Skinny goats

6e · #1 03/31/06, 08:47 PM

I'm starting to get really frustrated as I want my animals to be in the best possible condition that they can be and I feel like I'm in a losing battle. All of our Boer goats are too skinny. We feed them about 2 pounds of grain a day and all of the grass hay they can eat. They're not out on pasture yet as the grass is still dead. I wormed all of them and then wormed them again 3 weeks later and still no improvement. We gave them a protein block and still no improvement. Any ideas of what to try next?????

The one doe had quads, but I'm supplementing two of them with a bottle, the one is only nursing a single and the 3rd is just a yearling. Any help......

T Lynn · #2 03/31/06, 10:00 PM

I am having the same problem with one of my nubians. Someone suggested that I add BOSS to her feed. I have started that but have not seen too much difference yet, but it has only been 2 weeks. And someone else had said calf manana, might try that this weekend. Maybe someone else will have a good suggestion for us.

billygoatridge · #3 04/01/06, 01:22 PM

Ours get thin sometimes this time of year despite worming. I think goats get spring feaver like we do. We leave free choice hay out for them still but once they start getting a little taste of green grass they want that instead of their hay. The Problem is there is not enough pasture yet to make them fat. That's all I can figure as like I said ours do get thinner this time every year. Once the pastures get thicker they fill right back out.

Dee · #4 04/01/06, 01:40 PM

I was worming on a regular schedule so I was surprised that a kid died from worms last year. Everyone got wormed with Cydectin after that and EVERYONE put on weight, even my "healthy" does.

TexCountryWoman · #5 04/01/06, 02:54 PM

I have just a few Boers so I am able to give them lots of alfalfa pellets in addition to oats. They are nice and filled out. I strongly believe in alfalfa pellets. They need the calcium in them and the protein. I take care of my Boers like I do my dairy goats. I guess they are a bit spoiled.

homebirtha · #6 04/01/06, 03:26 PM

You might want to do a fecal to make sure your dewormer is actually working. BOSS will help too.

6e · #7 04/01/06, 05:04 PM

Thank you for all the advice. I've heard about Cydectin, but it's Soooo expensive and we'd never go through it all for years. Is there any place that sells smaller bottles of the stuff? And is this the Cydectin for cattle or for sheep?
Thanks again.

KSALguy · #8 04/01/06, 07:50 PM

get them Alfalfa, or soybean hay, that grass hay is not what goats really enjoy and its not as nutritious as good green alfafla, Kansas is Hay Central, least the southcentral region i was from, find you some good'ol farmer who has some alfalfa left over from last year and see if you can get a big round or some squairs,
if you get a big round just put the whole thing out in the goat pen, then take you a cattle pannel and wrap it around the bale to help keep it all togather and help keep them from climbing on it and waisting so much. they will go NUTTS over it and should fill right out