# Dairy goat show clipping?



## maggie14 (Feb 9, 2013)

I have two goats, a Nigerian Dwarf and an Nubian goat that are to show in the Tarrent County livestock show (Texas) next weekend. I've looked at the rule book for the show and it doesn't give much about the clipping for the goats. Is it the same as a meat goat or are there different rules for a dairy goat. I've never shown dairy goats before so any advice would be wonderful!!


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## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

I think the rules are diffrent but Idk never had meat goats


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

I'm not sure how Boers are shaved but you want their whole body shaved except their face but that's just preference. On the tail you'll want to shave the sides and top of the tail and leave a poof of hair. Sorry don't know how to explain it that well.
Rules: Basically depends on the show.
Other than that I think it's about the same. I'm guessing you set up Boers to?


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

Delilah said:


> I'm not sure how Boers are shaved but you want their whole body shaved except their face but that's just preference. On the tail you'll want to shave the sides and top of the tail and leave a poof of hair. Sorry don't know how to explain it that well.
> Rules: Basically depends on the show.
> Other than that I think it's about the same. I'm guessing you set up Boers to?


That's only for meet not breed


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

goatgirl132 said:


> That's only for meet not breed


What for meat only and not breed?


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## maggie14 (Feb 9, 2013)

I've never done Boars, but my ag teacher will be clipping my goats, I'm the first one in the history of my schools FFA to do a dairy animal though, so I know they know how to clip Boar goats and if it's the same as dairy it will be easy to do, but if anything is different I want to let them know.


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Okay, I don't think anything is different then.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Well on dairy goats you don't want to make the legs thicker so you shave those too and if your showing a freshened doe you want a very clean udder that is shaved cleanly up into the attachments.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

With dairy goats you clip the whole body, including the face and legs. Any goat that I have ever left the face hairy always looks like they have a giant head, so I clip it too so it is more uniform. You shave about 3/4 of the tail, the cut straight across the top to leave a little pom-pom on top (like a poodle tail). I use a size 10 blade on the body. Some people use an 8 as it doesn't cut as short. You then clip the udder (if they have one) with a smaller balde (I use a size 40, it is like a surgical blade and completely takes the hair off) so that it stands out more from the body and looks like it is clean and ready for milking.

With boer goats, they usually clip the body and leave the legs, with meat goats you want lots of bone so when you leave the legs it makes them look like they are thicker and have more bone. Dairy goats you want to look more refined and feminine. You do want bone on a dairy goat, but not like on a meat goat. With breeding meat goats they usually just clean up the long hairs around the back legs, belly, etc. as the hair will help make them look a little poofier (meatier) kind of like they do with beef cattle. 

When showing a dairy goat, you lead them around and when you stop you set all four feet squarely underneath them, but you spread the hind legs out just a little so they look like they have more room for an udder, or if the have one, so the judge can fully see it without the legs being in the way or looking like they are squeezing the udder. Once the legs are set, you hold their head up high and pinch or press down just a little on their spine, right in front of the hips so the kind of squitch down a little. This helps make their back look more level, up hill and also gives more angulation to the rear legs. You always keep the judge between you and the goat and remember to smile. The first show I ever went to, I watched the classes before mine so I could get a better idea of how to show. It is also good to find another showman/breeder who isn't too busy and see if they will give you a few pointers or show you how to better show your doe. Dairy people are generally pretty friendly and helpful, but showing can be a bit hectic so some so them will get a little short tempered at shows.

Good luck!


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

Delilah said:


> What for meat only and not breed?


Yeah for breed you sheer the front and tail (how you explained) and the rest your just trimming (take slippers like ment for dogs and turn upside down) the body
And you trim the top leg leaving below the knee alone.
And you sheer the head

Or that's how my ag teachers (whose a goat judge) and my student ag teacher(who raises goats and works on a breeders farm and trimms up goats for show all the time) did for mine and everyone else's


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

goatgirl132 said:


> Yeah for breed you sheer the front and tail (how you explained) and the rest your just trimming (take slippers like ment for dogs and turn upside down) the body


Okay thanks sorry!


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## terri9630 (Jul 5, 2013)

ptgoats45 said:


> With dairy goats you clip the whole body, including the face and legs. Any goat that I have ever left the face hairy always looks like they have a giant head, so I clip it too so it is more uniform. You shave about 3/4 of the tail, the cut straight across the top to leave a little pom-pom on top (like a poodle tail). I use a size 10 blade on the body. Some people use an 8 as it doesn't cut as short. You then clip the udder (if they have one) with a smaller balde (I use a size 40, it is like a surgical blade and completely takes the hair off) so that it stands out more from the body and looks like it is clean and ready for milking.
> 
> With boer goats, they usually clip the body and leave the legs, with meat goats you want lots of bone so when you leave the legs it makes them look like they are thicker and have more bone. Dairy goats you want to look more refined and feminine. You do want bone on a dairy goat, but not like on a meat goat. With breeding meat goats they usually just clean up the long hairs around the back legs, belly, etc. as the hair will help make them look a little poofier (meatier) kind of like they do with beef cattle.
> 
> ...


That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Here is a picture of a freshly clipped dairy goat


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Sorry for the double pic.... :chin: not sure what's up with that lol


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## terri9630 (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

pretty girls J.O.Y


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Thank you clear water


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