The 4-H Livestock Program provides Kenton County youth the opportunity to enhance a variety of observable cognitive skills.  Youth experience raising, caring for, training, and exhibiting a livestock species.  The 4-H program facilitates the development of life skills through animal agriculture.  Raising an animal has an impact on individuals and families participating.  

The 4-H Youth Development Agent (Kelley) responsible for livestock programs has conducted a survey of parents and youth members and has retained 10+ years of data.   An average of 70% of livestock youth and parent/adults have participated in the Kenton 4-H survey on an annual basis. 

The Kenton County 4-H survey results of youth and adults consistently reflect the study published in the Journal of Agricultural Education and conducted by Rusk, Summerloft-Early, Machtmes, Talbert, and Balschweid, in 2003.  The study mentioned identifies performance of project skills and development of life skills.  

Kenton 4-H survey results from the parent/adult measurement indicate 4-H members are highly willing to work in a group.  The parent/adult surveys also indicate that the animal project is an important part of the 4-H members life.  A strong correlation is also made between the activities the youth completes and his/her 4-H experience.  

The youth member surveys provide results that mirror the parent/adult perceptions.   The surveys indicate a high percentage of youth are willing to work in a group, increased level of participation in activities related to the livestock project, and that the animal project is a very important part of the 4-H’ers life.  These outcomes reflect the curriculum outcomes for livestock projects as presented in 4HCCS “Skills for Life”

Parent/adult & youth surveys are similarly reflective that more knowledge regarding animal nutrition is needed, and animal development knowledge can be improved but has achieved an acceptable level of understanding.  

Observable cognitive skills were demonstrated in 2021 at youth livestock shows held in the county with the cooperation of the Kenton County Fair Board and the Kenton County Fair Livestock Committee.  Youth demonstrated knowledge of their body position, the animals body position in relationship to where the judge was in the show ring, as well as the awareness of other youth and animals in the show ring.  Additionally, youth were taking direction from the judge and/or a ringmaster simultaneously.  Learning the project skill of exhibiting an animal as well as demonstrating the success indicator was completed by 95% of youth exhibitors in 2021.  Additional observable skills and success indicators were evaluated on farm visits, weight checks, district shows, in addition to youth and open shows held in the county.  100% of youth in the 2021 program year demonstrated grooming and training their individual animal or animals.  92% of youth were able to develop a written paragraph expressing appreciation.  84% were able to compare and describe animal differences.  However, the final skill noted would be more comparative if the evaluation were determined by the age of the participant.