Logan 4-H members attend Illinois 4-H Youth Livestock Conference

 

[February 07, 2019] 

Illinois 4-H livestock project members channeled their inner superheroes at the Youth Livestock Conference held Jan. 26-27 in Decatur. More than 100 youth from across the state learned best practices in herd health management, artificial insemination, reproductive health, meat carcass evaluation, specialized livestock equipment, and public relations.

In addition, youth learned valuable animal ethics and advocacy priorities in order to become better livestock stewards, said Dan Jennings, University of Illinois Extension 4-H Animal Science Educator.

Attending from Logan County were Greg Toohill, member of Atlanta Ag 4-H Club, Reed Naughton, member of Atlanta Town & Country 4-H Club, and James Byrd, Jayce Coers, Ryan Fruge, Shelby Heyen, and Charlie Parr who are all members of the Hollanders 4-H Club.

Charlie Parr stated “One thing I learned was more about the meat cuts of pork. It was fun and interesting to put these parts together as a puzzle. Since I have cattle, it was good to learn more about different types of livestock such as pigs and sheep. I liked making new friends who have the same interests in livestock that I do.” Ryan Fruge indicated “I learned about how to suture up wounds, give injections to animals, and the standards of marble in meat.” Jayce Coers shared that his favorite activity was learning the different cuts of a pig carcass and Reed Naughton indicated he most enjoyed learning more about the science of artificial insemination.

Participating from Logan County; front row (L to R): Jayce Coers, James Byrd and Shelby Heyen. Back row: Reed Naughton, Ryan Fruge, Charlie Parr and Greg Toohill.

The Illinois 4-H Youth Livestock Conference is held bi-annually and planned by the Illinois 4-H Livestock Ambassador Team. The Illinois 4-H Foundation provides financial support through generous donor gifts.

To learn more about the Illinois 4-H Youth Livestock Conference or the Logan County 4-H program, contact the 4-H office at 732-8289.

About 4-H: Illinois 4-H empowers and prepares Illinois youth for success. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois, affecting the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs, groups and short-term programming.

[Patty Huffer
Extension Program Coordinator/4-H Youth Development]