Pregnant belly or feeding to much?

[wintrrwolf]

Ok in the last couple of days I have noticed Sugar's belly just pop out. I feed her 2 cups of goat grain/pellet mix in the morning and they have free access to hay plus the field and brush, if she is pregnant she has 2 months to go. Sugar weighed about 120# when I got her and was on the bony side (her backbone and ribs stuck out some) she acts like she is hungry all the time. I am going to have to build a hay feeder because Sugar will take the hay lay down on it and just eat around her lazy eater or just that hungry or is just trying to keep it away from Gypsy? She has filled out alot since I got her. That's why I am worried if I am feeding her to much...

[Minelson]

Unless they are sick, goats act like they are starving all of the time. Like they are going to just die unless they are eating or getting treats. beg beg beg. worse than dogs. My goats always look like they are pregnant and I take it as a sign that they have a healthy rumen. They usually look bigger at the end of the day from eating browse all day...like they could just pop! Mine don't get grain but they are pets. They each get a handful of black oil sunflower seeds, good grass hay always available and a 1/2 flake of alfalfa. Plus they have access to 10 acres of browse all day. They are Mini's.
Here are some pics of the little chub family at different times of the year
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D550/ry%3D400/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
This is pregnant
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D550/ry%3D400/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D550/ry%3D400/

[DQ]

tubby tummies are good. means a well developed rumen. a goats belly size is no indication of their body condition or neccessarily wether you are feeding enough or not. although a small rumen (belly) can indicate that they are not getting enough roughage. they can be in terribly thin shape and still have a big gut. to check condition feel around the chest, over the ribs, and along the back bone.

you are probably seeing the result of increased hay intake due to less fresh (and higher quality) browse being available. and possibly general increased rumen health.

goats seem to take very possible opportunity to waste hay.

[mygoat]

Feel the ribs, hips, and backbone for condition. Dairies will always be more angular, but a well fleshed doe will have well fleshed ribs and not have prominent hips. Lactating does that are being milked or that are nursing will loose condition with time, that is normal. They should never look terribly skinny, though. If she is a good weight, discontinue grain as it's an unnecessary expense for a non producing doe - she'll do fine on just hay until a few weeks before kidding and through lactation.

Your doe's belly looks like a well functioning rumen. Belly size is not indicative of a goat's condition aside from rumen function.

You should build hay racks of some sort, because they will waste TONS of hay. The doe that lays in the hay probably stands and urinates where she is, making that hay inedible.

[wintrrwolf]

ok thanks its good to know that I am taking care of them in my fumbling way. This last hay I got they really like alot better brome/timothy/alfalfa mix the last hay was very weedy and more stems. So will keep this new guy good news is he isnt as far either.

[Minelson]

How did you decide on the 2 cups of feed a day? I'm just wondering because that seems like a lot to me...but maybe it's not. I was hoping someone else would chime in about that

[goatkid]

It's OK for does to get all they hay they will eat. If you want to know if she's bred, pull some blood and send to BioTracking.

[DairyGoatSlave]

Are you milking her? I ask because I agree with Minelson, two cups seems like a lot of grain if your not milking. Very pretty girl by the way

[wintrrwolf]

I was feeding from the instructions on back of bag:
"Feeding Dairy Goats: Feed as a complete feed to gestating and lactating does at approximately 3 to 5 lb per 100 lbs. of body weight depending upon their stage of lactation...to maintain adult animals feed 1-2 lb per 100 lb of body weight along with adequate forage or pasture"
Since I know my Saanen goat weighed 125 (though breed standards say she should be 135) I measured out on my scale by 1/2 cup increments, unless my scale is off 2 cups came to 1 lb, I feed the pygmy half of that because Sugar gets done first then goes and takes the rest of Gypsy's. Not milking- her udder dried up fully about a month ago the people I got her from did not milk her and was weaning her baby when I got her in Sept. Sugar will let me mess with her udder now (actually she will let me do anything to her) so I have been checking it feeling for any signs that it is filling up, if she is bred her due date is in January (so I was told by previous owner but she didnt see the deed done.) I will check this Bio tracking out, never pulled blood from a goat before so this ought to be interesting. Are we suppose to feed a little more grain during winter or just more hay?