# To fat?



## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

I've probably asked everyone I know who is into to goats this question and now I'm asking you guys lol. My Ag Advisors keep telling me my doe is to fat and that she will have problems kidding and so on and so on about her weighing to much. But on the other hand I've had breeders tell me she was perfect! And shouldn't have any problems at all. So what do you guys think about her? 

* Sorry for posting to much one here lol I don't have very many goat people to help me.*


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

Sorry I will post more pictures in a minute. Having issues posting them.


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)




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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I don't raise boers, but I think she looks nice!


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

Can you feel her ribs with light pressure? Does she have rolls behind her elbows?

She isn't skinny for sure but I wouldn't say horribly overweight from what I can see.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Beautiful doe  I don't raise boers either, so no help here


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

She is not fat at all, looks quite well.

The belly may be a full rumen in the one pic. At the end of a day, it can get round like that.
Then subside throughout the night without feeding.

How old is she?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I agree feel her ribs, if you have to dig down to feel them then she's a bit fat. Pictures can be deceiving sometimes so honestly hands on is the best way. I know my overweight doe doesn't look bad in pictures but she is grossly fat in person lol. But let's go off of pictures. I say she is about right. She doesn't look thin at all, she looks to have a nice layer of 'meat' on her and with winter coming on especially I find that to be a good thing. A few, and I mean a few extra pounds is not a bad thing. If God forbid she ever does get sick then she has a little extra before she is skin and bones. It is totally amazing how fast a sick animal can go from healthy weight to nothing. So again as long as your not really pushing to find ribs, or as mentioned not to much fat in the elbows I say she is ok


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

toth boer goats said:


> She is not fat at all, looks quite well.
> 
> The belly may be a full rumen in the one pic. At the end of a day, it can get round like that.
> Then subside throughout the night without feeding.
> ...


She just turned a year in june. I will definitely check the rib thing. She is Definitely the chunkier one out of every one. But I think that's because she is the queen during feeding time.

So if she is fat will it cause complications with pregnancy and kidding? I was told by my Advisor that if she weighs to much she will have problems kidding and will have tiny tiny kids because she is taking away all the fat and nurtion. So he advised to stop feeding her grain. Not sure what to do so many different opions.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well yes a fat doe will be more likely to have kidding problems but I'm not sure if I'm agreeing with your advisor 100%. If a doe is to fat she won't want to move around as much especially heavily bred. Now depending on how the doe is fed your advisor might be right. Fat grows not only external but also internal.....now I have always heard this but till I die my own necropsy I didn't really get it. But say she's got a bunch of fat it's going to crowd the organs as well as he's probably the stomach as well. Add the fact that they already have kids crowding things she probably won't be able to meet the demands for herself and the kids not to mention it's hard on all the other organs. Usually fat does have big kids as well though and that brings on not only kidding issues but also a increase of a chance of Preg. Tox.
There's a man somewhat close by to me and he has beautiful stunning and very over weight goats, every year he looses at least one doe and or the kids. He is always having to have them induced or a c section. He fully admits the vet has told him his goats are to fat and even took him by the hand and showed him all the internal fat on a doe that died but they tried to save the kids, she also explained to him that 14 pound kids are not a healthy thing to go for. Now I'll stop there cause that's a whole other story lol but to give you a example of what to fat of a goat is looking at. Honestly I wouldn't be to concerns about your doe, even in the picture she looks nothing like these goats. I would just make sure she doesn't get out of hand on her weight and gets plenty of exercise once she is bred


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree, she looks OK.

From now on, make sure she doesn't get too fat during her pregnancy. Don't over feed her grain. 
Late term pregnancy and being over weight can cause issues as described above. 
I have seen fat does and your doe from the pictures, she looks in good body condition and as mentioned, 
with winter coming up, she needs a little cushion. Because she may start using those reserves.


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

Felt her ribs tonight and didn't have to dig through fat. She does have a little chunk behind her shoulder area so I will definitely watch her a little closer. Thank you everyone! Glad to know she should be okay.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

You bet.


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## 2appsloosa (Apr 12, 2016)

My older doe goats are Boer/Kiko mix and they look about like your goats. Healthy and I don't believe over weight at all from the looks in the picture.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Is she bred? What kind of hay do you feed? I don't think she looks bad, but she doesn't need to get any bigger either. If you feed good hay, they don't need grain until the last month of pregnancy. If you need to feed grain to your other does consider tying her to the hay feeder while the others eat their grain. The "small kids" thing is wrong, but your advisors are right that overweight preggo does have way more problems than trim ones. On the other hand, you want to keep the ones that hold good weight with less feed and she's probably one of those. After she kids, if she's a good doe, she will lose weight from milking. You want to grain the heck out of them when they are nursing babies.


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

She was put in with the buck last month, went back into season. So I put her back in this week....She is on alfalfa and Dumor goat feed. I think I have found a feeding plan that seems to be working for everyone.


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