4H Goats?

[winc564]

Hello! I am looking for someone who has experience with the 4H goat program. I have two boys who are interested in doing a goat project, but find that it is difficult to find anyone who actually wants to explain requirements to me. I need to know things like what makes a good goat v. a poor quality goat. I know I can research this, but I need the program perspective. Thanks!

 

[res]

Are you wanting to get into dairy goats or meat goats?

You will need to look for different characteristics and conformation traits depending on which "type" you want to show.

Does your county have any livestock or "goat specific" clubs? Some do, some don't.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Your best bet would be to find someone in your area that does 4h and can mentor you and your kids. I joined horse 4h knowing virtually nothing about horses and I had so many mentors that taught me so much.

I usually recommend reaching out to you local cooperative extension to get info about clubs in your area.

 

[winc564]

We are club members and I've sought mentors, but people don't seem very willing to mentor.

As far as types of goats, my kids say dairy. Our club is ag, but is not goat specific.

 

[res]

We are club members and I've sought mentors, but people don't seem very willing to mentor.

As far as types of goats, my kids say dairy. Our club is ag, but is not goat specific.

I don't show dairy, so I can't help you much there. Part of the reason I haven't shown dairy - or my kids haven't - is because dairy goats require milking, for a long time, twice a day, and have to be milked out by a certain time while at the shows. I don't really want to deal with it... I thought about getting into it for a while, but realized life is a lot simpler with meat goats and my kids LOVE doing all the care for them. Plus, we can go on vacation and leave the herd of meat goats under the care of a farm sitter... I am 100% sure vacations would not happen if we had a herd of dairy goats that needed milked...

I have had the same experience as you with our local 4-H. It has been a hard group to "get in to" because we are "outsiders" and new to the area. 99% of the 4-H in our country is generations old... same families forever. We have also had to shop around for other clubs that help out more. It has taken us 3 years, but we finally feel like part of the local 4-H family.

You might want to look outside of 4-H, for a local family that shows dairy goats in breed shows, and see if they are willing to mentor you. The basics are the same for 4-H and breed shows...