Would love your opinion!

allenslabs · #1 04/11/05, 10:05 AM

I would love your opinion fellow goat people! I have some pictures on this site of my Nanny. She is a Saanen and a first time freshener. Very sweet but she seems thin to me. She always has water, a protien block, good hay, and gets a lot of 16% pellets really. She's fine in all aspects but just seems thin but I realize she is a dairy goat and all so she's probably fine but just would like some input! Thanks!
Here is the site: http://community.webshots.com/user/jessamynrose

THanks!

Jen H · #2 04/11/05, 10:40 AM

She looks just fine to my eyes. When you run your hands down her sides, is there a nice pad around her ribs? You should be able to feel the ribs, but you should also feel some softness around and above the ribs. That's my test for whether or not my animals are in good condition.

She's a beautiful girl!

windyhollowfarm · #3 04/11/05, 11:23 AM

She is a pretty girl!! In the picture she doesnt appear thin to me. Saanens produce the largest amount of milk of all dairy goats. Since she is lactating she is just probably putting all her energy into that. I have a doe who cannot keep weight on when she is milking, everything she has goes into the pail. When she is dry she fattens right up again.

debitaber · #4 04/11/05, 12:11 PM

I have several like that, they are heavy milkers, and when they are in milk, they look thin to me, but when they are dry, boy do they fatten up.

billooo2 · #5 04/11/05, 12:41 PM

Looks fine to me.....I agree wth Jen H about feeling the ribs.

hisenthlay · #6 04/12/05, 01:29 AM

This is off topic, but that's SOME horse you've got there. Your Belgian is a real hunk.

allenslabs · #7 04/12/05, 09:34 AM

Thanks guys. I bought her w/ her little buck on her and w/ him nursing 24/7 I got about 1/2 gal. I thought well when I sell him I'll get more. Nope..... maybe even less. I can't figure that out. Which I don't really need it as I've not gotten any customers for my goat milk as of yet but just thought it strange.

Hisenthlay..... thanks! He's a good ole boy. He's around 20 and doesn't act like it. We had sold him a few years ago and RIGHT before we moved to our new place (we had packed even) the people who bought him drove to our house (2 hrs away) to tell us they had lost our name and number but remembered where we lived and that they had to relocate to texas and wanted us to have Jake. I told her we had just bought this place and would love to have him but all our $ went into the place and she said she didn't care about money she just wanted him to have a good home. So I said we'd love to have him and here he is! We put about 300lbs on him and he's just as happy as can be! He doesn't have to work much (my hubby has rode once this year..... on the day of that pic! I mean in a whole year!) and just eats and loafs around. I rode him a couple times in our 2-3ft snow we had w/ just a halter and lead. It was nice.

Nanny does have soft around her ribs so I guess she's fine then. Oh I'm glad! Thanks you guys!!