[colliewoman]

I cant believe how more stressed I am with rearing goats rather than sheep!!
Please could someone tell me how to judge condition of nannies. I just googles condition scoring and it says nannies should not have visible spinous processes (sp?).
This is the part of the vertebra that sticks out sideways yes?
If this is correct then my goats are emaciated
they have shiny coats and eat ad lib forage and hay, get fed dairy nuts twice a day (except the last 2 days after someone left the feed shed unlocked and they helped themselves, now we are on hay and branches only for a few days) and free access to a mineral block, then whatever extras (branches etc) i can carry to them.
They look well enough and nice and shiny but they have hollows on their flanks and you can just see the edge of the spine/vertebra especially when they are taking a good sniff of something.
AAAAAAAArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhh!
Are my goats about do die of starvation, or is my ocd coming back to get me?
Has anyone got a few side on, arial and rear end view of goats that are in good nick so i cn compare please?
Can someone hold my hand please and if i've got this all wrong can you tell me how to do it correctly please, either condition scoring or feeding goats!
Thankies
a very stressed and guilty goat mum

[wytsend]

Give me a ring one evening to discuss.... seems a few people on here ask my advice re goats,  mind you am still a 'noviuce' after 35 years of keeping goats !!!!!!!

Email me a pic of your girls so I can see exactly what their condition is  to   [email protected]

I am sure you are worrying about nothing !

[wytsend]

By the way,   whereabouts are you located ?

[colliewoman]

i'm in Somerset, thank you very much i will ring you tonight if my line is working if thats ok 

[HappyHippy]

I'm not a goat keeper, but I found this info on the web - it looks a good site with video demos of how to conditions score and examples of each score.
http://www.luresext.edu/goats/research/bcshowto.html
Maybe if you can see some examples it'll put your mind at rest in the meantime ?
HTH
Karen

[Anke]

The BGS website at allgoats.co.uk has got quite a few pics of goats on, and it is quite normal to see the hollows under their spine just before the hips. I am sure you worry about nothing - I am the opposite, i think mine are too fat....

[wytsend]

We're not far apart !!  I am in Devon 15 miles west of Exeter.   So visiting is possible.

[colliewoman]

Yay!!
spinous processes is the top of the spine, not the sticky out side bits, they are the transverse process'sss (how do you stop spelling processssss plural?), according to the video (thank you happy hippy!) my girls are 2.5 and 2 at 3 so maybe a little extra needed for millie but normal
Thanks all, and thank you wytsend, if you are passing through drop in for a cuppa, i would offer a biscuit but they would only steal it

[wytsend]

PM me your    'real' name, Address & tel number and I will see when I am going your way.

By the way I am close to Okehampton.