I enjoy judging livestock shows, but as a breeder, it makes it hard for me to be able to accept judging jobs in Oklahoma. I help too many people and the fact that kids have goats from me makes it unfair to me and them if I judge. Even though, I will always use the best one, it makes it hard. And there is always some mental midget that would stir the rumour mill and make it miserable for everybody.

Another dilemma is how to get good goats into good feeders hands. I have been very fortunate to see my goats end up with very good feeders that follow directions. But at times, a good one or two ends up somewhere that you know it probably isn’t going to get the care it needs to excel. It is always nice to cash a big check, but it doesn’t pay off if that animal doesn’t win to bring you future business.

I buy a lot of goats for families. If me or my crew has these goats, they are going to get fed, exercised and shown to the best of our abilities. As a breeder, it behooves me to continue to help these families with my goats and goats I have bought to make sure that they are getting them fed and shown properly. It is a pain in the ass, but I the ex-teacher in me still likes to see kids get better and succeed. Especially when they are working hard.

If you don’t have good feeders/showers with your animals, then you don’t have a good program. It is of utmost importance to find ways to get your animals into good homes. It will pay off.