coming out of winter and getting weight on

[dbarjacres]

this has NEVER been an issue at our farm, curious if anyone else has had issues this winter with bred does (and those that are fresh) being too thin.

I'm thinking a couple of possible issues is they burned more calories due to 1. more scuffles between the current doe herd than I've ever had, 2. using the former horse barn this winter, led to them walking 2x as far as "normal" between their shelter/hay and the water, and during daylight hours them not liking being so far away and standing around closer to the house, waiting for me to come out with handouts, thus not eating hay.

Was a quality grass hay this yr, minimal red clover, 5% or less,tested at 14.8% pro. Since Jan 1st, getting 1/2-1 lb each Chaffhaye, about 1 cup oats/barley each. My two dry yearlings are in great weight, as are the 2012 dry yearlings that I bought quite thin in September, and had trouble, both due May/June.

My first doe to freshen Jan 20 is very thin, a ND, and she wasn't this thin last yr. With the crummy weather, she's been inside a heated (kept around 50*) barn in a 12x12 stall with her doelings, two other does and their 3 kids. The other two does are in ok condition, think they'll gain weight once they get out on pasture. Kids are all fat, growthy and healthy. My doe due to kid today is a big 82% LM, and she's a bit thin too, but I bred her only 2 weeks after getting her, she came from the same herd as the girls mentioned above. So, either she's high enuf % LM that that's her body type, or getting bred right away didn't allow her to gain a ton of weight. Oh, Hollywood is thin too, but she came thin and got pushed around, and is a quite small yrling.

All are CAE/CL/Johnes neg. So, just curious if anyone else has had their does a bit thin this winter too. Any way to get a doe in milk to gain weight? Especially the NDs? I have linear appraisal lined up this yr, for the first part of July, so really need to keep them in milk.

[punchiepal]

I found a deal on a large postal scale to weigh the goats on earlier this winter and just used it the other day. Shambala is one of my thinner does and had me a little nervous after she kidded (kidded w/ 4) BUT she still weighed 74#. Kinda surprised us but we haven't actually weighed the girls in quite a while, just gone by feel of them. I did notice during butchering last fall when we did 2 does that they had way way more fat on them than I thought!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Beet pulp helps. I also just brought some of the pelletized rice bran from TSC to give that a try.

[dbarjacres]

Is there a limit on how much fat they can have? I know on horses you can really pump it into them, but thought on ruminants 5% was the limit?

Ginger is for sure thin, even with her remaining winter coat (all the "fluff" is gone, just the extra guard hairs remaining), you can see she's very thin.

I feel like a bad goat owner, except for purchases, none of "my" goats are ever thin. I don't feed so my goats look like fattened beef cattle as I think that's just crazy and not healthy, but I feel awful about this and don't know why it happened.

ETA I am trying to feed as much chaffhaye as I can afford and have added beet pulp at about 40% of the grain ration.

[Hannah90]

Happened to me. Didn't even realize it. Ruby is just now starting to gain (i think) thanks to the advice from Alice- Beet pulp. She doesn't like it much, but eats it after I leave.

I learned from her previous owner that she loses a lot of weight at the end of her pregnancy. Of course, I didn't learn this until AFTER she kidded and I realized what was going on with her. Maybe it's just some goats?

[punchiepal]

Sam is doing well with us giving her fodder @ 1% of her body weight (might still up it some as "they say" 2-3% for growing or heavy lact) 1/4c 2oats/1sunflower mix x2 a day, 2 c alfalfa pellets x2 day on the stand, 1/4c beet pulp 2x day, with alfalfa hay fed 2x a day but usually some there all the time.
Is she drinking enough? Sam had an issue with the water bucket. Put another water bucket in there, and she is looking better.
Polly, is an easy keeper. Val just kidded last night so we will see. Molly, mom was one of the fatties, can swing either way but looks good right now.
Been feeding the fodder daily since Dec and I think I am really liking what I am seeing. In them and the pail.

[dozedotz]

Three in milk at this time. Two look really good. Third one is our famous FF! She is way too thin and she is putting 10 pounds a day into the pail. She had the triplets we talked about before...but one of the other two had triplets, also. I am feeding her oats, BOSS, beets, and the best alfalfa Missouri money could buy last year (from KA and mighty expensive). They are just beginning to get some decent forage as the branches are greening up...but I have to be careful there or face the nasty poos. CAE tested herd. No worm problems...actually none since the drought. So, I'm thinking that it is her output of milk coupled with the triplets and being a FF...but who knows. I am perfectly willing to add the rice bran Alice talked about or whatever to get her looking better. Her coat is very good - soft, nice sheen...just way too thin for me.

[Crazy Farmgirl]

As Alice mentioned the beet pulp and rice bran should help. I hve used both successfully in the past when I was figuring out my "grass fed" plan..the first years I did't have the hay quality high enough and they got thin in the winter. As for "pumping it to them" like horses..for the ruminant you can but you need to keep the fiber content up. You can feed quite a bit of beet pulp without issues as with grain. If you feed LOTS of grain then acidosis becomes a real possibility. I found that the alfalfa pellets and beet pulp worked great! When we were fattening steers for showing we always use calf manna and beet pulp mixed in rice bran and chop(corn,oats & mineral/protein pellet from my feed mill) and we could work them up to 8-10% of their body weight (as long as the grain content stayed lower than 3%) now that I don't use any grain I pour the beet pulp (soaked) to them give free choice alfalfa pellets and good hay and put them in a smallish pen (somewhat limiting exercise) and they bulk up pretty quick. This is ONLY for ones that get thin and only until I feel they have gotten to a healthy weight then I back them down and get them back into the herd.

[dbarjacres]

Yes to drinking, inside they get 2 2.5 gallon buckets of warm water daily for 3 does, add an extra bucket in the morning if they are gonna run out. Outside they have a small heated tank that's changed every other day.

Gonna take a fecal in to make sure I'm not missing anything there. I had her last winter too and she was a bit thin, but not like this, but last winter was very short and not cold/snowy.

[dbarjacres]

I'd say they are good on the fiber, so will add extra fat. They get their grass hay free choice along with the Chaffhaye, those inside probably get 1.25 lb/day ea (2 NDs and 1 FF MM who is large ND size). Grain is maybe 2 cups of oats mixed with a high quality 30% horse pellet mixed 2/1 and then cut down further with the beet pulp I just mixed in 2 days ago at about 40% of the ration (didn't measure, just dumped and mixed).

[Alice In TX/MO]

I haven't done this personally, but a drizzle of oil over the top of their feed would boost calories, too. Coconut oil?

[dbarjacres]

I'm thinking I'm gonna run and get some ground flax, either Manna Pro's brand or Omega Fields. That'll add fat and lots of other goodies. I used some last year on somebody but don't remember who.