South Burlington--Eight 4-H'ers spent the day gleaning information and testing their knowledge of sheep and goats as part of the 2023 Sheep and Goat Skill-a-thon and Quiz Bowl.

University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H hosted the event at its South Burlington Extension office on April 22. All Vermont 4-H members, ages 8 to 18, were invited to participate with no prior knowledge or experience in the sheep or goat project needed.

Participants were Lillian Aiken, Tunbridge; Natalie Layn, Bristol; Madison Fuller and Christopher McNeely, both from Lunenburg; Ian and Josie Kascha-Hare, Milton; and Elisa and Genji Navarrete, Richmond. 

The event kicked off with a "Get to Know You" session where the 4-H'ers gave a brief introduction about themselves, their involvement in 4-H and their project work. It was followed by a skill-a-thon, which provided an opportunity to learn about a variety of topics relating to sheep and goats.

Facilitating the skill-a-thon was Jill Merkel, Richmond, a member of the Vermont 4-H Sheep and Goat Committee and a volunteer leader with the Hinesburg 4-H Club. The 4-H'ers visited several learning stations with her to hear about breeds of sheep and goats, diseases and the different equipment that they should have in a tack box for sheep care and a separate tack box for showing. Merkel also discussed how to keep 4-H project record books and the forms needed for registering a sheep or goat project.

The quiz bowl took place following the skill-a-thon with 4-H'ers answering questions posed by Merkel and Wendy Sorrell, UVM Extension 4-H livestock educator, on a diverse range of sheep and goat topics. The contest was not scored, but rather run as a learning opportunity. Parents and 4-H club leaders were invited to participate in a round just for fun and the experience of participating in a quiz bowl.

For more information about the Vermont 4-H sheep and goat projects, contact Sorrell at (802) 656-7641 or wendy.sorrell@uvm.edu.