Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
Oral Robinson holds one of his prized goats, 56, which was transported to Jamaica from Texas in the United States.The 2005 Denbigh Champion goat, a pure-bred Boer that grows wool on her body, is now with kid.

Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

"Get up. Behave yourself." With an order like that, one would assume Oral Robinson last year's Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show champion farmer, was talking to a human being.

Instead, Robinson was commanding one of his goats that will be showcased at this year's event - which starts today - to get out of his pen so The Gleaner could get a picture of it.

"So him misbehave, is a feisty boy. But he is a lovely fellow though," Robinson said of his 11-month-old kid.

With a slap and a few scolds, the Nubian-bred ram goat was out of his wooden pen and posing for the camera.

Polite goat

Getting a goat to be polite is seemingly a small task for Robinson. The annual Denbigh participant since 2000 has rounded up approximately 35 of his best goats for this weekend's event in May Pen, Clarendon.

The farmer, who has carved a niche for himself out of raising goats, buys a pure-bred Boer for approximately $60,000. Once he spent more than US$2,000 ($136,000) on a goat to be shipped into the island.

"You want the best of the best. A goat that nobody else has," he said.

Robinson, who hails from Clarendon, grew up around goats and has become an informed farmer who can distinguish the different types of goats, such as a Boer, from a Nubian and a native-bred goat.

For instance, one of Robinson's favourite goats is called 56, a number that was tagged on her when she was imported from Texas in the United States.

2005 champion title

The pure-bred Boer goat took the 2005 Denbigh champion title.

"The Boer is from the coldest part of the world and, as such, they put on wool due to the temperature," he explained.

He said the wool now only exists at the lower half of 56's body because, as she gets older, the thread recedes.

"The Boer goat though is mostly raised for meat," he added.

Robinson, along with his brother, has more than 150 goats on his farm with a few weighing up to 400 pounds in meat size.

Those achievements may be the reason for Robinson's ability to successfully command his goats.

He later apologised, however, that his previous ram goat was only misbehaving because his arched horns were recently cut. His horns being cut was all in preparation for his debut at Denbigh.

"I had to cut them to give him a better look," Robinson said.

He explained that when a Nubian goat's horns are clipped, it gives a better definition of their main facial feature - the 'Roman nose'.

Grooming

In addition to a high nutrition-based feed that includes citrus pulp, soybean, crack corn and hay grass, Robinson is trimming all hooves and brushing away the coarse hair off the goats in preparation for Denbigh.

"All I can do is prepare the goats for the show, but anything is possible," he said.

shelly-ann.thompson @gleanerjm.com