Does anyone have advice on how I can help my young doe lose weight? I've stopped all concentrates with her for a few months now but she looks the same.. She has unlimited access to pasture and hay and I don't have a dry lot to put her in! What can I do?? Does it just take more time? And yes, she is truly fat! It's not just a big belly.. I can't feel her ribs or spine.
Since moving will make them loose weight I would just cut the hay out. Make her graze. Goats really are not like cattle or sheep where they just stand there and eat and slowly move, they want to go here take a bite, there take a few more bites. So she should be moving more then actually eating. Need be take her out and start walking her. Walk her down the driveway, you can even kick her loose and make her run back home. If you have a dog pen, a yard or trailer you can pen her up fairly early in the evening, especially if she is with other goats that need the hay. Loosing weight though, unless they are sick, takes time. She might already be slowly loosing weight, just not as fast as you would like to see.
I can try taking her for walks more often but it's difficult this time of year with daylight fading so quickly after I get home from work. I do have the added issue that some of my other goats need access to the hay to maintain their condition. They are all housed in an approximately 1 acre pasture. She is at the bottom of the hierarchy so is typically the last to eat the hay. Imagine if she was a dominant goat!
I'm thinking I may need to separate them with electric fence eventually.. one side for fat goats and one side for the thinner girls so I can restrict hay and forage for a bit..
You said "young doe"
What is the age and breed?
If she hasn't freshened before, that is generally the best way to get weight off of yearling does, have babies and start making milk.
Yep, I was going to ask what breed. If Nigerians, the ones I owned stayed fat on air lol. But also, if they haven't been bred, they will pack on the pounds. But when freshened, they'll milk off the weight...generally. Def try feeding low-quality hay. But there isn't much else other than feed, exercise, and milking to take the weight off.
She is a F1 mini nubian and is 1 yr and 9 months old! Time just slips on by.. I can't believe she's almost 2! And no, she has not freshened although I am planning to breed her asap, just trying to coordinate her heat cycle and carry her to a buck that does not live here! Not the easiest task..
I am concerned about her weight with pregnancy since I've read it can increase risk of pregnancy toxemia.
View attachment 192089
She is a F1 mini nubian and is 1 yr and 9 months old! Time just slips on by.. I can't believe she's almost 2! And no, she has not freshened although I am planning to breed her asap, just trying to coordinate her heat cycle and carry her to a buck that does not live here! Not the easiest task..
I am concerned about her weight with pregnancy since I've read it can increase risk of pregnancy toxemia.
I agree the picture doesn't show it! But she literally has fat rolls behind her elbows.. it's like a squishy pillow, no ribs to be felt at all. And her tail head is really fat and can't feel her spine at all :shrug: maybe I just suck at body condition scoring!
After some googling I found a site with actual pictures of fat goats instead of just drawings, which I find helpful. So looking at these I think shes a '4'.. maybe 4.3 due to the rib covering but I dont think she has butt dimples yet
Remember that Nigerians don’t really fit the same weight categories as full size dairy breeds. Most carry more weight naturally. I do think she looks a bit chubby but not obese.
Placing water well away from feed sources can help make them move on their own too. It may not be a reasonable thing for you and your situation but it’s what we have to do to our cows mid summer every year!
Thanks everyone! Hopefully if I can get her bred soon she'll be able to trim down just a little. I added two pictures of her top view but I think the consensus here is that she's doing okay!
I’d leave her be. Get her bred and once she kids and starts milking she’ll use those reserves. She just very well conditioned!
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
The Goat Spot Forum
1.8M posts
43.2K members
Since 2007
A forum community dedicated to goat owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!