I saw the strangest goats at the local fair.....

[stanb999]

We are in Wayne Co, PA. I went to the local fair. The wayne co. fair. So far so good. We went on the day that they were doing the Goats judging for the local 4H. I like to see whats out their so I stayed to watch.

First the dairy goats had horns. I'm not apposed to it but I thought it kinda strange.
Then the "meat" goats Boers. Didn't have horns. This was also strange. But I figured what the hay they are all kids after all.
Then when the judging took place thats when I had to get up and go as the goats weren't being judged...... It was the "presentation" of the goat. The outfit, the way it was being held, Ect. The one that won for "best in show" Had a undersized Nubian with half a horn (failed disbudding). It was too much.

Has anyone else seen livestock "shows" like this?

[ozark_jewels]

Sounds like a showmanship class...could that have been it?? And yes, I have seen a few tiny local unsanctioned shows that were pretty strange......

[BobDFL]

It definitely sounds like the showmanship judging. You can show pretty much anything in the competition since it's really not the goat being judged but the person showing the goat.

It's the market divisions that you see the really good goats on the meat side and the full dairy division that you see the good dairy goats.

[HazyDay]

Wow! I know that the 4-h club around here (Im not a member yet) is HAS RULES

No! and they mean no horns, even scurs. I seen one doe with a very little scur and they couldn't show.

But I hate it that we can't show in a meat class! Only Dairy does or wethers!!!! Stupied rules. And we went out and got 3 boers thinking I could show them! But thats why Im breeding NUBIANS!!!!

[PETSNEGGS]

Stan, you made my heart heavy, Born and raised in the Pocono's and I miss it alot especially in the fall. Miss my Mom too so I'm sure that doesn't help. I will tell you that I used to show horses and was in 4-H the whole time growing up. In 4-H it was real strick but, I have gone to some other local shows that there were classes that things were judged just on the presentor not the animal. Don't remember it in any 4-H shows though but, I guess it has worked it's way in... Mainly if I recall correctly it was to give the children the chance to show, that really didn't have the means to own perfect animals. Some of the children that are in the 4-H don't even have there own animals, they are leant to them. I can see where you are coming from as far as wanting to see a grade A animal but, I think it is great that any child has the chance to get in that ring and strut his or herself and also enjoy learning about animal. Hey anything that will get a child involved is great in my eyes and involved with the care of an animal HOW GREAT is that. Also, they probably had a "class" to show the goat it's self.

[stanb999]

I really don't think they had any different "classes". The goats were in the pens by the show ring. They brought them all out at once. Then they let each kid walk around with their goat. then the judging took place.
I agree that it must have been for showmanship or something. But I thought it strange that the goats were sooo ugly. Heck, my knarly herd of inbreeders and misfits look much better.

[Feral Nature]

We went to a local fair and saw the 4-H Boer wethers. We did not see them being judged, they were in their pens. But many of them looked BAD! It was a large class, maybe 40 or 50 or more of them. Some were obviously good stock and well tended, but there were numerous Boer wethers who were of poor breeding, had had poor management, were dirty with dirty behinds, were huinched over and cold after their hair being clupped. Just a bunch of thin Boers with runny noses and hind ends. We were astonished as we had just butchered some fine fine bucklings that had they been disbudded and wethered, would have done very well at this show. It kind of made us sick. With Boer wethers being a big deal around here in all the county fairs, I will probably start breeding any Boer does I have in the future to kid at the right time for this. It was not until I saw for myself what these 4-h kids were showing that I thought mine were good enough. Now there is no doubt. Unfortunately, I had already culled my Boer herd down to near nothing

[dkdairygoats]

At our county fair, they don't allow horns except on Angoras. We actually have a very competitive goat show...usually the does that win would show well at an open show. You always have a few "saggy baggy" types but that's where most goat people start...including myself. Most of the dairy goats are nice quality down there.

[goatkid]

Things are more organized at ADGA shows where the judges are professionally trained. Local county fairs are another story. The criteria are determined by the livestock superindendant at the fair. In the county next to ours, horns are not allowed on dairy goats. Boers may have them but they are not required. This fair Is mainly 4H and the leaders are friends of mine. The goats don't have to be purebred or registerable, but the kids (human) are expected to care for their goats and groom them properly for show. They have both showmanship classes where the exhibitors are judged on the grooming of the goat, the way they handle their animal, their knowledge of goats and their own personal grooming - and classes where the goats are judged. They have someone who raises and shows goats do the judging. At our county fair, there are both junior and adult classes. They are not connected with 4H. Some goats have horns, some don't. Some are groomed, some aren't. Mine are disbudded and clean. Some of mine are clipped if I showed them in ADGA shows. The others I trim hooves, beards and clean up, but I don't clip the end of August because it starts getting cold at night in Montana and I don't want the goats getting chilled and sick. I've been getting champion goat in the adult class the past several years because my goats are clean and healthy and I am knowledgable about goats. Another woman brought a Saanen to the lastest fair that had a small abcess. I pointed it out to her and suggested she have the goat tested for CL. Her response was that goats and sheep "just get those things" and that she would lance it at home. She was pretty snotty. You can bet I'll let the fair superintendant know about this and I hope she will not be allowed to show her goats there anymore. She had also not bothered to trim the beard off the goat, nor did she bother to be present for the show.Her goats were judged in their pen. When I show my goats, I want them to be seen in a good light and I want potential goat buyers to like what they see. I need to be a good example to the fair goers.

[mygoat]

I did 4h this year and I was rather appalled at some of the does. I saw the most horrid udders while there, lopsided from dam raising, blow outs, permanent damage, and OMG there was an udder that was almost dragging but had the smallest attachment area ever... And there were some fugly (care wise) goats, let me tell you. The only goats allowed to have horns were the pygmies and the angoras. I was also surprised to see how many people OVERFEED their poor goats! They would go in with several scoops of grain for one goat! Wonder how much their feed bill is, eek! I saw several of the most overweight nubians and boers ever.... *shudder*. The nubians were one of the supervisor's goats, too!

I went in with my 5 yo sr alpine milker, and she's a good looking doe. I had pulled kids at birth and bottle raised them on CAE prevention, so her udder was nice and even and whatnot, she has a really easy to milk udder, soft, teats are nicely set and sized to easy milking... I got second place out of three to one of the funniest looking alpines I've ever seen... And the udder on the thing, Eeek! And this wasn't showmanship!

*sigh* I was rather dissapointed with the placing, but I delt with it, lol. I learned how to show, and I'll be in 4-h for one more year. I wanna go to a adga show locally, but I haven't heard of any in my area.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Most local 4H county fairs also closes breeding shows to just the county. We ran into this alot after my daughters would show up and take the local trophys and belt buckels with their out of county goats, the next year the show would be closed to the county. The 4H leader in charge of the dairy program is the one who needs the education.

Stan try to find a local ADGA show.

Those with dairy goats should tell the local county extension offices that they are willing to help with fitting, showmanship and even judging, especially if you no longer have kids involved. Vicki

[Obe-Willow]

I am very suprised,
I am in 4H and here 4Hers take care of there animals very well and they are well groomed and fed they are all good looking animals.

Marisa

[xoxoGOATSxoxo]

Dairy goats get kicked out of showmanship classes here if they have horns! I'm not even sure you can show thom in the obstacle course and other fun-type classes if they have horns.
I'm in 4-H too, but our fair is pretty strict. No horns on dairy, dairy goats need to be shaved, no selling in the large animals auction from out-of county (we live on the WRONG SIDE OF THE COUNTY LINE!!!! Grrrr. I have to sell my market lambs somewhere else. But I can sell goats!), One animal per kid in the auction, CLean hooves, scrapie tag, TB tag, etc.... I agree with most of the rules, but some are just too much!
There are some AWFUL udders here, imagine a saggy rubber glove with only two fingers and inflated to bursting, but one finger has a hole in it so it is much smaller than the other. Yep. Several of those. And then there are the perfect udders, but they are the size of a tangerine. A SMALL tangerine. Whats that goat give, a quarter cup of milk? Maybe. Oh, and those lovely udders that look rather like smashed pears, with 2 lightbulbs dangling from them. Sighhhhhh
For the most part, I like our fair. But some of those goats.... Thats what a rifle is for!