Tips & Tricks of Showing Lambs
Whether you’re a seasoned exhibitor or just dipping your toes into the exciting realm of livestock showing, this page is your go-to resource for advice, invaluable tips, and insider knowledge to help you succeed in the show ring. From selecting the perfect lamb to mastering showmanship skills, we’re here to empower you with the tools and strategies needed to showcase your lamb with confidence and finesse. Get ready to elevate your show lamb game to new heights and embark on a journey of skill, dedication, and unforgettable moments in the spotlight. Welcome to the world of show lamb success!
Lamb Show Terminology Need help on what the judge is saying? Balance A lot of people mistake balance from attractiveness, but these are not the same thing. Balanced means that the lamb’s pieces match or that the lamb is proportional. This can refer to muscling or frame size. A lamb is considered balanced when their front and their hind end match. They are also considered balanced when their muscularity matches their frame size. A lamb that is heavy muscled with frail bone size could be considered not balanced. Progressively thickens from rack to dock This is a good
Selecting a Show Lamb Picking a lamb is the most important part of having success throughout your show lamb process. There are many different philosophies on how to choose a show lamb. Whenever we sell, the one I think will do the best often are not picked first. One of the most common mistakes that first time showers make when picking a lamb is that they pick for frame size instead of other factors that are more important when choosing a show animal. If you aren’t sure of what to pick for, we suggest bringing along a more
You Can Only Fix So Much Things you can’t fix with feed and exercise. In all the show lamb forum groups and in talking to people, they will always ask about fixing certain areas of their lamb/goat. While there are certain aspects to a show lamb that can be fixed with feed, exercise or supplements, there are also some that can’t be fixed at all. Don’t let this discourage you, but make sure you are making wise decisions in the amount of time and money to spend on fixing issues. There is always going to be a supplement
Show Lamb Supplements Using Supplements with Show Lambs Everytime I go on a show lamb forum group, I see various posts about supplements (selling and questions). The first thing that I would say to people looking into supplements is to take posts from dealers with a grain of salt. I can’t count the number of miracle supplements I have seen advertised and the number of people lining up to purchase because of what it claims to do. The fact of the matter is that supplements rarely do all they are advertised to do and the before and afters
Why does my lamb keep moving? One of the more common questions we get about setup is how to stop a squirmy lamb. Many people get frustrated when they work lots on setting up and still have this problem. What many don’t take into consideration is the lamb when they are attacking this issue. Most people focus on what they can do to stop the behavior when it should really be a question of what can make the lamb comfortable enough to stand still. The most common reason for a moving lamb on set up is that it
How to Read a Feed Label Reading a feed label is extremely important to choosing the correct food for your animal. Each food does something slightly different based on the nutritional content of a feed label. The two most important parts of the feed label are the crude protein and the crude fat. Protein is an important part of a lamb’s diet as it contributes to muscle development. Still growing lambs need higher amounts of protein, so if you are starting off your project, look for a protein percentage of 16% or higher. Protein is also one of
Anything and Everything Lamb Blankets Lamb blankets are necessary for many reasons. A lot of people think that the only purpose of a lamb blanket is to keep an animal warm. That is probably one of the lesser reasons for using a blanket for an animal. The main purpose is to keep the animal’s hide fresh and firm. It is a replacement of sorts for when an animal has hair/wool. If your lamb is shaved, you need to have a blanket on it. There are many different options to a lamb blanket. It can be overwhelming if you
Lamb Muzzles…Do I need One? Lamb muzzles are a great thing to have on hand for show day and at the barn. A muzzle is used for a variety of different reasons. The main one is to stop an animal from eating, but they can also be used to stop animals from biting each other. Muzzles help keep an animal safe by not allowing them to eat things that might be harmful for them, such as shavings. If you are going to put your lamb on shavings, you will want to make sure they have a muzzle on.
Leg Wraps…Use Them or Lose Them Leg Wraps are a helpful way to keep shag protected and to ensure that you keep the natural shag that a lamb has. However, if you are not going to do leg wraps correctly, you might as well not use them at all. Shag is mostly genetic, however the way you treat it can impact you greatly. It is a lot harder to grow shag than it is to lose shag, so you will want to start maintaining the leg wool as soon as you get your lamb. Here are some tips
You Can Only Fix So Much In all the show lamb forum groups and in talking to people, they will always ask about fixing certain areas of their lamb/goat. While there are certain aspects to a show lamb that can be fixed with feed, exercise or supplements, there are also some that can’t be fixed at all. Don’t let this discourage you, but make sure you are making wise decisions in the amount of time and money to spend on fixing issues. There is always going to be a supplement that advertises that it can fix your issue,
Halter Read All About Them Halters are an essential component of livestock showing and training. There are so many different types of halters that can be used both in and out of the show ring for various reasons. The first type of halter you will need is a simple rope halter. This is what we use 9 times out of 10. They are an easy to use halter that can be used to tie a lamb up easily and safely. They are also durable and cheap (We have 10+ year old rope halters). They are a good beginner
