Goats

Description: Youth will learn to care for and show a goat.

State Fair Entries: Any member may exhibit, separate entry required. Be sure to follow appropriate deadlines.

Educational Resources

Activity Guidelines

Due Date

Enrollment Requirements

Training, Document and Health Requirements

The Ohio State Goat Resources Hand book 4-H 117R

Livestock Questions, Livestock Record Sheet, and attend appropriate workshops.

All record sheets are due at check in during fair week. An animal quality assurance course (YQCA or Purdue’s Course) must be completed at least one week before fair.

Animals must be enrolled in 4H Online by May 15th.

Complete Quality Assurance Course, Properly identified, Premises ID, Scrapie ID, 4-H Online enrollment by the appropriate date.

All animals are to be entered in appropriate classes in Fair Entry by the published deadline!

Goat Project Rules:

All animals must be identified and meet appropriate state board of animal health requirements. 

 All animals must be enrolled electronically in 4HOnline, owned and under the care of the 4-H member by May 15.

ID Requirements:

  1. State law states that all meat and dairy does must have ONE of the following:
    1. A tattoo accompanied with registration papers dated before May 15 of the show year. If you purchased a doe eligible for registration, the breeder should provide you with the proper paperwork to get that accomplished. It is your responsibility to have the papers dated prior to May 15 of the show year. If it is born on your farm, you are responsible for getting the doe registered prior to May 15 of the show year. Tattoos must be done before May 15 of show year and must be readable.

OR

  1. A scrapie tag must be placed in the goat’s ear. If you buy a doe from someone else, the breeder should provide that for you. If it is born on your farm, you must place your farm’s scrapie tag in the ear.
  1. Meat/Dairy Wethers must be under 12 months of age and must be brought to the May tagging and have a county tag place in ear. If it is going to State Fair, an RFID tag must also be done at the May tagging. NO BUCKS WILL BE EXHIBITED. No scrotal tissue may be present.
  2. All tattoos and tags must be done BEFORE enrollment papers are filled out. No tattooing or tagging will be permitted on the fairgrounds during the fair.
  3. Before unloading at the fair, all the goats must be inspected by superintendents. All tattoos/tags/microchips must be readable. If they are not in order, the goat may not get off the trailer. If there is a question of animal health or well-being, a veterinarian will be called to inspect the animals or facilities in question.
  4. All dairy goats and meat wethers MUST be dehorned or they will not be allowed off the trailer.
  5. All Lamanchas must have a readable tattoo on the tail, microchip, or a scrapie tag on a collar as a secondary ID. They must have two out of three readable forms of ID. If not readable, they will not get off the trailer.
  6. If an animal leaves the grounds, it may not return due to Health regulations.
  7. Goats may not be switched from one 4Her to another after May 15, except for siblings that have co-enrolled their animals.
  8. All dry stock must be under two years of age and never fresh. All milking stock must be in milk.
  9. There will be a predetermined time for a complete milk out approximately 12 hours prior to the show for all milking stock.
  10. Only goats being shown are allowed on the fairgrounds except kids less than 8 weeks old and still nursing. Babies will be health checked also.
  11. All meat Wethers need to be shaved from the hock up for show. Dairy goats should be full body shaved before the show. Pygmy and Boer doe goats need not be clipped but should be fitted for the show. Touch ups will be allowed on the fairgrounds prior to the show.
  12. All dairy, meat does, and pygmy wethers will be shown by age. Age classes will follow classes from State Fair.
  13. All dairy wethers, market does, and meat wethers will be weighed on the first day of fair and shown in a lightweight, medium weight, or heavyweight class.
  14. All classes will be determined upon entry of animals at the fair by superintendent.
  15. All goats must be shown by the 4H member. If the member has two goats in the same class, any Newton County 4-H member may show the second goat.
  16. Auction animals: A market wether (meat/dairy) or Grand Champion Scramble goat under 12 months of age can be sold on the auction. Only one goat per 4H member can be sold.
  17. Members MUST complete grade level activity from the Goat Resource book and turn it in on Sunday to the goat superintendent during check in to the fair, along with their Livestock Record Sheet.
  18. It is strongly encouraged that all members attend all workshops. If you are unable to attend, call the leader or a committee member.
  19. Suggested Showmanship Class Breaks – Goats members will be divided equally into 3 classes by grades. Sr. Showmanship (9-12 grade), Int. Showmanship (6-8 grade), and Jr. Showmanship (3-5 grade). When signing up to enter the showmanship contest, the 4-Her must select the appropriate grade level. The superintendent will determine the break in class size. The winners in each class will show for the Champion Showman Award. (Past winners will re-enter their appropriate age class each year). All participating members must show their own animals.
  20. 4-H exhibitors may receive clipping and grooming assistance from members of their immediate family (father, mother, siblings), legal guardian, grandparents, aunts/uncles, step-mother/step-father, a current Newton County 4-H member,  an approved Newton County 4-H volunteer, and from those individuals enrolled in the Indiana 4-H Approved Animal Grooming Assistance Program.
  21. Top Producer rules for milking contest:
    1. Each 4Her may enter only one doe, which was also be shown in a milking class.
    2. There will be a predetermined time for a complete milk out the evening before the first weighed milking.
    3. The animal must be milked out by the 4Her, not by parents or relatives. Exceptions will be made with the approval of the committee.
    4. The animals must be milked at two specific times decided by the Goat Committee in front of one of the Goat Committee members and the udder must be checked by one of the members.
    5. Members must be on time to milk or they will be disqualified.
    6. The highest total pounds of milk produced in the two weighed milkings wins.

Scramble Goat Rules

  1. Only mini goat members and interested 4Hers grades 3-7 that have never shown goats may participate in the Scramble.
  2. A permission form must be filled out by a parent prior to the scramble.
  3. Meat and dairy wethers will be given at Tagging Night and will get a county tag. It will be judged as a market class.
  4. Scramble goat participants must have an appropriate place to house the goat once it is in their possession.
  5. The Grand Champion meat and dairy scramble wethers under 12 months of age can be sold in the auction.

Dairy Goat Show Classes:

  1. Market Class-(wethers only)-under one year as of show date
  2. Doe Kid-Born Apr. 1-June 1, current year
  3. Doe Kid-Born Mar. 1-Mar. 31, current year
  4. Doe Kid-Born Jan 1to Feb 28, current year
  5. Yearling Doe (never fresh)-Born June 1-Dec 31, previous year
  6. Yearling Doe(never fresh)-Born on or before May 31, previous year and under two years
  7. Yearling Milking Doe-Under 24 months as of show date
  8. Milking Doe-Over 24 months to under 36 months as of show date
  9. Milking Doe-Over 36 months to under 60 months as of show date
  10. Milking Doe-Over 60 months and older as of show date
  11. Mother/Daughter Class
  12. Top Producer (must be shown in milking class)

 Meat Goat Classes

 Meat Does

Jr. Does:

  1. 3 months to under 6 months (by day of show)
  2. 6months to under 9 months (day of show)
  3. 9 months to under 12 months (day of show)

Yearling Does:

  1. 12 months-under 16 months (by show day)
  2. 16 months-under 20 months (by show day)
  3. 20 months-under 24 months (by day of show)

 Senior Does:

  1. 24 months to under 36 months(day of show)
  2. 36 months and older (by day of show)

Wethers-under one year as of show date

Market Does-under one year as of show date

Showmanship classes:

  1. Showmanship – 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade on January 1 of current year.
  2. Showmanship – 6th, 7th, or 8th grade on January 1 of current year.
  3. Showmanship – 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade on January 1 of current year.
  4. Grand Champion Showmanship

GOAT POSTERS: Members may exhibit educational poster in addition to or in place of live animal. See Animal Education Project guidelines.

Resources

The Ohio State Goat Resources Hand book 4-H 117R