Swine 4-H Project Area

The 4-H Swine project area consists of three project manuals. Each manual covers three years of activities.  

• The Incredible Pig (Swine 1) introduces you to naming breeds, learning swine body parts, judging market hogs, exploring a digestive system, examining a healthy pig, identifying pork cuts, and practicing fitting and showing.
• Putting the Oink in Pig (Swine 2) includes managing baby pigs, balancing a ration, exploring swine diseases, preparing pork, discovering swine careers and packing a show box.
• In Going Whole Hog (Swine 3), you will plan a breeding system, judge breeding gilts, design a swine operation and complete a job application.

If a member completes the 9 years of project manuals, they can work with their county Extension professionals to determine their learning opportunities for their remaining 4-H years.

Scoresheets

Record Guides

Youth who has selected a Swine 4-H project typically are raising an animal as part of their project work. A project record guide is part of the animal science project experience.  If you enroll with an animal, you will need to select the Breeding Livestock Record Guide (Purebred Swine) or Market Livestock Record Guide (Market Hog) to accompany this project. Record guides are available in both a print and electronic format.

Paper Record Guides

• Ages 8-10 – Beginner Market Livestock Record Guide
• Ages 11-13 – Intermediate Market Livestock Record Guide
• Ages 14-20 – Advanced Market Livestock Record Guide

Breeding Livestock Record Guides (ages based on Jan 1st of current 4-H year)

• Ages 8-10 – Beginner Breeding Livestock Record Guide
• Ages 11-13 – Intermediate Breeding Livestock Record Guide
• Ages 14-20 – Advanced Breeding Livestock Record Guide

For most species, the supplement records are lifetime production records, so the 4-H member updates these each year that an animal is a part of their project. Members will need to complete a supplement sheet for each animal included in their record guide. These supplement records will be available online only.

• Swine
• Individual SOW Record

Exhibit Ideas

• Most youth in this project area will exhibit an animal at a livestock show.

• Poster, Story, and/or Model on one of the following topics:

• Swine 1 - breeds, swine body parts, judging market hogs, exploring a digestive system, examining a healthy pig, identifying pork cuts, and practicing fitting and showing.
• Swine 2 - managing baby pigs, balancing a ration, exploring swine diseases, preparing pork, discovering swine careers and packing a show box.
• Swine 3 - a breeding system plan, judge breeding gilts, design a swine operation and a job application.
• Examples of Blue Ribbon Exhibits

How Do I Sign Up?

Project Videos

Related Events & Camps

Animal Health & Quality Assurance (AH&QA)

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