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Dairy Project
What is it all about?
The 4-H Dairy Project allows you to learn about breeds, selection, grooming, production, management, showmanship, marketing, and careers through a dairy animal.
Grow in Your Project
Beginner
- Identify different dairy breeds
- Learn proper feeding of dairy cows
- Prepare a project animal for show by leading and caring for it.
- Learning how to properly exhibit your dairy animal and in showmanship
- Identify how a healthy calf and cow looks and acts
Intermediate
- Learn the appropriate handling techniques and housing for a dairy animal
- Exploring different opportunities within the project
- Learning the difference between each of the breeds
- Exploring how the dairy cow’s body works
Advanced
- Balance a dairy cow’s ration
- Learn how to manage a cow and a new born calf
- Take a calf and follow it to a cow
- Learn how to read a pedigree
- Properly identify and learn how to treat common diseases
- Learn how to properly fill and get your animal ready for the ring
Member Resources
Dairy Project Curriculum
3 levels (grades 3-12)
Free Downloads
Resources for all grades 3-13
Project Leader Resources
Dairy Project Helper’s Guide
3 levels (grades 3-12)
PYD Media Collection
Many educational resources, including several skillathons and learning lab kit.
Free Downloads
- 4-H Animal Science Anywhere (all grades)
Statewide Events and Opportunities
Dairy Quiz Bowl
The Dairy Bowl is a “quiz bowl” competition where all questions deal with dairy topics. Competition in the 4-H Dairy Bowl encourages a 4-H member to develop a more complete knowledge of dairy animals and related subjects. This contest provides an educational dairy program for all dairy project members, including those who may not own a dairy project animal, and provides a way to develop alertness, self-confidence, teamwork skills, and mastery in the area of dairy science.
Audience: Grades 3-13
Area Animal Science Days
Area Animal Science Days is a series of day-long events held around the state in June where youth in the beef, dairy, horse, sheep, and swine projects increase their decision-making skills and knowledge of animals through judging and grading experiences. Events include dairy cattle evaluation; livestock (beef, sheep, swine, & meat goats) evaluation; oral reasons contests for senior members; and dairy showmanship contests . In addition, each site may offer a variety of workshops like poster and photography contests or horse judging activities.
Audience: Grades 3-13
State Dairy Judging Contest
Participating in Dairy Judging provides an excellent opportunity for youth to not only increase their knowledge of evaluating dairy cattle but also develop and hone valuable communication skills that will be useful for a lifetime.
Audience: Grades 3-13
James W. Crowley Dairy Leadership Award
The 4-H Dairy Leadership Award provides recognition to youth who have excelled in their dairy project. We are pleased to name the award in honor and memory of James W. Crowley, longtime Extension Dairy Specialist and strong supporter of dairy youth project work.
Audience: Grades 10-13
Take Your Project Further!
- Tour a local dairy farm
- Visit show dairy farm
- Interview a local dairy farmer in your area
- Learn more about different dairy brands in Wisconsin
- Job shadow with a local dairy producer or veterinarian to learn more about animal management and health
- Attend a dairy show to listen to the judges oral reasons and witness different judging styles
- Participate in a dairy project workshop or be on your counties 4-H Dairy Judging or Dairy Bowl Team
- Discover different dairy products and by-products
- Exhibit or attend a local, district, state, national or international shows and conferences
Applying Project Skills to Life
Enhance Your Communication Skills
- Creating a poster about a dairy specific breed, disease or body system and talking the judge through your poster
- Having and helping out at your counties or neighboring counties Showing and Fitting Workshop
- Demonstrate show to properly put up a topline, or fit an animal
- Helping to putting together your counties educational display at Wisconsin State Fair
- Talking to the judge about your animal in the ring
- Giving oral reasons to the judge at Area Animal Science Days, State Judging contest or other judging contests
Get Involved in Citizenship and Service
- Complete a dairy presentation during June, June Dairy Month
- Volunteer at a dairy promotional event, either during or not June Dairy Month
- Your County’s Breakfast on the Farm
- Start a dairy bowl or dairy judging team with the help of an adult volunteer
- Before county far, lead a Showing and Fitting Workshop with different topics such as…
- How to put up a topline, How to fit your own animal, How to get your animal showring ready, How to properly fill your animal
- Work and Mentor a younger youth in the dairy project and teach them the ins and outs of the project
- Become Herdsmen for your county at state fair
- Advocate for the dairy industry
Learn about Leadership
- Lead other 4-H members in participating in local dairy producer events
- Arrange a dairy farm tour at your farm or another farm in the area
- Work with your animal and create a bond with them
- Become involved in state and local breed associations, and hold different leadership positions
Showing What You’ve Learned
- Participate in the 4-H dairy show at your county fair or the Wisconsin State Fair
- Create a dairy show kit (show box)
- Consider an exhibit, notebook, scrapbook or display on what you’ve learned in a dairy-related topic
- Nutritive value of cows milk
- Feeding rations
- Preventative vaccinations
- Photos of different dairy breeds
- Daily routine in caring for your animals
- Grooming techniques
- Developing a foundation for a dairy herd
- Best care of newborns
- Dairy by-products
- Impact of local foods on local economy
- Display of feeds or ration contents and analysis
- Joining a dairy bowl or judging team
- Taking on leadership roles within the dairy project or breed associations
- Video on fitting a dairy calf/cow
- Filling out the James W. Crowley Dairy Leadership Award
