# Shaving goat in the freezing cold



## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Hello y'all! I've got a Boer doe that I'm showing on Feb. 27. She'll be 9 months old. On Saturday I'll be shaving her for show and I'm worried about her getting cold. Here's the forecast for this week:








I know. It's bad. And your thinking "what's wrong with you for shaving your goat in this weather!?" But I have no choice! I'm giving her a bath in the house with warm water and a blow dryer afterwards tomorrow. 
Ok here's my facilities: she is in a pen with another doe as a buddy. In the pen is a small 10' x 10' barn. The barn has four sides and a small doorway with a half door, so it's almost completely inclosed ( except for the top half of the doorway). She will have on a goat spandex tube and and a thin nylon jacket over that. The barn will be stuffed with hay and she will have a buddy to snuggle to. 
What else do I do? I'm so worried about her! I can buy another jacket that's warmer (please recommend one!!) but it won't be here till next week Tuesday or Wednesday. 
Help! I don't want her to get sick!


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Before you shave, call the show board and see if they will make exceptions for this show due to the weather. I live in Colorado so waiving the shaving requirement is common at our spring and fall shows (we don't show at all in winter!). Keeping our animals safe is more important than winning at show and I commend you for making your goat's health a priority. 

Another thing to think about is waiting to see what happens with the weather after this cold snap. Texas usually warms up a lot once March hits, and your show is not until the very end of February. You've got more than two weeks. You could wait and shave her the week of the show provided the weather warms up. 

You can definitely blanket, but I'm not sure what to recommend. I use miniature horse blankets for transporting packgoats in winter, but I doubt your goat is big enough to wear one of those.


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## MissMiniNubian (Jan 20, 2021)

I would definitely put in a heat lamp or two


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 3, 2018)

I agree with @Damfino!

I personally would not subject my goats to being clipped in such cold weather. Even with a blanket, they would have to wear one for months. I would rather show my goats fuzzy, with a winter clip, or just not attend that show. The doe's well-being needs to be priority.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

I completely agree with you guys!! This is the only show I go to every year and is the biggest day of the year. I called and they absolutely refuse to waiver on the shaving. I shave my show goats for the show every year but this is the coldest that it has ever been in my life (not joking!). 
So now I’m stuck. I HAVE to shave her or I forfeit the biggest day ever. So at this point I’m just trying to get different opinions on keeping her warm, and recommendations on warm blankets. 
Again if I had a choice I would definitely NOT shave her! But I already have an appointment for shaving so I have to.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

There are some nice insulated dog coats that would work .... check jeffers online


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Human vest or even a human jacket. Put on so it zips along the goat's back.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Can you go to goodwill and get a down Puffer coat. I used one on a colt I had born in Colorado years ago it worked really well. I think I got a men’s medium and I zipped it on him and he stayed warm in the barn.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good ideas.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Yes thanks everyone I’ll see what I can find for her.


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## goodenuff (Jan 1, 2019)

One of my momma goats absolutely loves heat lamps! I got the safer ones from Premier 1 and have it about two feet off the ground. She doesn't bang it or anything, she just snuggles up under it. I haven't had luck with keeping jackets on my does so I figured I would mention the heat lamp.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Boers4ever said:


> Again if I had a choice I would definitely NOT shave her! But I already have an appointment for shaving so I have to.


Can you at least change your shaving appointment to the week before the show? The weather will almost certainly be much warmer by then. Blankets are ok, but they are nowhere near as good as a natural coat, and this is a very COLD cold snap! Unusually cold for your area! If your goat gets pneumonia she definitely won't be showing. See if you can change the shaving appointment, find someone else to help you, or even do the job yourself. It's worth it to make sure your goat stays warm and healthy and doesn't lose condition.


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

New forecast. 
Well after getting the entire county together to argue about it, they finally changed the shaving appt to NEXT Saturday!! Yay! I'm still putting blankets on her but I won't have to worry near as much about her. Thanks everyone! I was definitely sooo worried about her and I got quite mad at the goat superintendent, especially since I'm her assistant! Whew.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Yay! Good job advocating for the health of your goats! Now if you could only get the show committee to waive the shaving requirement altogether...

I was at an April show one year in northern Colorado and it was a FUZZY show with no exceptions. There was a huge snowstorm predicted that weekend and the show committee decided that shaved goats would be disqualified from the ring. You could trim around the edges, neaten up the tail and the legs, use elbow grease, get the long hair off the udder, and brush them up as nice as you wanted, but if your goat's body hair was clipped it would be excused from the ring. I really appreciated their commitment to making sure our goats' welfare came FIRST!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

These fit goats really well. The adjustable neck snugs right down.

https://www.horse.com/item/tough1-1200d-mini-chevron-snuggit-blanket/E033768/


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## Boers4ever (Jun 28, 2020)

Here's a picture of the blanketed little Sunshine. The other goat is her best friend Whisper.








My little bundles of joy!


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