Another show goat question....

SDBoerGoats

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
515
Reaction score
7
Points
118
Location
Oregon
The kids are each taking 3 does to fair in Breeder's Herd. The does were just weaned a few weeks ago and we took them off grain for them to dry up faster. Some of them are thinner than I like after nursing babies, and I want them to gain some weight before fair (*last week of July). When should I put them back on grain to get them show ready?
 

ksalvagno

Alpaca Master
Joined
Jun 1, 2009
Messages
7,899
Reaction score
49
Points
263
Location
North Central Ohio
They should dry up in a couple weeks or so. So once they are dried up, then you can put them back on feed.
 

20kidsonhill

True BYH Addict
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Messages
6,246
Reaction score
118
Points
243
Location
Virgnia
I haven't done it, but I was thinking maybe 2 or 3 weeks off of grain and then slowly introduce it, so that in another 2 or so weeks they are on the full amount that you want to feed them.

I have the same thing, I was wanting to bring a doe to the fair in August, but she is nursing a kid, and I will need to dry her up, decide how I am going to separate her to feed her show feed, ect.... ect.... I may just give up and not take her. Haven't decided yet.
 

SDBoerGoats

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
515
Reaction score
7
Points
118
Location
Oregon
It's really confusing, isn't it?:idunno The kids are taking market goats, and then they take 3 does each for Breeder's herd. And they are taking a pack goat! Some of the nicer doelings are going in the Breeder's Herd also, and they need to be on Boer Goat Developer anyway. I am running out of pens to separate them in, and have 3 bucklings that can no longer be in with the doelings. And the DOES want to be out on the pasture, thought I'd wait til they dry up more....:th Starting this time of year, things get really hectic, but it's fair time and the kids absolutely LOVE taking their animals to fair.
 

20kidsonhill

True BYH Addict
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Messages
6,246
Reaction score
118
Points
243
Location
Virgnia
For us the hardest part isn't knowing what or how to feed the individual animals to get them ready for the fair, but it is finding enough room for all of them and separating them all out so each one is being properly fed. We seem to always run out of pens and fields. Last year my kids that were born in June, looked awful, because I ran out of room and couldn't get them on creep feed soon enough, after the fair(August 15) I was able to work with them more, but I was worried there was too much damage done to them, and I took them into the stockyards after I got a few more lbs on them instead of selling them for breeding stock.

I the bright side, this year I don't have to deal with a heifer. Husband said next year we will have one again. :th The show heifers drive me crazy, and get in the way, eat a lot and take up way too much room. And I am a little scared of them.
 

SDBoerGoats

Loving the herd life
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
515
Reaction score
7
Points
118
Location
Oregon
20kidsonhill said:
For us the hardest part isn't knowing what or how to feed the individual animals to get them ready for the fair, but it is finding enough room for all of them and separating them all out so each one is being properly fed. We seem to always run out of pens and fields. Last year my kids that were born in June, looked awful, because I ran out of room and couldn't get them on creep feed soon enough, after the fair(August 15) I was able to work with them more, but I was worried there was too much damage done to them, and I took them into the stockyards after I got a few more lbs on them instead of selling them for breeding stock.

I the bright side, this year I don't have to deal with a heifer. Husband said next year we will have one again. :th The show heifers drive me crazy, and get in the way, eat a lot and take up way too much room. And I am a little scared of them.
Yep, same here. I have more land that needs fenced but only me here, my son in law comes every chance he gets and works his butt off. 2 large pasture areas that are partly fenced would help a lot. I would like to put the wethers in one area, the the doelings in another, and the does in their own with pasture. The 3 young bucklings, would like to find a new home ASAP!:clap LOL!
Not doing a lamb this year, only market goats, so that is ONE less thing to have to worry about.:celebrate And thank goodness I talked Ricci out of a heifer, he wanted to put it in my front yard to eat the grass!:frow I said what about the huge cowpies??? and NO! Talked him into a goat.....for now. :hu
 

20kidsonhill

True BYH Addict
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Messages
6,246
Reaction score
118
Points
243
Location
Virgnia
we had 3 lambs last year, but this year we will have one, he/she comes home in May. Last year we had 8 goats, 3 lambs and a heifer to get ready for the fair. Plus I had 4 yearling does kid in June, that was a pain.
 

Latest posts

Top