# Age for 4-h wethers



## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I know nothing about showing for 4-H, so thought I should ask before I go ahead and make plans. We were going to have our vet come and disbud Tabasco's bucklings next week, but just wanted to check and make sure they were born at the right time for kids to show. They were born 12/7, will they be eligible to show this summer for the kids?


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

Also, what would be a decent price for them? I asked a couple breeders near me and they are selling for $175-$200 this year. I forgot the ask what our vet charges for the disbudding, I can't imagine it would be much and I need him here to booster my mule and my mother in laws horse anyways, so am already paying the call charge.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Maggie, it is my understanding that you need to check with your county 4H extension. Our requirement in our area is just that they have to have their milk teeth (10-12 months) and be less than 120 lbs. There are counties that have more restrictive requirements. Price is definitely a "in your area" kind of thing.


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

Ok, thank you!


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

ours is under a year, still have to have their milk teeth. We try to show ours between 6 and 9 months of age. 
Your shows make you disbud? ours do not. Rarely do I see one with out horns at our shows. 

We ask 175.00, Sometimes 200 to 225 for the best ones, sometimes less for a smaller one or one that we know will make weight, but is not perfect, but still be a good beginners project or a project that doesn't cost a lot. 

Our kids are getting on average 5 to 8 a lb at the action after the show. Although one family I was talking to, was averaging $15.00 a lb at their auction, VEry small show. Like 15 goats total. 
Our show has around 80 to 100 and my son got $6.50 a lb for one of his and $8.00 a lb for the other one. I would imagine your kids in your area are getting something similar. This allows for the kids to beable to spend a couple hundred on their project, plus feed and still make some money. 
Of course there are always a couple kids that by from Production sales and spend near 1,000 on their wether project. and don't worry about making money, they are more concentrated on winning. 

keeping good weights on your wethers and daily gains really help the sales of your wethers and help the kids know what they are looking for. 
I ask the kids to please weigh their project every couple of weeks, to make sure they aren't having a parasite problem and to make sure the feed they have decided to go with is working. Compare their kids daily gain with what he or she was doing at our farm. I also sell, does with breeding faults as show wethers, but normaly I ask a little more for the does, like $225.00, since that is about what I could get for them as commercial with a fault. Like fish teats or folded ear.


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I thought they had to be disbudded for 4-H here.... at least that is what the other breeders told me. I'd really rather not disbud if I don't have to. I tried looking up the rules on the 4-H site for our county but can't find a thing, most of the people that have contacted me in the past have been from NJ anways.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Ours have to have their milk teeth. 

Price would depend on the quality and market in your area. I think 200 is reasonable for a nice wether, although I have seen really good wethers go for around 500 and up.. Just depends on the quality and market in your area.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm in KY, and here, goats don't have to be disbudded. BUT, they do tell you to tip the ends, they are not allowed to have sharp horns.
Here they have to be born, usually anytime after mid/late August of the previous year. So kids shown this past summer had to be born after August 15th, 2011.

I 'think' they had to be at least 30lbs. to show in a market class, have to have their scrapie tag, and in KY they have a KUIP tag - the child gets that at a state tagging site.

I know every state is different, but that's all that's needed here, usually when the kids go to the tagging site there is a vet on site to do the health papers..

Hopefully it's not complicated in your state/area.
I'd definitely call the county extension office to find out, and if there are kids wanting them and they live in a different county, they need to find out.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

Each county has their own rules by us. Our county is under a year and between 60 and 120lbs. But I have sold to nearby counties that pretty much have no rules, as long as it was with in a reasonable age range. another words if the wether or doe was only 30 lbs that was okay. But even these fairs will say that they suggest the goat to be at least 70 to 80 lbs. Our fairs in neighboring counties are all over the place as far as time frame, I will have kids calling looking for wethers/does for May shows all the way to our state fair which wasn't until Ocotober this year. That gives me some room to work with as far as age and weight.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Ours have to be disbudded or horns tipped


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks, I appreciate the help. I guess I need to do a bit of research about the disbudding. I'd rather not disbud them, it would only raise the cost of raising them since I wouldn't be doing it myself and I do not want to have to ask too much for them. 
I dont' think they will have any problem getting over 30 pounds, the one is almost 15 pounds already and only 6 days old.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

I think you will hit that 30lb bench mark, infact I have never heard anyone showing that low of weight. They should be 40 or 50 or even 60 at weaning.


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

^ No not for a boer anyways. Most of our kids are right around 30 pounds at a month old and wean at 50-70 pounds.


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## FaRmEr FrEaK (Jul 7, 2012)

It Depends on the Area and the Fair but you might want to Check the Weight Limit the Fair here is under 110 Pounds and they have to be De-Horned and Have to have the milk teeth


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