First timer here! Have no clue what to do!

[newbiekat]

Some background... I was born and raised in Southern California, the part that didn't know there was even farms and farm animals Then I got married and he drug me out to Kansas. I absolutely fell in love with the country life, and now we own Nubians. I love them to death. And I decided this year that I wanted to show them. Now, mind you, I had no FFA, 4H experience, don't know a thing about showing, but decided that it would be fun to show at my county fair... Now the question is... where do I start??? I don't know the first thing about showing! What do I need to do to get my girls ready? What do I need to get myself ready??

 

[OneFineAcre]

You will enjoy showing. It is a very good family activity.

Do you know if the show at your county fair is an ADGA sanctioned show?
Are your animals registered with the ADGA?

Do you have Juniors or Sr. Does in milk?

You need to clip your animals. Teach them to walk with a lead. Wear white clothes or at least a white shirt.

The judge will give you directions, tell you when to walk them, when to line up.

Never be between the judge and the animal blocking their view of the animal. So, when you walk around the ring you will have to reposition yourself as far as the side of the animal you are on.

When the animal is standing still, your try to position them in the best possible way, with front legs straight down from withers, and back legs slightly apart.

That's it a very, very high level.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I have a great idea if you are interested in learning about showing animals.
The ADGA National Show just started and they have a live stream on their website.
Showmanship contest is Sunday 7-7-13. The show lasts all the following week with different breeds on each day.

 

[newbiekat]

I'm looking forward to it!

My county fair is not ADGA sanctioned, but there is one down the road that is.. But I'm too nervous to start there this year... I was going to start at my County Fair and work my way up to ADGA sanctioned.

Yes my girls are ADGA registered (PB Nubians)

I have both JR and SR... I was thinking of just showing my Jr does this year to start out with, my Sr does are first year milkers and not producing a ton yet...

Is there a certain size of clippers that I'm supposed to clip them with? Or certain clippers that work better? Do I clip everything? (Ears, face, tail, etc?)

Is there a certain way you suggest training them? Anything that you find works better than others? Or is it just to work with them daily? Someone told me to hold grain in my hand to get them to stand tall while in training?

Do they ask questions about the animals? Do I need to know things about them? Or just walk and stand them and make them look pretty?

 

[OneFineAcre]

First off, don't be intimidated by an ADGA sanctioned show. There are always more experienced and less experienced exhibitors. Most judges are helpful and don't hold mistakes by the exhibitor against the animal.
There are also animals being shown that are better trained than others.

Again, if you get the chance to watch some of the live stream of the ADGA national show that would be very helpful. They are showing Nubian Srs today.

I have a thread under "Showing your Herd" on clipping our animals for the memorial day show. Yes we clip head, legs, feet. I think we used a number 10 blade, it is mentioned in the thread. I think the animals look best if you clip them a couple of weeks before the show tight, and they look better when it grows back some.

You can use treats to train them, but do not use treats in the show ring. If you have a stubborn one that will not walk at all, turn them in a circle. Meaning, don't move them forward at all, turn them so that if they don't move they will fall down. Spin them in a tight circle and then start to make it wider so that they are moving forward. If they lock down again, spin them in a circle. that's the way we start Jrs who just refuse to walk.

If you show your milkers, it doesn't necessarily matter if they are producing a ton. They will be shown against animals there own age. But, you do have to manage their udder. We dam raise our kids, but we will also milk them twice a day even when they have their kids to make them produce more. Before a show, you need to know how much they will produce on a 12 hour fill so that you can plan on when to milk them before the show. So we seperate kids a week or 2 before the show. Are they really full at 12 hours? Or are they OK at 15 hours?

We have had some late in lactation that we just plan to start drying them off at the show. We had one who was 8 months into lactation who we milked 24 hours before the show. It takes some thought and planning, but you learn these things after you have been doing it for a while.

Again, I would not be intimidated by an ADGA show. You also shouldn't be worried about finishing in last place./ If you show any amount of animals any length of time you will have one who finishes first in one show and last in another.

I have a first freshener who was showed 4 times this spring. 3 first places in her age group and was picked Reserve Grand Champion in one of her first place showings.. The 4th show she finished dead last in her age group. It's almost like figure skating scoring

Good luck.

 

[MrSiberian]

On a similar note.....I also would love to show my goats....is it like showing dogs (which I have done) do goats have papers like dogs? I know mine are purebred because I know the breeder well.....but my wife says I can't
because I was never in 4H or anything.....but my goats are trained on a lead and just as friendly as the ones I see at the Yakima County Fair.

 

[Southern by choice]

If they are papered you should know what breed they are.
4H has nothing to do with it.
Some goats may be purebred but not have registration papers.
It may e good to look in your area for a dairy goat club/group/association and meet up with some people and go to a few shows to see if it is something you think you'd like to do.

 

[MrSiberian]

Checked with breeder.....Nigerian Dwarfs