Putting Science Into Animal Science Projects printable pdf download

Putting Science Into Animal Science Projects

Putting Science into Animal Science Projects

Area: Keeping Production Records

Activity: Growth Charts and Average Daily Gain

Goal: To teach members about the recordkeeping of science information about the animal(s) they raise,

and how that information can be applied to better manage the growth and health of the animal.

Materials Needed:

A copy of the growth records for the example named Rocky for each member

A copy of the blank growth chart for each member

How to do the activity:

This lesson is divided into four sections:

1. What can we measure? Discussion to prepare members to consider the procedures they will be

fulfilling and the types of information they will be learning that can be measured.

2. Charting an Animal’s Growth

3. What is Average Daily Gain?

4. Reaching a Target Weight

What can we measure?

The purpose of this discussion is simply to make members more aware of the many different pieces of

information they can record as they raise animals, and to help them discover how they might use that

information.

Ask the members to think about all the things they will be doing as they raise an animal. Their

responses might include:



Animal selection

Administering medicines if animal



becomes ill

Purchasing feed



Breaking the animal to lead

Cleaning and maintaining the animal’s



living space

Training the animal for showing at fairs



and shows

Providing water



Learning to bathe or groom the animal

Scheduling veterinary visits

Prepared by Bonnie Malone, Extension Educator 4-H, Huron County, Ohio and Vicki Schwartz, Associate State Leader, Ohio 4-H.

Putting Science Into Animal Science Projects