Small Animal

Members will learn how to feed, house, train, and show their cavy* project. Learning the parts of the cavy is a big part of the cavy project. For Achievement Day, members must be able to demonstrate proper showmanship skills. Another aspect of the cavy project is Cavy Breeding where members are to, ideally, raise three cavies: two sows and one boar, and to exhibit one sow with her litter (2 1⁄2-5 1⁄2 weeks old) at Achievement Day.

*Cavy, also called Guinea pigs, are rodents belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia.

Members care for one or more goats. Goats need good pasture but often can utilize pasture that might otherwise be wasted. Members should take a Female Kid project or a Butcher Kid project when they first begin in the club. More experienced members may wish to develop a Goat Herd or study pasture conditions in their area and how production can be increased through management practices.

This is an excellent project for 4-H’ers who cannot keep or handle larger animals. A 4-H member can learn feeding, management, breeding, record keeping, and marketing of livestock in less time and with less money invested than with other livestock projects. In this project a member would start by raising two rabbits. They could carry on by raising a number of market animals for home use or sale or they could do a Breeding project with at least five rabbits.