No guidance from 4H

[RunsonTea]

We need help! We moved Rural few years ago and my 11 year old wanted to join 4H. He took on 2 sheep. We are so lost and 4H is a joke! We have no idea what we are doing and are not given any guidance. Most of the time I message and never hear back! Its a small town and the last thing I want to do is go bitch on these people.

So apparently there is this news paper thing the kids have to do. We took photos and wrote a thing up. After we sent it in some post went up on Face book about what it is. So we did it all wrong. Now being told what it should look like. That we need to have a photo of just our son with the sheep looking their best.

That we need to clean and groom this sheep! Yet no one has shown us how! Just 2 weeks ago we are told we need a brush. I cant find one! I was told a dog brush would work, that we would be shown how on our next weigh day. ( the person who told us worked in the store we were in) Our weigh day is 2 weeks away. Yet here we are and this photo needs to be on Sunday.

So how do we clean and brush this sheep? The Videos I find are not using a dog brush. Some use a livestock blower? What in the world is that? I do not have time or money to track one of them down. Some videos use a special soap. I am not sure where to find that.

I am so angry and frustrated. Join 4H to have no info on how to do any of this. You should have seen the mess on rally day. Had no idea what it was. We took the sheep with us! Had no idea we did not need the sheep! NO idea what Rally day was! Turns out the kids go around and judge animals.

Please if anyone from 4H is reading this please make some kind of guid book for dumb city parents who have no clue! 4h has been the most confusing thing ever! Show up to meetings they just talk like you should know what they are talking about. Tell you that you will pick it up as you go, ask questions and they Get frustrated or dont message you back!

Anyway I had to get a little of that off my chest! Thanks!
How do we clean and brush this sheep. I do only have a dog brush.

Thanks in advance one dumb city lady.

 

[Margali]

I feel you so much! I am also a new 4H mom. What state are you in? @Ridgetop @BrahmerQueen @Show Sebright are knowledgeable. You need to find the Ag Extension agent for your area and email that person. They are the source of all info animal vs the local 4H club.

A dog slicker brush or livestock one will work. The push button to remove matt is great. I got this cheap dog blower and it works great for washing sheep. I used Mane & Tail plus Weaver purple shampoo.

My daughter's show thread, https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/2024-2025-sheep-showing.44346/.

 

[BrahmerQueen]

Do you know if you have to shear the sheep?

 

[RunsonTea]

I feel you so much! I am also a new 4H mom. What state are you in? @Ridgetop @BrahmerQueen @Show Sebright are knowledgeable. You need to find the Ag Extension agent for your area and email that person. They are the source of all info animal vs the local 4H club.

A dog slicker brush or livestock one will work. The push button to remove matt is great. I got this cheap dog blower and it works great for washing sheep. I used Mane & Tail plus Weaver purple shampoo.

My daughter's show thread, https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/2024-2025-sheep-showing.44346/.

I am in Canada, No idea what an AG Extension agent is.

I would have to order a blower of Amazon. It will take at least a week. I need in in 2 days. I can try the one and only supply store. They do not have the brush and the lady that works there who is in the 4h club.. the same lady who has had enough of me did not say anything about it when I was looking for a brush. I do not think they have them.

My husband and kid say they are just going to us whatever shampoo and the dog brush..... This is not going to go well.

The worst part is I cant go to the meetings. I am Highly allergic to horses. Just sitting in the room with all the people who own horses is a problem for me. Even with Allergy pills. We had to leave the potluck early because I could not breath. Its great fun.

 

[RunsonTea]

Do you know if you have to shear the sheep?

I think it was a month or more ago we had to take the sheep the the leaders house to be sheared.

 

[Margali]

@RunsonTea I didn't realize there was Canada 4H, sorry. In the USA, the Agricultural Extension agent from the state university is point of contact for animal projects. It doesn't look like there is the same structure for Canada group.

 

[Mini Horses]

Wow -- horse allergy! Usually dogs & cats. Of course, some foods. You are first I've heard say horses. Gotta be a problem as so many own them & visit feed stores, etc. almost as bad as 2nd hand smoke exposure.

 

[RunsonTea]

@RunsonTea I didn't realize there was Canada 4H, sorry. In the USA, the Agricultural Extension agent from the state university is point of contact for animal projects. It doesn't look like there is the same structure for Canada group.

If there is, I have no idea. Its sad this big group, in 2 countries and very unorganized.

 

[RunsonTea]

Wow -- horse allergy! Usually dogs & cats. Of course, some foods. You are first I've heard say horses. Gotta be a problem as so many own them & visit feed stores, etc. almost as bad as 2nd hand smoke exposure.

Its no fun and seams to have gotten worse over the past 20 years. When I was a kid I slept in a tent with other kids that had been riding them. No good. We were no where near a hospital. Not sure how I made the night.

2 years ago my husband wanted to go to the rodeo, ( He had never been) I thought Ok I will take a pill and its outside. Been there done this. Turns out it was inside. I did not make it an hour! I played it down, left my husband and kids there. Not sure how I made it to the car, let alone the 10 min drive to ER.

If it was not for this allergy I am sure we would have a horses. My 11 year old loves them. He cant have one because of me....... Altho we dont have the money for one, so it might be for the best.