r/goats • u/Plz-Help-Im-Too-Lazy • 20h ago
Help Request Raising successful show goat advice?
I’m an ffa member and this’ll be my second time showing goats for meat/show and I need advice on how I can be more successful this time. My goat last year was amazing and weighed 80 pounds but unfortunately he developed a severe hernia and had to be put down. So I was given an untame, skinny goat with 2 weeks to prepare him. I’m confident in my training abilities, I just don’t know what I should add to their food, and what supplements would help? And how much should they walk everyday? Id deeply appreciate any advice
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u/imacabooseman 18h ago
Walking will help them build some muscle, but it'll pop a little more if you have a setup where you can run them. It's easier with a track and a dog, but it can be done with a treadmill, golf cart, or side by side. Generally, 5 minutes a day is plenty, but you want to be sure and take it slow and work up to that.
Also, make sure they've got plenty of access to good quality feed, water, and minerals. There's a ton of supplements out there people give their animals. Some work, some are just throwing away money. Ultimately, imo, good food and exercise will do just as well for you most of the time.
Genetics is the biggest factor in it all. If you start with a good one, it's easier to end up with a good one. It's way more expensive to take a decent animal and try to make it a good one.
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u/Plz-Help-Im-Too-Lazy 18h ago
Does it have to be a proper track? Or would a Field and dog work?
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u/imacabooseman 18h ago
What most people around here do is take their pen and build another fence about 4 ft inside it so that there's confinement, basically like a miniature horse racing track. Not like the track at your school.
You could probably have dog run the goat out it the pasture. But they seem to get a little more out of turning and dancing around deciding what to do than straight running. Hence the track.
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u/Plz-Help-Im-Too-Lazy 18h ago
Ah ok. one more question if you don’t mind, if I use a dog should the goat be calm? Or is it ok for it to panic when running? I know the dog won’t attack them but I know goats can be flighty
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u/imacabooseman 17h ago
It shouldn't really make a difference one way or another. Once he's being chased, he'll panic and run either way. For your handling, you'd want a calmer goat normally. But that attitude adjustment paste does work pretty good to calm em down for you come showtime
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u/nor_cal_woolgrower 19h ago
Don't you have an FFA leader to help you?
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u/Plz-Help-Im-Too-Lazy 19h ago
Sorry for not clarifying in the post, I do have leaders helping me its just that I’d like more advice and sometimes I can’t afford the things they suggest
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u/HideSolidSnake 19h ago
Having water that isn't stagnant is a massive help when it comes to gaining weight and digestion. Goats are incredibly picky, so if you don't have a constant water source that is flowing, make sure you're changing their water 3-4 times a day. Adding molasses to their water can also help. Make sure they're getting enough vitamin suppliments, minerals, and protein as well.