Grooming and Showing
Fitting a Dairy Goat for Show
No matter whether you decide to show your goat or not, it's always a good idea that you know how to groom them. Grooming a goat is called fitting it. It's a very simple process, but it does take some time to do it correctly. The following process should be used to fit a dairy goat for a show. Other breeds of goats may have different requirements.
1. A week before the show, thoroughly brush out and then wash your goat. Removing dirt and residue from the goat before clipping makes the blades work more efficiently. Be sure to dry the coat thoroughly before proceeding.
2. Secure your goat on a stanchion and provide food for the goat to keep her occupied during clipping. Starting at the tail, hold the long hairs of the end of the tail together with your non-dominant hand, and using a 10 blade clipper, clip the free hair of the tail against the grain and towards the head. Be careful not to clip the hairs you are holding in your hand but clear away all the hair around it, along the rump, and up each side of the vulva. Once the tail has been shaved, release the hairs you are holding and square the tip with the clippers to create a fringe. Proceed to shave the goats entire body with the #10 blade going against the grain of the hair. For white goats, some people prefer the #7 blade over the entire body. Fold each leg and lift up to shave the body underneath the shoulder joints, along the brisket and in the crease of the thighs near the udder.
3. As you proceed towards the head to the shoulders and especially the neck and head, be sure to remove the feed pan to keep the hair out of it. I save the head for last because it is usually the most difficult. The trick to getting it done is to work with the goat, and not against her. If she turns her head away from the clippers, shave the portion of the head that is presented to you. If you keep at it long enough, you will finish shaving the head. Pay careful attention not to remove the eyelashes. Remove beards on does. On bucks, the beard stays.
4. Shave the legs and feet of the goat with the #10 blade. Be sure to clip behind the dew claw and between the toes of the hoof. You may save the legs of the animal until the day of the show/event if you wish.
5. Clip the udder with a #50 blade. It's easiest to clip the udder when it is full. You may also use the #50 blade to shave just past the foreudder to accentuate the smoothness of blending there. Many people also clip the escutcheon with a #50 blade to give the illusion of a higher rear udder arch.
6. Trim the hooves and dewclaws. Use a sharp pair of scissors to clean up any stray hairs between the toes and along the coronary band.
7. When you are finished, brush the goat with a soft bristle brush to clear the hairs away. You can also bathe them again, if desired, to clear away the cut hairs and to further clean the skin. To finish, use a conditioning spray to moisturize the skin.
Dairy Cuts for Show
A dairy cut is also known as the "fuzzy show" cut. Some shows take place when it's a little too chilly for a full show cut, so we use a dairy cut to clean up the goat without sacrificing the insulation of the coat in chilly weather. When doing a dairy cut, simply trim back the fringy hair to create a sleeker, cleaner look. The easiest way to remove fringe is to use a clipper blade along the fringe very gently going WITH the grain of the hair. This should knock off most of the extra long hairs that is affecting the silhouette of your goat.
Focus the bulk of your contouring on the backs of the legs and along the backs of the thighs, especially near the udder or, on dry does, where the udder would be. You can shave up the backs of the legs and around the escutcheon with a #7 or a #10 blade. Clean the fringe on either side of the tail and square the tip to make a tail fringe. Make sure the shaggy hair around the teats of young kids is also removed. This will accentuate the most important part of a dairy goat. If the doe is in milk, make sure to still shave the udder close, and remove any fringy hair that would obstruct the view of the udder and its attachments. You can also shave the foreudder close and gently blend the long hair of the barrel away from that area. Be sure to remove beards on does. Trim hooves and polish dew claws, and then give your goat a thorough brushing.
About Shows
Official shows are sanctioned by breed registry associations. Most shows are organized by goat clubs or local associations. The purpose of a show is to invite judges to sort goats in classes of similarly aged goats, and place them in such an order so that the first is better than the second, which is better than the third and so on. The judge uses a scorecard to compare goats to breed standards, and gives his reasons for the placings. The top goat in each age class competes for the breed Champion, and a Reserve Champion is also chosen. Later, the champion of each breed competes for Best in Show. There may be other awards a goat can win at a show that hosts a Specialty Show, including Best Udder, Best Three Does, Get of Sire, Dam and Daughter, etc.
A show is simply a judges opinion at the time the goats are presented, so you should not place too much emphasis on winning. Shows are primarily learning experiences, and they can help you decide the direction of your breeding program, and also to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your animals when compared to other goats. Shows are also FUN! Sometimes there are fun events and auctions to participate in and it gives you a good chance to connect with other goat breeders and learn from them.
To learn more about shows for your breed of goat, go to the website of your breed association and read up on how their shows are structured. You might also find a listing of official shows to participate in. If you cannot find a list of shows, you might do a search for show discussion groups on Facebook and connect with pages that keep track of available shows.
Fitting a Dairy Goat for Show
No matter whether you decide to show your goat or not, it's always a good idea that you know how to groom them. Grooming a goat is called fitting it. It's a very simple process, but it does take some time to do it correctly. The following process should be used to fit a dairy goat for a show. Other breeds of goats may have different requirements.
1. A week before the show, thoroughly brush out and then wash your goat. Removing dirt and residue from the goat before clipping makes the blades work more efficiently. Be sure to dry the coat thoroughly before proceeding.
2. Secure your goat on a stanchion and provide food for the goat to keep her occupied during clipping. Starting at the tail, hold the long hairs of the end of the tail together with your non-dominant hand, and using a 10 blade clipper, clip the free hair of the tail against the grain and towards the head. Be careful not to clip the hairs you are holding in your hand but clear away all the hair around it, along the rump, and up each side of the vulva. Once the tail has been shaved, release the hairs you are holding and square the tip with the clippers to create a fringe. Proceed to shave the goats entire body with the #10 blade going against the grain of the hair. For white goats, some people prefer the #7 blade over the entire body. Fold each leg and lift up to shave the body underneath the shoulder joints, along the brisket and in the crease of the thighs near the udder.
3. As you proceed towards the head to the shoulders and especially the neck and head, be sure to remove the feed pan to keep the hair out of it. I save the head for last because it is usually the most difficult. The trick to getting it done is to work with the goat, and not against her. If she turns her head away from the clippers, shave the portion of the head that is presented to you. If you keep at it long enough, you will finish shaving the head. Pay careful attention not to remove the eyelashes. Remove beards on does. On bucks, the beard stays.
4. Shave the legs and feet of the goat with the #10 blade. Be sure to clip behind the dew claw and between the toes of the hoof. You may save the legs of the animal until the day of the show/event if you wish.
5. Clip the udder with a #50 blade. It's easiest to clip the udder when it is full. You may also use the #50 blade to shave just past the foreudder to accentuate the smoothness of blending there. Many people also clip the escutcheon with a #50 blade to give the illusion of a higher rear udder arch.
6. Trim the hooves and dewclaws. Use a sharp pair of scissors to clean up any stray hairs between the toes and along the coronary band.
7. When you are finished, brush the goat with a soft bristle brush to clear the hairs away. You can also bathe them again, if desired, to clear away the cut hairs and to further clean the skin. To finish, use a conditioning spray to moisturize the skin.
Dairy Cuts for Show
A dairy cut is also known as the "fuzzy show" cut. Some shows take place when it's a little too chilly for a full show cut, so we use a dairy cut to clean up the goat without sacrificing the insulation of the coat in chilly weather. When doing a dairy cut, simply trim back the fringy hair to create a sleeker, cleaner look. The easiest way to remove fringe is to use a clipper blade along the fringe very gently going WITH the grain of the hair. This should knock off most of the extra long hairs that is affecting the silhouette of your goat.
Focus the bulk of your contouring on the backs of the legs and along the backs of the thighs, especially near the udder or, on dry does, where the udder would be. You can shave up the backs of the legs and around the escutcheon with a #7 or a #10 blade. Clean the fringe on either side of the tail and square the tip to make a tail fringe. Make sure the shaggy hair around the teats of young kids is also removed. This will accentuate the most important part of a dairy goat. If the doe is in milk, make sure to still shave the udder close, and remove any fringy hair that would obstruct the view of the udder and its attachments. You can also shave the foreudder close and gently blend the long hair of the barrel away from that area. Be sure to remove beards on does. Trim hooves and polish dew claws, and then give your goat a thorough brushing.
About Shows
Official shows are sanctioned by breed registry associations. Most shows are organized by goat clubs or local associations. The purpose of a show is to invite judges to sort goats in classes of similarly aged goats, and place them in such an order so that the first is better than the second, which is better than the third and so on. The judge uses a scorecard to compare goats to breed standards, and gives his reasons for the placings. The top goat in each age class competes for the breed Champion, and a Reserve Champion is also chosen. Later, the champion of each breed competes for Best in Show. There may be other awards a goat can win at a show that hosts a Specialty Show, including Best Udder, Best Three Does, Get of Sire, Dam and Daughter, etc.
A show is simply a judges opinion at the time the goats are presented, so you should not place too much emphasis on winning. Shows are primarily learning experiences, and they can help you decide the direction of your breeding program, and also to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your animals when compared to other goats. Shows are also FUN! Sometimes there are fun events and auctions to participate in and it gives you a good chance to connect with other goat breeders and learn from them.
To learn more about shows for your breed of goat, go to the website of your breed association and read up on how their shows are structured. You might also find a listing of official shows to participate in. If you cannot find a list of shows, you might do a search for show discussion groups on Facebook and connect with pages that keep track of available shows.
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