Probably a stupid newbie question

[QoTL]

Just wondering if someone could convert 'pounds' of grain into cups for me? I don't weigh it.. feed by the cup.

Also- at what age does a goat normally lose her front teeth?

[christie]

Well every grain has a different volume. ex. Lb of oats, mite fill up a qt, where as 1lb dairy pellets may only be 3 cups. That is why weighing ot the grain is a more accurate way of feeding. get a scale they're are some really cheap ones that will work fine.

[Trey]

You will need to weigh what you are feeding, it wll all be different.

[CookingPam777]

I didn't know a goat lost her front teeth I could be wrong though. Anyone else?

[HilltopDaisy]

I think QoTL is trying to determine the age of an elderly doe she recently befriended .

[Tallabred]

I empty a bag of feed by my scoop. My horse sweet feed is 20 scoops per bag - 50 lbs bag - 2.5 lbs per scoop. No scale needed just a little time.

[AnnaS]

The four front teeth are replaced by permanent teeth at roughly year intervals. The two middle incisors are replaced by larger permanent teeth at 12-14 months. The permanents are larger and broader than the temporary teeth, which are narrow and peg-like. So if all the incisors are the large ones, the doe would be over 4 years.

There really isn't much info on aging goats by teeth. The sheep info for tooth loss may not be reliable because of the difference in calcium/phos loss in a milking animal. A milking doe without correct cal/phos will have weaker bone and earlier tooth loss than a sheep that milks 2 lbs for 3 months.

If I really wanted to get a good guess to an old doe's age... hmmm. One option would be to have her molars X-rayed, and show it to a wildlife biologist who can age deer by molar wear. The molar wear rate would likely be similar to a whitetail deer, which has a similar diet and dental structure. Could be an interesting experiment!

[BethW]

Originally Posted by AnnaS

The four front teeth are replaced by permanent teeth at roughly year intervals. The two middle incisors are replaced by larger permanent teeth at 12-14 months.

Yep. Here's a very nice illustration:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/meat...atgoatfs11.htm

[QoTL]

Thanks guys. Sounds like it would be easier just to weigh the feed, so I'll go ahead and do that.

Hilltop Daisy- you are correct She is a great girl, but has no bottom teeth in the front. Did get a VERY brief look at her molars, which are quite worn down. I'm guessing she is closer to 10 than 5, and maybe older, but I am just guessing.

Cool idea with the x-rays. Not sure I'll do that since I'm just satisfying my curiosity here, but it is certainly interesting!

Meghan