# Show Chow: Impulse or X Clamation?



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I asked a question in the 4-H section about grain, but wanted to ask here just in case people who come here don't go in that section.

We currently just feed a basic sweet feed <medicated>, that is 15% <used to be 16%!>.
We have 4 percentage doelings my kids want to show in 4-H. The one my son would like to do showmanship with is a boer/nubian, lost some size after weaning, and we've increased her grain/BOSS intake, but I know she needs something better than the basic grain to get her in show shape. I know they can all benefit from it.

But which one should we get?

I am thinking X Clamation? I found out that our local feed store FINALLY has show chow in stock and I can not find any other show feed anywhere near us as I was looking for 18% feed, these are both 16%.

Of course the big question is...is anyone familiar with this feed and is it really good??? I'm guessing it's pellets, so it'll take the girls time to adjust from sweet feed.

Any help would be appreciated, as we still have a lot to learn, but to me it looks like X Clamation is the better choice, yet it's $15.00 a bag, and Impulse is $15.50.

I forgot to add that reading about mineral, it says that once they get on this and established, we should see a decrease in need for loose mineral????


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I've used both and I really like both feeds. I switched to impulse for its ability to pack on heavier, bulkier muscle, which is better for wethers. X-clamation worked really well for growing them on, it seems to be more geared toward breeding stock and young goats. All the boer breeders I know feed x-clamation to breeding stock and impulse to market wethers. 

It is a pelleted feed, which mine love. They seem to like impulse better though. They'll eat either but they go crazy for impulse. It has a sweeter smell so I wonder if thats why. 

Hope that helped a little.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks Dani! That helps a great deal! The kids are showing the girls as breeding does, so we'll go with the x-clamation and see how it goes


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Well doesn't it figure they only had Impulse in stock when I called yesterday they had both! so I went ahead and bought 1 bag of Impulse....they get the X Clamation in on Fri...should I just wait and start on Friday with that, or go ahead and start with Impulse and slowly switch into the X Clamation later? I'm also kind of afraid to wait what if they don't get it in on Friday...


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I'd start them on Impulse by mixing it with their old feed and then just mix the xclamation with the impulse. It shouldn't take long to switch them since impulse and xclamation are fairly close. I switched my wethers within 5 days and didn't have the smallest sign of soft stool, no diarhea what so ever. If your girls are sensitive (my boys with eat anything and not get sick) then I'd take at least a week to switch, if not closer to 2 weeks. You'll know if its disagreeing with them, just watch for signs.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks  I mixed some in with their grain today and they ate it up. The pickiest eater is the doe we want to build up, and she typically doesn't finish off her grain...she finished it off and was looking for more! She is the one we'll watch for soft stool - tomorrow I am taking her for a health exam since she wasn't originally going to be a 4-H goat, but my son wants to show her in showmanship  Hopefully it doesn't affect the others either, but they are so used to getting different stuff nothing has affected them yet, so hopefully a change in grain won't affect them either.


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## Hidden Waters Farm (Oct 3, 2010)

Now I don't know much of anything about goat nutrition, But do you think a meat goat feed such as Impulse or X Clamation would be good for thin dairy does to pack on weight? I would obviously slow down or cut rations when they got back up to weight so they didn't get fat.


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