Skip to Main Content

4-H Goat Project & Club

Superintendent: Kyle Lechien

4-H Club: Blackford County 4-H Goat Club

4-H Club Leaders: Michelle Walker

How do I join?  
How do I become a part of this project? Sign up at https://in.4honline.com

Enrollment is encouraged by December 1.

Resource book or manual for this project:
Goat Resource Guide These are provided one copy per FAMILY.  If you do not have a copy, there are also copies available at the Hartford City and Montpelier libraries.

Livestock Online Enrollment - Deadline is May 15.  
You must enroll your animal (s) in this project.  Enrollment is to be done online through 4honline.   Online enrollment must be completed by May 15.  If you do not have access to internet - contact the Extension Office to set up an appointment BEFORE May 15.  

 

All Livestock will need to be enrolled/entered online by May 15 to be eligible to show at the Blackford County 4-H Fair or the Indiana State Fair.

 

If you want to participate in the Indiana State Fair your animal will need to be tagged and identified for Indiana State Fair (optional).

 

Animal Identification for County Fair 

 
Dairy Goat

  1. Females, Registered must have a breed registry tattoo
  2. Wethers must have a 5-digit County Tag or Tattoo

 

Meat Goat

  1. Wethers must have a 5-digit County Tag
  2. Boar Goat Females, Registered must have a Breed Registry Tattoo
  3. Market Goat Does (Wether Dams) must have a 5-digit County Tag

 

Pygmy Goat

  1. Registered must have a Breed Registry Tattoo or Microchip that matches Registration Papers
  2. Unregistered must have official USDA Scrapie Tag or Official Scrapie Tattoo

 

Premise ID
This is a federal law required for Goats. If you do not have a Premise ID, you can apply online with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health at www.in.gov/boah/2328.htm

 

Completing the Project by June 15
You must complete the project to be able to exhibit at the Blackford County 4-H Fair. To complete the project you must: Complete your record sheet and turn it into the Extension Office by June 15
Record Sheets are for the grade you are in for the current school year. 

Summary 
If you have enrolled your animal online by May 15 and

If you sign up the classes you plan to show in your online County Fair Entry through FairEntry by June 15  (This will also include questions on how many pens you will need for the fair and if you are planning to sell an animal in the 4-H Auction.) and

If you have completed and turned in your 4-H Record sheet by June 15 and 
then and only then can you participate in the Blackford County 4-H show for this species.

 

Important—Registered Boer does and dairy goat does MUST enroll by tattoo and the registration number MUST be on the form. The tattoo in the animal must match the tattoo on the online enrollment AND the registration paper.

 

Important—Due to the limitations of space at the 4-H Fair—each 4-H member can only enter and bring NO MORE than 15 goats to the 4-H fair.  Pregnant does are NOT allowed at the fair 30 days prior to due date.

All Goats will need either an official county tag or readable tattoo.  Pygmy goats MUST also have an official county tag or readable tattoo.

 

Animal Identification for Indiana State Fair

 

Dairy Goat

  1. Females, Registered must have a Breed Registry Tattoo
  2. Wethers must have a 5-digit County Tag or Tattoo

 

Meat Goat

  1. Wethers must have an 840-RFID Tag and 5-digit County Tag and DNA Hair Sample
  2. Boar Goat Females, Registered must have a Breed Registry Tattoo and DNA Hair Sample
  3. Market Goat Does (Wether Dams) must have an 840-RFID Tag and 5-digit County Tag and DNA Hair Sample

 

Pygmy Goat

  1. Registered must have a Breed Registry Tattoo or Microchip that Matches Registration Papers
  2. Unregistered must have an Official USDA Scrapie Tag or Official Scrapie Tattoo

 

Indiana State Fair

MEAT GOATS WETHERS, REGISTERED BOER GOAT FEMALES, AND MARKET GOAT DOES EXHIBITING AT STATE FAIR MUST NOW PROVIDE DNA HAIR SAMPLES. DNA SAMPLE ENVELOPES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE EXTENSION OFFICE. 

 

The sealed collection envelopes with the information completed on the front of envelope should be        turned into the County Extension Office at the same time as the animal ID deadline in  Indiana 4H Online:  May 15th  for meat goatwethers, registered boer goat females, and market goat does.

 

 

Goat Show Rules

  1. All goats must be enrolled through the Blackford County Extension Office no later than May 15th.
  2. Every goat must wear a collar.  Dairy & Pygmy – choker collar preferred.  Percentage (%) and Meat – color collar with a short lead is preferred.
  3. No bucks (Billy goats) are allowed at the fair with the exception of Boer bucklings (6 months & under) are permitted on the fairgrounds. 
  4. Each member may exhibit two animals (maximum) in each class.  Each member may exhibit two Does (maximum) in each doe class.  Each member may exhibit two wethers (maximum) per division.  
  5. All goats are to be de-horned. Exception:  Boer or % breeding stock Does can have horns.  
  6. Tattooed ears are preferred.  Tagged ears are acceptable, but not recommended.  Tattooed or tagged ears are mandatory.  
  7. See current health requirements provided prior to the fair each year.  
  8. There will be four (4) divisions in the goat project:
  • Dairy Goats 
  • Pygmy Goats (Novelty Division) 
  • Percentage (% / Crossbred) Goats 
  • Meat Goats
  1. Dairy goats of all dairy breeds will be shown together including dairy crossbreeds.  A dairy goat cross breed is a cross of only dairy goat breeds.  A goat that is mixed with Boer (any percentage) is to show in the Percentage Division.
  2. All milkers must be milked out following the show.
  3. All wether goats must be weighed in at the designated time.  (Check with your barn superintendent.)
  4. No animal may leave once they are on the fairgrounds unless given permission by the Barn Superintendent.  Once an animal leaves the grounds, it will not be eligible to show or sell in the auction.  
  5. ALL livestock must be shown from designated area as assigned by the barn superintendent.  Goats cannot be shown from a trailer or another location other than what was assigned.

 

Classes are subject to change to meet the current judging trends.  

  • 3 months to under 6 months 
  • 6 months to under 9 months 
  • 9 months to under 12 months 
  • 1 year & under 2 never freshened

 

Senior Division

  • 1 year & under 2 years freshened  
  • 2 years & under 3 years  
  • 3 years & under 5 years  
  • 5 years & under over

 

Generation Unlimited Class – (Grandmother/Mother/Daughter) – Two doe’s or more-any age – as long as one is daughter of the other.  Daughter must be owned by exhibitor or a member of immediate family of exhibitor.  Mixed Generations Unlimited (Grandmother/Mother/Daughter) - Goats of all divisions that are crossbred.

FOR BOTH GENERATIONAL AND MIXED GENERATIONAL THE EXHIBIT MUST BE ONE OF EACH GENERATION.  FOR EXAMPLE IT CANNOT BE 1 MOTHER AND 2 DAUGHTERS.  IT MUST BE THE GRANDMOTHER, MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.

Boer Buckling Class 100% must be registered or have sire & dam registration papers.

3 months to 6 months

 

Auction

  1. If an animal is disqualified by the health check, the superintendent or a judge for health or any other reasons, that animal CANNOT be sold in the 4-H Livestock Auction. 
  2. 4-H’ers have 15 minutes from the end of the 4-H Goat show to report to the Superintendent if they are selling a wether in the Livestock Auction.

Showmanship

See Showmanship information in the General 4-H Rules Book or on the Blackford County 4-H website.

Featured Stories

Purdue Extension.
4-H Calendar

The Extension Office is open Monday thru Friday 8am to 4pm.

Read More
Purdue Extension.
Mini 4-H Blackford County

Blackford County Mini 4-H is for youth in grades K - 2. It is FREE! There are no meetings! It...

Read More
Purdue Extension.
Become a Certified UAV Pilot

Become a certified UAV Pilot. Blackford County Class being offered February 9, 2021 thru February...

Read More
circut
4-H Electric Project

4-H Electric Project

Read More
Purdue Extension.
4-H Cake Decorating Project

4-H Cake Decorating Project

Read More
Purdue Extension.
4-H Sewing Project

Sewing 4-H Project

Read More
To Top