# Dairy goat showing



## HeavenViewRanch (Feb 21, 2015)

Hi everyone I am really confused about some of the dairy goat rules for a fair at the moment. I have a 3 year old doe that was freshened a year ago I purchased her 3 months ago and have been trying to contact breeders but haven't been able to get in touch until today. My fair is the first week in september so if bred this month she will be prego at fair. so my question is does she have to be in milk at fair or can she just be pregnant at fair? Or would it be possible to show her as is? this is my 4H leaders first year so she is just confused as me she said I should start milking her but I don't know if that is really healthy or not? :think: :anyone:


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## HeavenViewRanch (Feb 21, 2015)

If it makes a difference she is a nigerian dwarf


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## magic (May 27, 2014)

if she is producing milk she needs to be milked. You can dry her up and breed her but if she does not have an udder for the show she will not do very well. If she is producing now then i would continue milking her so she has an udder for the show. I show pygmies, but work at a dairy farm that shows, maybe someone else can give their input just to make sure.


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## HeavenViewRanch (Feb 21, 2015)

She is not producing right now.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

She won't show well without a full udder. Not sure if it is worth it to chance a pregnancy for a show. If you just want the experience of showing, hold off breeding her until after the show and just go and enjoy yourself.


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## HeavenViewRanch (Feb 21, 2015)

This will be my first year so really just going for practice and showmanship I just didn't know if they would let me enter her without and udder. Thanks


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## nigies4ever (Sep 19, 2012)

Depends on the fair


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

If its an ADGA sanctioned show then you will be heavily penalized for bring a "dry" doe into a milking doe show ring. I believe the udder is 1/3 of the total score card. But you can show any doe in her age and breed group regardless. She will be placed in last place unless there are some truly hideous does there. If its not an ADGA sanctioned show, then the judge will most likely just be a locale person but a person with enough knowledge to know how to score. So again, expect her to be placed in last place. If she is a nice doe all around and its just a matter of her not being in milk, expect the judge to say something along the lines of "Sure wish this doe was in milk so I could see her udder. I would be able to place her higher". But to answer your question out right, YES you can show her and they will let you in. She wont be counted as one of the ten needed to sanction the class but thats a whole other realm that you dont need to worry about.

As for milking her, absolutely do not milk her. She will shortly start to make colostrum for the babies. If you start and actually bring her into milk, there will be no colostrum for them.


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## HeavenViewRanch (Feb 21, 2015)

She is not yet bred so she isn't making colostrum yet. so i guess my other question is should i breed her now? she would be 2 months pregnant at fair. It's for the kern county fair if it helps i believe it is an adga show.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

The problem with taking a pregnant goat to a show is that you risk the pregnancy. They can stress out enough to abort or pick up a disease or illness and abort. So I guess that is a risk you have to decide if you want to take.


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## magic (May 27, 2014)

take into account wen your next show will be and try to time her to kid a couple months before so that her udder can be nice and full.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

We have shown a pregnant Nigerian Doe before because, well...that's what we had! My daughter was able to show her for showmanship and fitting. However, as pointed out by a previous poster, she showed last in her breed class because she wasn't in milk. Other fairs did allow her to be used for showmanship/fitting, but disqualified her from her breed class. It IS risky to show a pregnant doe. We were fortunate, but I would not purposely do it again... She'll be much easier to show and fit if she's NOT pregnant. Then you can breed her after the shows for spring babies.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

HeavenViewRanch said:


> She is not yet bred so she isn't making colostrum yet. so i guess my other question is should i breed her now? she would be 2 months pregnant at fair. It's for the kern county fair if it helps i believe it is an adga show.


Whoops, my bad. I miss read and thought you said she was 3 months pregnant. But no, dont try to bring her into milk. And no reason to breed early just for the show. Take her, and soak in the experience.


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