# Judge my ffa goat



## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)




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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

Can you get me a shot from directly behind a of the front and rear legs all the way to the hoof?  I’m a former Ag teacher, FFA sponsor and American Farmer.  I’ll be happy to.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> Can you get me a shot from directly behind a of the front and rear legs all the way to the hoof?  I’m a former Ag teacher, FFA sponsor and American Farmer.  I’ll be happy to.


Your in luck I have a bunch of pictures of him I just took theses today when I went to see him


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> Can you get me a shot from directly behind a of the front and rear legs all the way to the hoof?  I’m a former Ag teacher, FFA sponsor and American Farmer.  I’ll be happy to.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> Can you get me a shot from directly behind a of the front and rear legs all the way to the hoof?  I’m a former Ag teacher, FFA sponsor and American Farmer.  I’ll be happy to.


Does he looks good I’m on sites because my ag teacher is never helping us with anything so I’ve never really known if any of my goats looked good for the 5 years ive been showing


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

Balance is comprised of 3 areas: body, width, depth and length. 
He is wide based with excellent body width and depth.  He is nicely balanced.  

Style evaluates 4 areas: top line, neck, breast and shoulder symmetry. 
He has a long neck that sits high on the shoulder, a clean breast and a smooth neat shoulder that blend well from neck to fore rib.  The top line is not straight. There is a noticeable dip where the rump meets the loin.  
(You get honesty)

Freshness is comprised of an appearance of being healthy and a smooth slick coat.  He does very well here.  

A very nice goat who,will do well in shows unless he comes up against a goat that is equal everywhere and has a better top line.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> Balance is comprised of 3 areas: body, width, depth and length.
> He is wide based with excellent body width and depth.  He is nicely balanced.
> 
> Style evaluates 4 areas: top line, neck, breast and shoulder symmetry.
> ...


Sorry about that dip he has a really straight back I was kind of having him extend more than he comfortable with and if he does have a dip is their any way to fix it?


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

Don’t have him over extend. It can cause that when showing.  Let him be comfortable, to an extent.   You can fudge it a little with grooming, but you have to be really good at it, and a good judge will spot it anyway.  Not much you can do about it if there is a dip.   It really will take a nearly perfect goat to beat him.  He’s very nice.


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

Ffagirl22 said:


> Does he looks good I’m on sites because my ag teacher is never helping us with anything so I’ve never really known if any of my goats looked good for the 5 years ive been showing


Some just don’t know and have never judged animals.  I’m very hard on top lines in all species...just my thing.  All judges have things they’ll pick one more than others.  And it is a personal thing.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

I have another weather he looks way better than this weather if you could see if he looks better


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

Be happy to.


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

Here is one of my heifers, about 7 months pregnant.  She has a nearly flawless top line.  Here is why it’s important,  when pregnant and carrying all the extra weight, She’s still strong in the back. Animals weak in the back only get more pronounced when pregnant.  It’s not just a looks thing.  I don’t own goats.


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

The pic didn’t attach.  Sorry.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> The pic didn’t attach.  Sorry. View attachment 80957


This is the only pic I could find of him sorry not the best one


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> The pic didn’t attach.  Sorry. View attachment 80957


I show cows and pigs as well as goats


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

He’s got a better top.  I’d like to see some other pics.  Don’t rush, I pass thru about every day.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> He’s got a better top.  I’d like to see some other pics.  Don’t rush, I pass thru about every day.


What is a top ? Is it like the goats neck?


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

When in high school I was on the poultry team, dairy cattle team, but my high point was milk quality and dairy products team.  Our team won the national FFA competition and I was the high individual with the lowest score ever.  Lower is better, fewer wrong answers.  They only count mistakes. 😆😖🥛


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

The top line from the rump to where the neck meets the shoulders.  The top line, or top, should be straight and level on most species.  There are a few exceptions, but not in what you are showing.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Here’s my dairy cow and then I have other show cows I was sleeping with her lol because we were waiting for 6 hours to even show at one of the small shows and I got tired.


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

I borrowed this on a search.  This is a national champion Holstein.  See how straight the top line is?


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Yes most of my show cows are like that


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

See his back is pretty straight


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## Grant (Jan 28, 2021)

Charolais bull?   He’s a good looking boy.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 28, 2021)

Grant said:


> Charolais bull?   He’s a good looking boy.


Yes he is I also show a long horn and 2 Holstein goats and also me and my das breed and sell cattle if the cattle don’t look great or are bulls we sell we only keep one bull if he’s good quality.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

I smiled so had when I was at my school barn this little girl went over to my goat when we were walking and saw awwww mom look he has a little spot on the middle of his back that’s the one she was talking about i think it’s pretty cute myself lol.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

I just got a diary goat for this years show I’m going to try to show a dairy goat again I’ll try but if she doesn’t do good we’re probably going to breed her a little becuase she’s pretty even though my dad really only breed Boers, Nubian, and a couple other breeds I’m not familiar with. Her old owner we bought her from is the girl holding her in the picture.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

I’m showing market goats and dairy goats


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

Grant said:


> I borrowed this on a search.  This is a national champion Holstein.  See how straight the top line is?View attachment 80960


I got a better shot of his feet earlier today btw lol he was actually braced and you could see al 4s


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

Grant said:


> Charolais bull?   He’s a good looking boy.


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## Grant (Jan 29, 2021)

When you’re showing him, see if you can train him to bring the front of his rear hooves closer to the back edge of the rump.  He’s overstretched a bit.


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## Grant (Jan 29, 2021)

@B&B Happy goats feel free to jump in here.  I can judge livestock, but no goat expert by any stretch of the imagination.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

Oh ok yeah sorry about that it’s how my knee was in his chest he kept moving his feet back becuase how much I was pushing him


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## Grant (Jan 29, 2021)

Just little things


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

Grant said:


> Just little things


Thanks for the heads up I’m scared I’m not going to do good my ffa teacher said my goat didn’t look good he looks like poor quality and it made me really sad to hear that but I’m not believing her bs.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Jan 29, 2021)

Grant said:


> Just little things


She has me thinking bad thoughts now...


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 29, 2021)

Grant said:


> @B&B Happy goats feel free to jump in here.  I can judge livestock, but no goat expert by any stretch of the imagination.


I have never shown goats, but they certainly  look  wonderful  to me*  ....IMHO your doing a great job *


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## Grant (Jan 29, 2021)

Showing always depends on the competition.  I’ve seen not great animals win and I’ve seen a whole show ring full nearly perfect animals.  Showing to me is a great way to grow close with animals and appreciate them for what and who they are.  If you want to show him, show him.   It’s not always about winning.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 3, 2021)

First, if you are used to showing dairy goats and cattle, you need to understand how to show a Boer meat goat.  You are stretching that Boer wether out *way *too far.  How you are stacking that wether is more common for market sheep.   

Always remember that you are looking for meat on these Boers.  They are not milk or dairy animals but strictly meat animals.  The dairy goat doe you posted is nice.  I would like to see slightly more length but she is a lovely animal. Do not base your judgment of Boers on that doe.  She is dairy and Boers are not.

Boer goats carry thickness and meat.  The long legged shape of market lambs are not what you are looking for in Boer market wethers.  Particularly since show sheep are being bred now to produce a long legged slimline silhouette rather than meat.  The good Boer has a long back and loin.  When they are standing normally this causes a slight roach in the loin and a dip in the chine.   They do *not *have a flat topline like those cattle pix.  Let him walk out normally into a normal stance and check his topline then.  A long loin will roach a bit causing a dip in his chine.  Don't stretch him out so far.  It makes him look narrow.  

The next thing to look for is width.   He has nice straight leg conformation there - no narrowness between the legs. which is very good.  Width is what you want in any meat animal.   I would like to see the meat and rear leg thickness carried down much more into the twist on his rear legs.  He has length, but needs a bit more width.  He also needs a bit more depth in his brisket.  The bottom of his chest should reach his elbow.  Boers are known for reaching butcher size based only on forage without grain.  To do this they need greater depth of rumen.  To walk long distances to reach enough forage in south Africa they need lung capacity.

Pictures only go so far.  You need to be able to judge your animals by feel too.  Meat animals have rounder rib bones, dairy animals have flatter ribs.  You should be able to tell with your dairy cattle and dairy goats the difference between their type ribs and angularity and the Boer.   Check the length and width of his loin with your hands.  The loin should be wide as well as long. 

How old is this wether?  He is nice looking, in good condition, and you should do well with him,  *However* showing a Boer meat goat require a slightly different showmanmanship technique than market sheep or cattle.  You do not want them stretched out since it changes the top line and makes them look narrower and shorter in the loin.  Some of his lack of thickness may be due to age.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 3, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> First, if you are used to showing dairy goats and cattle, you need to understand how to show a Boer meat goat.  You are stretching that Boer wether out *way *too far.  How you are stacking that wether is more common for market sheep.
> 
> Always remember that you are looking for meat on these Boers.  They are not milk or dairy animals but strictly meat animals.  The dairy goat doe you posted is nice.  I would like to see slightly more length but she is a lovely animal. Do not base your judgment of Boers on that doe.  She is dairy and Boers are not.
> 
> ...


He is 9 months old I got him when he was 6 months old.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 3, 2021)

What was the purpose for which you purchased him?  If you bought him to show - he is too old for a market wether - will not be showing kids' teeth much longer as required.  He is a wether so not eligible for breeding classes.  Did you buy him for a pet?  If he is a pet, why are you selling him?  Confused.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 3, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> What was the purpose for which you purchased him?  If you bought him to show - he is too old for a market wether - will not be showing kids' teeth much longer as required.  He is a wether so not eligible for breeding classes.  Did you buy him for a pet?  If he is a pet, why are you selling him?  Confused.


I bought him to show all the weathers here at my school are exactly 9 months right now.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 3, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> What was the purpose for which you purchased him?  If you bought him to show - he is too old for a market wether - will not be showing kids' teeth much longer as required.  He is a wether so not eligible for breeding classes.  Did you buy him for a pet?  If he is a pet, why are you selling him?  Confused.


And I am not at all experienced with showing dairy I’ve only shown boers I just decided to try to show a dairy goat for fun.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 4, 2021)

So these classes are not market classes?  Showing for the Jr. livetock auction for meat? 

When showing the Boers show like you would show your dairy goat with their legs square under them.  On dairy goats you pinch the back slightly to encourage the goat to straighten its back and extend the body without moving its legs.  This is best for showing the udder and attachments.   

On Boers you don't pinch down the loin to straighten the topline.  The topline on a Boer meat goat should have a slight roach in the loin due to loin length.  This will cause the illusion of a slight dip in the chine.  By stretching out your Boer goat you straighten the top line and make the loin appear shorter and narrower.  This is not a good appearance.  You want to increase the appearance of thickness and length.  

When choosing a meat goat or lamb you want to look for fullness and thickness in the leg from the twist to the hock. This is the most important part of a lamb or goat.  The loin is equal in importance since that is where the choicest and most expensive cuts are found on the carcass.  You want a very thick, long loin.  Shoulders are the next most importance since shoulder roasts and chops are next in cost.  The entire anatomy and judging chart of any market animal is based on the most expensive cuts of meat.  

Dairy animals are entirely different in structure.  

Let us know how you do in your show.  Good luck!


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 4, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> So these classes are not market classes?  Showing for the Jr. livetock auction for meat?
> 
> When showing the Boers show like you would show your dairy goat with their legs square under them.  On dairy goats you pinch the back slightly to encourage the goat to straighten its back and extend the body without moving its legs.  This is best for showing the udder and attachments.
> 
> ...


Thank you my goats looking way better he’s getting lots more muscle and he’s getting skinny and not fat I love how he’s looking I’ll take pictures tomorrow morning I have for days till show!


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

Grant said:


> I borrowed this on a search.  This is a national champion Holstein.  See how straight the top line is?View attachment 80960


I’m shaving my goat for county which is Tuesday we’re going Monday for weigh in!!


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## Ridgetop (Feb 6, 2021)

Good luck.  What are the weight classes?  Are you entering showmanship?


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> Good luck.  What are the weight classes?  Are you entering showmanship?


Idk my weight classes yet we see our class at the show and I’ll be paying for showmanship.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 6, 2021)

Great!   Remember we will want pictures!!!


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> Great!   Remember we will want pictures!!!


 OOOOOH YESS IM GOING BACK REALLY SOON ITS 3:24 FOR ME nowww and he was freshly shaven and I started at 12:00 and I ended around 2:30 so I shaved him for 2 hours for a perfect shave! He’s got way more muscle after all his hair was gone!


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## Ridgetop (Feb 6, 2021)




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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


>


I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS IF HE DOESNT END UP PLACING WERE KEEPING HIM ! WERE BUILDING HIM A HOME ATM OR my dad is lol.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


>


But all the next show goats we will not be keeping the family just loves this goat so much becuase he’s the best goat we’ve had and he’s sweet and he’s also just great to hang around I was sad one day becuase my dog passed away and he just picked up on that and he came over to me and just laid down with me.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


>


Here he is he looks super low cut cause how the sun is on him


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

Btw


Ridgetop said:


>


 I have some more weathers and does and dairy’s if you wanna see them.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 6, 2021)

@B&B Happy goats im going to do a re shave becuase I forgot some spots but I’m only shaving spots I forgot


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## Ridgetop (Feb 7, 2021)

When you show him, please try not to stretch him out so far.  Stretching him too far makes his rear leg look lacking in muscle.

Hope you do well.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 8, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> When you show him, please try not to stretch him out so far.  Stretching him too far makes his rear leg look lacking in muscle.
> 
> Hope you do well.


Thank you I’m dropping him off at the place after school  he’s staying overnight then it’s show time!


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 8, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> When you show him, please try not to stretch him out so far.  Stretching him too far makes his rear leg look lacking in muscle.
> 
> Hope you do well.


BUT IM GOING TO BE THERE WAITING TO WIEGH HIM IN TILL 7 PM


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## Ridgetop (Feb 8, 2021)

*GOOD LUCK!     

Send pictures!!!       *


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 8, 2021)

Good luck


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 8, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> *GOOD LUCK!
> 
> Send pictures!!!       *


I’ll send some pics from the weigh in to it’s gonna be hard to get pics at show but I’ll ask my parents to and then just send them to melol I’m happy that the goats from my school will be together becuase I don’t wanna risk my goat getting sick day before show!


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 8, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> *GOOD LUCK!
> 
> Send pic*


















This was at weigh in the real show is tomorrow so he’s spending the night he has 1 goat with him


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 9, 2021)

We got 7th place so he can be moved up if they want but he’s home!!


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 9, 2021)

My dogs freaked him out tho so he’s a little cautious of them now


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 9, 2021)




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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 9, 2021)

I got to keep him! But we still got a good place in the show


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