goats?

[chickenchick12]

I need help or we'll have to wait another 4-H year! My mom wants to start a goat 4-H club in our county. We don't want to sell as meat goats and we don't want to milk the does. My mom just wants some pet goats that are good for show. We plan on using them as weed-eaters

. What breeds should we use? And if we got doelings could we not breed them so that they don't kid and don't produce milk? And do they have to be registered to show? Enclosure suggestions also welcome.
THANKS

 

[cassie]

The only thing I can think of is to to raise Boers if they have breeding classes for meat goats. Dairy goats take a fair amount of care. You can show them as kids and dry yearlings, but after that they have to have freshened. Does your fair have classes for pygmies? Not Nigerians. Nigerians are dairy animals. Pygmies make good pets and if they are bred you leave the kids on them and you don't have to milk them. Pygmies would be your best bet by far.

 

[res]

I would DEFINITELY start with you local 4-H Extension Office. I would ask them what breeds, ages, and sexes can be shown.

In my county, you do not have to sell your meat goat wether/doe unless you win championship, and even then, you can bid on your own animal and outbid everyone else. But, on the flip side, the market goat classes only allow goats up to a certain age, and then they no longer qualify... So you can't show the same wether or un-bred doe over and over.

As an example of our county 4-H goat classes, go to page 12 of this link for the class list: http://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_images/locations/charles_county/2014 fairbook.pdf

 

[chickenchick12]

Thanks! What temperature do goats need in the winter? And would it be OK to use Nubian wethers? My family is not prepared to care for dairy goats. And if we had meat goats then wouldn't they get to big and hurt themselves? I wonder if the county would allow a new kind of goat club?: The Weed Eaters!

 

[enola]

What kind of facilities do you have for your goats? They DO NOT need a heated barn, just a clean, dry, draft free barn.

 

[res]

If you are breeding in hopes of having show animals, then you MIGHT actually need a heated stall. Kids need to be born so that they are a certain size by show time. In my area, most people breed in October for spring babies, and sometimes that means you need a warm area. It depends on your climate. You also have to consider that the 4-H Office will require the goats to be shown to be purchased by a certain date, so they need to be weaned/sold by then.

Most 4-H does not allow bucks to be shown, so you will need to be able to wether the kids. You may also be required to disbud them, that can be at the discretion of the 4-H regulations. Blunt horns are allowed in my county, but I know they are not allowed in other 4-H areas.

Really, it all goes back to your local 4-H office. They are going to be your best resource for this project, and I bet they would LOVE to talk to you!