Are grown or older goats more filled out?

[Carla D]

Ive been thinking that the two mini Nubians may NOT be overweight. I’m so used to looking at my little guys and compared Mozart and Beethoven with my original little guys. Maybe goats do fill out when they get a bit older. I guess if that’s the case, maybe Beethoven is slightly underweight. They may not actually need a diet. I know there are several reasons why a goat may look rotund. I have a couple of pictures looking down over them. Beethoven the 6 month old buck is the first picture. Using an educated guess and from your experience does he look slightly underweight? The second picture is Mozart the 1.5 year old wether. Could either of them possibly be underweight? I don’t have any other goats to compare them too.

 

[animalmom]

The new boys look ok to me... do their hip bones stick out at all? When you rub your fingers over the ribs do you feel the ribs? You should feel the ribs with gentle pressure. If you don't feel the ribs at all then they are chunky monkeys, happy and fat.

I'm not in "love" with the standard dairy goat look. I prefer to see a wee bit more meat on their bones.

If the boys are happy, active, alert, coat shines, clear eyes, etc, then I'd leave them be the handsome goaties they are.

 

[Carla D]

The new boys look ok to me... do their hip bones stick out at all? When you rub your fingers over the ribs do you feel the ribs? You should feel the ribs with gentle pressure. If you don't feel the ribs at all then they are chunky monkeys, happy and fat.

I'm not in "love" with the standard dairy goat look. I prefer to see a wee bit more meat on their bones.

If the boys are happy, active, alert, coat shines, clear eyes, etc, then I'd leave them be the handsome goaties they are.

No, their hip bones don’t stick out and their ribs can’t be felt either. I’m a bit like you. I’d rather have a slightly overweight, well fed, and happy animal than I would a scrawny, miserable, and hungry animal. I just found it a bit odd that their bellies are quite firm and pretty rotund, at least I think they may be. I don’t really know many signs of an ill, malnourished goats are. They may very well be at an acceptable or perfect weight. But since I have them now I need to know what condition they may or may not have. She did mention to me that they are fed alfalfa because that’s all they have at the moment. She said something to the effect that a different type of hay may be better for them. I’m trying to figure things out now so I know how best to care for these older goats and my really young goats is. I also don’t want to ask 40-50 questions in this forum. That may become a tiny bit annoying to everyone. Ultimately I only want what’s best and needed for any or all of my animals whether they being in our house or on the farm. I just need to figure out where all of my goats are. Maybe my goats are underweight or missing something in their diet. I don’t know. I’ve asked my vet many questions today. Maybe I should be giving 3 or 4 bottles a day. Maybe I’m giving an inappropriate amount of milk replacer. Some struggle to drink it all and others are fighting to get more. Am I being stingy with the milk or lacking some mineral or nutrient. A couple of my little goats have a couple of different things going on with their skin. I’m not sure if they are normal things, the result of rough housing with each other, lack of something in their diet, or what these things are. I have a feeling these may possibly be normal considering they haven’t been dehorned as of yet. But one of these issues was discovered today. It may be a natural occurrence or possibly the new goats brought something to the farm, it could be as simple as dry flaky skin. I haven’t figured it out yet. All ten of the goats seem quite happy, well fed, active, and growing.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I just found it a bit odd that their bellies are quite firm and pretty rotund, at least I think they may be.

Your older goats will have a more well-developed rumen than the little guys do. It will be bigger and fairly firm most of the time.

 

[StarSpangledNubians]

I agree with everything animalmom said. They look fine to me. As far as your other goats. My bottle babies are always thinner then the dam raised kids. Its never been a huge problem. As soon as they are eating hay/grass/grain, and as long as they don't have worms or internal/external parasites, they will pick up on weight. And ask as many questions as you need! I have only been on this forum for a short time, but everyone is so helpful and kind. They don't care how many, or what questions are asked.

 

[Carla D]

Your older goats will have a more well-developed rumen than the little guys do. It will be bigger and fairly firm most of the time.

This was something I wondered. I haven’t figured out how multiple stomachs work in animals yet. I thought that they could possibly not be overweight as as well. Do you think Beethoven is too thin? Because the lady I got them from said that she thought he may be a bit underweight. It’s really tough to find definitive answers about goats. There are so many factors to take into account for, many, many breeds, and at least three different types of goats. Dairy, meat, textile/fiber. I’m struggling to find out if I’m giving the baby goats enough to eat when I’m bottle feeding them. I don’t know if they are growing at an appropriate pace, I’m also trying to find a definitive timeline for shots, general maintenance, and what to expect at certain ages. I can’t even find pictures or descriptions outlining or describing whether a goat is severely underweight, slightly underweight, normal, slightly overweight, or obese. So do you think it’s possible that the younger one may be underweight?

 

[StarSpangledNubians]

This helped me. I'm not sure how well it works for your goats, but it gives you a general idea

Here is another one that helped me understand Body score
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw2p2_vG38f7yfjZqNyxK7Z4&cshid=1541626884870


I don't know if this is what you were looking for, but it does give some good information.

 

[Carla D]

This helped me. I'm not sure how well it works for your goats, but it gives you a general idea

Here is another one that helped me understand Body score
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw2p2_vG38f7yfjZqNyxK7Z4&cshid=1541626884870


I don't know if this is what you were looking for, but it does give some good information.

Thank you. I just read an article with pictures describing the body conditioning. Sometimes videos are easier for me to understand. There is actual voices and actions that explain more. I will be checking this out.

 

[Carla D]

I agree with everything animalmom said. They look fine to me. As far as your other goats. My bottle babies are always thinner then the dam raised kids. Its never been a huge problem. As soon as they are eating hay/grass/grain, and as long as they don't have worms or internal/external parasites, they will pick up on weight. And ask as many questions as you need! I have only been on this forum for a short time, but everyone is so helpful and kind. They don't care how many, or what questions are asked.

That is really good to know. My baby goats are definitely growing and eating what I think is pretty good for their age. But I’m only guessing. In the last two weeks their consumption of different hays, feed, minerals, and water has significantly grown. But that still doesn’t equate optimal growth let alone decent growth. I am truly hoping there is NOTHING wrong with the new goats or the ones I’ve been bottle feeding for six weeks as of tomorrow.

 

[Southern by choice]

Since your vet yesterday said that coccidia and parasites were observed you will have a problem if not treated. Coccidia does long term damage if not treated promptly and can end in death. Since you are treating them that is great and you should see a significant change afterwards. Coccidia does permanent damage to their digestive system in regards to nutritional absorption. Catching it early and keeping them on a prevention program they should be fine.

some myths regarding coccidia
- not all severely infected goats will get diarrhea coccidia may even constipate a goat
- blood in stool although this is common is severe cases it also may not be present in a sever infectio
- "not the time of year"- coccidia can be found anytime of year especially in young goats


Giving probiotics is also a good idea