Agriculture students across the county are gearing up for February’s Johnson County Junior Livestock Show and Youth Fair. Godley ISD students are no exception. They explored ways to train, feed and groom their livestock to perfection during Saturday’s livestock clinic at the Godley Agriculture Barn.
Led by agriculture teachers Lacey Bennett and Leslie Bourg, the livestock clinic offered both group and individual sessions for first-year ag students.
The students said they received a lot of help and ideas from their teachers.
Freshman Destine Hunter, who is raising two goats — brothers Oscar and Mystery — enjoys learning how to care for livestock as she prepares for jackpot shows in January and the county show thereafter.
“I’ve taken care of dogs, horses, cats and birds,” Hunter said. “Goats are different because they are more sensitive to things, and they get attached more than other animals are. They know who you are. If they hear my voice, they start [bleating]. They stay at my house. They’re spoiled.”
Hunter said she has high expectations for upcoming shows because she said she feels Bennett and Bourg taught her well as a first-year ag student.
One concern she has, is that her goats jump fences when they’re separated to try to get back to one another.
“They’re attached to each other,” Hunter said.
She said she will be taking both goats to the shows, and it will be important that the brothers have eyesight of each other while there.
“They won’t jump as long as they can see each other,” she said.
Morgan Bass, another freshman, is raising a lamb for the county show.
Rodney the lamb was found to be a little skinny at the livestock clinic, so Bourg told Bass he needed to work on feeding him more food.
“Everyday I’m gonna feed him three and a half pounds of feed so he’ll keep gaining weight,” Bass said.
Even though students are required to feed and care for their animals over the Christmas break, Bass said it doesn’t bother him that he has to drive to the ag barn twice each day.
“I really enjoy it,” Bass said. “It’s kinda like he [Rodney] depends on me. It shows how responsible you are when you have to take out your time and feed him.”
At the livestock clinic, Bass was told his lamb also needed to gain more muscle. Muscular animals impress the judges, which wins a student more money or increases the animal’s sale price.
“The lamb has to have a lot of muscle because you don’t want it to be fat,” Bass said. “You want it to be a strong, stiff lamb.”
Hunter also made it a priority to bulk up her goats.
Ag students have access to a walking ring, animal treadmills and ramps to help their animals not only with muscle mass, but with training and listening skills.
“They [Mr. Bennett and Ms. Bourg] gave us different tips on how to get our animals to work with us, like if they don’t listen,” Hunter added.
Now that the shows are quickly approaching, the students must get their animals in shape, but must also keep from forming a connection with them.
Bourg spent time at the beginning of the school year speaking with her students about animals and feelings.
“That’s the first thing that I say when I see tons of hands fly up about wanting to raise livestock,” Bourg said. “I say, ‘Now remember, these are market animals. At the end of show time, a majority of these animals will be harvested.’”
For Hunter and Bass, there might be some hurt feelings when they have to say goodbye to their projects.
“It’s gonna be kinda hard for a little bit,” Bass said. “He’s my friend, you know?”
Bourg said many of the students share the same sentiments.
“Some of these kids get so attached,” she said.
Godley ISD
Related Photos
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Godley High School freshman Morgan Bass learned ways to build muscle and put weight on his lamb, Rodney, during a recent livestock clinic held in the Godley Agriculture Barn. Courtesy photo
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