# Showing Young Doelings...Signs To Look For?



## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

I am planning on going to the Memorial Classic, May 26, in Brenham. I am planning on taking three junior Alpine doelings that will be younger than 4 months.

This will be my first time going to a goat show, and I want to be fully prepared.

I know to bring stamped duplicates of the registration application for each doeling, and to make sure I can read their tattoos, but what else should I bring?

I read in a previous thread, someone suggested to take a wheelbarrow and shovel to pick up after the goat, but do I really have to for babies?

What type of show collar would work fine? Can it be a dog choke chain? Or do the chain links have to be smaller in size?

I am working on them to walk on lead and messing with them all over. How trained do they have to be?

Any other tips or advice?

I just don't want to embarrass myself...


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Also, would I be able to show a doeling I just bought last week?
She was not registered yet, but we will include in the registration application, of the sale.

I read in the rules something about the owner is supposed to show the goat...


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

If it is a one day show and they do not require you to clean your pens, then you may not need to take a shovel and wheelbarrow. If it's a two day show, you may want to clean the pen and also the isle outside your pen. It's a good idea to bring disinfectant to clean the pen before putting your goats into it. Other things you will need are whatever your goats are eating (milk, hay, grain) a portable hay feeder, milk bottles, nipples, feed bowl, water bucket, bedding if it isn't provided. I also bring probios, soda, Nuflor and thiamin. Goats can get sick from the stress of a show. For show collars, I use the cloth choke collars from the dollar store. A fine chain collar would work, too. If you are going to have to tie them up outside the ring, put a regular collar on them in addition, as frightened kids can choke themselves on show collars. If the doelings are all in the same class, you will need two helpers to show them. I clip and trim hooves prior to the show. Remember your show attire as well. Our shows require white shirts and either white or black pants. For the new doeling, fax in the application with a credit card number. ADGA will fax back the stamped duplicate. There is no rule that the owner must show the goat. I often have several kids in the same class and recruit 4-H kids and friends with other breeds to help me show.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Yes, it'll be a one day show. 
What are cloth choke collars? You mean the thin nylon ones? I thought choke collars were metal chain collars...
How early before the show can I clip them, a few days before, or a week before? Someone told me to use the 5 blade, and not to clip as close as you would for an adult. Is that what everyone does?


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

I've only been to one show, but I am getting ready now for my second show. Probably the suggestion to use the 5 blade was so that they don't get cold (?) as I've just used a 10 blade. Last year and this year, I have done the clipping 10 days to 2 weeks before the show. Especially if you have black goats, they look nicer when their coats grow out a little...not so naked looking. I just use the smallest dog metal choke collar...they make all different sizes of them.


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

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Hi. I will be at Brenham as well with milkers and kids. Bring shavings for your pen otherwise they will be on concrete! I will bring some feed, feed pan, water from home unless you want to use their city water, show collar (small metal dog choke chain), a brush, towel (in case they get messy), lawn chair, snacks, drinks, hay, hay bag,and a safety pin for your exhibitor number.

Kelsey


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Oh...and we usually clip a week or two before the show. I use a 10 blade on kids just like I use for the adults. =)


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## PrairieTrail45 (Nov 28, 2011)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

I like to clip a couple weeks before the show because the hair seems to look a lot better with 2 weeks of re-growth. I use a size 10 blade. If you are going to be putting them in pens, I would bring a wheel barrow and shovel to clean up after them. It makes it much easier on the people running the show if they don't have to clean a bunch of pens afterwards. I usually bring hay, grain and water. I also typically bring shampoo, towels and a hose to wash them if it is warm enough. I have bathed before leaving, but it is always my goat with white hair that gets a big spot that needs re-washed, so it is always good to be prepared. For collars on kids I will either use their regular collar or a light chain collar, just make sure you hold it so their head can not slip out.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

They charge a pen fee. Thought the purpose of that was to pay someone to clean the pens after the show. I have never cleaned my pens at Brenham. You do have to bring your own shavings though. Like Kelsey said, they are concrete. There is a Tractor Supply pretty close though. 
I have a show box that I drag along with everything that I might ever need. For some reason some of that stuff always comes in handy. I prefer chole chain collars for showing. You can buy show collars that are thinner from places like jeffers. I bought a couple and immediately lost them so I use dog collars now. I clip them to the fence with those little cheapy collars from the dollar store with the plastic clasp. Works well. Easy on and easy off.


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

BTW if you have the actual registration papers, you do not need stamped duplicates. That is just in case you have registererd the kid, but the papers won't have time to arrive before you leave (if you register on-line, you have plenty of time with the new kid, otherwise, you will need a stamped duplicate).

Does Brenham allow straw? We always prefer straw over shavings, especially for milkers.

It is so much warmer where you guys are....until today, I wouldn't have even dreamt of washing our goats, let alone trimming them (and wouldn't as we will have some cold yucky days coming up).

Have fun, and good luck!


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

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I never bring a wheelbarrow, but I keep the poop cleaned up. I use a doggy pooper scooper. It's light, easy and doesn't take up a lot of space. Empty into a bag or small bucket and dump in the appropriate area.

Besides what everyone else said, Showsheen and rags.


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

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Straw is allowed...sometimes it's harder to find in this area.


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## Odeon (Oct 26, 2007)

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If you want a lightweight collar for kids, go to your local army/navy surplus store and buy parachute cord. It is strong, thin, and comes in LOTS of colors.. Then cut to lengh, burn the ends, and tie a small o-ring on each end to make a collar. They are cheap and you can make them to size. They are also strong.

Kid coats, or t-shirts for the kids is a good idea for spring shows. Mornings can be cold. As was mentioned above, have meds on hand for emergencies (for kids, I always take bio-sponge or kaeopectate, etc in case of scouring). Don't forget water bucket/hay feeder and feed. Take a lawn chair and cooler so you can relax and watch the show.

Ken


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Great, it's been raining the past two days, it needs to stop so I can clip the doelings.

Can I wait ,to give them a bath, until it's warmer? 
Or, is it okay if I give them baths if it's in the 70s and overcast outside? 
I don't want them to get stressed and then chilled...


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

I never bath my kids before I clip them. I am lazy so I skip that step. Some say the blades will dull quicker but I have been using the same blades for the past year and a half and they are still clipping away so who knows.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Unless we have an unexpected cold front come through down here, the temps will be in the 80s-90s by May 26th so one thing you may want to bring with you is a box fan. There are wash racks at the barn and you can wash your kids when you get there if you want to. . . the junior doe show won't take place until after lunch as the senior does will be showing first. The fee we pay to rent the barn includes the cost of cleaning it after we've left, so that is why we charge a pen fee. Do bring bedding, though, as Kelsey said above, because the facility is concrete-floored (with the exception of the show arena which is dirt).

If your new doe isn't registered, you can show her with a stamped duplicate.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

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I don't bathe my goats either. My goats really don't get very dirty. My udders are never dirty. I've had the same number eight blade on my clippers for several years, and no trouble. (I did ruin my number ten blade trying to clip a poodle - I never replaced it, just started using the number eight my aunt gave me)...


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Okay then, but do I still have to rinse them off after clipping them, so that they don't get little bumps?

Right now, I'm trying to teach them not to drag behind when on lead and not to jump straight in the air to get away from the chain.
Sometimes they yell and groan when I'm leading them, making me worry that I might choke them, especially when they start pulling back making me drag them.

How do 1-2 month olds normally act in the show ring? Are they normally trained and act like stars by the time they start showing?

I don't know what to expect in the ring, or how far behind I am in training.
Right now, one doeling (2.5 months) stands nicely and lets me move any leg, but she doesn't really lead nicely.
The other doeling (1.5 months) leads horribly, she drags herself, yells, and jumps straight in the air sometimes, and when standing, she backs up sometimes because she doesn't like the chain up near her ears.

I've been doing 10 min. sessions every day, since a few days ago. How fast can I expect them to learn? 
I mean, they are used to collars already, just not the leading or the chain up near their ears.
I hope I'm not too late in training them...


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

If you have someone who can work with you it usually helps if there's more than one goat being led around. Otherwise, just keep up the short sessions and by the time they get to the show they'll be ready. Especially if you let a goat or two go in front of you so yours can follow them into the ring.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*



Golden Delta Alpines said:


> Okay then, but do I still have to rinse them off after clipping them, so that they don't get little bumps?


Have no idea what you are talking about. I never rinse my goats after I clip them. And they don't get bumps either. I just take a nice brush and brush them to get the loose hairs off.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Aftershave :lol. Just being silly. Imagine goats smelling like Old Spice :lol


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Do not bathe your goats the day of the show. Cold water lowers their core body temp and makes for a sluggish rumen, hallow sunk in does with no body capacity and they are shivering. If your kids are on the bottle, feed them a bottle of warm milk before they go into class, this springs out their body capacity.

Try to get their early and pen over in one of the far corners so you have less contact with all the other goats. Carry the kids or walk them over right before classes start and keep contact with other goats to a minimum, no nose to nose or nose to butt contact. You have very little immunity going in 4 month olds, kids go to shows to get sick, they stress from the change of routine, their immunity lowers and you get snots, diarrhea etc.

Clean their hooves off before you let them back in the pen, you are walking through morning classes of adult does leaking/streaming milk in the sand. Pooping parasites from them being stressed into the sand and your kids are picking it up on their feet.

Clean everything and the goats before you give them contact with your herd at home.

Have show shoes, you do not want to have the shoes you wear in the ring worn in the barn at home.


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## PrairieTrail45 (Nov 28, 2011)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Forgot to add, I would also trim their feet at least a week or two before the show, that way if you quick them they will have time to heal, not to mention in showmanship judges will typically pick up a foot to see if the goat has been trimmed. Don't forget to clean them under their tails and in their ears. Baby wipes work great for the ears and under the tails.

I would definitely plan on doing showmanship if you can, it is always fun and a great learning experience.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

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Adult showmanship? There shouldn't be anyone on the forum who can still be in showmanship classes  V


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

The Senior Showmanship classes go up to 19 year olds...at least in this show...


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Okay, I finally got to clipping them yesterday and this morning. I couldn't imagine using the 10 blade, so I just used the 7 blade, and I still thought it was a pretty close shave. Is the 7 blade okay?

Here are before and after pics of the two doelings I'm taking to the show.

Cricket-2.5 months old (She did not want to cooperate in the after pics)



































Jenna Vieve-1.5 months old (she's one of the doelings I got from Kim Hull)



































How did I do on the clipping? 
Any critiques are welcome on the doelings.
Also, I just noticed the lump under Cricket's throat. Is it what they call "milk goiter"? The herd is CAE negative.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Yep, that's a milk goiter. Good job on the clipping! You may want to purchase a spray can of SPF 50 or better sun screen and spray them down so they don't get sunburned. I use a generic brand I purchase at WalMart and it works great. If they get sunburned they'll start peeling and look like they have dandruff.

Amazing escutcheon on the second doeling! She looks like she needs to add a bit more weight though, she's kind of thin now that you've taken all the hair off of her;-) Caroline


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

http://www.goatbiology.com/milkgoiter.html
_
Milk goiter is the very common, normal enlargement of the thymus gland which is part of the maturation of the immune system in nearly all juvenile mammals. Why the thymus gland is larger in some kids or children than others is not well understood. However, reducing the size at an early age could result a less efficient immune response for the life of the goat as has been shown to be the case in humans. Instead, welcome milk goiters with the understanding that the immune system is laying the foundation for your kids' healthy future. _

A very good thing to see indeed!
Lee


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

I noticed that on Jenna, how can I get her to gain a bit of weight before the show? Just give her more milk?

Also, will the sunscreen attract dirt?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

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Taylor don't change a thing, you will bloat her or scour her. Milk, milk and more milk. Never think you can change anything before a show...management is a whole package, and you are not basing your herd off of one show with goatlings!

They are all old enough to be started on a meat goat pellet that contains Rumensin, the Cadillac of which is Sure Fed's Intimidator.....alfalfa hay, minerals, water and exercise. Vicki


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Great job clipping! I just finished clipping a buck for a show over memorial weekend. Boy was that fun; he broke my milkstand's headgate...

Good luck and let us know how they do. 

Sunscreen probably will attract dirt, but I think you'd only need it for a few days, until the hair grows back a little. Or you can just keep them in a pen that has plenty of shade, and hope they spend most of their time there maybe.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Baby powder works also. Vicki


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

I got out our spray-on SPF 50 sunscreen and sprayed them all over. 
I'll give them all the milk they want, and won't change anything else, just keep it the same.

How much bleach should be in the water to disinfect the pens? Or what shoud the ratio be?
Can I use that to spray their feet down before entering pen, etc.?


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

I wouldn't change anything - feed as you always have. No sense in having diarrhea right before the show.

Jenna is only 1.5 months old - more feed is not going to give her more body capacity - that takes time to develop. At her age, the judges don't expect to see a "rounded" kid - and this is more for experience, yours and hers. Don't risk this lovely doe on a class placing. Jr. legs are great to get, but they are just bonuses, so be patient!


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Great clip job, Taylor! Nice looking doelings, too. Good luck at the show.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Also, what should I bring in case of scours, like from stress, or the travel?


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## NorthOf49 (Feb 8, 2011)

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Wow, what a difference! They look so professional all of a sudden. How bad was it to clip the escutcheon? I'd be worried about accidentally trimming a teat...... :|


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

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I used little trimmers to go around the teats, I didn't use the clippers.
I just guessed and clipped against the hair. It was harder doing the little cowlicks, like on the head, or the belly area.
In fact, I don't know if I even did the tail right. I clipped until there was an inch before the tail ended, then I trimmed the edge to leave an inch of hair going off of the tip of the tail.
So, two inches of hair on the tail was left. Was that right?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

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Bleach does not clean, it only disinfects clean. Go through the jeffers catalog and read up on disinfectants. I just take mine is a spray bottle and wet the bars of the pens down, put down my shavings, turn on my box fan, go check in and then unload the goats.

I use Virkon, little packets you dissolve into a bucket of water or spray bottle. Cheap! Vicki


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

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Wow, they look great! Good luck at the show!


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Great!
I was practicing leading the doelings around, and at one point, Jenna tried pulling back and kind of twisted her head, and the chain somehow popped the scab off of the burned horn bud from her disbudding. It was a dried scab, but it was too early for the scab to come off, because now it's bleeding pretty good. The chain was pretty small, it was a 14" choke collar chain for small dogs.
I dabbed her up with some alcohol wipes, and put some blood-stop powder on it. I can see tiny dots of blood trying to come up through the powder. She doesn't seem to be in pain, maybe just uncomfortable...
Can this be a problem for the show this Saturday?
Hopefully it'll heal by then...


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

No it's not a problem. Just keep it dried up with the blood stop powder. Vicki


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Thanks, Vicki!


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Okay, we tattooed the doelings this past Tuesday, and the green ink is still showing inside their ears.
Do I have to try to wipe out their ears today before the show, or tomorrow while at the show? 
If I do, what's the best thing to use to wipe off the ink?
The show rules do not say anything about fresh tattoos.

I couldn't have tattooed them earlier, even if I wanted to.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

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Taylor, you can take a baby wipe and wipe off the excess ink. You want the judge to be able to read their tattoos if they win a championship.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

*Re: What To Take If Showing Young Doelings...?*

Now, that we are back from our first show, what signs or symptoms should I look out for in my doelings, just to make sure they didn't pick something up?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Snotty noses. How did you do at the show?


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Well, there were only 4 Alpines there at the show, one Senior, and three Juniors.
The three Juniors were all in the same class, so they competed against each other. The three Juniors were my two, and a friend had taken her doeling.

In Ring 1, Cricket placed first, and the friend's doeling placed reserve. In Ring 2, Jenna placed first, and the friend's doeling placed reserve again.

I guess that's good, but I wish there were more Juniors, so I could see how they ranked up against them.
I mean, how can you really earn a win, unless there were more doelings to compete against?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Sounds like it's time for the AOP classes to include Alpines and LaManchas!

Sorry this happened, it's tough to get any kind of feedback on your does when there isn't enough animals to compete against.


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

Congrats on your first show. Sorry to here that there was such a dmall turnout. Out here in the Carolina's we always work hard to make sure all the major breeds are official (and that includes Alpines and Lamanchas). As others have said don't base any decision on one show - especially if there were that few in the class.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

There were 15 senior LaManchas and 7 juniors at our show this past Saturday. I'm not ready to start AOP'ing the LaManchas yet, I just think there were several breeders who were unable to make our show this year, including LaNell. Alpines have often been scarce in our area, as are Toggs and Oberhasli. I'm not sure we even have people breeding Obies in our area of Texas anymore.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Michelle commented that her junior doe win wasn't official in LaMancha's. With the price of gas and showing, you can't do that to many times to exhibitors or they simply won't show up. Certainly there was 3 more LaMancha doelings out there with kidding season just finished. It can't be left up to new folks like Michelle or Taylor to know who the breeders are to call to make sure their classes are at least official. That is a change that needs to be made for new folks, because without the forum they don't even have any idea that you need 10 per breed. They just want to show.


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## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

Sounds like I need to haul a show string to Texas ;-) I need to buy one of those 25 passenger vans so we all have AC....


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