It is that time of year when 4-H members are completing their record books and FFA members are getting constant reminders from their FFA Advisor to update theirs. For the junior and intermediate 4-H members, help from parents and 4-H leaders makes record keeping easier, but senior 4-H'ers and FFA members are more responsible for doing it by themselves. So how can it be made any easier for next year?
First get organized. Find a shoe box, big envelope, storage tub, desk drawer or other place to put all the pieces of paper you will need for your record book. Put in there financial papers from your project like check stubs from selling projects, receipts from buying feed, equipment, supplies, vet bills and other expenses from your projects. And don't forget bills of sale, copies of registration papers, vet certificates and any other paperwork for your project.
Second thing; use your phone. Yes an adult is telling you to use your phone. Here's how the phone is helpful. Take pictures of things associated with your project. We like to take pictures of our animals, but take pictures of things that will go in your record book. Are you doing some animal health work like vaccinating or giving wormer? Then take a picture of the products used, especially the label with the lot number and expiration date. Two things have now happened. Your phone recorded the date of the event and you can always go back and see a picture of what animal health product you used. The label will tell you things you should put into your records like the full product name, lot number, expiration date and withdrawal period.
Take pictures of other things associated with your project like your pens where your animals live, bags of feed, the barn, your showmanship practice area, where you store your tack, the truck and trailer you use to transport your animals.
Take pictures of the weather too. Reality is it will rain and be muddy when you have animals. It may snow. It may be extremely hot. Take pictures of these events.
With all these pictures, you can make a better story at the end of your record book as well as use the date stamp to know when things happened. This makes a more accurate and complete record book.
The other thing that a phone can be used for is the calendar. Most smart phones have a built in calendar app. Use it to keep track of dates with your project like trips to the vet, jackpot shows, when feed was bought and when 4-H and/or FFA activities took place. Then come record book time, just open your calendar and transfer the dates into your record book.
I know this post is not specific to direct animal care, but record keeping is an important part of raising animals. Record books are 4-H and FFA's way of teaching you how to keep accurate and appropriate records. Using a phone is just another tool to help make that record keeping a little easier.
Scott Stinnett
Area Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension
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