So what am I doing wrong?

Donna1982 · #1 08/28/12, 08:24 PM

Okay some of you might have read my to lute or not to lute post and now that Chime is only 60 lbs. She is almost 7 months and to me that is under weight. What am I doing wrong? They get hay, browse when I can (remodel of the house has put a dent in how much they get out) but they get beet pulp in the morning and grain at night. The grain mix is whole oats, BOSS, and 16 % protein. I was giving everyone three and half coffee cans of this every night. I am wondering if Carma and Chime didn't get their fair share so they are now (starting tonight) eating on the milk stand. So they will share about 4 cups of grain a night. They have mineral, coppered, cocci prevention, and wormed. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

CaliannG · #2 08/28/12, 08:36 PM

Sounds to me that it was just feeding them altogether.

The bigger goats will ALWAYS push the littler ones out of the way. When it comes to group feeding, the smaller ones always lose out.

If I am feeding a herd, I always put the feed in several different areas. Most of the goats will fight over that first feeder full, while the littler ones will follow me to the second and/or third feeders.

If you want to make SURE they get X amount of food, do what you have started and feed them on the milk stand.

You mentioned that Monkey is so small. I have the problem with one of my does, Lulu. Last year with the drought, they were on hay, and it wasn't great hay either. It was whatever I could get, no matter the price. Being small, she lost out on the best of the hay. Since she was bred last year, AND feed was sky high, hay nearly non-existent, etc., she didn't have the feed quantity and quality to take advantage of those pregnancy hormones.

Feed your littler ones seperate if you want to make sure they are getting enough to grow on.

Donna1982 · #3 08/28/12, 08:41 PM

I feed in about 12 different spots but now monk, and the twi baby girls will be fed on the milk stand. Should I put them back on the bottle. Now I feel bad I weaned them a few weeks ago.

Goat Servant · #4 08/28/12, 08:48 PM

Yes as Caliann sez, feed them seperatley if you can at all manage it.
We finally got 3 cattle panels, cut a hole in fence with a guillotene type "door" to feed the babies. Elsewise the rest hog the grain.
But then again you are now feeding the young uns on the stand? That should work.
If they are weaned why go back? Especially if they were old enough? Just throwing out questions here.

Donna1982 · #5 08/28/12, 08:56 PM

I was asking about putting them back on the bottle because they are under weight. I didn't know if it would help or hurt.

CaliannG · #6 08/28/12, 09:05 PM

~ponders~ I keep my doelings on the bottle, basically, until I breed them. Often 8-10 months as long as I have the milk to spare. The milk DOES help them grow. DH and and I made the decision to long-feed doelings and not wean them until late, as long as we had the milk to give them, as we noticed a BIG difference in doelings that we had bought weaned, and the ones we kept on the bottle for many months more.

Mostly, we tend to wean around 7 months or so.

I *have* put weaned kids back on a bottle after I got them, and it seems they don't forget how.

I know folks are all over the "wean at 4 months, then just shove feed at them" management practice, but honestly, I have had such good results keeping them on milk longer.

Bow, I ONLY do this with my doelings. Bucklings and wethers get weaned and the feed shoved at them. They don't need as much nutrition to sexually mature, since they are shooting seeds, not having to carry the flowers and grow themselves.

LoneStrChic23 · #7 08/28/12, 11:44 PM

I too think it's feed.

I just posted about my doelings.... Basically got stuck feeding them 1/2 the milk I normally do & weaned them very early..... The 4 March doelings are between 76-84lbs each.

I never put my babies in with grown does until after they freshen, they can't grow well while competing for food & getting bullied.

In my kid pen, I have 4 feeders.... One stays full of alfalfa pellets, and in the others, I put out enough medicated meat goat pellets for each doeling to eat 2lbs..... If in the afternoon/evening, I notice they are low/empty, I take out another 3/4 scoop full for each kid. I usually don't use that much, but since I have 1 lone, smaller May baby in with the group, I wanted to make sure she got her fair share too. Hay & minerals out too of course. Basically, I don't limit them. I have cut corners on my grown stock when in a bind.... Cheaper feed, measured alfalfa ect. ect., but I don't skimp on the growing kids if I can avoid it....

Their feeders have been full since 2 weeks old so I don't have gorgers.... They eat for a while at the meat goat pellet feeder..... Nibble a while at the alfalfa pellets, then over to the hay and basically spend the day sleeping or making short food rounds

Another thing, some lines are slower to mature than others. Bleuberry came here as a yearling, and in less than a year she added 6" in height at the withers & about 45lbs

Ranger · #8 08/29/12, 06:51 AM

While I agree that she may have gotten pushed out of the feed, it could also be that she is either slower maturing than the others, or she's just naturally a smaller doe. If you have the milk giving her a bottle again won't hurt, but if you don't, just more feed should do the trick.

Minelson · #9 08/29/12, 07:12 AM

I think BooBoo is somehow getting all the food!

Donna1982 · #10 08/29/12, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minelson

I think BooBoo is somehow getting all the food!

Seems about right lol. Thanks everyone... I have the milk but I am trying to dry off Addie so I dont know how long I will have the milk so I would rather not put them back on but will if its going to help. I am going to pull them away from the herd and feed them. I feel horrible!!!! Makes me want to cry every time I look at the two baby girls. We were talking last night and I told Eric (bf) we need to set up a kid pen for next year. So that is added onto the already two page long "to do" list.

Cyngbaeld · #11 08/29/12, 11:05 AM

I wouldn't sweat over it too much. Some goats grow slower no matter how you feed and will catch up ok. Some are just destined to be smaller. I can't tell any difference at all between doelings that were weaned too early (goofed up on my calendar) and doelings kept on the bottle for 5 months. It sounds like you have them on a good program. I wouldn't change it.