# Goat for 4-H



## BrandonRioux (Aug 17, 2013)

Are Lamancha or fainting goats better for 4-H? Fainting goats are very muscular because everyone they tense up they get a workout. Lamancha goats are more common for 4-H. So which goat would be better??


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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

If Lamanchas are more common in your area, then you'd have more competition. So, whether you want competition would be able a factor. What are your goals? Dairy or meat? Long term or a short project?


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## BrandonRioux (Aug 17, 2013)

Emzi00 said:


> If Lamanchas are more common in your area, then you'd have more competition. So, whether you want competition would be able a factor. What are your goals? Dairy or meat? Long term or a short project?


Fainting goats are meat goats but I will keep the goats after the shows. So a long term project

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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Are you going to eat them, sell kids for meat or anything like that? Will you use milk for drinking, cooking or soaps?


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## BrandonRioux (Aug 17, 2013)

Dani-1995

These are my pets I won't eat them. And their kids won't be sold for meat. The milk she produces will only be for her kids


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

A miniature breed may suit you well. They are smaller requiring less feed and making the kids more desirable as pets if you need to sell them at any point. Fainters, Nigeria dwarfs and pygmies would be worth looking into. 

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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

BrandonRioux said:


> Are Lamancha or fainting goats better for 4-H? Fainting goats are very muscular because everyone they tense up they get a workout. Lamancha goats are more common for 4-H. So which goat would be better??


Going back to this your original post...Are you showing in the market class or breeding class? That will make a difference in what you choose. If you are wanting something to show in a market class (think meat goat) a LaMancha isn't going to do very well. A fainting goat would be much better based on that. If you are showing in a breeding class....again...meat class or milk class? LaMancha doe isn't going to show very well in a meat breeding class and vice versa.

Someone has suggested miniatures for you. But again, unless your fair has a class for miniatures, they aren't going to do well in a full size goat class (think bottom of the class) Unfortunately, not a lot of judges are learned in the mini goats and, equally, unfortunately a lot of them do NOT judge based on breed standards which is how they are suppose to judge if it is not a breed specific class.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I would check with your extension agent and see wha tthe classes would be they would fit in. If you are not wanting them to go to meat they I would only do your "fainter" in the breeding class if you have one and that has to be a doe or a buck in most cases. 

The LaMancha would be a good one if you have a class for them. Again check with the extension agent.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'd definitely contact your extension office and talk to the 4-H club leader and find out what classes are available, and requirements. 

Are you in 4-H or if this is for a child, then are they in 4-H? If not you need to get enrolled ASAP. I believe for everyone, there is a 6 hour minimum for meetings/events that have to be attended before summer in order to show an animal as a 4-H project. 

In our state, you can have a dairy doe project, or for meat it would be - registered fullblood & % does, commercial does and market wethers. Bucks are not recognized in 4-H here, BUT, the county fairs here have buck classes.
Commercial does & market wethers have to be born after a certain date, which is usually in middle/late August of the previous year. 
Every state is different, but that's how it is here. I have not seen any fairs with classes such as pygmy's, fainting goats, etc. and here, dairy breeds are all shown together. Lamancha's, Saneens, Alpines and Nubians are most popular dairy breeds.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

HoosierShadow said:


> I'd definitely contact your extension office and talk to the 4-H club leader and find out what classes are available, and requirements.
> 
> Are you in 4-H or if this is for a child, then are they in 4-H? If not you need to get enrolled ASAP. I believe for everyone, there is a 6 hour minimum for meetings/events that have to be attended before summer in order to show an animal as a 4-H project.
> 
> ...


I wish we still had the minimum hour/meeting requirement in the state of Kansas. It was deemed un-enforceable because it is a volunteer organization so you can't require anyone to participate. Doesn't make sense to me, but not much we can do about it here. Our County Fair does not make any breed distinction for classes. I went to the Fair Board last spring and got them to divide the breeding does classes into meat and dairy and to add the miniatures as a separate breeding class also (although they don't make a distinction between meat and dairy in the mini class). Our county does not have a "born after" requirement either....they just still have to have baby teeth.

Your extension office is your first and foremost "authority" on the issue. And even if they don't know the answer....they should be able to find it for you.


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