The Pike County Extension Office is offering two new programs to county 4-H’ers and the registration dates are right around the corner, next week to be exact.

Heath Wesley, county Extension coordinator, said the Pig Pen project and the 4-H Cackle Club are projects that should generate a lot of interest.

Registration deadline for both projects is March 18 so 4-H’ers who want to participate should not linger in getting their registration forms in to the Extension office. The cost of the pigs for the Pig Pen project is $75 each with a maximum of two pigs per 4-H’er.

“A limited number of pigs is available,” Wesley said. “The pigs will weigh from 40 to 60 pounds when they arrive and will be available for pickup sometime around the last week of May or the first week of June. The pigs will be shown at the 2016 Pike County Fair the first week of October.”

The 4-H Cackle Club is for all 4-H’ers who are interested in backyard egg production. Emily Rolling, 4-H agent, said 4-H’ers between the ages of nine and 18 are eligible to become members of the Pike County 4-H Cackle Club. “Our Cackle Club is designed to help 4-H’ers learn to produce healthy chicks, become aware of business practices, develop record-keeping skills and realize the pride of accomplishment,” Rolling said.

Each 4-H’er in the club will receive six female pullets and care for them about 21 weeks and then participate in the poultry show the first week of October. Each 4-H-er will select one breed of chicks, either Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red or Light Brahma. “Our 4-H’ers will take their best two pullets to be shown at the Pike County,” Rolling said.

All 4-H’ers who participate in the Pig Pen and Cackle Club will be required to attend meetings in April.  Registration forms for the projects are available at the Pike County Extension Office at 306 South Three Notch Street in Troy. For more information call the Extension Office at 334-566-0985.