Help!! New goat mommy in CT.

[Dogma]

 

[Dogma]

 

[Dogma]

So, today I weighed the girls....Ginger is 53 pounds and Nutmeg is 33. Do these sound like good weights for does that are supposed to kid in mid march!? Thank you all for your help!!!!

 

[OneFineAcre]

You said Nutmeg is 1-2 years old?
33lbs is very small I think. The last time I weighed my girls that were born this year the smallest one was 33 lbs at 7 months old. The largest one was 45 lbs at 7 months old
Ginger is 5? My smallest mature doe weighs 65 lbs.

 

[Dogma]

That's what I was told. He said he's breeding them to be very small.

 

[Southern by choice]

Ginger should be ok, she is how old?
Nutmeg seems awfully small to be bred.
There again no idea of height... do you know what their height is at the withers. Sometimes it isn't so much about weight but actual proportion.

They don't look that small in the pics.

To give some ideas
One of our nigies bred at 18 months was only 42-45 lbs but structurally she was ready and healthy to be bred... one year later she is 65 lbs... and 1 1/2-2 inches taller.
One doe is 3 1/2 and 75 lbs
Our smallest Nigie doe right now is 50lbs and she is 18 months... she is short! LOL (within the height standard still) She is due in March.
- one of our bucklings (he was a triplet) at 10 months 47 lbs. Another buckling (one of quads and is a small fry) at 8 months was 30 lbs.

So there can be a range but wow I wouldn't have bred a 33 lb goat.

Who is the sire? Was this a son/brother that bred the does or possibly father /daughter? Are the two does related?

Also pasture raised goats grow slower than heavily managed goats. Goats that are fed grain/feed everyday and free choice hay 24/7 and don't forage or live off the land much will grow faster and get bigger quickly.

Slow growers have some disadvantages & some advantages- You have to wait longer to breed them but they also don't end up with meaty udders and too much fat that can cause breeding issues.
Meaty udders may look pretty when they are full but they don't have capacity and do not milk out like a glove.

 

[OneFineAcre]

That's what I was told. He said he's breeding them to be very small.

OK. It seems to be working if that's his plan.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Ginger should be ok, she is how old?
Nutmeg seems awfully small to be bred.
There again no idea of height... do you know what their height is at the withers. Sometimes it isn't so much about weight but actual proportion.

They don't look that small in the pics.

To give some ideas
One of our nigies bred at 18 months was only 42-45 lbs but structurally she was ready and healthy to be bred... one year later she is 65 lbs... and 1 1/2-2 inches taller.
One doe is 3 1/2 and 75 lbs
Our smallest Nigie doe right now is 50lbs and she is 18 months... she is short! LOL (within the height standard still) She is due in March.
- one of our bucklings (he was a triplet) at 10 months 47 lbs. Another buckling (one of quads and is a small fry) at 8 months was 30 lbs.

So there can be a range but wow I wouldn't have bred a 33 lb goat.

Who is the sire? Was this a son/brother that bred the does or possibly father /daughter? Are the two does related?

Also pasture raised goats grow slower than heavily managed goats. Goats that are fed grain/feed everyday and free choice hay 24/7 and don't forage or live off the land much will grow faster and get bigger quickly.

Slow growers have some disadvantages & some advantages- You have to wait longer to breed them but they also don't end up with meaty udders and too much fat that can cause breeding issues.
Meaty udders may look pretty when they are full but they don't have capacity and do not milk out like a glove.

Ginger is 5 yrd old and weighs 53lbs
They are both small if that is their true age.
Do you have a mature doe (over 3) that only weighs 53 lbs?
Have you ever had one that was 1-2 that only weighed 33 lbs?
Our smallest one was a quad that weighed 33 lbs at 7 months old.

Personally, I don't think Nutmeg is that old. She looks like she was born this spring. She just doesn't look that mature.

 

[Southern by choice]

Ginger is 5 yrd old and weighs 53lbs
They are both small if that is their true age.
Do you have a mature doe (over 3) that only weighs 53 lbs?
Have you ever had one that was 1-2 that only weighed 33 lbs?
Our smallest one was a quad that weighed 33 lbs at 7 months old.

Personally, I don't think Nutmeg is that old. She looks like she was born this spring. She just doesn't look that mature.

Ginger is 5? Wow. I missed that... I thought your were asking Dogma...
@OneFineAcre - The little one definitely looked young but no scale in the pics. I agree she is tiny.
They don't (at least with these pics) look in bad condition, but they do have lots of hair right now...
I guess if the person was breeding for super small he achieved that.

@Dogma - you will need a very small buck if you breed them next year. Breeding too young or too small of a doe can stunt them for life. The great thing about Nigies is that they are hardy little goats and rarely have kidding complications... so hopefully these two will do just fine.

Small or not they are cute as can be!

 

[Dogma]

Ginger should be ok, she is how old?
Nutmeg seems awfully small to be bred.
There again no idea of height... do you know what their height is at the withers. Sometimes it isn't so much about weight but actual proportion.

They don't look that small in the pics.

To give some ideas
One of our nigies bred at 18 months was only 42-45 lbs but structurally she was ready and healthy to be bred... one year later she is 65 lbs... and 1 1/2-2 inches taller.
One doe is 3 1/2 and 75 lbs
Our smallest Nigie doe right now is 50lbs and she is 18 months... she is short! LOL (within the height standard still) She is due in March.
- one of our bucklings (he was a triplet) at 10 months 47 lbs. Another buckling (one of quads and is a small fry) at 8 months was 30 lbs.

So there can be a range but wow I wouldn't have bred a 33 lb goat.

Who is the sire? Was this a son/brother that bred the does or possibly father /daughter? Are the two does related?

Also pasture raised goats grow slower than heavily managed goats. Goats that are fed grain/feed everyday and free choice hay 24/7 and don't forage or live off the land much will grow faster and get bigger quickly.

Slow growers have some disadvantages & some advantages- You have to wait longer to breed them but they also don't end up with meaty udders and too much fat that can cause breeding issues.
Meaty udders may look pretty when they are full but they don't have capacity and do not milk out like a glove.

I will measure them tonight. And re weigh them. It was a challenge as I was using my bathroom scale.. Lol. I have no idea who sire was..he said it was a small blue eyed tri that was very calm. He said it was a closed herd. Apparently I didn't ask the right questions