# First time showing a breeding doe... help!



## MollieGoat (Jul 7, 2012)

I will be showing a 3 month old doeling at my county fair as a breeding project. This is the first year that the project has been available. :leap: I am trying to decide how to clip her or if to at all... What do you think? :? 

Is there anything different in showmanship than in a market goat showmanship class? :scratch:


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## Goat Lover 98 (Mar 25, 2012)

Yes, I would say that you should definitely clip her. I've never shown my own goats, but know many people that do, and have shown for them. I have never seen a goat in a showmanship class that was not clipped. It gives them a much neater, cleaner appearance, which is very important in showmanship.


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

I am in California, so not sure if all areas are the same. but here we don't clip does like you do a wether - you don't shear the does. Mainly, you clean up any wild hairs - make smooth lines under the belly, in the front, under the tail, around the hooves. Its basically like clipping a steer, if you know anyone who does that. 

As to showmanship, you don't brace a doe - you keep their head up, set their legs square and stand off of her.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I am in California, so not sure if all areas are the same. but here we don't clip does like you do a wether - you don't shear the does. Mainly, you clean up any wild hairs - make smooth lines under the belly, in the front, under the tail, around the hooves. Its basically like clipping a steer, if you know anyone who does that.
> 
> As to showmanship, you don't brace a doe - you keep their head up, set their legs square and stand off of her.


This is what I do.... :thumb:


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## Goat Lover 98 (Mar 25, 2012)

Oh, I raise dairy goats. If this is a meat breed it's probably different. Is that what she is? Also, I guess showmanship rules may vary from state to state. I'm in NC.


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## MollieGoat (Jul 7, 2012)

She is a boer cross. Thank you for the clipping and showmanship advice! :leap:


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

The little babies you don't do much. Clean up the edges like was said.
I do their bellies a little shorter. Get the hair on the *inside* of the
legs near the body pretty short. It makes them look wider. Trim down
the hair right in front of her horns on her forehead to give the head a
circular (round) appearance. Trim back hair that grows over the hooves.
You should work on her tail too, but that is a bit hard to describe and
took me awhile to get the hang of. Look up pictures of boers showing.

Put your pinch chain right under the chin and keep that head up.


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## polopony (Jun 24, 2011)

We clean up the lines - wild hairs, etc., do the tail in a paintbrush, and also shave the head with a 10 blade to make them look pretty!


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## MollieGoat (Jul 7, 2012)

Thank you all so much!!!


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