# Newbie Tips for showing a goat in FFA



## erinbelle (Apr 4, 2014)

I will be renting a goat from my school's local FFA chapter. We will be a team, me and 3 others. Ideally I wanted to purchase my own goat, but this is our school's first year showing so my only choice is to rent. I really want the experience and am hoping I will be able to buy my goat at the end of the showing season.

From what I've gathered, I will be showing a Alpine goat. I do know a bit more about showing dairy goats, but my knowledge is still limited. The school purchased 4 goats from a breeder several hours away. I had a look at the website and their goats are shown regularly. They look like a good breeder to me. 

I haven't seen any of the goats and don't think I will be picking my goat out, I'm pretty sure they are assigned. We have a rough deadline list of what is supposed to be accomplished before what date. I will not be choosing feed either, and will follow a feeding schedule given to me. I do hope that I will at least get to do halter training and the other stuff my way. I have a certain opinion and way I do things, so I hope to incorporate that. 

I need advice or tips on how to train this goat. Also, what colors do you look for/avoid in Alpines? What do you look for conformation wise in this breed? WE will be going to 6 shows throughout the state if that matters. I am hoping to begin training the 23rd of this month. So any information I can gather before then would be great! I want my goat to have the best I can offer.


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## crazygoatlady_inthemaking (Apr 25, 2014)

Well this is a really late comment but i saw u dint have any responses so i'll tell you the basics of showing. -i have no experience with alpines i show boers-

When you first get your goat, the more time you spend with it the better! You could have the best jam up goat in the ring but if you havn't worked with it and got it tame then you will get dead last. Usually when we are taming a goat we put them in a small pen and feed the got by hand or out of a small hand held bowl. (We do this everytime they are to be fed)

After your goat is tame enough to be touched, it is time to halter/collar train them. We normally use a halter type thing and put that on them and tie them to a post or fence(doesnt matter where). We leave them tie there for atleast 20-30 mins or until they stop fighting the rope. We repeat this every/every other day for a week or so until it is just routine. 

Then is walk training time.. Once the goat is halter trained it is pretty easy to walk train them. 
•••You can do the feeding trick where(do this at their feeding time) you have a bucket of wht they are to be fed and make them walk a step *feed them a lil bit* make them walk another step *feed them* walk two steps *feed them*.. So on and so on to where they are walking a faily good distance and try taking away the bucket.
•••if that doesnt work them there is the pull and release method where (just like the feeding one) you pul on the rope till they take a step and rub and love on them and then another step and you do the same and then two steps and love on them again.. Etc.

After you have worked with them with being walk trained you can change from a halter to a collar or chain and then start workig with moving their feet and stuff like that.

We right now are working with standing still and moving feet so we put our show goats on a goat stand for 15 mins (move their feet when they move and rub them) and start adding more time and more time.

I hope this helped! I don't really know about alpines but i think the training process is probably the same or similar. Any questions just ask!


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