# Please Help, Light weight Dairy Goats



## FrankSandy (Sep 14, 2011)

HI All,
Really look forward to hearing from you.
I am the new proud owner to two Toggenburg Does in milk. They are both under weight, they are in good health, fecal clear of worms at this time. I just acquired them last Saturday. Have question for the group, I want to put weight on them fast as winters coming and a thin goat is next a sick goat. Please tell me the best thing you think I should do to help them put on weight. Right now I have them on Southern States Kid and adult feed 2 cups in am and 2 cups pm,, with All the browsing they want and goat minerals. :whatgoat: I do not know what they were on prior to coming to my farm as they came from a Goat Auction. But I know they had a bit of a time adjusting to my free brows and feed as they were reluctant to eat the feed or munch all the good plants ect here. And after doing so had a upset tummy. But a bit of baking soda and they were fine.
Thank You for your help in advance.
Yours in the Goat,, Sandy


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

What you could do if you want them at a healthy weight while you are milking would be to add a good alfalfa hay at least 2x a day with the browse they have......I would also increase the grain amount gradually til they are getting a minimum 3 cups 2x a day, mine are ND and when in milk, they get 2 cups 18% and 1 cup alfalfa pellets twice a day, I have 2 ND does who look great with this amount and I have 3 ND/Pygmy cross does who are dry and don't get grain but are getting alfalfa hay as well as browse and are entirely too fat with no grain.
If you do the gradual increase of grain and provide the alfalfa hay, you should see results with weight/condition within a month....how much milk are they giving and how many times a day do you milk?


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

I heard you can use beat pulp? I find It has a lot to do with what kind of hay they are eating and if they are eating enough of it.

For grain I feed 2 pounds of 16% sweet grain from agway daily (1 pound each milking) they also have access to pasture and sometimes they only eat 1.5 pounds of feed (whatever their not hungry for I use the next day).

Also if they are new to fresh pasture...dont let them eat all day or they might get kinda bloaty.


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## coso (Sep 19, 2011)

I second the beet pulp. I use it after freshening to make sure my girls don't lose too much weight, when they first freshen.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I agree with Liz -- if they are high producing then I would up their grain gradually and add alfalfa to their diet.


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## FrankSandy (Sep 14, 2011)

Evening All, I want to say Thank You for all the opinions as too getting weight on my Goats.
Guess you could say I tried all the recommendations. The two Toggs are getting a bit of weight on but its been hard, they are eating all the time. And this process is going to take a while, I see.But I will keep at it, they are worth the cost and effort. The girls have really turned into love bugs, and I enjoy their company. Its kind of funny to watch them, if they get scared of something they come running to me, and hide behind me. They do not like dogs, I guess they never were around them, but they have a natural fear for sure, and though my Aussi Sheps would never hurt them their instinct tells them other wise. Hope they will get use to the dogs soon.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

They say that it takes as long to put weight back on an animal as it took for the neglect of them to take it off. Putting weight back on isn't a quick process when it's being done properly. My little rescue Saanen that I took in last feb. actually dropped weight before he started gaining. He had mineral issues, empty feed trough syndrom, and was living in a small pen that was nothing but mud. They were feeding him grass hay on the mud. Talk about cocci...
I got him in Febuary as a 70lb. yearling. Now, 7 months later he has gained and grown to 160lb. and will be a proper sized 200lb. 2 year old easily. It did take as long as he'd been neglected to get him back to where he should be though.

They should get used to your dogs eventually. Mine got used to the neighbors siberian husky. That dog loves to lay on his side of the fence and 'guard' my goats for me.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

It seems like it would be tough to put much appreciable weight on a milk doe that is milking. With my two, if I feed them more, they use it to make more milk. If I was dead set on putting weight on them, I would dry them up.


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## francismilker (Oct 22, 2011)

Just a thought here............But as mentioned on my introduction page when I joined I stated. "know nothing about goats" so take my advice with a grain of salt but remember I've been milking cows for 25 years. When I have a cow that comes to the place in rough shape I try to gradually increase her fat intake as much or more than her protein intake. If you look at most milk replacer sacks for calves and kids it will have around 20% protein and around 20% fat. (give or take a little depending on manufacturer.) I've had a lot of success top dressing whatever feed I put them on with either milk replacer or rice bran. Just go easy on it so as not to founder or bloat the critter by changing things too much at once. 

I bought a lamancha doe at the goat auction several months ago that was WAY underweight and WAY too young to have her first kid. It took me six months to get her up to a healthy look with a good layer of fat right behind her front shoulder. I did this with a diet of browse, grass hay, corn chops, and rice bran.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Francis is right, so is tenacross. Also you can let them drink their milk if they will its good for them some will drink it some wont


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