[iluv4-H26]

I have been showing meat goats at my county fair for about 6 years now and every year , I walk them plenty, and feed them some of the best feed there is and yet I almost every year I barely make weight which is 60lbs. I just finished off this years fair so any suggestions for next year?

 

[TDG-Farms]

Might need to research and bring in some bigger bloodlines.

 

[Just goats]

What kind of feed are you giving them? We've got one now at 82 pounds and our fair isn't til Sept.

 

[ogfabby]

Have you been getting your goats from the same farm? May just be a slower growing line.

 

[iluv4-H26]

We are feeding them show chow and high octane supplement and we have been jumping around so around every two years we switch but these last two years I have got them at the same place and they have weighed the most ,64 and 68 I'm happy that I made weight but I would like some bigger numbers

 

[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

How much were you feeding them?

 

[ogfabby]

I would buy from a different breeder next time.

 

[TrinityRanch]

Can you post a picture of them? It must be a hereditary thing in their lines. My wethers always hit the 100 mark by 7 mo. old.

 

[iluv4-H26]

We only feed them two to three cups I'm not sure how much the cup is I'm not at my house right now the one was a wether and sold at market so I don't have a pic of him but here's one of my doe that didn't sell its not very good but I can take another when I get home we get ours from a farm called from Stoney point . They have lot of ennobled goats

 

[iluv4-H26]

Is this it?

 

[iluv4-H26]

Okay now that I got it on what do you think her name is Annabeth

 

[Just goats]

Forgot to ask, how old are they usually when you get them?

 

[iluv4-H26]

Around 6-8 weeks. We can get ours in December then we show on the middle of July.

 

[TrinityRanch]

Hmm. She looks pretty large from that picture. I think that Boers should be weaned no earlier than 8 weeks, and to be successful, 10-12 weeks is better.

 

[Just goats]

We wean ours at 3 months, if we sell them we wait til they are 3 months old. If we buy any they are at least 3 to 4 months too! Ours that we raise are %Boers, and we've just bought 1 full Boer to show in Sept.

When you get yours that young are you giving them any milk at all?

 

[iluv4-H26]

Okay I had a complete brain mess up !!! Forgive me, when they are born in December we get them in late February early march but my first goat I got was a bottle baby and did give it milk sorry :/

 

[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

Well that's most likely the issue. You need to feed them more, at least 2lbs a day. Roughly 6 and 1/2 cups make 2 pounds.
They need some hay, and minerals as well.

 

[iluv4-H26]

But how much hay do they need because I know if you give them too much they will have alot of fat too. Right? Or would all if the minerals ,exercising , and regular feed cancel it out

 

[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

A flake a piece should do, they shouldn't get fat on hay. The reason you don't want to feed too much hay, is because they don't want meat goats to have "hay belly".
I would use calf manna in their grain too.

 

[iluv4-H26]

Our feed has minerals, hay, and other supplements in it so honestly I don't really give them much hay or minerals seperate do you think that makes much of a difference ?