Goat Project Information and Forms

Species Superintendent - Tim Dicke, timhof2004@gmail.com

For complete Livestock Rules and Fair Participation Requirement Information refer to the 2024 HCCFair Rulebook

GOAT PROJECTS

For all Goat projects, complete the Goat Project and Record Book each year. This book includes Dairy Goats, Breeding - Meat Goats, Fiber Goats, Harness Goats, Market - Dairy, Meat or Cross Goats, Pack Goats, Pygmy Goats, Nigerian Dwarf Goats and Companion - Pet Goats. The Goat Resource Handbook is also needed for these projects but only needs to be purchased once and can be used by multiple family members.

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GOAT GENERAL REGULATIONS 

• Possession Dates – All project animals must be in the possession and care of the Junior Fair participant by the following dates

  • April 1st of the current year for Market Goat and Dairy Goat projects

  • May 1st of the current year for Breeding Goat projects

• Registrations - All goat projects must meet the following registration deadlines. Late or missing paperwork will make the participant ineligible to compete in the current year at the Hamilton County Community Fair.

  • 4-H Enrollment Form deadline – March 1st

  • Project Commitment Form deadline – May 7th

  • Market Animal Registration Form deadline for Market Goats only – Within 7 days of the above possession date

  • Market Animal Registration Forms must also include four (4) photos of the animal, and current tags or scrapie number.

  • All forms will be submitted online.

• Quality assurance - Junior Fair participants who wish to exhibit a market or dairy animal are required to attend the Livestock Quality Assurance training, along with a parent or guardian. 

• All goats must be properly identified and reported as such on the Market Animal Registration Form.

  • ANY goat of ANY age on the fairgrounds (those entered and companion animals) MUST have a Scrapies ID # tag/microchip/tattoo on their body. This is a requirement for the Hamilton County Community Fair and supersedes any other county or state fair rule.

• All goats brought to the fairgrounds are required to be in accordance with the current health regulations

       AND the current Scrapie Program Regulations according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

• Health papers must be given to the Species Superintendent by weigh-in time if the animal is transported across a state line for exhibition. Health papers must be dated within 30 days of the show.

• Animals not properly ID’d upon arrival at the fairgrounds will be immediately sent home and disqualified from showing.

• All Market and Dairy Goats MUST be dehorned. NO HORNS ALLOWED. A maximum of 1 ½ inches permissible on scurs. Scars occur where the dehorning of a naturally horned animal has been incomplete. They are not attached to the animal’s skull and are loosely attached by skin. All other goats do not have to be dehorned but the Species Superintendent and the members of the Hamilton County Community Fair Executive Board reserve the right to put horn guards on all goats with horns.

• In the event of the death of a goat project animal, the Junior Fair participant must notify the Species Superintendent immediately and the death must be verified by the Species Superintendent or a Hamilton County Community Fair Board Member. If a market goat project animal dies before May 15th, the Junior Fair participant has 14 days to purchase a replacement animal. If a project animal dies on or after May 15th, the animal may not be replaced.

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MARKET GOATS

• Market goats must be born on or after November 1st of the previous year.

• Market goats must be castrated and healed by April 1st of the current year.

• Market goats can be does or wethers.

• Market goats must be dehorned.

• Market goats must weigh a minimum of 50 pounds in order to sell in the Livestock Sale.

• Classes may be divided into three types:

  • Dairy

  • Pure bred (Boer, Spanish, Kiko).

  • Nigerian Dwarf/Pygmy

• A total of three (3) market goats may be exhibited/sold by a Junior Fair participant at the Hamilton County

      Community Fair.

• Market goats must be slick-clipped at the time of the goat show.

BREEDING GOATS – DOES

• Age and animal identification number must be listed on the Project Commitment Form.

• Does shown in a breeding class may NOT also compete in a market class.

• Breeding goats do not have to be dehorned.

• A Junior Fair participant may make two entries per class.

• No bucks or billies will be allowed on the fairgrounds..

• Does will show according to breed and age. Classes may be split or combined at the discretion of the Species Superintendent.

DAIRY GOATS

• All dairy goats must be dehorned and healed by April 1st.

• Age and lactation status must be listed on the Project Commitment Form.

• Ages are as follows:

  • kid (less than one year on the day of the show)

  • yearling (over one year but less than two years of age on the day of the show)

  • senior (over two years of age on the day of the show).

• Lactation status is as follows:

  • dry (on day of show)

  • lactating (on day of show)

• Dairy goats will show according to breed and age of the goat.

• Classes may be split or combined at the discretion of the Species Superintendent.

• Dairy goats may be shown as follows:

  • Alpine

  • LaMancha

  • Nubian

  • Nigerian Dwarf

  • Oberhasli

  • Saanen

  • Toggenburg

  • Cross-bred of any two breeds above

• An exhibitor may make two (2) entries per class.

COMPANION GOATS

• PYGMY GOATS

  • Pygmy goats do not have to be dehorned

  • Age and sex must be listed on the Project Commitment Form

• NIGERIAN DWARF GOATS - WETHERS

  • Nigerian dwarf goats do not have to be dehorned.

  • Age and sex must be listed on the Project Commitment Form.

• HARNESS GOATS

  • May be doe or wether.

  • Goat must be castrated and healed by April 1st.

  • Harness goats do not have to be dehorned.

  • Goat must be properly identified and listed as such on the Project Commitment Form.

  • HARNESS KID GOATS                                                                                                                                      - The kid goat must be halter broken and led by the exhibitor with a lead strap.                                                - Animal should properly respond to the voice commands: Stop - Go - Back                                                    -  This is the first (1st) year the animal is exhibited.   

  • HARNESS YEARLING GOATS                                                                                                                          - The goat will be harnessed and pull an empty cart.                                                                                          - The goat should properly respond to the voice commands: Stop - Go - Back                                                  - This is the second (2nd) year the animal is exhibited.

  • SENIOR HARNESS GOATS

- The goat will be harnessed and pull a cart driven by the exhibitor.

- The goat must respond to the following commands while pulling the cart and exhibitor through the designated obstacle course: Stop - Back - Go - Left - Right

- This is the third (3rd)year the goat is exhibited. ​             ​​

GOAT SHOW

JR. FAIR PARTICIPANT ATTIRE

• A clean, appropriately buttoned, tucked-in, collared shirt with short or long sleeves.

• Long blue or black slacks/jeans.

• Footwear must consist of work boots or heavy shoes. Athletic-type shoes are NOT permitted.

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GOAT SHOWMANSHIP 

• For all species, the 4-H youth must participate in his/her respective showmanship class in order to participate in other classes in the species show.

• If there are less than 2 participants in either Senior or Junior Showmanship, these classes will be combined. The combined class will be used as the Showman of Showmen Run-Off.

• Senior Showmanship

  • Open to all goat exhibitors 14 – 18 years old (as of January 1st of the current year)

• Junior Showmanship

  • Open to all goat exhibitors 8 – 13 years old (as of January 1st of the current year)

• Novice Showmanship

  • Open to all Junior Fair participants in the Junior or Senior age group showing a goat project for the FIRST TIME EVER. A participant may OPT OUT of Novice Showmanship and show in their age category but must notify the Species Superintendent.

  • If there are fewer than 3 novice participants the Species Superintendent may choose not to hold a novice class. In this case, the participants would show in their age category.

GOAT SHOW CLASSES

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Dairy Goat

Alpine

Oberhasli

Nigerian Dwarf

LaMancha

Saanen

Crossbred of any 2 breeds

Nubian

Toggenburg

from the other 6 classes

Companion Goat

Pygmy

Nigerian Dwarf

Harness - Kid

Pygmy - Does

Nigerian Dwarf - Does

Harness - Yearling Harness – Senior Wether – Any Breed

Pygmy – Wethers

Nigerian Dwarf - Wethers

Breeding Goat

Boer Doe

Boer/Dairy Crossbred Angora

Other Breeds

Meat Goat

Boer Doe

Boer/Dairy Crossbred

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**The Species Superintendent is not required to hold any class that has less than 3 participants. Under these circumstances, classes may be combined as the superintendent deems appropriate.

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AWARDS FOR GOAT SHOW

• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place ribbons will be given in each goat class.

• Grand and Reserve Champion banners will be given for Dairy Goat, Market Goat, Breeding Goat, and Companion Goat.

• 1st and 2nd Place winners in Showmanship will receive trophies.

• Top Exhibitor and Reserve Top Exhibitor Awards will be given for both Junior and Senior divisions. These winners will be the Junior Fair participants who have the two highest combined scores from the four project program areas: Project Judging, Skillathon, Showmanship placing, and Class placings.

• To qualify for Top Exhibitor Awards the participant must participate in EACH of the four project program areas and receive a minimum score of 80% on Project Judging and Skillathon.

• Top Exhibitors will receive a monetary award. Top Exhibitor Awards are given at the Awards Ceremony. 

• Exhibitors showing in Novice Showmanship are not eligible for Top Exhibitor Awards.