This website is made possible by the members of the Mountain States Meat Goat Association
Mountain States
Meat Goat Association
Mountain States Meat Goat
Association Show Wether & 4H Page
Association Show Wether & 4H Page
2010 Tattoos
meat Z
dairy A
meat Z
dairy A
********* It is Important to Know *********
The Drug Withdrawal Times on Wormers and Medications used on goats
so that if your show wether needs medication or de-worming you can choose
one that will not leave a drug residue in his meat at the time of his sale.
The Drug Withdrawal Times on Wormers and Medications used on goats
so that if your show wether needs medication or de-worming you can choose
one that will not leave a drug residue in his meat at the time of his sale.
Wormers Meat Withdrawal
Curatrem 8 days
Dectomax 35 days
Ivomec 49 days
Levasole 7-8 days
Nematel 14 days
Panacur 8 days
Panacur/Curatrem 8 days
Safeguard 6 days
Valbenzen 27 days
Curatrem 8 days
Dectomax 35 days
Ivomec 49 days
Levasole 7-8 days
Nematel 14 days
Panacur 8 days
Panacur/Curatrem 8 days
Safeguard 6 days
Valbenzen 27 days
Drugs Withdrawal
Albon 7 days
Bactrim 28 days
Bio-Mycin 28 days
Erythromycin 100 14 days
Erythromycin 200 21 days
Gentocin 180 days
LA 200 28 days
Naxel 1 day
Neomycin 60 days
Albon 7 days
Bactrim 28 days
Bio-Mycin 28 days
Erythromycin 100 14 days
Erythromycin 200 21 days
Gentocin 180 days
LA 200 28 days
Naxel 1 day
Neomycin 60 days
Drugs Withdrawal
Oxyvet 100 19 days
Oxytet UI 15-28 days
Pencillin 15 days
Pencillin UI 10 days
Polyflex 6 days
Tribrissen 28 days
Tylan 48 days
Oxyvet 100 19 days
Oxytet UI 15-28 days
Pencillin 15 days
Pencillin UI 10 days
Polyflex 6 days
Tribrissen 28 days
Tylan 48 days
Over the next months we will be going over what we need to have and do to get ourselves and our show wethers ready for the jackpots and fairs we will be taking them to.
We will start with housing, fencing, what supplies we need to have on hand, moving on to how to feed our show wethers, how to care for them (worming-note on the very bottom of this page is a list of drug withdrawal times we need to be aware of so we are able to insure there is no drug residues in our wethers at the end of show season when we sell them, banding, vaccinating, hoof trimming), what equipment we need to show them, fitting and grooming along with tips to break them to lead and getting them ready to go in the show ring.
****************************************************************************
We will start with housing, fencing, what supplies we need to have on hand, moving on to how to feed our show wethers, how to care for them (worming-note on the very bottom of this page is a list of drug withdrawal times we need to be aware of so we are able to insure there is no drug residues in our wethers at the end of show season when we sell them, banding, vaccinating, hoof trimming), what equipment we need to show them, fitting and grooming along with tips to break them to lead and getting them ready to go in the show ring.
****************************************************************************
February Housing for Your Show Wether (click link)
March Fencing for Your Show Wether
Feeding Your Show Wethers
In order for our wethers to be the best they can be we need to know how to feed them properly to bring out the very best in them
It does no good to go out and buy the best wether we can find or afford, if we don’t feed him the proper nutrition he needs to reach his full potential.
There are four important nutritional requirements our wethers need from us.
1. Fresh, clean water
2. Good, quality hay
3. A nutritional grain
4. Minerals
Water: This is number one in importance! Your wether must have access to clean drinking water at all times! Goats are very picky about their water. A little tiny goat berry floating in their water will keep a thirsty goat from drinking. If your wether does not drink plenty of water he will not eat as much, nor digest his food as well, so you will not get as good of rate of gains as you could, he will be more prone to health issues and his general appearance will not be as good as it could be.
Water is the cheapest ingredient in producing a champion wether, so it would be silly to shortchange your ability to produce the best show wether you possibly can by not providing your wether clean, fresh water daily.
Take a good look at your wethers water. Would you want to drink it? If not he probably doesn’t want to either. If it is dirty he may get thirsty enough to drink only enough to stay alive, but we want our wethers to drink enough water not just to stay alive, but to thrive.
Remember, water is very important to your wethers health. Even more so, than it is to your other goats.
So never, ever, leave your wether without clean drinking water.
Good quality hay: Our goats need roughage/fiber. The hay you feed your wether will be what helps keep his rumen moving and functioning properly. Many in an attempt to power feed their wethers will work their wethers down to a grain only diet, this denies their wether the proper roughage they should have to keep their rumens functioning the way they should.
While we don’t want our wethers to arrive at the shows with a big fat hay belly of course, we do want them to still be allowed to have some hay in their diets.
Never feed your wether straight alfalfa! If feeding your wether an alfalfa/hay mix, please make sure that he is being fed a grain that contains ammonium chloride. This is especially important if you live where you are on a well or in an area that has a lot of hard minerals in your water.
Wethers are prone to urinary calculi an extremely, painful and most often fatal condition that can be brought on by feeding a diet rich in alfalfa and calcium due to their being castrated at a young age before their urinary tracts have time to fully develop and grow and little stones can form and get trapped in their urinary tract leading to a ruptured bladder.
Grain: We want our wethers to have access to a 16-18% protein grain to help them grow, have good rates of gain and have a nice finish on them by show time and to help supply them with their nutritional needs.
There are many good show feeds out there to choose from. Most feed stores now carry show goat feed.
When we start our wethers on grain we want to start them with a small amount each feeding and gradually increase that amount as we get closer to show time.
Never just dump out a large amount of grain as this can lead to bloat if your wether eats too much at once or is not used to the brand or type of grain you are going to be feeding. Ask the breeder you buy your wether from what brand and type of grain the wether has been eating and how much. If you will be using a different grain than the breeder you buy from uses, ask to buy a bag from them and then slowly start mixing that grain with the grain you will be using. This will reduce the chance of stomach upset with your wether.
As show time approaches many add little “extra’s” to their goat’s grain to give them a better finish. Corn and calf manna milk pellets are often used for this purpose. Remember always mix a new “feed” into your wether’s diet slowly. Too much corn can cause acidosis and bloat in goats, especially if your wether is not used to it.
Minerals: Minerals are key to your wether’s good health and well being. Loose mineral works best as goats do not have rough tongues like cows have and many times it is hard for them to get enough mineral from a block lick. A wether that has access to a good goat mineral will be a healthier wether with a nicer coat, clearer eyes and a healthier overall appearance and will do better under the stressful conditions involved in showing.
The MSMGA has a good goat mineral available for sale.
Note: If you are penning your show wether with a show lamb DO NOT use a mineral formulated for goats as the high copper content is toxic to lambs. Find a good sheep mineral to keep in their pen and when working with your wether separate from your lamb offer him the goat mineral then or a copper supplement.
March Fencing for Your Show Wether
Feeding Your Show Wethers
In order for our wethers to be the best they can be we need to know how to feed them properly to bring out the very best in them
It does no good to go out and buy the best wether we can find or afford, if we don’t feed him the proper nutrition he needs to reach his full potential.
There are four important nutritional requirements our wethers need from us.
1. Fresh, clean water
2. Good, quality hay
3. A nutritional grain
4. Minerals
Water: This is number one in importance! Your wether must have access to clean drinking water at all times! Goats are very picky about their water. A little tiny goat berry floating in their water will keep a thirsty goat from drinking. If your wether does not drink plenty of water he will not eat as much, nor digest his food as well, so you will not get as good of rate of gains as you could, he will be more prone to health issues and his general appearance will not be as good as it could be.
Water is the cheapest ingredient in producing a champion wether, so it would be silly to shortchange your ability to produce the best show wether you possibly can by not providing your wether clean, fresh water daily.
Take a good look at your wethers water. Would you want to drink it? If not he probably doesn’t want to either. If it is dirty he may get thirsty enough to drink only enough to stay alive, but we want our wethers to drink enough water not just to stay alive, but to thrive.
Remember, water is very important to your wethers health. Even more so, than it is to your other goats.
So never, ever, leave your wether without clean drinking water.
Good quality hay: Our goats need roughage/fiber. The hay you feed your wether will be what helps keep his rumen moving and functioning properly. Many in an attempt to power feed their wethers will work their wethers down to a grain only diet, this denies their wether the proper roughage they should have to keep their rumens functioning the way they should.
While we don’t want our wethers to arrive at the shows with a big fat hay belly of course, we do want them to still be allowed to have some hay in their diets.
Never feed your wether straight alfalfa! If feeding your wether an alfalfa/hay mix, please make sure that he is being fed a grain that contains ammonium chloride. This is especially important if you live where you are on a well or in an area that has a lot of hard minerals in your water.
Wethers are prone to urinary calculi an extremely, painful and most often fatal condition that can be brought on by feeding a diet rich in alfalfa and calcium due to their being castrated at a young age before their urinary tracts have time to fully develop and grow and little stones can form and get trapped in their urinary tract leading to a ruptured bladder.
Grain: We want our wethers to have access to a 16-18% protein grain to help them grow, have good rates of gain and have a nice finish on them by show time and to help supply them with their nutritional needs.
There are many good show feeds out there to choose from. Most feed stores now carry show goat feed.
When we start our wethers on grain we want to start them with a small amount each feeding and gradually increase that amount as we get closer to show time.
Never just dump out a large amount of grain as this can lead to bloat if your wether eats too much at once or is not used to the brand or type of grain you are going to be feeding. Ask the breeder you buy your wether from what brand and type of grain the wether has been eating and how much. If you will be using a different grain than the breeder you buy from uses, ask to buy a bag from them and then slowly start mixing that grain with the grain you will be using. This will reduce the chance of stomach upset with your wether.
As show time approaches many add little “extra’s” to their goat’s grain to give them a better finish. Corn and calf manna milk pellets are often used for this purpose. Remember always mix a new “feed” into your wether’s diet slowly. Too much corn can cause acidosis and bloat in goats, especially if your wether is not used to it.
Minerals: Minerals are key to your wether’s good health and well being. Loose mineral works best as goats do not have rough tongues like cows have and many times it is hard for them to get enough mineral from a block lick. A wether that has access to a good goat mineral will be a healthier wether with a nicer coat, clearer eyes and a healthier overall appearance and will do better under the stressful conditions involved in showing.
The MSMGA has a good goat mineral available for sale.
Note: If you are penning your show wether with a show lamb DO NOT use a mineral formulated for goats as the high copper content is toxic to lambs. Find a good sheep mineral to keep in their pen and when working with your wether separate from your lamb offer him the goat mineral then or a copper supplement.
****************************************************************************
MSMGA