# I can't decide!!!!



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I haven't shown in a long time, my friend kristi is urging me to get back into it (she shows and she's a judge).
But from all my bad past experiences I'm not sure!
I have 5 days to decide! I'd be showing some milkers, some dry yearlings, and some kids, IF I were to show again.

What do you think?


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Hmmm... I am not sure what to tell you. I guess it kind of depends on your bad experiences.
But, if you feel an itch to give it another shot, I say go for it  Instead perhaps, of getting back into it too much, just do it now and then so it's enjoyable, and not over do it? Again, it just depends on what made it a bad experience. Good Luck on whatever you decide


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Well my bad experiences were,
People stole some of my kids
Pepper sprayed the rear end of my show milker, the judge couldn't touch her so she didn't place her
Fed the does a LOT of manna, gave them the runs, couldn't show them...
Gave them something that made them sicker than no other
One of them came down with a fractured leg..... how could that have happened in the middle of the night, when its the only doe in its pen?
Run a clipper through their hair, like BALD lines down them!
Just so many things...

BUT there were good times. When none of that happened my does took show, they were the best of the best. THAT was one of the greatest feelings ever.

But I'm not sure if the good weighs out the bad... I would like to put my herd name back in the ring like it was 15 years ago, get my goats known again. I like showing, but I just don't want any of those things to happen again.

And the two thoughts clash again....


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Wow, some people were pretty desperate. That is just sad. I would try it. Doing 1 show shouldn't hurt. Probably many of the people who showed back then are not showing now.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Wow that's crazy and so sad 
I am with Karen, maybe things will be different now. Maybe do 1 show, something not too big, or stressful, and not an overnight type of deal? 
I'm used to county fair shows <with the kids 4-H goats>. Everything is a 1 day deal, including the dairy goats. 
There are a few things that are overnight stays, but we probably won't do any of those, with the exception of taking their market goats to the state fair <and possibly a couple of does>.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I insist on staying with all animals through the duration of the show. Especially over night. People are sick and twisted.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I would love to be able to stay with them, but ever since they remodeled everything at the fair, they've made it to where you can't stay with then anymore. 

Ugggh, I can't decide. Maybe I'll show next year when the kids are yearlings and aren't totally in an awkward growth stage.


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Little bits, do it!!!!

I've only been showing a few years BUT I have had someone, we believe, not exactly sure of the source, chloroform my goat. 
I know EXACTLY who it was. But I'm going to keep showing again. 

It is hard to build the confidence & get yourself to show again. BUT it's worth it I believe. Hopefully nothing happens this time!! 
Just ask if you could get some extra security around your pens maybe? 

Good luck! 
And I'm SO sorry about all the things that happened.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Oh that's terrible! Did they actually chloroform it, or just give it tranquilizers?


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> Oh that's terrible! Did they actually chloroform it, or just give it tranquilizers?


Not exactly sure. 
All I know is when I left my doe (for 6 min) she was just waking up from a nap. She usually is hyper for about 3 hours after her nap. 
When I got back she was asleep again, I watched this kid walk out of my pen, and she wouldn't wake up and stay awake for more than 3 minutes. I timed it cause I knew something was wrong.

For the next few days she was drowsy & when I went to show her later that day (usually she is alert when in the ring) she was putting all her weight against me & was SLEEPING while in the ring.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Good grief! I cannot believe the nerve of some people, doing that to poor animals to get ahead. It makes me sick. If I were concerned about sabotage I would try to keep my animals in my trailer when they cannot be supervised. It is just such a shame that it has to come to that.

Edit: Also, ADG you should show again. I am sorry you have had such bad experiences, but we all need good breeders to show and you get so much enjoyment from your goats placing well.


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

FarmerInaDress said:


> Good grief! I cannot believe the nerve of some people, doing that to poor animals to get ahead. It makes me sick. If I were concerned about sabotage I would try to keep my animals in my trailer when they cannot be supervised. It is just such a shame that it has to come to that.
> 
> Edit: Also, ADG you should show again. I am sorry you have had such bad experiences, but we all need good breeders to show and you get so much enjoyment from your goats placing well.


You stole the words right out of my mouth 
After I knew for a FACT something was wrong, I was in tears. You could tell she so wanted to be awake. I called my mom to come look at her, keep in mind my mom doesn't even know the breed of my goats lol so she doesn't know what she normally acts like, she said "that is NOT sophya. What happened?!"


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Well, I think I'll show next year. I have a lot going on right now, and I don't even think I can get up to the office to reserve a pen.

So next year I think I'm going to be showing some senior does, A junior and maybe some kids.
by then, the does I plan to take would be 11, 6, 5, and 3 for my seniors I want to take, and 1 for my ONLY doe this year. And some intermediate kids if they are born before april-ish.

I might be getting another milker on Saturday from my friend Kristina, so maybe show another doe, not sure.
but I definitely can't show them all next year, I have no idea on how'd I'd pull that off! 

But my 11 year old doe that I'd be showing is Peeps, my 3 gallon a day milker. I'm doing AI on her this year for one last spectacular round of kids. I sold her last doe, should NOT have done that~ worst move in the history of history. BUT in my defense, I though peeps would have had another doe, guess not....

But since I'm doing AI with her this year to a really nice buck, I'd be happy even with a buck kid! But I'd be over the moon with some does!

But 5 does going to show would be manageable, fist time they'd ever be shown too! Well, Kristina took one doe with her just to get the milk star on her. But other than that, never been away from home.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

See..you just needed to talk it through... If things are too busy right now and the show is too soon to prep...then prep for next year...no need to stress....maybe be availble to your friend to help her show hers..to get your feet warm...
People can be so mean and desperate..all I can say is you must have some really awesome goats for someone to go to such lengths to keep you out of showing..Im so very very you had to deal with that and for the goats who were put through it..


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Oh course I have awesome goats! Lol! 
Yes I do, I don't know if you seen my thread with some of my old girls but here is the link
http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f194/lovely-ladies-my-alpine-herd-147831/


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Umm, they're 



BEAUTIFUL!!!! 
How gorgeous!!
Are alpines smaller than nubians?


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## still (Mar 16, 2013)

I'm speechless to think that those things actually happen!! People actually stealing kids?? OMG! Wow I would have my goats in my hotel room with me then LOL. 
I would go again though......the good has to outweigh the bad


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Some are, but a lot of them get to be big. Really depends on the bloodlines and how they are raised.
But most of my does are bigger than nubians. I have 3 that are smaller.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

still said:


> I'm speechless to think that those things actually happen!! People actually stealing kids?? OMG! Wow I would have my goats in my hotel room with me then LOL.
> I would go again though......the good has to outweigh the bad


Yes it has happened several times. They stole 2 of MY baby goats, 1 piglet, and a few baby bunnies. 
The police found them in a box on the side of the road about 10 miles from the fair grounds, 2 days after they were stolen. Thankfully they were all alive.

The piglets were my friends baby pigs that were born at the fair too.

But the babies that they stole were just born, they were 2 days old. My doe was pregnant at the fair, and kidded there as a learning thing for kids and an experiance to the fair go-ers.


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Dang!! They gotta be HUGE!! 

But that's horrible., who would even want to try that?!


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

That is appalling. It makes me think that it was probably not a goat person but a fairgoer. That is what I am hoping is the case with whoever stole the silent auction items from the ISDA show last month. I would hate to think that someone in the community did it.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

The person that stole them was a teenage boy...


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

emilieanne said:


> Dang!! They gotta be HUGE!!
> 
> But that's horrible., who would even want to try that?!


Hehehe, well..... they are as tall.... but, well my does are spoiled little fatties .
For some reason all the nubians at the shows out here, they are always streamline does, not much too them. No depth at all.

But my bucks are definatly bigger than nubians.


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> Hehehe, well..... they are as tall.... but, well my does are spoiled little fatties .
> For some reason all the nubians at the shows out here, they are always streamline does, not much too them. No depth at all.
> 
> But my bucks are definatly bigger than nubians.


Well they are BEAUTIFUL! I know what you mean by the depth. 
It bugs me when my one doe will NOT keep on weight. My others are all fat trash can sized lol


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

What are you feeding her? She may just need some more grain or more nutritional grain.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> The person that stole them was a teenage boy...


Well that explains a lot. I am glad they all survived at such a tender age.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Me too. They were extremely dehydrated when we got them back. They had to be kept under lights and tube fed. One of the kids had to be on an IV in the beginning.


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> What are you feeding her? She may just need some more grain or more nutritional grain.


Sweet feed mixed with pellets. 
Costal free choice hay & during fair time she gets beet pulp. This is her:


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Try giving her beet pulp before fair. I start as soon as they freshen. 
Also some calf manna would do her some good, if you can't get calf manna, Farmers Feed makes something that is actually a bit better than calf manna, it's called Excelerator.

She isn't actually bad looking, she looks fine. Just needs to get that "show barrel" look before you take her. 
Is she milking right now?

A feed that I found out is the same as a lactation dairy chow is a beef calf developer! Same exact things and in the same order, but less than half the price!

But a lactation grain will puff her up fast, it barrels them out for shows quickly.


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> Try giving her beet pulp before fair. I start as soon as they freshen.
> Also some calf manna would do her some good, if you can't get calf manna, Farmers Feed makes something that is actually a bit better than calf manna, it's called Excelerator.
> 
> She isn't actually bad looking, she looks fine. Just needs to get that "show barrel" look before you take her.
> ...


I usually do give it to her just after she kids. (Beef pulp) and she kids around fair. 
I know exactly what you're talking about for that show barrel. Same thing I'm talkin about! 
She is not in milk right now. She's just being mommys little butt! Lol

I will try that! Thank you SO much!


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