# ?? about selling show wethers.



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I have thought off and on about selling wethers to the 4h and ffa kids mainly just so I have sales out side of the sale barn. I bought a little doeling from a ffa kid today and we got to talking and he told me he bought the cheapest kid at the sale for $300. I asked if he made any money and he said not even close. To me that kinda breaks my heart, we incourage kids to get into ag stuff and they dont even break even. So I am very serious about trying to sell wethers for kids, basically for what I would get at the sale any ways. So I have some questions for those of you that are either in 4h or ffa or sell wethers. #1 do they have to be a certain age by the fair. I know with beef they do not, but when I did chickens they had to be under X age. #2 do they need a health cert. or tested, have vac. ect? Those are the one questions I have right now but if any one wants to throw some info at me Im sure it will save me a post later  And of course thank you guys!!!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

These kids work super hard in getting sponsers & if they dont they dont get premium prices.
Wethers have to be a certain weight by fair time. Our FFA bought in April & animals had to be 60#by June.
No health certs that Im aware of.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Nancyd, I was in no way saying anything bad about people that charge that much.....I guess I should have worded it better, sorry  and thank you for answering 

Oh, I didnt intend to imply anything re: price, just kind of what you already said about not breaking even. (somehow I hit wrong button here I meant to respond not edit, arrg . Scuse me while I go get more offee)


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

The fairs in our area vary on the dates, so that makes a difference on the size of kid you can sell the child. I always ask what county and have them remind me of their minimum and maximum weights for the shows. Most kids want 85 to 95 lbs for the show. But a few beginners don't mind them smaller, around 60 lbs. One fair in our area has no lower limit. They normally can not be older than 1 year old, which would mean loosing any of their milk teeth and starting to get in their adult teet. We have kids from Jan to March for July to Sept shows. We weigh the kids at birth and again at weaning and when we sell them, to calculate daily gain and what we predict the wether or doe will weigh for the show. They can show does, so we also sell the does that have faults. We always tell the child what the reason is we are selling the doe, split-teated, folded ear, ect.....
We do give two vaccinations to the goat and we send them home with some wormer and coccidiosis medicine so they don't have to go out and buy an entire bottle for one or two goats. 

We put our kids on a creepfeed and have a creepfeed area built so they are very used to grain buy the time they are weaned and go to their new home. We band at 7 to 8 weeks of age, normally we wean at 8 to 10 weeks of age and we don't let any of them go home until they have been weaned for at least a week. We sell a little above what we will get for them at market weight, but we aren't feeding them out.
Around here most kids are making money on their projects. Averaging $6 to $8 a lb at the sale, And I have been to some sales were they are getting $10 to $15 a lb live weight. Of course if the child purchased a project for several 100 dollars, then they wouldn't make any money. I know a few kids do spend 800 or more on their goat. But most of them are not in our area. 
if they do need a health cert. That would be the childs responsibility 30 days or less before the show. They do need to be scrappie tagged when sold.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

thanks 20kids I had forgotten about scrapie tags.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Thank you so much!! Now here was the 'master plan' I was going to disbud all kids but leave them as buck till I have someone that would like to buy as a wether, and of course not give to them till its all heald. Is being banded later in life make like a strike to selling as a show wether? Bucks bring more money at the auction and also bucks seem to gain more weight. I have to protect my 'for sure sales'. I think I will call the fair and see if there is a age limit ect...thank you so much,


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## FFApride (Oct 8, 2012)

At my fair they can't over a year, or they can't have their top teeth grown in. We usually like them around 9 months. And when you sell goats, you have to have a paper saying they bought it from you, and papers saying what shots you gave them.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

I do know if you wait too long to band them it is harder for them to heal, and they will get "bucky" looking. From my understanding you do not want that "bucky" look on a wether. So my guess would be there is a point were it is kind of late to be banding them. I found it somewhat hard on our 8 week old kids, but we started banding at 8 weeks instead of 3 or 4 weeks to help with urinary calculi. I would think waiting much later would require surgical castration or another method other than banding. But I don't have any experience banding later than 8 weeks of age.


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

In our area, animals have to be vet cert and cleared by the vet at the fair. Less then a year old for meat show, but they can also show them in fitting/showmanship, pack goat class and obsticle course. This is 4H. As a 4H leader thank you for offering to help these kids out!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I looked it up at the fair here and it said has to have a receipt and all their milk teeth, its the first of sept. so I think I am timming it just right with them due now to march, well march might be a little late but dec. is the busy month on them being due. The area here has 3 different kinds of people, farmers, farm workers, and the do gooders that move from like LA that want to be in the mtns but will call you in the middle of the night to move your cows because they are making their dogs bark. Money is not a high thing around here. I know when I did my beef steer, it came out of my cow and I only had to grain it for I think like the last 6 months and was hard for me to make money, actually if it wasnt for the little bit of extras the small buisness gave me I probably would have only done it once. Drugs and gangs are a big thing in the towns here and Im kinda soft when it comes to a kid that wants to be good, I dont know I think I just like to try and save kids lol.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

We sell our later kids to a couple fairs in the area that aren't until the end of August and beginning of September. It is quite possible for an end of February/March wether to weigh 80 lbs. In Fact, I sold a runt wether(6lbs at birth) to a young beginner girl this year that was born middle of March, her show wasn't until first week of September and we figured at his average daily gain(which we had calculated to be at .45lbs per day) he would be around 75lbs for the fair. Boy we were way off, he ended up weighing in at 95 lbs. Calculating daily gain can really help, but it also really matters how much and what the kids are feeding their wethers to determin the end weight of their project.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well I cant take back when they are due lol, but I have been weighing the kids before I take them to the sale since they sell by the head and I want to know how much per pound I am getting. If I remember correctly, wish I would have wrote it down, but the smallest kid I had was 60lbs at 16weeks, and the biggest I know was bigger then 80 but not by much, BUT they were left as bucks and Im sure lots of it was muscle, I didnt feed anything special, just brose during the day and sweet feed and alfalfa at night, I have a thing about full tummys at bed time lol, so with good feed, I think you are right about being big by fair time. Ill just experiment this year, heck for all I know no one will even call me lol


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Are you Northern or Southern CA? I am right in the middle - Fresno County. My daughter just sold her wether earlier this month at Fresno Fair and got $3.00 per pound (he weighed in at 110 lbs., which was the biggest one she has ever had). Previous wethers are usually 80-95 lbs. She has sold at fair from $2.50 to 4.00 a pound for the goat, which doesn't include any top off bids from people. I felt really bad for one FFA kid at our fair, who only got $1.50 per pound . 

Some show breeders don't band their wethers until they are a little bigger than the usual 8 weeks, which is to have them build up the bulk and muscle before banding them. Which as said above, is harder on the goat. 

My advice is to contact your local 4-H and FFA groups and tell them about your breeding program and available goats. My 4-H leader also sells goats to a neighboring county and they buy every year from her, so its a nice, predictable outlet for goats. They let her know ahead of time how many they think they will need and she holds that many for them, and sells the rest to other people or takes them to the sale. This route is my plan when I get my breeding stock where I want them!


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Duh! I was just on Facebook and saw your birthday triplets and then it clicked where you are! . My neighbor (kinda). BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :cheers:


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

lol, yes it would be madera fair, which is nothing like fresno. When I was in 4h we had a girl that moved here from the fresno area and cryed at the difference in prices, she sold a turkey at fresno and got $400, and $100 over here. $1.50 a lb is way cheap, I figured out how much I get at the sale for my kids and they have always been $2.00 or a little under, I dont think I ever got $1.50, well no I take that back, I did almost give away some dairy kids at the sale in Easton. FYI if you ever sell your goats at a sale is worth the extra drive to madera  And thank you for the birthday wishes .


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

We have recently started selling ours to 4-H and FFA kids, I offer discounts ($50 off my wether prices) and 10% off of breeding stock. I also feel it's very important to help these kids, after all they are our future farmers and ranchers!!!!


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

I didn't realize there was a sale yard in Madera! I just took three goats to Easton a couple of weeks ago, but I did ok because apparently it was just before the second "Ramadan" holiday for the Muslims. 

Anyway, my daughter does the Fresno Fair, but ALSO the Chowchilla Fair in May. Chowchilla has an AWESOME sale there and she got $4 a lb. and it was for custom slaughter, which I like because I know where he's going and that its going to be done right . 

Feel free to email with any questions on this. I am breeding goats for Fresno Fair right now, and am planning on selling any extras. I also have experience going to lots of the sales and getting outbid ...


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Being a 4-Her that has to pay for my own projects, I really appreciate a breeder that will give us discounts. Its nice to have someone that helps us out in something that has become so competitive. Its ashame when show parents get involved and do their kids project for them. I know kids my age (I'm 17) that don't clip their goats, feed them, excercise or train their own goats because their parents do it all. My mom feeds when I'm away from home or sick. I come up with feeding rations. I feed, water, excercise, train and groom my own goats. There is nothing wrong with helping but some parents go over board.


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

I totally agree Dani! My daughter goes to jackpot shows, and its almost always the parents that are clipping and the kids are walking around talking or fluffing their hair . 

I also don't agree with the parents that go buy their kids high dollar goats so that they win! Even if I had the extra $2k to spend, I don't think you are teaching your kids about how hard work can pay off....

There are times I have helped my daughter, who is 12, pay for the goat, but she has to pitch in too. And she loves to clip and get them ready herself. I do help her with the difficult areas (armputs, heads, etc.), but she does the bulk of it and never complains.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Is it bad that I've been teaching my 6 yr old brother how to clip a wether? I had him help with the neck and chest on mine a couple times this year since its hard to mess up on it. Next year he'll have his own wether that he'll help clip... I'm sure I'll do most of it but he's still learning.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ohh you guys are so my kind of people!!! Those lazy kids would drive me crazy at fairs, or the parents that would yell at the kids because they did something wrong while showing!!! What I hated the most were the parents that would buy their kids animals, yes I think a parent should help their kid out, but to pay $3,000 for their steer just so they can brag that their kid got top market. I had to go out and PR for every one of my buyers. Any how, my brother sold his sale at chowchilla and yes it seemed like a way better fair, there was one buyer there that bought like 10 steers. Im sure I will be emailing you by the time this is over lol, I still need to get pics of my does and post them, for all I know the kids might not be that good to show, but I think they look good  lol


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Oh yes - I forgot to mention the horrible mothers YELLING at their kids because they didn't win! Really??? What better way to take all the fun out of it. As I tell my daughter, its one person's opinion. I have "lectured" my daughter when she did a really bad job showing, and asked her how fair it was to her goat to get last because she didn't bother to show the judge how nice he looks set up. Got the point across without making a spectacle of us.... I told her too that as long as she goes out and does the best job she can, that's all I ask. She showed her heart out at our fair, and got stuck in the middle most of the day. But she did a good job and that's what counts 

I would love to see pictures - bring em on!


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## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

I sell primarily to 4H kids, all my does are due December to January because our fair is July. They cant be older than 8 months. 

My plan is pretty much the same as 20ks, same worming protocol and same with dehorning and banding. I sell at market price. But the kids here make between $8 TO $10a lb and the Grand Champion this year brought $13. So they do make money here. I'm happy this year because I already have 10 market goats reserved! Last year was our first year selling goats and we took the whole herd to fair. They got lots of Blues and Grands and it's paying off with all the new kids reserving goats already.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Good job!!! I can dream about being like that lol. The way I figure it on selling at market price is Ill still be money ahead, they charge 10% to sell and $1 yardage. So if you sell at the sale and get $150 thats $16 they take pluse the gas to drive them to the sale. Not only that you know just where that kid is going, yes I like money lol, but when I take to the sale I always hope that they will be taken care of and their life end fast and painless, there has not been one kid born here that I have been right there when it was born.


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## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

Jessica84 said:


> Good job!!! I can dream about being like that lol. The way I figure it on selling at market price is Ill still be money ahead, they charge 10% to sell and $1 yardage. So if you sell at the sale and get $150 thats $16 they take pluse the gas to drive them to the sale. Not only that you know just where that kid is going, yes I like money lol, but when I take to the sale I always hope that they will be taken care of and their life end fast and painless, there has not been one kid born here that I have been right there when it was born.


This WAS my dream, and I'm so excited for this year. It will be the first year to really make money in my little goat business. I only had 5 wethers last year, the rest were doelings that were kept for replacement does. But sold the wethers all to 4H kids, at the fair the top placers were all from our little farm. 
And you're right about selling at livestock auction, you have all the fees and fuel. And the best place to sell goats at auction is 3 hours from us. !


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

WE are lucky, we have a good auction 15 minutes away. But it is still better for us to try to set a price and sell off the farm. You never are sure what you will get at the auction. We had a really good year in 2012 selling wethers. Our top money makers are a couple full-blood bucklings(they are the pick of the kidding season) sold as breedign stock with registration. Then does for breeding stock come next. They sell reallyl well. We had 30 does out of 45 kids this year. Does that have faults can be sold to kids as show wethers, Next we sell show wethers to the kids at a little above market price. Where we come ahead on the show wethers is selling them a couple weeks after weaning so we don't have to feed them out to market weight. Then anything left over goes to the stock yard. This year we took 3 kids to the stock yard, two wethers and a doe. The doe had bent front knees and was no good for anything, one of the wethers had an odd looking back leg, and the other wether just never filled out real well. Out of the 45 kids we kept 5 replacement does and 4 wethers for my son for 4H. He can only take two wethers to the fair, so the other two wethers are being butchered this fall. We actually think we made money this year. I know, Crazy right?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I have a doe with bow legs  but she is a good ol girl and will stay here till the day she dies . I cant find my paper on how many kids I had in all but this was a total buck year. I want to say give or take 40 kids and only had 6 does. I had 6 fb bucks that I was trying to sell on cl, but people were making me so mad trying to talk me down when I said FIRM, I just got their app and them and took them to the sale, the lowest I got $210 and the highest I got $320, I know I lost money but was so worth it to not deal with any one. At the sale I basically know what I will get for my kids, well on the min. side. Depending on the kid the butch guy will pay from $120-150, he has a limit on what he will spend per pound and if there is someone there that wants those kids the price will go up a little. I have also figured out good times to sale, the sale is every saturday so I sell the sat. after the 1st and the 15th, that gives the people more money to out bid the butcher guy (so anyone selling at the sale keep that in mind .......any how back to wethers lol, why do you wait till after they are weaned?? I only ask because my way of weaning is to sell, it just seems like mom and kid both end up loosing weight the first week or so. When I sell the mom usually just crys the first day and forgets about the kid since it is not there to answer her.


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## FaRmEr FrEaK (Jul 7, 2012)

I show at the Big Fresno Fair and they have to have there Milk teeth and they cannot be under 60 pounds and over 110 pounds(of they do go over the weight limit they buyer would only pay up to 110 pounds and say if they weigh 120 pounds they would get 10 pounds free) It is mandatory that they have scrapie tags and are up to date on shots and worming. At our fair we are lucky to get 5$ a pound and that's with a buyer, I know in the last 3 years I haven't even come close to breaking even so it really does help when breeders and veterinarians help out a little bit and trust me it may not seem like we are thankful but believe me every penny counts and I know I am soo thank full for all the help and support I have been given.


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

What school or 4-H do you show with farmer freak? We are Sierra 4-H


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## FaRmEr FrEaK (Jul 7, 2012)

At goatgirlzca I show with Clovis FFA and Fairmont 4-H


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Haha! Farmer Freak - Tracy is my cousin . And Matt of course. You guys did awesome at Fresno Fair! I love finding local people of here ...


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## FaRmEr FrEaK (Jul 7, 2012)

At Goatgirlz- Oh My gosh!!! Thats too Funny, Thanks we only did that well with the help of our wonderful leaders:stars:!!! I love finding local people on here too .


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well you can hit me up for a wether, Ill give you a deal lol.......see how slick that was lol. No but seriously this is so cool that there are people around me on this form, well I mean in 30 miles any how. And yes every penny counts, especially when it comes to livestock, Im always trying to figure out a way to feed that will not break me, and I consider myself lucky, for the most part they can eat what grows around here but I always feed the kids really well since they are not as tall as the does and cant get as much brush as them. Which brings me to the another ?, at the fair wethers would also need a good muscle tone to them as well right? Not just fat? I would love to see some pics of some wethers that anyone has had, Im trying to get pics of all my does so goatgirlzca can tell me if I have a shot at this (wink wink lol)


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Good question - there's an interesting thread on here recently about how to build muscle and somebody said that a lot is genetics. I totally agree! 

And what feed they are started on I think too. What are you feeding with? 

We have had a couple of great wethers that were muscled without any extra exercise and we have also had flabby wethers who needed a ton (and usually didn't get it - because my daughter is 12 ...). This year was really hard, because we had a hot summer right up to our fair here, (right Farmer Freak?) so I felt bad trying to get my daughter to go run the goats in it! And our show day was a cool 102 degrees. Horrid....

I am definitely still learning, though not as much a newbie anymore, but I read and talk to everyone and go around shows "critiquing" goats, so I am trying to get a better eye. I also go on boergoats.com and preview the sale catalogs, and then log in and watch the sale and see if the ones I like go for high or low. I am getting better at it!


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Here is the photobucket album of my wether this past year. He was my first to ever win anything... hoping we get another one like him next year. The pics are from 3 1/2 months to 10 months. http://s985.photobucket.com/albums/ae331/DanmarkElecInc/Tater%202012%20Market%20Wether/


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Thats a good idea, Im going to try that sale thing, but Im sure I will not be any good at it lol. When I watch the sale at madera, I seem to disagree on how much they pay for what. I had one doe, I thought she was ugly as heck, took her down and got $180, I could not belive it since I bought her 2 months before that for 90. But maybe Ill be better at this, I know with beef, if a show steer walked threw the sale it wouldnt get as much as one that would most likely fail at the fair. They dont like that short compact type of animal. I belive you are right about genetics, it is very true with cattle so I dont see why it wouldnt be with goats, Although some of out uglyest cows have had the nicest calfs, they grow fast and are just nice looking, but we are also buying nicer bulls every time we get a new one. You are going to shake your head at me about what I feed lol, I just feed wet cob, I put oat hay out on hot or rainy days, and the creep feeder is full of alfalfa.
Dani, that is a very handsome guy, I like him!! He actually looks like he could be a twin to one kid I sold not to long ago, I was so bumbed it was a boy and not a girl  Maybe I have a shot at this yet lol. Now I just need to figure out how to disbud, or try with out crying


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## FaRmEr FrEaK (Jul 7, 2012)

Thanks jessica84 I might take you up on that offer when I'm looking for a new wether. And Oh ya it was definitely hot here until the fair it defiantly had its challenges excersizing I don't have a picture of my wether bracing alone but here is a Picture of him and he placed first in his market class(the ribbon is second for showmanship because they don't pass out placing ribbons for market) and I also put a picture of my doe who placed second in her kid breeding class, the supreme champion and reserve champion was also in our club but I don't have a picture of them or else I would post them for you. Hope this helps


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Thanks!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

No bracing is a good pic lol. When I look at the wethers bracing they have such big butts and just looking at my kids running around, they look kinda sad lol. Well I dont think all my does would throw nice looking wethers but I do think I have a few that would. With my luck I will have all does this round lol. Do you think they would care about color? I have one doe that raises a awsome kid, but since she is half togg, and breeds to a fb boer sill has some funny looking colors. I didnt weigh her last buck before selling but he was a monster, the biggest buck I have had yet and that was before I had the creep feeder area. And farmfreak, I can see why you did so well on your wether and doe


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## FaRmEr FrEaK (Jul 7, 2012)

Jessica84 Thanks!!! I think that it really depends on the judge when it comes to the color I think the judge this year liked the traditional colored goats over the paints but personally I put the quality before the color so if it is an all red boer but the structure is amazing I would definitely purchase it.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I don't pay attention to color on wethers... After all, were looking at muscle/carcass ability and structure, so color should never be a factor. But it is kind of neat when you have one that looks different!


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