How can you tell a goat is in good weight?

Willowynd · #1 08/01/10, 11:37 PM

OK, I know that sounds like a stupid question to many of you, but I am a newbie and got young goats. Watching them grow since I got them and working on making freinds. I am wondering if I am feeding them enough. I was told when I got them to feed a half scoop of goat feed (which I estimated was about a half of a qt jar and a square of hay for the 2 I got at first. Then when I got the other 2, I doubled the feed....so now a qt jar of feed and 2 squares of alfalfa...plus they have free pasture (grass, clover, dandelions for the most part). I am looking at them an wondering if I need to start feeding more...it has been almost a month since the first 2 boers arrived and 2 weeks since the 2 nubians were delivered. The nubians are a little older. I am not sure if they go through a lean/leggy stage like dogs do or if they should always have a belly. That hollow in front of the hips always makes them look thin to me. Is there a way to tell without touching them? The first 2 though now allowing me to touch thier head for a moment through the fence while they eat are not going to let me feel thier ribs or anything yet

stanb999 · #2 08/02/10, 07:00 AM

Without touching it takes a bit of time to know. They are all different. The hallows at the hips is no way indicitive. It could mean their bellies are really full and pulling down. These are kids right? The easiest way to tell they are getting enough is growth rate. Are they growing fast?

To your "lanky" times question. I've found they do that a bit. They continue it for about the first 3 years. With them growing fastest when put on spring pasture. Then fattening till winter.

**mygoat** · #3 08/02/10, 07:29 AM

I would free fed hay. I always suggest doing so. I only feed my does grain for 2-3 weeks after they kid, and growing bucklings never receive grain. I would feed doelings grain but generally I don't - they would need to be separate so the wethers, bucklings, and adult does wouldn't get into it. They will always get free choice hay, and a pasture to pick though. When I fed flakes of hay daily years ago, I would feed one LARGE flake per goat - and I had miniatures.

The hollow in the loin is what tells me they're not getting enough hay - when full of hay, it will fill and give them a 'hay belly', where their stomachs will look large and full, with no hollow. They will not get fat on hay - but grain they will get fat on. For most goats, it is unnecessary. When over conditioned they store fat around their birth canal, which can cause lots of kidding issues.

Alice In TX/MO · #4 08/02/10, 08:32 AM

This link is for meat goats, but it has a chart with things to feel for.

http://bedford.extension.psu.edu/agr...%20Scoring.htm

Here's a dairy goat condition article:
http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issu...rs-Raybon.html

Pony · #5 08/02/10, 01:52 PM

Those links are helpful, Alice, Thanks!

Trub has been looking so skinny through this lactation (even more so since we brought the Snubian into the herd). Even though she looks very thin to me, her coat is sleek and shiny, her mucus membranes are nice and pink, and her berries are ... well, the berries!

Following the grading system in the Dairy Goat Journal article, I can see that she's really about right (Grade 3). Quite a relief!

Willowynd · #6 08/03/10, 12:38 AM

OK...I got a feel on all of them today. They are all the same but from reading the 2 links...seems as though the dairy goats are a 3...but that same condition puts the boers at a 2?

Willowynd · #7 08/03/10, 12:42 AM

I see them every day...can't tell growth rate that way. Heck, I get surprised when my pups need to move to the next larger crate or collar. Unless someone is markedly different in size I honestly don't notice rate of growth....and not sure what a good rate of growth is on a goat anyhow since these are my first ones

I am going to up the hay and see if they appear to fill out a little more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanb999

Without touching it takes a bit of time to know. They are all different. The hallows at the hips is no way indicitive. It could mean their bellies are really full and pulling down. These are kids right? The easiest way to tell they are getting enough is growth rate. Are they growing fast?

To your "lanky" times question. I've found they do that a bit. They continue it for about the first 3 years. With them growing fastest when put on spring pasture. Then fattening till winter.

motdaugrnds · #8 08/03/10, 04:49 AM

I can only tell you how I keep watch on the growth of my goats (does, kids & bucks).

I do not feed them baled hay during the summer or any day they can get out to graze. (We have so much diversity growing on our little acreage, i.e. young trees, lambsquarter, poke salad, lespedeza shrubs, wild onions, dandelions to name a few I recognize.) I "always" feed them grain every day (does, kids & bucks). All get the same except the bucks get half as much. Their water, free-choice baking soda and free-choice minerals are ever present too; and if the pasture grasses did not do well that year, I add beet pulp to their grains each morning.

Daily, I inspect them all to find out how much covering their ribs have. (My entire herd is people friendly; so this is not a problem.) The sink in places toward their rear is not an indication; however, the amount of growth on the sides of their top line as well as over their ribs is what I make my decisions on.)

Hope this helps. We goat people each develop our own methods to assure good weight gain.

Cannon_Farms · #9 08/03/10, 06:43 AM

In meat goats the general rule of thumb is 10lbs for every month old, dairy would be different.
I use the squares of my fence to gauge my NDs growth, when they are a month old they can no longer get through the 4x4 squares they are three squares high at weaning. No exact science but I think you get the idea.

stanb999 · #10 08/03/10, 07:09 AM

You don't say how old the babies are.... If they are less than 6 months the above fitness chart really doesn't work. They are changing so fast that it's hard to tell anything, plus they have no meat yet. IMHO. One week they can look fat and the next skinny.

The best thing to do is keep them on full feed as you are, They will be fine. The grain your giving should be enough. You can give a bit more but it doesn't matter and won't affect them. Trust your eyes.... You will know when they look good. Running and playing, lots of energy, etc.

Because you only have little ones...

Take a photo of them by something you can measure their size. Like a stock fence or barn door. Then in 3 weeks take a picture in the same spot. You will be suprised.

Willowynd · #11 08/03/10, 08:46 AM

The boers are about 3 and half months and 5 and a half months I beleive...contacting the seller to double check DOB. The nubies are older...I can't find thier paperwork but am thinking they are about 7-8 mo now.
I know when the youngest got out a couple weeks ago and I had to carry him back, he was pretty heavy- I would say at least 45 lbs. I remember being surprised at how heavy he was for his size and that he seemed heavy as my collie bitches who are 50 lbs but I am knocking off 5 lbs because he was bulkier.