Feeding my fainting goats

[kikicounihan]

I know this topic is posted quite a bit, but I couldn't find anything specific to my goats...so here goes and thank you in advance for your help! I have two wethered male fainting goats that are almost 6 months old. They had a nice green area to browse with a lot of variety throughout the summer and fall and I was feeding them hay each morning along with grain morning and evening. I thought they both looked healthy, but someone pointed out that one of them looked "fat." From what I read, a nice round size is a good sign, but now, since I am a new goat mom, I am nervous. They both act healthy, have great appetites, are very active, etc. Now that their area is starting to brown I am making sure they have hay throughout the day, but am I over feeding? Exactly how much grain is recommended to be giving them? I can't seem to find specifics anywhere. They also have all of the minerals necessary. They have been dewormed and are vaccinated for CD/T. He is even on both sides, so I don't think he is bloated.

Here is the photo of the one that I am now worried is chubby!

Thank you for your help!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

When you feel under his coat, do you feel ribs easily or is there a fat pad? From the pic he doesn't look all that fat and he looks like he may be putting on some of a winter coat which can make it harder to tell if they are skinny or fat. If you feel ribs easily, I don't think you have to worry.

 

[bonbean01]

I have sheep not goats, but they have many things in common...ie...rumen is on the left side. On your photo it looks to me like his left side is bigger than the right...so...full rumen? As already mentioned, his winter coat may be coming in. Use your knuckles to run along his spine and you can tell if there is a big fat pad on it or not. He looks fine to me

 

[meadow1view]

You can not overfeed a ruminant on forage. They are designed by nature (Creator) to eat herbage and forbs. They should be allowed free access to hay, forbs, or grass year round and be able to fill their rumens. The reason why grains (contain polyunsaturated fatty acids) can be dangerous to a ruminant are several fold. It lowers thyroid function (causing hypothyroidism) which is why an animal appears to be looking "healthy". No doubt, it is gaining weight since the the metabolic rate drops, reducing the amount of caloric intake necessary for maintenance. The excess calories are stored as fat (just like in humans). It also causes an increased risk of inflammation (disease) and that is why medications and vaccinations are required. Grains will also lower the pH level in the gut (causing a state of acidosis) which also can lead to inflammation. The grain is also the most protected part of any plant. The grains are high in phytoestrogens which function to try and protect them from digestion by animals - only birds are truly designed to handle seeds in any large quantity and perform well.
Many believe that the crude protein analysis on the bag (say 16%) means that the animal is gaining the benefit of that 16% protein, however, that is not true. It is only the crude protein and not the digestible protein. Protein is important in the diet, but it needs to be in a form that the organism's body is designed to handle or there can be trouble.

We feed only grass and hay and my goal is to fill everyone's rumen everyday. I used to feed grain to my livestock, but quit this feeding regimen several years ago due to both research and experience.

The other reason is that the seeds are designed to germinate in early spring, so their energy stores must be accessible when the temperatures are cool, and they normally dont have to remain viable through the hot summer months. Unsaturated oils are liquid when they are cold, and this is necessary for any organism that lives at low temperatures. For example, fish in cold water would be stiff if they contained saturated fats. These oils easily get rancid (spontaneously oxidizing) when they are warm and exposed to oxygen. Seeds contain a small amount of vitamin E to delay rancidity. When the oils are stored in our tissues, they are much warmer, and more directly exposed to oxygen, than they would be in the seeds, and so their tendency to oxidize is very great. These oxidative processes can damage enzymes and other parts of cells, and especially their ability to produce energy. -Ray Peat, PhD

From - http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2011/09/17/fats-temperature-and-your-body/

Best wishes for you and your goats