthe top two... and at Regionals also, but the new guides could be toughfor the younger kids. Also most of the kids don't even know how toshow... aaahhh

I'd like you to know that I'm going to request you to the Fair boardalong w/ Eric for judging at the fair... of course it's up to you ifthey contact you; but I'd really like somebody who knows what they'redoing.

Thank you for all of your help

Kat

 

[KatsMeowTree]

Hey,

We've touched on cross-breeding before... but again, we don't go toofar with the commercial breeds for kids who know what they're doing asfar as meat-quality. I myself have crossed for meat pens to sell, withexcellent results. But I get what you are meaning and kids should thinkfurther into it before putting the boyfriend and girlfriend together towatch them do their thing.... I've had that happen before

Kat