# Goat on a diet? Pics added



## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 11, 2012)

I just acquired my first Pygmy goat today. He is a wether and a companion to my ND buck. Henry is enormous, I mean enormously enormous! I know that pygmys can be quite rotund, but Henry is well over 100lbs. His previous owners were very generous with snacks and treats, sending bags of cookies along with him. 

So my questions are, is it awfully unhealthy for a goat to be so fat? And is Henry's size really as crazy as it seems to me? I'm used to my sleek alpines and not so sleek, but still reasonable, nigerian dwarfs! If he does in fact need to slim down a bit how do I go about that? He gets very little grain, free choice hay and apparently copious amounts of animal cookies  Obviously cut out the cookies right lol.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 11, 2012)

It is not good for a goat to be very overweight. If you can I would slim him down for sure. Thing is though, not Pygmy goat get to 100 pounds so he is crossed with something else which means he may not be very overweight. If you could get a picture or two of him that may help to determine his condition. What is his BCS?


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## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 11, 2012)

Ill try to get some pics tomorrow. He is a registered Pygmy so I'm assuming he is pure bred. 

BCS? I guess I'm still a goat lingo newbie.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 11, 2012)

Ok good. That should help alot.

So he's registered. Then I would say that yeah, he's a full Pygmy but that would be the first I have ever seen one that big!! He's freaking huge then!! lol

Yes, BCS means Body Score Condition. Here and here are some links that may help you to determine the BCS of your goat.


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## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 11, 2012)

Freaking huge is an understatement! I was like  when I saw him! My poor dh had to lift him into the back of my car! 

Thanks for the links, I'm checking them out now


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## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 12, 2012)

I'm going to attempt to post some pics of goaty Mcfat-fat. Hopefully I get it right


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## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 12, 2012)




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## Catahoula (Nov 12, 2012)

I am sorry... he is adorable but is quite round.... like you have said, no animal crackers to start.


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## CocoNUT (Nov 12, 2012)

I've heard Pygmies described as "beer kegs with legs"...maybe he's just a keg and a half?


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 12, 2012)

Honestly he doesn't look overly huge. It is rather hard to tell from the picture though. Yes, Pygmys are supposed top look like beer kegs on legs. haha I would stop feeding him the crackers and all feed. Give him hay only along with his normal browse and pasture. Just no feed, if you feel he is too fat. 

One questions though. How do you know hid weight? Is that just what you are guessing he weighs, is it tape weight, or is it his actual weight?


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## Queen Mum (Nov 12, 2012)

Clearly from the picture he is too fat. He needs to slim down.  

Do it slowly or he will get ill from the stress.   Make sure he gets some exercise.


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## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 12, 2012)

His previous owners had tape weighted him at around 95lbs but said that he had put on some weight since then. 
Exercise and no cookies it is. Thanks all.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 12, 2012)

If you can I would get a real weight on him. Tape weights are so bogus it's not even funny. I've never seen a tape weight even close to the real weight of the goat. You may be able to take him to a vet's place and put him on a scale and it shouldn't cost you anything. Also if you have to you can pick him up and take your weight away from the total to find his weight.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 12, 2012)

Loose minerals should still be provided. He is real cute! Can you make the picture bigger?


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## marlowmanor (Nov 12, 2012)

I can't see the pictures but apparently others aren't having problems with it.


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## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 12, 2012)

Here's another pic. Trying to do all this from my phone and its being temperamental.


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## marlowmanor (Nov 12, 2012)

Ok, now I can see the picture and the one from earlier too. Yep, he looks a bit chunky. If he was a girl I'd think he was pregnant!  I'd get him to exercise for sure. My 2 wethers were looking a bit chunky to me too for a while. Then we brought a buck in to breed our does  and he has run them around some. They don't look as chunky now!


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 12, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Loose minerals should still be provided. He is real cute! Can you make the picture bigger?


Good catch. All your goats should have mineral.


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## StoneWallFarmer (Nov 12, 2012)

Yup  it's supplied to all freely


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## Queen Mum (Nov 12, 2012)

I don't use a weight tape.  I use this formula.   

1. Measure the circumference (heart girth, behind front legs and around the body), (distance C).
2. Measure the length of body (distance A-B, from chest on the side to upper back on same side).
3. Take the values obtained in Steps 1 and 2 and apply the following formula to calculate body weight: Heart girth x heart girth x body length divided by 300 = weight in pounds.


So far it has worked well and conforms to the vet's weight scale very accurately.   Mama is my best measure of accuracy check.   The weight tape put her at 200 pounds but the vet's scale put her at 233 and the calculation put her at 234.  Mama is very long in the body so the weight tape is inaccurate for that reason.  Boer goats are less accurate by weight tape as well and the formula is much more accurate.  
Here is a link to the University of Arizona Website explaining it .


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