Team Advisor – Kyle Crilly

We will be attending sales and going to breeder farms to purchase these animals based upon your request. Parents, guardians, students, or other interested parties, shall pay, IN ADVANCE, for the purchase of livestock for the student participating in the FFA program. NO animal will be purchased without first receiving money for that animal. Amounts not spent by the sponsor for livestock purchases will be reimbursed to the parent by check drawn on the student livestock account. We will try to follow guidelines requested as closely as possible and purchase the best animals possible while remaining budget conscious. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions.

Team Advisor – Kyle Crilly

We will be attending sales and going to breeder farms to purchase these animals based upon your request. Parents, guardians, students, or other interested parties, shall pay, IN ADVANCE, for the purchase of livestock for the student participating in the FFA program. NO animal will be purchased without first receiving money for that animal. Amounts not spent by the sponsor for livestock purchases will be reimbursed to the parent by check drawn on the student livestock account. We will try to follow guidelines requested as closely as possible and purchase the best animals possible while remaining budget conscious. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions.

Team Advisor – Jordan Crilly

We will be attending sales and going to breeder farms to purchase these animals based upon your request. Parents, guardians, students, or other interested parties, shall pay, IN ADVANCE, for the purchase of livestock for the student participating in the FFA program. NO animal will be purchased without first receiving money for that animal. Amounts not spent by the sponsor for livestock purchases will be reimbursed to the parent by check drawn on the student livestock account. We will try to follow guidelines requested as closely as possible and purchase the best animals possible while remaining budget conscious. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions.

Feed and Feeder
Clip on plastic feeders “red or black pig feeder” works best
Make sure they are hung so that the animal can walk right up and hang head into feeder.

Water
2 gallon or 5-gallon bucket with a clip to the fence
Be sure water is fresh AM and PM dump and refill. If you wont drink it, they wont drink it.

Medications
18-gauge x ¾ needles with aluminum hub for intramuscular injections
20-gauge x ¾ needles with aluminum hub for subcutaneous injections
Medications needed on hand (at a minimum): LA 200, Penicillin, Banamine, Excede, Nuflor or Restflor, Thiamine, B12, Bose, sulfa boluses.
Work closely with a vet and build a relationship
Follow withdrawal times!!
Keep records of all medications given

Scales
Whether scales are at your barn, or nearby facility, scales are important to keep records of gain and plan ahead for your endpoint show.
Goats and Sheep ideally need to gain 1/4lb or 3%

Hair Care Supplies
Lots of options – Kleen sheen, Laser sheen, pro charge & pro 100, MTG
Wool card (poodle brush)
Sullivans soft scrubber or FLEX scrubber
Foot & Joint
Hoof nippers – Orange handled or green handled from supply trailer (rose trimmers)
Bose – for joint support when pushing and exercising hard

Halters, Show Chains
Halters: Rope, Nylon, Leather with chain
Show chains: plastic chain with leather, chain with leather, small spike chain

Basic Needs of Lambs and Goats

• Space → 6’ x 10’ or ideal
• Nutrition → Fresh supply of water and feed
• Shelter → Protection from the elements – Draft, sun, water

Temperature Control → Ideal temp 50-80 degrees (Depending on age)

Bedding options

Concrete with plenty of shavings (Pellet or QUALITY pine shavings) NO CEDAR
Dirt pens (prefer sand)
Individual Pens or Small Number

Temperature

Changes through the day/ night, needs to be thought about before bed, or heading to school.
Comfortable in the summer and winter
Will not gain correctly, eat right or look the part if too cold or too hot

WINTER

• Block wind & draft
• Add heat source or additional bedding if going to be below 55 degrees – Blanket, liner or double blanket if needed. Shivering animals don’t gain!
• Properly Ventilate

SUMMER

• Fans if over 80°
• Misters or rinse several times a day if over 90° (Lambs we only rinse belly and chest)
• Evaporative cooling fans work great (Pro Cool)
• Air Flow, Air Flow, Air Flow – this is king

Cleaning & Disinfecting

Essential to clean and disinfect your pens between each season of projects
Power wash and disinfect each pen before bringing in a new set

• Disinfectants:Bleach, Lysol, Trifectant, Rescue, Chlorhexidine, barbicide

On a daily basis,

• Keep the shavings dry and clean as possible (We do wet pelleted shavings down to keep dust at bay)
• Wet, dirty shavings are a breeding ground for infection and disease
• Helps control the number of flies that are around to bother you and your animal
• Completely clean and re-bed pen once a week to every two weeks

What Else?

Individual feeding pens if penning multiples

Feeding Routine

VERY important thing you can do to ensure success with your project
Feed your project at the same time every morning and night
-Their body learns to expect to get fed at a certain time and they will get hungry and give you a better appetite when they are on a routine.

Daily

• Check them over, lift blankets and inspect for sores, marks, fungus
• Walk by hand or on the walker once halter broke
• Work boots or leg hair

Nutrition and Feeding:

• Feed at the same time morning and night
• Train them to eat: Once they are adjusted and on feed good, give them 15-20 minutes to eat, then pull their feed.
• Pick one day a week to weigh, no matter what day you pick, always weigh your animal on the same day empty for a true weight or full weight.

Feeding Program:

Goats

• MoornMan’s Showtec MoorGrands Goat Feed (MEDICATED) with Rumensin
• Moorman sales prep

Goats or Lambs

• Showrite Advancer / Showrite Newcomb 50/50 mix
• High Noon
• Probiotic – Vitacharge,Gut candy
• Fats- Wheat Germ Oil, Glu coat, Stand Alone, Dyne, show bloom, fast fat
• Supplements- there are a lot, not all are created equal, some are good for their purpose

BEST thing to feed is fresh water and quality fresh feed!

Checklist to maximize the potential of your show lamb and goat

Daily	Weekly	Every Three Weeks
Cough	Weigh (same time and day each time)	Worm (alternate synthetic and anthelmintic) work with vet and stool samples
Work boots/ leg hair		Clear- Prohibit, Valbazen
Loose stools		White- safe guard
Thrifty, feeling well
Eat everything AM & PM
Any joint swelling
Walking, not limping
Skin (lice, fungus lumps)
Temperature in barn

 

Team Advisor – Kyle Crilly

We will be attending sales and going to breeder farms to purchase these animals based upon your request. Parents, guardians, students, or other interested parties, shall pay, IN ADVANCE, for the purchase of livestock for the student participating in the FFA program. NO animal will be purchased without first receiving money for that animal. Amounts not spent by the sponsor for livestock purchases will be reimbursed to the parent by check drawn on the student livestock account. We will try to follow guidelines requested as closely as possible and purchase the best animals possible while remaining budget conscious. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions.

Team Advisor – Wendy Osburn
For more information on the Gunter FFA Rabbit Team click here.

BREED RABBITS: Any show breed on  the ARBA list

• $100 – $300 per bunny, may find a deal cheaper 
• ARBA look up all the different breeds of rabbits that can be shown. Choose a breed and purchase 1 rabbit your first year. Can keep for years to show.  More like a pet, need to know how to show that breed, and all the history/info on your breed choice.
  
• Needed: one cage with waterer and feeder.
• Goal: win your weight and overall breed, win showmanship for your age.  Breed Rabbits do not make sale, they are not market animals for meat.

Breed Rabbits are not for market or meat.  They can be purchased at anytime during the year, they must be in ownership of the student before January of the show year.  Your choice of rabbit is to be made by researching the breed that fits your family the best.  There are 3 categories, Senior, Junior and Intermediate within bucs and does. There are weight and standards that are in the handbook of the ARBA.  There are many breeders that do not sell show quality rabbits.  The breeder should be registered with the ARBA and come with a good report.  We have a few friends and breeders that can help us find you a good quality bunny.  You can show the bunny for more than one year.  You can spend $100 – $500 on a breed rabbit.  The rabbit will compete against its kind of breed but will not make sale, only market meat rabbits go to auction.

HOW DO I START A BREED RABBIT PROJECT?

1. Join the Jr. FFA.
2. Email Mrs. Osburn your name, age, grade, parent’s names and their #s.
3. Research the breed you want to show, then we will find you a rabbit!

MEAT PEN RABBITS: Californian Whites & New Zealands

• $200.00 for 4 rabbits, order by Sept 1st with $50 deposit.
• January delivery at 1-2 pounds a piece.
  Goal is to weigh 5.5 pounds each and look alike by March 1 for County Show.
• Pens: 4 individual pens to feed and water separately to control food intake.
• Goal: 3 bunnies identical that make sale and all 4 make weight and win showmanship for your age.

Meat Rabbits are a short term project, 1 Day could make a difference!!! Even though you have your bunnies only from January to March, there is daily work and responsibility.  You are in charge of helping those rabbits grow, gain weight, & exercise them.  Keeping their fur and bodies free of blemish corresponds with your daily routines and care.  This is a great first FFA animal project for the student and family.  Many lessons are learned and gained.  

HOW DO I START A MEAT PEN PROJECT?

1. Join the Jr. FFA.
2. Email Mrs. Osburn your name, age, grade, parent’s names and their #s.
3. A deposit of $50 by Sept 1st per pen of 4, total will be $200, $150 due Jan 1st. Mrs. Osburn will put your order in with the breeder.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• CAGES: 4 separate cages per meat pen or 1 cage per breed rabbit.
• Water bowls and/or water bottles
• Feeders and/or bowls
• Feed
• Digital Scale that weighs in ounces, up to 5.5 lbs. and preferably to 10 lbs.

CAGE SOURCES:

Double Dipped Galvanized Wire
No Wood (attracts mites & rabbits will chew on wood)

• https://www.kwcages.com/
• https://dandlfarmandhome.com/
• https://www.tractorsupply.com/

FEED:

Clean feeders one time per week
Give Fresh Water and Feed all the time.

• Rabbit Show Chow – 1 bag
• 16-18% protein, Bluebonnet, Purina, Petrus, Manna Pro, M-G
• “Handfuls” of Hay one time per week: Coastal, Timothy Grass or Alfa
• Water: Lots of fresh water
• Supplements – check with breeder or Mrs. Osburn
• NO LETTUCE OR CARROTS!

WHERE DO I KEEP MY RABBITS?

YOUR HOME!!  No rabbits are allowed at the Hog or Goat/Lamb/Cattle Barns!

Rabbits need to be on a sheltered patio, in a barn or can be in a garage.  The more fresh air the better.  Out of the North wind and hot sun.  They are tough critters but their biggest enemy is animals.  Dogs will pull feet and tails through their cages.  So PLEASE make sure they are out of reach of any other animals. Hanging is better to keep them off the ground.  Snakes and cats can also do damage.  One toe nail missing, part of a tail or scratches to their fur can cause you to be disqualified.  Daily hands on and checking is necessary for your project to look its best.  Some Breed rabbits live indoors like a pet with a litter box, please also watch other pets in the home interacting with your show animal.  When temps get below freezing I will usually send a remind to cover lightly the cage.  The cage must always have fresh air flow!