Be sure to join us for another Show Ring Success Seminar featuring HSC Ambassador Mark Johnson! Topics include: Selecting Market Lambs, Nutrition and Management, Showmanship 101, Fitting and Preparation, and a Lamb Schooling Show.

This is a FREE clinic that begins at 8 am and lasts until 6 pm – lunch is provided by Oxford Feed & Lumber! Click here to read all of the details and to view registration info.

Question: I need to build up my southdown lambs loins. One weighs 108 lbs, the other is 103 lbs. How and how much should I exercise them, and how much should I feed them?

Answer: Jody,

Thank you for your question and for choosing HONOR Show Chow.

There are many methods of exercise. I suggest exercising at least 3 times per week. Some successful feeders exercise on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule allowing the lamb to rest and rebuild muscle on the off days.

I suggest feeding our HONOR Show Chow Showlamb Grower DX (the 18%) along with 4 oz each of High Octane Champion Drive and High Octane Fitter 35. If you Southdown lambs have carrying a little more condition than is needed, I suggest feeding Fitter 35 at 8 oz per day.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon

HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist

Don’t forget to register for the Ohio Showring Success Seminar! It’s an event you will NOT want to miss!

January 21 is the Poultry Show at the Ft. Worth Stock Show! Good luck to all of our customers who will be participating! We’ll be watching out for your Top Performer applications to start coming in!

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2012! Our wish is for everyone to be the best they can in the show ring! We’ll be looking forward to seeing all of the wins our customers bring in!

Below is a question from Christy, an HSC customer, who has a question about training her pig for show. Be sure to send us any questions you may have about your animals!

Question: I have a barrow I am trying to train before the show. I have a month and a half and I am trying to make him right but he does not go right when I hit him on the right of the jowl/shoulder. He will go left but not right and also trying to brake him from going to the gates. I let him in the arena at this is my first year at it.

Answer: Christy,

Thank you for your question.

It takes practice and repetition to get pigs trained to show. When you want the pig to turn left, touch him on the right side of his shoulder forward (somewhere between his right shoulder and face). Touch the pig on the opposite of the direction you want him to turn.

I would not turn the pig out by itself, rather when the pig goes out of its pen, you should be right there with it so that it learns you are in control. If the pig runs, then let him run himself out, and it will eventually tire. Then begin walking the pig keeping it out of the corners, and away from the side fences.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon

HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist

Check out the Alabama Youth Swine Day this Saturday at the Shelby County Exhibition Center in Columbiana, AL! This event features HSC Ambassador Kent Bennington. See the event flyer for more details!

Here’s a question from one of our customers, Randy, who is concerned about the weight of his goats. If you have any questions, be sure to submit them to our experts – they’re here to help!

Question: We have a pair of goats that we are worried about getting too far ahead in weight for our January show. We started the holding ration strategy that includes the high octane products. The day after we started that ration, one of the goats bloated up really bad. We went back to feeding the normal ration. A couple days later we went back to feeding the holding ration and it happened again. Do you think this is an issue with the digestive system in this particular goat, or could it be something in the supplements that is causing this. The other goat is doing just fine. The goats have been on Impulse since August.

Answer: Randy,

Thank you for your question and for choosing HONOR Show Chow.

I think you maybe switching too fast and it is causing the goat to bloat. I suggest feeding the slowing or holding diet, but take 5 to 7 days to slowly transition to that diet increasing the supplements and decreasing the base feed gradually.

That way the goats metabolism and more importantly, the goats rumen will have time to adjust.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon

HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist

Here’s a good question from one of our customers, Amanda, who wants to know more about Powerfill and the High Octane Products. Don’t forget to send us any questions you might have…we’re here to help!

Question: I am reviewing your GUIDELINES FOR HONOR POWERFILL AND HIGH OCTANE PRODUCTS. I understand most of it. What I do not understand is this; it lists how much of each supplement. Am I expected for top performance to feed all of these each day along with the feed? The Powerfill, Champion Drive, Power Fuel, Fitter 35, and Depth Charge? I am feeding Honor Show Chow. Which supplement am I supposed to use and when do I use each supplement?

Answer: Amanda,

Thank you for your question and for your choice of HONOR Show Chow.

HONOR Show Chow Powerfill is actually a swine only product. Your email indicated you are feeding lambs, so Powerfill would not be suitable as it contains added copper.

The table you are looking at is how to manage weight gain (slow down weigh gain) in pigs by using Powerfill and then accomplishing specific things in the pig (more muscle, more fat cover etc) by also feeding the High Octane supplements.

The High Octane products are very useful for specific needs, but not every lamb needs all the High Octane products. Some only need one, some animals actually need all of them at the same time. It depends upon the animal being fed, and what needs to be accomplished in that animal:

- More top or rack High Octane Champion Drive at 8 oz per day

- More cover or faster growth High Octane Power Fuel at 4 to 8 oz per day

- More total muscle and burning excess fat High Octane Fitter 35 at 4 to 12 oz per day.

If you need more top, more total muscle, and you do not want to lose any fat cover, then you would feed 4 oz of each product per day along with the Showlamb Grower.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon

HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist

Here’s a good question from one of our customers, Brian, who wants to know what to feed a new pig. Don’t forget to send us any questions you might have…we’re here to help!

Question: I will be weaning some show pigs in about 5 to 7 weeks. At this time, they are 4 weeks old. I was wanting to know approximately how much and what kind of feed I need to purchase.

Answer: Brian,

Thank you for your question and for choosing HONOR Show Chow.

It is a good idea to creep feed with the same feed the pigs will be fed after weaning. That would be HONOR Show Chow PRELUDE 209. Offer a small amount in a small feeder, or on a mat while the sow is still nursing. After weaning offer 209 free choice for about 1 to 2 weeks (2 to 4 lbs per pig).

Then transition to HONOR Show Chow PRELUDE 409. 409 is designed to be fed as the second phase pig starter all the way until you either sell the pigs for 4H or FFA projects, or put them on feed for show yourselves.

Usually, that is somewhere between 40 and 75 lbs in bodyweight. Once the pigs get to about 50 lbs in weight they can be transitioning to HONOR Show Chow Showpig Grower.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon

HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist