4-H Offices Held
Name
Address
City, State Zip Code
Club
4-H Age
County
(age as of January 1st of current year) Birth date
Years in 4-H
4-H Leader
Years with dairy project

 You will learn key lessons on how to keep an effective record book.
 You will understand what is involved in caring for and raising a dairy animal.
 You will be able to compare your success from year to year and be able to identify things you can change for the next year.
 Keep entries neat and up to date.
 Books must be done covering August 1st – July 31st.
 Scrapbooking of the book is not allowed. Two pages may be used for photos of the current year. An optional picture(s) of the 4-Her with each of his/her project animal may be displayed with the project animal information sheet.
 Understand what each section is asking for before you begin to record information.
 If you are having problems, you may consult other members of the club, your club leader or your parents, but all work must be completed by you, not someone else.
This is your book for you to learn.
 You will be required to keep separate information for each animal you have entered to show at the fair. For calves, you must keep a growth chart. For heifers, you must keep a growth chart and breeding chart. For cows, you must keep the breeding chart and lactation chart.
 Your project book must be turned in by July 31st to your leader in a 3-ring binder.
2

The project book is divided into three sections. For your project book to be complete, you will need to have each section.
1.
To be filled out each year with new forms and to be done for each animal: o 4-Her general information sheet. o Project Animal Information Sheet for each project animal (you may provide a copy of your registration paper in place of this sheet). o Growth Chart Graph for each calf/heifer project animal. o Breeding Record for each heifer/cow project animal. o Lactation Record for each cow project animal. o Management Expense Record for all project animals or Management Expense
Record for calf, heifer and/or cow depending on project animal(s). You only need to do one expense record for each age range. (I.e. if you have two projects that are calves, you only need to do the expense record for one calf. i.
Calf Sheets are for Spring, Winter and Fall Calves. ii.
Heifer Sheets are for Summer Yearling, Spring Yearling, Winter Yearling and
Fall Yearling. iii.
Cow Sheets are for Junior 2-year olds and older. o Income Record. o Health/Expense Record. o Project Story for current project year. o Two (2) pages of scrapbooking and/or photos for current project year (optional).
2.
Age related worksheets. Fill out one per year and continue to add each additional project year.
3.
Lifetime Section o Continual Animal Inventory (From 1st year of 4-H to present. Include animals owned and leased.) o Supply Inventory (You can include everything your family owns.) o Record of Shows and Fairs o 4-H Activities o 4-Her general information sheets from previous years o Project Story pages from previous years o Two (2) pages of scrapbooking and/or photos for each previous year
(i.e. 5 previous project years = 10 pages of scrapbook/photos) (optional). o Dairy Leader Comments (keep from year to year)
3

 You may list your barn name or short name for your project animal(s) in all areas except for your Project Animal Information Sheet.
 You may group all the sheets for each animal together. Then proceed with the next animal. o For a Winter Calf: i.
Project Animal Information Sheet or Copy of Registration Paper ii.
Growth Chart Graph iii.
Management Expense Record for calf o For a 3-year old Cow: i.
Project Animal Information Sheet or Copy of Registration Paper ii.
Breeding Record for each heifer/cow project animal iii.
Lactation Record for each cow project animal iv.
Management Expense Record for cow
4

This is a record of the animals that you will be using as your project animals. Please be sure to specify on the growth/breeding/lactation records which animal you are using. If you are showing more animals than there are spaces provided, please add sufficient copies of all necessary pages to accommodate the extra animals. If you have a calf, the growth chart is required. If you have a heifer, the growth and breeding charts are required; with a cow, the breeding and lactation charts are to be filled out. These records can be easily transferred from year to year if you continue to show the same animal. You may substitute a copy of your registration paper for this page.
Registration Name of Animal
Barn Name/Number Breed Date of Birth
Ear Tag Number Tattoo Number
Registration Number (if registered) Date Acquired
Owner’s Name (as on registration paper)
Breeder’s Name (as on registration paper)
Sire’s Full Name
Dam’s Full Name
Registration Name of Animal
Barn Name/Number Breed Date of Birth
Ear Tag Number Tattoo Number
Registration Number (if registered) Date Acquired
Owner’s Name (as on registration paper)
Breeder’s Name (as on registration paper)
Sire’s Full Name
Dam’s Full Name
Registration Name of Animal
Barn Name/Number Breed Date of Birth
Ear Tag Number
Registration Number (if registered)
Owner’s Name (as on registration paper)
Breeder’s Name (as on registration paper)
Sire’s Full Name
Dam’s Full Name
Tattoo Number
Date Acquired
5

Weight
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Here you will record the growth of each of your project animals if it is a calf or heifer. Plot your points onto the graph to show your animal’s growth curve. Use a dotted line for height - - - - and a solid line for weight ----------------.
Animal Name: Teddys Baby Boo
Birth Date: March 18 , 2011
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
56
52
48
44
40
36
32
28
24 24
Age in Months
Height
60
6

Whenever you breed your animal(s), record the date and the sire in the following table. Once your animal(s) is confirmed pregnant, record the due date in the table. Then when your animal calves, record the date in the table.
First Service Second Service Third Service Fourth Service
Animal Name
Date
Bred
Service
Sire
Date
Bred
Service
Sire
Date
Bred
Service
Sire
Date
Bred
Service
Sire
Due
Date
Date
Calved
Gender of Calf
7

Animal Name:
Birth Date: Lactation Number:
Last Fresh Date: _________________ Due Date: ________________ Dry off Date: ______________
Animal Name: __________________________________________________________________
Birth Date: Lactation Number:
Last Fresh Date: _________________ Due Date: ________________ Dry off Date: _____________ __
Animal Name: __________________________________________________________________
Birth Date: Lactation Number:
Last Fresh Date: _________________ Due Date: ________________ Dry off Date: _____________ __
Label each animal’s line if more than one.
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Days in Milk
8

(Complete this information in place of Calf/Heifer/Cow Management Expense Sheets)
In this section, please describe your herd feeding program for calves, heifers and cows (depending on your project animals). Include the following information in your description:
 What and how much of it you feed to all the different groups of animals (calves, heifers, dry cows, low producers, high producers, etc.) you have. For example – what and how much you feed your calves daily.
 Include the “recipe” for TMR mixtures and grain mixtures, feed bag tags, etc.
 List the annual feed costs for your herd.
 Include information regarding the type of housing for your animals, bedding used, cost and disposal of manure. Optional: include the cost of the equipment used on the farm.
9

You only need to fill out one calf record regardless of the number of calves you have as projects.
Here you will figure out how much it costs to raise your calf, for this year, from birth to 1 year. Use your project animal and estimate how much it costs to care for your calf. You will start at the beginning of the project year and count how many days your calf was fed liquid feed (milk or milk replacer), then how many days it received calf starter until it went on regular feed. Multiply the days by the price per day.
Animal Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Birth Date: _____________________________________
Item Average Cost*
(for 1 Calf for 1 Day)
(in dollars)
0.80
# of Days fed Average Cost of Raising Your Calf
(in dollars)
Liquid Feed
Calf Starter
Grain
Hay
Bedding
0.30
0.93
0.90
0.57
Total Cost
* Calf estimates derived from www.das.psu.edu/dcn/CALFMGT/special/files/psucrrhManure2.xls. Gabler,
Tozer, Heinrichs, and Beck. 2/20/04.
How old should a calf be at weaning? ___________________________________________________
Do you feed your calf whole milk or milk replacer? ________________________________________
If you feed whole milk, what is value of the milk you feed per day? ___________________________
If you feed milk replacer, what is the cost of one bag of milk replacer? _______________________
What brand of milk replacer did you price? _________________________________________
Is the milk replacer medicated?:___________________________________________________
How many pounds of calf starter should a calf be eating at weaning? _________________________
What type of bedding do you use for your calf? ____________________________________________
What type of housing is your project animal living in ? ______________________________________
(i.e. calf hutch, calf barn, pasture)
Do you treat your show calf differently than other calves on your farm? _______ How? (add additional sheet if necessary.)
10

You only need to fill out one heifer record regardless of the number of heifers you have as projects. Here you will figure out how much it costs to raise your heifer, for this year, from 1 year to calving. Use your project animal and estimate how much it costs to care for your heifer. You will start at the beginning of the project year and count how many days your heifer was fed feed.
Multiply the days by the price per day.
Animal Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Birth Date: _____________________________________
Item Average Cost*
(for 1 Heifer for 1 Day)
(in dollars)
# of Days fed Average Cost of Raising Your Heifer
(in dollars)
Grain 0.93
Hay
Pasture
Bedding
3.00
1.00
0.09
Total Cost
* Heifer estimates derived from www.das.psu.edu/dcn/CALFMGT/special/files/psucrrhManure2.xls. Gabler,
Tozer, Heinrichs, and Beck. 2/20/04.
How many pounds of grain does your heifer need per day? ___________________________________
How old should your heifer be at first breeding?_____________________________________________
What type of bedding do you use for your heifer? ___________________________________________
What is the cost of the bedding you use? __________________________________________________
(i.e. Straw at $5 per bale or sawdust at $300 a ton)
What type of housing is your project animal living in? _______________________________________
(i.e. stall barn, loose housing, pasture)
How is the manure handled (i.e. pitch it, skid steer, barn cleaner or some other method? ________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
How is your manure utilized? ____________________________________________________________
11

You only need to fill out one cow record regardless of the number of cows you have as projects.
Here you will figure out how much it costs to milk your cow, for this year, from calving to end of project year. Use your project animal and estimate how much it costs to care for your cow. You will start at the beginning of the project year and count how many days your cow was milking and dry. Multiply the days by the price per day.
Animal Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Birth Date: _____________________________________
Item Average Cost**
(for 1 Cow for 1 Day)
(in dollars)
# of Days fed Average Cost of Raising Your Cow
(in dollars)
Grain 2.00
TMR
Hay
Silage
4.70
0.30
0.70
Pasture
Bedding
1.00
0.10
Total Cost
** Cow estimates derived from 2000 Pennsylvania Dairy Farm Business Analysis . Roth and Hyde. 2001. With assistance from Dr. C. Dechow, PSU Dairy and Animal Science Professor.
If you feed a Feed mix instead of TMR, what is in your ration? _______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What does a batch of your ration cost (i.e. per bag or per ton)? _____________________________
If you feed a TMR, what is in the TMR that you feed? ______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What type of bedding do you use for your cow? ___________________________________________
What is the cost of the bedding you use? __________________________________________________
(i.e. Straw at $5 per bale or sawdust at $300 a ton)
What type of housing is your project animal living in? _______________________________________
(i.e. stall barn, loose housing, pasture)
12

It is important to keep a list of visits and procedures performed by the veterinarian or other personnel on your project animals. You can use the animal’s first name for this record. If more than one animal is treated on a day, list all of the animal’s names and only list the cost once
(i.e. Rosie/Daisy/Sami – 1/1/09 – Hoof Trimmer - $30.00). Include in this record: breeding, vaccinations, health papers, deworming, horn removal, vet visit, hoof trimming, show entry fees, purchasing show supplies, etc..
Animal Name(s) Date What was done or paid for Cost
13

On this record, you will record income that you received or was earned by your project animals. Include sale of bull calves, project animals, show winnings and milk sold from your cows.
To get the number of pounds per month, refer to your lactation record for the average pounds per day for each month, multiply by the number of days in the month for total pounds per month for each milking project animal.
a b c Total Value
Pounds per month Pounds per Avg. cwt price (Column b multiplied for all milking animals by column c)
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
month divided by
100
14

This should be an account of your current project year. Be sure to include the activities you were a part of, the awards and recognition you received, and your achievements from the year. Please feel free to add sheets of paper as needed.
15

This is intended as a continual record of all dairy animals that you own and/or lease. You should include all animals you already own and/or lease, along with all animals you acquire throughout the year (i.e. all bulls/heifers born/bought/sold). A “continual record” implies that this will carry over to every year you are working with a dairy project in 4-H. This will help keep your animal records up to date.
Check
If project in current year Animal Name (complete) Gender Breed
Registration
Number
Date of
Birth
Years shown in
4-H
Date of
Purchase or Lease
Date of
Sale/
Death
16

It is important to keep track of all the barn and show supplies you acquire. Here, you will keep a continuous record of all the supplies and equipment you have or your family owns. This should be a list of all relevant supplies you currently own, along with those that you bought or acquired during the project year. This way you can determine what you have at the start of each year, and know what things you will need to buy for the year. Items include show/rope halters, feed equipment, water buckets, etc.
Item Description Intended Use
Date Acquired
(full date or year) Cost
17

This is a record of how you did at the various shows and fairs you attended with your animals throughout the year. It will be nice to have this recorded so you can look back and see how you have done over the years. Also, you will be able to keep track of basic show expenses (entry fees) and the money you were awarded for showing (premiums). Make sure to list the animal’s name, the dates they were showed, the show’s name, the place awarded, along with premiums and entry fees.
Placing
Name of Animal Date Name of Show/Fair
&
Ribbon
18

This should be a list of all the activities you participated in this project year with 4-H. It can include all the meetings you attended, special workshops that were held, field trips or any other type of activity that you feel has helped you develop throughout the year.
Name of Activity
Date &
Location
What I Did
Club/County/State/
National Level
Recognition/
Award Earned
19

16
17
18
13
14
15
10
11
12
AGE
8
9
Dairy Leader Comments
COMMENTS SIGNATURE
20