A
merit badge for
Boy scouts. This is not a required badge for
Eagle. Taken from meritbadge.com:
- Name four breeds of livestock in each of the following classifications: horses, dairy
cattle, beef cattle, sheep, hogs. Tell their principal uses and merits. Tell where the
breeds originated.
- List the principal diseases in your area that afflict the animals in each
classification. Describe the symptoms and explain the proper treatment for the diseases
you list.
- Explain the major differences in digestive systems or ruminant and nonruminant animals.
Explain the differences in feeds typically used for beef cattle and for
dairy cows.
- Tell how you would properly manage a cow, horse, sheep, goat, or hog, or a
poultry flock, including adequate
feeding. Tell what must be done to prevent illness, blemishes, defects, and disease
arising from improper and unsanitary conditions.
- Tell about three career opportunities in animal science.
Complete ONE of the following options:
Beef Cattle Option
- Visit a farm or ranch where beef cattle are produced under any of these systems:
- feeding market cattle for harvest
- producing feeder cattle for sale to commercial cattle feeders
- producing purebred cattle for sale as breeding stock to other breeders.
Talk with the operator. Tell how the cattle were handled, fed, weighed, and shipped.
- Sketch a plan of a feedlot, forage and grain storage facilities, and loading chute for 30
or more fattening steers, or a corral plan with cutting and loading chutes for handling 50
or more beef cows and their calves at one time.
- Submit a sketch showing the principal wholesale and retail cuts of beef. Tell about
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
dual grading system of beef. Tell about the grades in each system.
- Define the following terms: bull, steer, bullock, cow, heifer, freemartin, heiferette, calf.
Dairying Option
- Tell how a cow or goat converts forage and grain into milk.
- Make a chart showing the ingredients in cows' milk or goat's milk. Chart the amount of
each ingredient.
- Explain the requirements for producing Grade A milk. Tell how milk is
pasteurized.
- Tell about the kinds of equipment and sanatation standards for dairy farms.
- Define the following terms: bull, cow, steer, heifer, springer, buck,
doe, kid.
- Visit a dairy farm or milk processing plant. Tell about your visit.
Horse Option
- Make a sketch of a useful saddle horse barn and exercise yard.
- Tell the history of the horse and the benefits it has brought to
people.
- Define the following terms: mare, stallion, gelding, foal, colt,
filly; mustang, quarter horse, draft horse, pacer, trotter; pinto, calico,
palomino, overo, tobiano.
- Visit a horse farm. Describe your visit.
- Outline the proper feeding of a horse doing light work. Explain why
the amount and kind of feed will change according to the kind of horse
and the work it does. Describe the symptoms of colic.
Sheep Option
- Make a sketch of a live lamb. Show the location of the various wholesale and retail
cuts.
- Select two breeds that would be appropriate for the production of
crossbred market lambs in your region. Identify which breed the rams
should be.
- Choose three breeds and offer a crossbreeding plan that would use the
best characteristics of each breed for maximum sheep production
efficiency.
- Visit a farm or ranch where sheep are raised. Tell about your visit, including the
feeding program used. If you cannot visit a sheep farm or ranch, view a
video from a breed association, or research the Internet for information
on sheep production. Tell about your findings.
- Describe some differences between the production of pure-bred and
commercial lambs.
- Define the following terms: wether, ewe, ram, lamb.
Hog Option
- Visit a farm where hogs are produced, or visit a packing plant handling hogs. Describe your visit. If you cannot visit a hog
production unit or packing plant, view a video from a packer or
processor. Tell about the video.
- Outline in writing the proper feeding from the breeding of gilt or sow through the
weaning of the litter. Discuss the growth and finishing periods.
- Make a sketch showing the principal wholesale and retail cuts of pork. Tell about the
recommended USDA grades of pork. Tell the basis for each grade.
- Define the following terms: gilt, sow, barrow, boar.
Poultry Option
- Do ONE of the following:
- Manage an egg-producing flock for five months. Keep records of feed purchased, eggs
sold, medication, vaccination, and mortality. Present records for review.
- Raise 20 chicks, poults, or ducklings. Keep records of feed intake,
weight gains, medication, vaccination, and mortality.
Present records for review. Kill and dress two birds.
- Visit a commercial layer or broiler chicken producer, or a turkey
production unit. Tell about your visit. If you cannot visit a
commercial poultry or egg farm, view a video from a poultry
association or research the Internet for information on poultry
production. Tell about your findings.
- Make a sketch of a layer house or broiler house showing nests, roosts,
feeders, waterers, and means of ventilation. Explain how insulation,
ventilation, temperature controls, automatic lights, and other
environmental controls are used to protect birds from heat, cold, and
bad weather.
- Tell about the grading of eggs. Tell how broilers (fryers) are graded.
Describe the classes of chicken meat.
- Define the following terms: hen, rooster, chick, capon, tom, poult.