Author Topic: Growing (goat) kids (Read 3167 times)

Anke · « **on:** May 24, 2010, 10:15:12 pm »

As yesterday at the goat show was my first time to see a number of kids together I was quite surprised how big they were in comparison to my two BT girls (8 weeks old). I didn't have them with me, as they are still on mum during the day, but was wondering if I don't feed enough (either milk or concentrate)... I will try and weigh them tomorrow (trusted bathroom scales...), but has anyone got an idea about how much should goat kids weigh at 1, 2 3 etc months of age?

I have now started to give them more concentrate (I was knowingly careful about it, as I didn't want them to scour, a couple of my lambs have done that and they had been on mum's concentrates a bit...), and they are out for a wee while most days, eating grass (and clover!). They are munching on hay, and I have also introduced Alfa A, as my BT nanny is not finishing her concentrates that well at the moment and is getting abit bony...

What about sugarbeet shreds for kids? I am raising a male GG, and the three kids are eating together, but could be separated if necessary for mealtimes.

Roxy · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2010, 12:07:44 am »

I don't give kids any sugar beet until they are probably 9 months old. Primrose and Poppy will be 10 weeks old now. They go out from lunchtime until 10pm with their mum. They are so full when they come in, they only have a handful of goat mix, and a little bit of hay. They look quite big for their age, and will be coming off their mum in a couple of weeks.

Anke · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2010, 07:11:33 pm »

The girls are 13 and 15 kgs each and were 8 weeks at the weekend. Is that small for BT kids?

ballingall · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2010, 10:56:54 pm »

Hmmm not neccessarily small I don't think. Remember a lot of the kids at the show will be a lot earlier born. I will weigh our BT kid at the weekend if not before and let you know what she weighs. She will be 7 weeks on Sunday. That is one of the snags with leaving kids on their mum, it means you don't know exactly how much milk mum is giving, and in turn, how much the kids are taking. We try and give kids as much to drink as we can, if we have the spare milk. Our girls (most of them 6-8 weeks) are getting 4 & 1/2 pints a day as a minimum. When we have a bit more milk, they will get 6 pints a day. The big boy gets 5pints a day in 2 feeds, and two younger boys get much the same as the girls.

Beth

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** May 27, 2010, 09:30:16 pm »

Thanks Beth, would be great to have some comparison.

The GG boy (on the bottle) gets 4 x 450ml a day, plus some concentrates, Alfa A and of course has hay and grass/clover for about an hour outside. It is quite complicated at the moment, as I cannot leave Lilly the GG X AN out off the lead, as she jumps. So I take her (and everybody else) out for about 30 - 45 minutes late morning, and then bring the kids and her back in, as I htink it wouldn't be fair on her to be in on her own... We will try and put another set of (electric) wire on top of the fence and over the gates (as these are even worse for her jumping, she can put her feet up for some leverage!), but will need to clip the sheep first and also maybe get hay sorted...

By the way, I had to get the BT kids back to the vets for a second go at disbudding, both had new horn growth... Not too happy about it, but I gather its quite common. so we are back to kids with blue spots on their heads, but they can't butt each other, as it hurts!

ballingall · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2010, 10:53:34 pm »

I got the children to weigh some of the kids (and they weighed a milker and my dog too!) on the weigh bridge at the market this weekend.

Luma, 7 week old BT female weighs 14kg, so very similar to yours. Cupid, nearly 7 weeks old, weighed 15kg, the male BT also 7 weeks old weighed 17kg- the same as the dog!

My neices weighed my milker Surf for some reason too, not sure why they wanted too, given that they are scared of her as she's not keen on children. The fact that both my eldest neices are taller than me and no longer look like children, has not allayed their fears much. However, she weighed 98kg

I was quite shocked that is was as much as that, although she is a very big goat to be fair, but she isn't what you would call fat.

So I wouldn't worry too much about the weight/size, they are very similar to ours. Some breeds mature more quickly than others, and BT's aren't one of those breeds, so it could be partly that.

Beth

Anke · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2010, 10:08:12 pm »

Thanks so much Beth, that has calmed me down no end! The kids are now outside a lot more, they "tested" the electric top wire today.... not sure how much grass they eat, as they spend most of their time annoying the adults (goats) around them....