My name is Brittney Archer and I am 17 years old. I took the project Vet Science 2: All systems go! I am a part of the Ada Barnyard Farmers.

I’ve been in the group for 7 years now. With the project Vet Science 2 I did several things.

I had to take the temperature, heart rate, and breathing rate of one of my animals. I had to put 4 different kinds of animal feed into 5 jars and try and see which was a better container for the feed.

One jar had a loose lid, the second had a tight lid, the third had a tight lid with moisture, the fourth had a tight lid with moisture in 40 degrees or below, and the fifth jar had a tight lid with moisture in 70 degrees or higher. The last three jars in each feed grew mold after a couple of weeks.

I had to place dominoes in certain ways to see how animals could be contaminated. One way was one right after the other, where when one fell they all fell, symbolizing that all the animals came into contact with the disease. Another was put them in a circle and placing one in the middle, so when they fell, only one was standing. The last way was having them all spaced out, so when one fell, all the others stayed standing.

The last main thing that I did was shadowing a veterinarian. That was my favorite part. I stayed an entire work day at Dr. Ferguson’s clinic. I helped with a couple operations and was in the exam rooms for the check-ups of the animals. I mainly came into contact with cats and dogs. I really loved shadowing a veterinarian.

I love 4-H because I meet new people every year at either the fair or at camp. I also love being in 4-H because it allowed me to be who I wanted to be without anybody really judging you.

About this feature
Hardin County has a long tradition of 4-H in our community. This year we are celebrating 100 years of National Extension, and 4-H is a big part of Ohio State University Extension.  In Hardin County over 850 youth participate in 4-H each year.

There are 34 different clubs in Hardin County, and youth can choose from over 200 projects to complete. Each week, the Ada Icon features and article written by a 4-H member about their projects and 4-H experiences.

The 4-Her of the week is also brought to you, in part, by OSU Extension Hardin County. To find out more out OSU Extension's many programs and services and 4-H, visit http://hardin.osu.edu.