# doe weight question/exercise - another question



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

My sons Jan 2011 doe is a fatty...heh... when she walks her belly jiggles. She's a wider doe than the others, and has a lot of loose skin everywhere.

I'm cutting her back on grain from a half cup 2x a day <with BOSS mixed in, grain is 15% medicated goat feed >, and thinking she probably only needs a handful of grain with BOSS 2x a day. She is tied at the feed trough so she can only eat from one slot, but I feel so bad for her....

Tonight we started running them....OMG trying to find something that works, because they don't like running on the leash....my kids tried to spook them, and get them running, but all they do is stop and look at my kids like they are crazy LOL

SO I had my kids get the bucket we use for grain rations, and the girls chased my kids all over the backyard... we'd stop after a few minutes let them have a few bites as a reward, then do it again....

Any other ideas on how to get this particular doe fit? She spends ALL day grazing if weather permits, and they have a mix grass hay available all night in their stall.

BTW, I placed their feed trough high enough that they have to stand with their front legs on a log and stretch to get the grain. I remember reading that any kind of stretching like this is good.

BTW, they've been seperated from their dam's for a week, so maybe not having milk will help slim her down a little. Of course I'd rather it be turned to muscle...


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

*Re: doe weight question/exercise*

We halter ours to the back of the lawnmower, but you can't take your eyes off of them, We work them up to a 20 minute run a day, they need to be panting and look warn out, but I can't stress enough how you can't look away from them for a second.

I am no nutrition expert, but I would think decreasing protein and increasing fat is not the direction you would want to go. I would recommend a higher protein feed, closer to 18% and less fat(cutting back on the BOSS. Ours get worked up to 3 to 4lbs a day dividid into 2 or 3 feedings of PUrina show goat feed and then topped dressed with a 33%protein pellet. and limited hay and grass closer to the show.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: doe weight question/exercise*

Thanks I knew I had that wrong on the BOSS/feed LOL She doesn't get but a tiny bit of BOSS right now, so at least I am not giving her too much, whew!

The lawn mower is a GREAT idea, but no way we could do it more than once every two weeks  Hubby would have a fit because of gas prices <we only have one solid income and I am trying to do this on my budget which isn't much>.

I wonder if there is anything else we can try...Something that can spook them into going but not make them afraid of us. Unless they don't grow old of chasing my kids with the feed bucket...LOL 
I think getting this girl weaned is really going to help, she was born in early Jan so she definitely needs to be off the teat.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

*Re: doe weight question/exercise*

We wean our show whethers at 8 weeks, you can tell with in the week that they loose the milk fat. I have herd of people teaching their goats/sheep to lunge like a horse. We have never tried it. YOu are right about gas prices, We do the goats one night and the lambs the next night, The night we don't run the animals, we practicing showing techniques and setting up. We have 6 goats this year, that will be a squeeze behind the tractor/lawnmower.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: doe weight question/exercise*

Do we prep a breeding doe a lot different than a show wether? This doe has a lot of loose skin all over her body. I am not sure if that's just her, or if that means she's too chunky? Her mama is the largest boned doe we have <boer/nubian>. The other doelings don't have that loose skin and they are 2 months younger. 
I wish we could teach these girls to do anything other than stop and eat/graze...LOL Right now everything is so green and lush and way too tempting for them. We did get them to runfor a few minutes, got their heart rate up. 
Tomorrow we're going to get up early and take them over to the fairgrounds and spend some time. Last time we went the girls were on their toes and LOVED it, but it was cold and rainy  Tomorrow it's supposed to be beautiful!


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

I wasn't catching on from your first post that you were talking about breeding does and not a meat goat class. We are allowed to show does in our meat goat class, and in our area 4H is all meat classes. I don't think people exercise their breeding stock animals like meat animals would be exercised. I think you would still want to feed your growing does atleast a 16% protein show quality feed, since you wouldn't want a fat loose looking doe for the show ring. 

We show 87.5% boer/ 12.5% nubian whethers and doelings at the meat show. They can do quit well. We are often complemented on their frames and top-lines, even though they do give up some muscling, especially down in their legs. 

I find it really helps to calm them down, by exposing them to other things. so taking them to the fair grounds to work with them, is a good idea. They say it really helps them, if you walk them passed different objects and animals. Ours have to get used to , sheep, cattle, dogs, trucks and tractors, swingsets, children playing, ectt.....


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks  I should have mentioned they were being shown as breeding does. We figured it would be the easiest start into 4-H for the kids. Our goats have always gotten the same grain <many other breeders in the area use the same grain>. But...I am stumped because it used to be 16%, and more recently I noticed it was knocked down to 15%. 
There is 'one' feedstore within driving distance that has the meat maker grain, I think it was about $10.00 a bag, would that be good? But I think it has like 19%... 
We've been feeding this grain, adding in some BOSS and beet pulp. They get fed 2x a day - first feeding isn't a whole lot, their evening feeding they get a little more and that's when I give the BOSS/beet pulp. Sometimes we don't add those things in.

The one that I have been worried about with weight's dam is boer/nubian and then the sire is boer. I 'believe' the dam is 50 boer/50 nubian. 
Here she is with her mama on Saturday










It's a lot more fun taking them to the fairgrounds to walk  We had a blast on Saturday walking them for an hour. We walked until they were getting slow and panting, and called it a day <it was getting hot out>. I'd like to take them one evening later this week if we get a chance, otherwise we'll have to wait until the weekend.

The real fun will be on June 7th - showmanship 4-H meeting. All the kids are supposed to bring in their project animals to learn/practice. Yep....chaos..!


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

Your boer/nubian doe is not going to keep up with you full-blood/100% in weight and thickness. Hopefully what she lacks in thickness she will make up for in frame.

As far as 19% feed compared to the 15% feed, I am no expert with feeding out breeding does for show. We have showed a few, but we aren't big time or anything. I would suggest reposting this picture of her and starting a new thread, specifically asking about feeding a breeding doeling for show. MIght get better experts than me helping you. 


She looks like a nice little doeling to me, does she have what it takes to keep up with the higher percentages, time will tell. I can't quit tell how much chest and spring of rib she has in that picture, That will make a difference on how well she does.


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