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i just got my two goats on sunday. what should they weigh? moonbeam is about 14 wks, milky way is a yearling (born last january)...
what should they weigh?
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My boys are all alpines. I looked back on my records an I measured and weighed them all about 10-11 months. They were all around 28-30 inches tall and between 97-120 lbs by the weight tape. I wouldn't think any of mine are huge but good size for their age. I need to go measure them again now that they are 2 years old.
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595 Posts
At 14 weeks it's hard to predict what they should weigh. Birth order, breed, feeding, all enter into the equation. A yearling packer is usually from 75-100+ pounds at a year.
But again, the above factor still count at that age, too.
But again, the above factor still count at that age, too.
This seems like the best post to add to for our vet trip today. Our guys are right at 1.5 years old and we got them their shots today. Teddy weighed in at 178 lbs, Wicket at 172 and Romeo at 156. I think that is big for their age, but I can't say I really know what is normal or average. It seems big to me. Carolyn predicted 180 (for the two big guys) at the rendy, in the dark, at 9:30 at night, when she was trying to get to bed. Once I know their measurements I will post it to that thread, but it seems to me that Carolyn has it down. I think there is a future for her as a carny.
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We used to amuse ourselves by predicting the weights of auction horses when we were selling them. There is a trick to it.
Your guys are BIG, and going to get bigger.
Your guys are BIG, and going to get bigger.
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84 Posts
I have lost most of my records when my computer was wiped, but my pack line out of one of Charlie Goggins bucks crossed with my large dairy does, all of those kids at 5 weeks were 37 pounds and at 13 weeks were 79 pounds. This years babies that I have kept, are now 6 months and weighing 90 and 97 pounds. My wether from last years breeding at a year and half now (directly from Charlie's buck) is almost 200 lbs. He is sire to this years kids.
On the other hand, my reg. dairy line of goats (large nubians and alpines), kids are weighing in around 60-65 pounds on average at 14 weeks. So there is about a 10-14 pound difference. Weights at birth for my dairy line is around 7-8 pounds and my pack line around 10-12 lbs ea. and this is with twins and triplets on both lines.
So it really depends on their lines on how big they are going to be, and also on their care.
On the other hand, my reg. dairy line of goats (large nubians and alpines), kids are weighing in around 60-65 pounds on average at 14 weeks. So there is about a 10-14 pound difference. Weights at birth for my dairy line is around 7-8 pounds and my pack line around 10-12 lbs ea. and this is with twins and triplets on both lines.
So it really depends on their lines on how big they are going to be, and also on their care.
Interesting. At what age did you get them fixed? I was wondering if my guys being intact had anything to to with their weight. It has been quite the ordeal and I prefer not to have intact 1.5 year old goats, and will be darn sure they don't have to go that long the next time around. However, if it makes a bigger goat, I could suffer through it. It sure seems like they have some serious muscle from being bucks this long. That, coupled with their personalities, makes me think they will be able to cover some ground and move some gear.
200 lbs seems huge, do you find that to be the norm for a goat bred to pack? My guys were from pack stock, and I thought Teddy weighing in at 180 was huge for that age. I don't know how much more they will grow this season, we are already freezing at night here, but I figured at that rate of growth, the 2 big guys would end the season close to 200 and Romeo in the 175 range.
I am curious as to how much they add in the last 2 growing seasons. It seems that even 100 lbs more over the next 2 years would easily be possible, but I thought goats in the 300+ lbs range were an exception to the rule.
Oh, and I don't remember the exact numbers, but when they went in for booster shots around 4-5 months old, It was like Teddy= 75, Wicket= 78, and Romeo around 55.
Anyway, thanks for sharing the info, it is very helpful.
200 lbs seems huge, do you find that to be the norm for a goat bred to pack? My guys were from pack stock, and I thought Teddy weighing in at 180 was huge for that age. I don't know how much more they will grow this season, we are already freezing at night here, but I figured at that rate of growth, the 2 big guys would end the season close to 200 and Romeo in the 175 range.
I am curious as to how much they add in the last 2 growing seasons. It seems that even 100 lbs more over the next 2 years would easily be possible, but I thought goats in the 300+ lbs range were an exception to the rule.
Oh, and I don't remember the exact numbers, but when they went in for booster shots around 4-5 months old, It was like Teddy= 75, Wicket= 78, and Romeo around 55.
Anyway, thanks for sharing the info, it is very helpful.
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84 Posts
My 1 1/2 year old was banded at 9 months. My boys this year were banded at 4 and half months (little snots trying to get to the girl pen). Now they are nice and wonderful little goaties, LOL!
I don't know if the 200 lb is the norm. Logan's sire was large, and his dam was a large togg, big bone structure on both of them and it held true on Logans breeding and on this years crop which were bred with slightly smaller does. Logans half brother and sister are the same size as Logan and his half brother was banded at 5 months. This is only our second year of breeding for pack goats. Previously I had been breeding dairy goats for shows and playing around with hiking and packing. Logan is a pretty solid built guy. I will be using Logans 1/2 sister who is the same age and same size as he is for breeding this fall and one of his daughters that I kept this year who is 6 months and weights 97 lbs. Just need to find a buck now that would be compatible with them. I didn't keep any. Though one of the bucklings that was given to me for my 4-H kids looks pretty promising, I was impressed with his sire, but not his dam. On the trail he has a great attitude so this might be a possibility.
Oh, I have a 2 year old purebred wether that we packed at 10% this year and he is 205 lbs. Big Boy! He was a rescue that I got a year ago and I tracked his breeder down and it is someone I know from our dairy club, anyway, these people band at 8 weeks and he still got large and is still growing. His weight is down from when I got him, he was close to 250 lbs and looked like a porker. Now he looks good.
I don't know if the 200 lb is the norm. Logan's sire was large, and his dam was a large togg, big bone structure on both of them and it held true on Logans breeding and on this years crop which were bred with slightly smaller does. Logans half brother and sister are the same size as Logan and his half brother was banded at 5 months. This is only our second year of breeding for pack goats. Previously I had been breeding dairy goats for shows and playing around with hiking and packing. Logan is a pretty solid built guy. I will be using Logans 1/2 sister who is the same age and same size as he is for breeding this fall and one of his daughters that I kept this year who is 6 months and weights 97 lbs. Just need to find a buck now that would be compatible with them. I didn't keep any. Though one of the bucklings that was given to me for my 4-H kids looks pretty promising, I was impressed with his sire, but not his dam. On the trail he has a great attitude so this might be a possibility.
Oh, I have a 2 year old purebred wether that we packed at 10% this year and he is 205 lbs. Big Boy! He was a rescue that I got a year ago and I tracked his breeder down and it is someone I know from our dairy club, anyway, these people band at 8 weeks and he still got large and is still growing. His weight is down from when I got him, he was close to 250 lbs and looked like a porker. Now he looks good.
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The thing with late castration is that you don't necessarily get the kind of size that's useful. Goats after puberty tend to develop more muscle mass and shorter legs and larger forequarters. Mort of like the difference between a marathon body type and a weight lifter.
Charlie's Lazlo was my first attempt at crossing these two traits and fortunately for us they continued to breed through. Charlie's and my goats from this mix have contiuned to have a stamp on them where you can tell where they came from. The goats from this cross I expect to be 220 to 250 pounds as adults. But I've had some very good packers that were just at 200. So size isn't everything.
I prefer more leg, all things being equal.
Goats castrated right at or shortly before puberty will tend to have longer legs.
Charlie's Lazlo was my first attempt at crossing these two traits and fortunately for us they continued to breed through. Charlie's and my goats from this mix have contiuned to have a stamp on them where you can tell where they came from. The goats from this cross I expect to be 220 to 250 pounds as adults. But I've had some very good packers that were just at 200. So size isn't everything.
I prefer more leg, all things being equal.
Goats castrated right at or shortly before puberty will tend to have longer legs.
Is there some sort of chart available,
showing typical growth and weight gain over time?
For instance, a wether at 12 months might be 60 percent of his mature weight, and have 85% of his final height at the shoulder.
(I just made those numbers up!
Don't believe them!)
Can anyone point us to such a tool?
Thanks.
And thanks to you experienced breeders and packer
who share your hard-earned wisdom to freely.
It's very generous of you.
showing typical growth and weight gain over time?
For instance, a wether at 12 months might be 60 percent of his mature weight, and have 85% of his final height at the shoulder.
(I just made those numbers up!
Don't believe them!)
Can anyone point us to such a tool?
Thanks.
And thanks to you experienced breeders and packer
who share your hard-earned wisdom to freely.
It's very generous of you.
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1,020 Posts
We are trying to get one started here so we can corelate info into some sort of useful growth and weight estimate tool in the future. So anyone with accurate weights should please take the measurements and add to the information. The proper forum for the information is here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=609
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