# Body Condition Scoring for Goats



## BetterHensandGardens (Jan 23, 2011)

I've been stressing about how to tell if our goats were getting too fat; and so ended up investigating Body Condition Scoring for goats and creating a post about it.  It includes a link to a guide on "how-to" score body condition with pictures.  Here's the link:  http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/01/23/diet-time/
This was news to me; thought I'd share in case there are other newbies out there wondering about the same thing.

Those with experience, is this how you evaluate your goats?


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## Ariel301 (Jan 23, 2011)

I like to use body condition scoring on animals. But I learned a different system than I see people using on goats, the one I learned is a 1-10 scale with 5 being ideal condition. 

With goats that little, it "shouldn't" be too hard to get them to stand on a bathroom scale to get an accurate weight.


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## BetterHensandGardens (Jan 23, 2011)

Ariel301 said:
			
		

> I like to use body condition scoring on animals. But I learned a different system than I see people using on goats, the one I learned is a 1-10 scale with 5 being ideal condition.
> 
> With goats that little, it "shouldn't" be too hard to get them to stand on a bathroom scale to get an accurate weight.


Yes, I could probably get them on a scale and figure out exactly what they weigh, but then what would I do with it?  Is there a chart I don't know about that says a Nigerian Dwarf this old, and this tall, should be this specific weight?

Point me to the chart please!


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## helmstead (Jan 23, 2011)

BetterHensandGardens said:
			
		

> Yes, I could probably get them on a scale and figure out exactly what they weigh, but then what would I do with it?  Is there a chart I don't know about that says a Nigerian Dwarf this old, and this tall, should be this specific weight?
> 
> Point me to the chart please!


I wish, too!  Mine range from 40 to 100 lbs...can't go on weight :/


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jan 23, 2011)

Ariel301 said:
			
		

> With goats that little, it "shouldn't" be too hard to get them to stand on a bathroom scale to get an accurate weight.




I want to meet the person who can get their adult nigerian to stand on a bathroom scale.

If they're younger and calm about being picked up or they're older but you're especially buff and they're calm about being picked you can stand on the scale yourself while you hold them, but in my wildest dreams I wouldn't imagine any of mine keeping all four feet on a teeny weeny bathroom scale.

You cracked me up Ariel!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jan 23, 2011)

You won't believe this Kate, but Jim DID hoist Shug into his arms and teeter onto the scale.  The old girl weighed 85 lbs.  Our scale blinks several times before giving the weight and the whole time Jim was going "OMG, hurry hurry hurry, what does it say??!!"


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## helmstead (Jan 23, 2011)

She's GAINED 10 lbs with you guys hahaha 

I do that all by myself, twice a year...since Ben couldn't fix the big walk on scale he salvaged.  

Shug weighed right around 75 lbs every year with us.  Ole Heifer!!


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## Ariel301 (Jan 23, 2011)

That's why I said "should" with the quotation marks. I mean, in theory, the goat is no bigger than a good sized dog, shouldn't be that hard to do... 

No, there's no chart that says what they should weigh based on their body dimensions...that I know of at least. But an accurate weight is handy for things like administering medications. For knowing if the goat is thin or overweight, that's where body condition scoring comes in.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jan 24, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> She's GAINED 10 lbs with you guys hahaha
> 
> I do that all by myself, twice a year...since Ben couldn't fix the big walk on scale he salvaged.
> 
> Shug weighed right around 75 lbs every year with us.  Ole Heifer!!


She was preggers at the time.  I'll bet she's back at 75 now that she's kidded and stripped a little during lactation!  You know her- just a giant mouth.


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