# What age for a market show



## gwith

My boys are breeding registered boer goats and are planning on selling some of the kids to be in local 4H and county shows. We were wondering what age would be best for the show. 

Basically they want to know when to breed the does for the show. The shows are in May and June. 

The show we attended last weekend had them from 27 to over 100 pounds. I think it had a max age of 1 year old. Do people want them of all ages or do they want 11 1/2 months old?


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## showme

I may not be much help here, but can you contact your local 4H for info? Or the county extension office?

I'm brand new to goats, but the local county extension and 4H office provided me with a number of connections and general info. 

Jamie


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## burtfarms

My daughter puts her buck with her does in late july-Aug. For them to kid in Jan. Our tag in for fair was on May 1st. Our rules state that the wether's have to be a minimum of 50 lbs but no more than 115 lbs and still have their milk teeth.they usually lose them around nine months of age. our fair is in at the end of july. We found that a lot of people like to show their goats between 3-7 months of age that way they can go to various shows, as well as be eligible for county fair. Hope this makes sense. Lol I would check dates, weight limits ask the 4-h kids if they were to buy from your kids , what are the things they are looking for in a project? How old do they want them? make reservations for them. That would be hard. I would check the rules, and ask potential buyers questions to help with your decisions. Good luck.


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## HoosierShadow

My kids breed & show their own goats, and each show one market wether, we generally sell the rest of the boy as 4-H wethers.
First, I would consider weight. Is there a minimum weight at your shows? Here I think it's 30-35lbs. You want to make sure the goats can make weight or there will be disappointed kids. Also make sure there isn't a maximum weight.

Have an idea of how fast/slow your babies tend to grow. 

Our kids show late May- late Aug. Most of the shows are in June/July, then the state fair is late Aug.
Here in KY, I believe they want the wethers/commercial does in their permanent location by May 1st. Also, our state requires any 4-H/FFA youth showing a wether/commercial doe to get a mandatory state tag called the KUIP tag, they do the tagging for that in May. No tag means the animal can't be shown.
We breed our % does in Jan/Feb so that any extra boys sold as wethers are ready to go in late Mar/early April, so the kids have time to get them ready for showing, and also get tagged in. Find out what rules/mandatory things they have for your area. 

We bred most of our does for late Jan babies this year, and even then they are big at show time. Usually in the heavy weight classes. Ideally, I want to push some of them back to mid Feb next year, so they aren't quite so big, especially for younger kids.

Here, wethers have to be born after a certain day, I believe it's sometime in Aug or Sept. But they also have to have all of their baby teeth. If you breed for older wethers, and have that rule, then keep in mind you are cutting it close on them losing their baby teeth. IMO 6-8mo are probably kind of ideal for showing, and for faster growers 5-7mo. Ideally for some of ours I'd prefer them to show 5-7mo.
No pro here, we do it for fun, gives my kids something to do during the summer


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## Tenacross

gwith said:


> The show we attended last weekend had them from 27 to over 100 pounds. I think it had a max age of 1 year old. Do people want them of all ages or do they want 11 1/2 months old?


Good practical advice already given, but
The people at the show you went to, especially the ones doing the winning, are/were the ones to talk to. Don't be afraid to ask. Nice people outnumber snotty people at most goat shows.


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## gwith

I just found the rules for the county show and it says weight for market goats must be between 55 and 120 pounds.


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## Brink4

In my opinion the older the goat gets it starts to lose its freshness and handles differently. We tend to purchase our wethers at 3 months old and show at county fair at 6 months old. We have finished goats at 76-100+ pounds. Most shows have weight limits and some additional requirements. You want to consider how fast your kids tend to grow that will help you establish when you should consider breeding them. 

Talk to local extension office and they can give your contact info to club advisors to get your name out there. When your at shows don't be afraid to ask lots of questions most ppl will answer 

Best of luck!


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## gwith

What is freshness? I heard the judge saying that a lot this past weekend.


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## Brink4

It means having a healthy youthful appearance with a nice smooth and healthy coat. 

When at shows look closely at the goats and you will be able to determine the ones that lack this. They are usually goats underweight, non youthful looking and they have coarse/sparse coats. 

Hope this helps!!


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