Author Topic: goats weight (Read 6524 times)

langdon · « **on:** May 17, 2010, 09:30:18 pm »

how can i best tell the weight of my two girls milly and molly.
what weight target should i be getting milly and molly before seeing a billy.
its hay hay all the way now with a little bit of concentrates (less than a handfull)
mixed with kwickbeet morning and afternoon.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #1 on:** May 18, 2010, 08:09:33 am »

I don't know about weight but am interested in kwikbeet Langdon - like you I am an overfeeder

perhaps that was why we lost Ronnie. so am trying to get a better balance now.
how much kwikbeet can you give them?
am desperately trying to find a hay selling farmer as if I keep paying petshop and countrywide prices for hay we will need to remortgage!!

langdon · « **Reply #2 on:** May 18, 2010, 12:48:50 pm »

i give the girls less than a handfull of concentrates mixed with a cup full of kwikbeet soaked in a bucket with half a litre
of water for 10min.
have the two seprate till the kwikbeet has soaked then mix together in their feeding bucket.
the kwikbeet has 16% fibre which i understand is great.
hope this helps

langdon

Roxy · « **Reply #3 on:** May 18, 2010, 01:23:45 pm »

Langdon, get some normal scales, stand on them, see what weight you are, then pick Molly up and stand on the scales again

There is a way, involving a tape measure and measuring the girth just behind the front legs, but I have fogotten the conversions for that.

I will not be picking Paddy up and holding him on the scales though.

Brucklay · « **Reply #4 on:** May 18, 2010, 01:38:26 pm »

Hi Langdon - I have the tape measure conversion chart. It's an excel file if you would like it I could email you it - let me know.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #5 on:** May 18, 2010, 04:22:11 pm »

thanks langdon - how many times a day do you feed yours? I have been told by the vet to seperate feeds into 3 or 4 times a day at the moment

langdon · « **Reply #6 on:** May 18, 2010, 05:34:43 pm »

i feed mine twice morning and afternoon.
i dont how i could work out the amount altogether 3-4 times a day.
the amount that is in the feeding bucket is small, blimey if i had to reduce that to 3-4 times a day you woudnt
be able to see it!
for what reasons did the vet say 3-4 times a day?
im not saying he is wrong im just curious.
langdon

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #7 on:** May 18, 2010, 06:24:25 pm »

he just said that they cannot cope with large meals (concentrates) so to split it to 3 or 4 meals which to me seems hard too.
I give mine brekkie (while I milk the nanny all 3 have some) then at afternoon tea they all have some (usually with veg peelings etc mixed in) and then bedtime/milking pm. I'm sure I'm still giving them too much. they have lots of browsings (trees, mainly apple! and blackberry bushes etc and they mow the grass a bit)
I will get some beet too and still hope I can find a hay seller cheaper than the petshop!!

langdon · « **Reply #8 on:** May 18, 2010, 09:00:46 pm »

have you read brucklay replys to this topic?
he has a weight chart conversion which i think is worked out by measuring their girth and using the chart.
i havent yet seen it myself but am going to get him to email it to me.
dont know if it will be precise but interesting to look at.
i just hope the girls will be in perfect condition for billy when autumn comes,
hope all goes with you and

(s)
langdon

Anke · « **Reply #9 on:** May 18, 2010, 10:28:21 pm »

Oh I am sooo glad its not just us (well me) who stands on the bathroom scales (in the field though!) and checks her weight + lambs! It feels quite silly, but we can't really afford proper sheep scales... Just bought a 25kg hanging scales (digital) for milk recording (next year properly, this year just for us), and use it for the lambs and kids in a big bag....

I don't weigh my goats, just feel their backbone for fat. Seems to work.

langdon · « **Reply #10 on:** May 18, 2010, 10:40:56 pm »

that would be brill
its bethlynam@hotmail.com
how acurate is it cos i have seemed to overfed my girls,
i aiming to get them into perfect condition for the billy in the autumn.
thanks langdon

Brucklay · « **Reply #11 on:** May 18, 2010, 10:47:42 pm »

I have a wee bit of excessive info in the chart - will delete what you don't need ie my goats weights etc and send in the morning - computer tired now. Clare (Brucklay)

Roxy · « **Reply #12 on:** May 18, 2010, 11:18:14 pm »

Langdon, its not right to have an overweight goat at any time, and I can see you are concerned about your goats being overweight before going to the billy. But, over the years, I have had goats of all shapes and sizes ....never weighed any of them before going to the billy, and they all got in kid whatever their size. So, do not worry too much. Now they are on a diet, they will be the right size by Autumn - honestly!!!

langdon · « **Reply #13 on:** May 19, 2010, 04:50:55 pm »

roxy you seem to have that calming effect everytime!!!!
by the way me and beth have looked at molly on seprate times to see how her udder is doing and both of us thinks
the size is going down bit by bit.
thanks for all your help, even when i was been stroppy!!
langdon

Roxy · « **Reply #14 on:** May 19, 2010, 05:14:32 pm »

Good that Mollys udder is decreasing - I do think it was the amount of goat mix she was having, causing it.

goats weight - The Accidental Smallholder