How to Use Your Reference Guide
Your reference guide is designed to fit into a 3-ring notebook with your project record
books. You will receive only one reference guide for your entire 4-H career, so take care
of it! It contains a checklist of things you should do and learn to complete your project.
The things to do and learn are grouped into lessons about swine. Each lesson includes:
• objectives for that lesson
• information about swine and how to care for them
• words to learn
• ideas for presentations and talks
• suggested activities
• things to talk about with your leaders and other 4-H’ers.
Purpose of the 4-H Breeding Swine Project
In the Breeding Swine Reference Guide, you will learn the fundamentals of being a good
swine producer and build skills that will prepare you for life.
Some of the things you will learn about swine management are:
• why people raise swine
• how to select pigs for your project using performance data
• how to feed and care for breeding swine
• how to keep your sows and litters healthy
• how to breed and farrow a sow
the parts of a pig
• what happens during gestation
• how to keep records
• how to successfully market feeder pigs and cull sows
Working with your pigs and taking part in 4-H activities will help you to develop
personally and build skills for living. These skills include:
• being a leader
• being a citizen
• communicating effectively
• developing personally
• relating to people
• developing values
• preparing for a career