I know this is Steer Planet, but ...

[6M Ranch]

what else do you raise and/or show?  We also raise and show goats.

 

[aj]

I often wondered how the goat deal works. Can you a.i. goats? It wouldn't take alot of feed. Do they have personalities like say cattle? Are they the boer goats? I saw a goat show and a fairly major judge judged it and he talked the class well. Are there breeds, assc's etc. I know a guy in kansas who is successful in cattle and he got into the goats(they are also big in sheep).

 

[6M Ranch]

I took a class this year to AI goats, will probably try next year.  Semen seems to be more expensive on average that cattle semen.  Not much feed.  Very similar to raising cattle as far as feed, shots, etc.  We raise Boer goats.  Two major organizations are the IBGA and the ABGA.

 

[dutch pride]

My kids also show pigs. We do not raise them, just buy young pigs and feed them to market. It is a nice project for kids, not too much investment needed and fairly short term time commitment. We enjoy showing cattle much more that pigs however.

DLZ

 

[racekannon]

Goats are the funniest creatures.  We have two pet goats  Buffy and Jody, Jody was cut as a wee one and is the most comical of the two Buffy is a female.  Buffy is going to a friend that raises Boers for a love connection so that my kid has the babies to play with bext summer.  We live in 5 acres of woods and the goats keep it spotless with a little work of moving the electric fence once a week over the years we have had a Mytonic " Fainting Goat" named LuLu, a white milk goat wether named The Outlaw Joesy Wales, and a Pygmy named Mr. French.  Mr. French got out alot so my wife sold him to the Mexicans.  Showing market goats is getting big here in Kentucky and the commerical market is real.

 

[Rocky Hill Simmental]

Cattle are the only animals I show but I do show giant watermelons.  My watermelon this year was the biggest yet at 116 lbs.. but some jerk stole it on the second night after judging so not many people got to see it.  lol

 

[kanshow]

My son dabbles with chickens but due to an unforseen circumstance involving coons, we are currently chickenless.  He'll start his flock up again next spring with some new ones.

We have raised sheep in the past but breeding limitations -mainly due to no AI - we decided are better off buying the lambs than trying to raise them out of our incredibly small flock... so no lambing for us next spring!!

Pigs - we just buy the pigs in the spring. 

 

[BCCC]

Well we also have a commercail herd, that we raise replacement heifers, and feeder calves for our feed yard.

I used to raise pigs up up until this fall, however we still have 19 pigs. Now we just show them.

We also raise and show horses.

I am thinking about showing a sheep this summer, but have a feeling it will end up to be more (like starting to breed them) well at least that what has happened with everything else.

 

[txshowlamb]

I raise/ have raised lambs, pigs currently raising a steer,  chickens/hens and breeding rabbits one is due December 5th YAY!!
Brittney

 

[OH Breeder]

We have cattle but sister  raise broilers. Summer time means butchering chickens.Not a fan of chicken needless to say.Cattle fans are handy when hot summer days and butchering chickens.
Had sheep and hogs in our past. Spotted Poland China's and Chester White's. Suffolks

 

[farmerboy317]

i show hogs but we buy them in the spring and raise them as market hogs

 

[shortyjock89]

Only have cattle at the moment but back in the day we had Duroc, Landrace, and F1 crosses of them.  We're also thinking about getting in the whether sheep business...not really trading..just showing, but you never know where it will go!

 

[6M Ranch]

Interesting that the people who replied, show other species, but don't raise them.

 

[aj]

Is goat semen in straws and how in the world do you find and hit the cervix of a goat? Is semen freezable? Do goats ever get mean. I had a ram(sheep) hit me one time and got my attention in a hurry. Are goats harvested at regular butcher plants? Are they a specialty meat? Are they a ruminant?

 

[6M Ranch]

Semen comes in straws.  Guns, sheaths, straws are the same, just smaller.  They collect and freeze the semen just like bulls.  Actually pretty easy to AI a goat.  It's done visually, instead of by feel (arm in the butt).  Insert a speculum, use a small light to deposit the semen in the right spot.  Goats are ruminants.  Biggest market for goat meat, is with the immigrants.  The U.S. has to import goat meat, because we can't produce enough here.  Right now, market is pretty wide open.  The goats we've sold, were slaughtered, skinned and quartered on our place.  They take them in large pieces, then cut off what they need.

 

[farmboy]

i showed a lamb one time, thats about it

 

[Camo]

Ive been watchin this site for weeks and this is my first entry yeppie! I have 2 boys showing market steers, market sheep, and market hogs. Wow what a feed bill!  I have to say this site has really taught me alot.  This is our 2nd year for steers, and boy was i missin alot of secrects. thanks for all the info.

 

[aj]

(welcome)

 

[Camo]

thanks! Hope to learn alot more.

 

[6M Ranch]

Ive been watchin this site for weeks and this is my first entry yeppie! I have 2 boys showing market steers, market sheep, and market hogs. Wow what a feed bill!  I have to say this site has really taught me alot.  This is our 2nd year for steers, and boy was i missin alot of secrects. thanks for all the info.

Welcome to Steer Planet!!!  Don't be afraid to ask questions about your sheep and hog projects.  I imagine there are several people who could help you out on here.