Promote the Goat Project

Transcription

1 Promote the Goat Project The sole purpose of this project is to promote the goat project in Vermillion County, IN, all while implementing the values of 4-H. This is to be a fun and educational experience for first time goat owners. The Cintron and Heber families are making themselves available for help along the way, but ultimately this is an experience for the 4-Her and their family to do together, hopefully to encourage long term involvement in a fun and exciting industry! May 1, 2016 the Heber family will host the First Annual Goat Day! After completing Goat 101 on Goat Day, you will have the basic tools needed, to care for your very own baby goats! Please arrive at the Heber Farm (313 E 1200 S. Clinton, IN) no later than 12:45, to be ready to start promptly at 1pm! Please meet in the front yard. Do NOT proceed to the barn areas until AFTER the introductions and expectations are covered! Thank you in advance on this part! 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Introductions, briefing on farm etiquette, rules of the Heber farm, expectations of the day and program, and a short introduction to the goat industry. 2:00 pm-2:20 pm: Tour of the farm. Learn about different types of housing. At the completion of the farm tour, the group will be divided into 3 smaller groups. This will allow each participant to have the necessary hands on experiences, and for questions at the end of each segment. **The hands-on part of the education is very important!** Each segment will be 20 min long. (2:30-2:50, 3:00-3:20, 3:30-3:50) Nutrition: What does my baby goat eat, and how much? Participants will learn the pros and cons of dam raising compared to bottle feeding, and how much milk the kids should get as they grow. Types of Hay and feed, how much, and when to feed, will also be covered. Health: How do I keep my goat healthy? How do I know when my goat is sick? How do I treat them? Participants will be shown pictures of sick goats, and what common issues to watch for. They will get to take a goat s temperature, learn how to drench (orally give meds) and how to give a shot. There will also be a short discussion on common parasites (worms, lice, ring worm), and coccidiosis (common deadly infection of baby goats), and how to prevent and treat them. Maintenance: What does it take to care for my goat? This segment will teach participants what overall general care is needed for goats. There will be a short discussion on the overall care of goats, outside of normal food, water and shelter. Each participant will get to trim a goat s hooves. They will also learn about additional minerals needed to keep their goat healthy. 4:00 pm: Goat Selection: Participants who fulfilled ALL of the necessary requirements (min of 6, max of 12: this number is dependent on number of animals available) will then draw a number, for the order of selection. We will go thru the order twice. Each participant will only pick one animal on each round. 5:00 pm: Completion of Goat Day. Each participant will be provided the contact information for the Heber and Cintron Families, as well as local veterinarian offices. To help everyone start off on the right foot, each participant will be provided enough supplies to get started, which will last only a couple of days. Please remember to be prepared once your babies are home with you.

2 List of Must Have supplies **Those items noted as being provided will only get the participants started. You will need to purchase more along the way. **Be sure to make arrangements ahead of time for fresh goat milk, or have replacer on hand. There will only be enough milk provided for a couple of days. You CANNOT skip a feeding** Bottle (provided) Nipple (provided) Milk/ Milk replacer (provided) Water Bucket (provided) Feed Pan Hay Feeder Grass Hay *NO ALFALFA* (hope to provide a ½ bale for each participant-have supplier in mind) Feed/Grain (Medicated grain for coccidiosis prevention is recommended) Thermometer (provided) Hoof Trimmers Wound Spray Mineral (provided) Baking Soda (small box provided) Coccidiosis Prevention (Enough will be provided to get the participants to fair) Syringe (provided) Veterinarian Phone Number (A couple will be provided) Collar Secure Pen Shelter

3 Promote the Goat Project: Progress Day Date: TBA Where: Vermillion County Fairgrounds Time: TBA Progress Day for the Promote the Goat Project is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Progress Day will be a day for participants to do their final preparation for the Vermillion County Fair. This will help answer a lot of questions on what to expect when you arrive at the fair, how the show runs, and most importantly, what you need to do to prepare for the show. Finally, you will learn how to actually show your goat! Please bring your goats to Progress Day, and be ready for a lot fun!! Weigh In- Participants will have an opportunity to weigh their goats, close to fair time, to be sure they are on track to reach the 40lb requirement to be sold in the 4-H livestock auction. Pointers will be given to participants, to help them reach this goal. Hoof Trimming- Even though this was part of Goat Day on May 1 st, trimming hooves can still be a little intimidating. Experienced hoof trimmers will be on hand to give any pointers needed to get them ready for show. Grooming- Participants will learn the proper techniques on grooming and clipping their goats for show. ALL Goat Project 4-Hers are welcome, no matter what breed you show! We hope to have experts from each breed (Dairy, Pygmy & Boer) to help those who may have questions. Showmanship- Participants will get to learn how to show their goat!! (By this time, you should have your goat trained to lead. The purpose of the showmanship segment is to teach the basics in the show ring, as well as common maneuvers. If your goat won t walk for you by this time, it could pose some difficulties in the ring). Each breed (Dairy, Boer, and Pygmy) are all shown a little different, but the basics are the same. We hope to have experienced 4-Hers/adults in each breed available to teach their fellow 4-Hers how to show their goats. Time for FUN! At the conclusion of Progress Day, there will be Goat Milk Ice Cream and Goat Cheese for a great snack!

4 Promote the Goat Project Registration Name: Address: Phone: Home Cell Age: Grade: Years in 4-H Attending Goat Day to qualify for free wethers Attending Goat Day to observe only (Please mark one for which you are registering) Have you ever participated in a 4-H Livestock project? If Yes, please list animal breeds and years in project(s) Have you ever owned goats? How much time each day, do you feel you will be able to spend on your goat s care, feeding, training, etc.? Please describe where your goat will live (shelter) and how he will be cared for on a daily basis (food, water, companionship) Please write a short summary explaining why you feel this would be a project you would enjoy and how you will benefit from it. (Use additional sheet of paper if needed)

5 Information and Conditions 1. All participants in the Promote the Goat Project must be currently enrolled in The Vermillion County 4-H Program. 2. All participants must be 1 st time Goat project participants and must register their goat project into the Vermillion County 4-H system by May 5 th, Dairy goat wethers will be granted to the first 6 participants who register. Subsequent applicants will be placed on a waiting list and notification given if more goats become available. Since goats are herd animals and do not thrive alone, each participant (or family) will be given 2 goat wethers. (Limit 2 per household) 4. All goat wethers will be between the ages of approximately 2-6 weeks old. Kids at this age drink milk as their primary source of nutrients and will need to be fed a suitable milk replacer 2 x a day until at LEAST 8 weeks of age (12+ weeks is recommended), as well as having access to grass hay and water at all times. 5. All wethers will be granted to participants free of charge on the condition they are sold in the livestock auction at the conclusion of the fair. If the participant chooses not to sell a wether at the fair, a $50 fee (per goat) will be charged to the participant at that time. The exception would be if the 4-Her is ineligible to offer their wether in the auction because they are offering another species as their one animal for auction. 6. The participant is entitled to all proceeds from the sale of the wether minus any monies charged by the 4-H Auction Committee or Livestock Auction process. 7. The health and well being of the wethers become solely the responsibility of the participant upon pickup of the animal at the conclusion of Goat Day. The granters make no promises of soundness and take no responsibility for the health of the goats once they become the property of the participant. 8. The participant shall ensure proper care is given to the goats at all times, included, but not limited to, adequate food, water, shelter and veterinary care when necessary. 9. All goats must be taken home immediately following goat day on May 1 st, Please insure that your goats will have transportation to their new home on that day. 10. At least one parent/guardian must attend and complete Goat Day on May 1 st, 2016 with each participant. 11. Some goats will go home intact following Goat Day. If the participant chooses an intact kid, arrangements will need to be made for the kid to be banded in order to complete the wethering process. All male goats MUST be wethered prior to being eligible to show in the fair. 12. A Progress Day will be scheduled for a time closer to fair. We will be trimming feet, checking tags, weighing wethers and offering a Showmanship Clinic during Progress Day. Participation is strongly encouraged as it will be a great way to learn what to expect in the show ring during the Fair, compare how much your goats have grown and get some hands on practice time in the show ring with your wether. 13. It is the responsibility of the participants to familiarize themselves and follow the terms and conditions listed in the Vermillion County 4-H Handbook concerning proper enrollment and guidelines for showing your goat project at the Fair. Participant s signature Date Parent s signature Date Return completed form by April 1 st, 2016 to Amanda Heber 313 E 1200 S, Clinton, In (anicheber@gmail.com) or Roseanna Cintron 8422 Hayne Road, Terre Haute, In (roseannacintron@hotmail.com)

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