# How many boer owners DO exercise their goats and how??



## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

I have been on the look out for a 4 wheeler so my kids can exercise our boers some in the afternoons. 

I feed high protien and good browse and sudan hay--our wether was "fat" for the ring last year. Even though my daughter walked him daily/practiced bracing he was still flabby for the ring. 

My bucks eat alot but seem not muscled up to me. My does seem fine weight wise but flabby-not hard muscle.

So do they really need daily exercise i.e. running to keep him muscled up? My does are turned out to pasture everyday so they are not confined-the boys are confined but for a few hours a day they are turned out. 

We got our newest doe-china doll in Jan. she seemed alot more muscled up to me then-she seems to have or be losing that now?


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## thegoatgirl (Nov 27, 2011)

I would try not feeding them ANY grains at all, and walking them for a long time every day to build up muscling and stamina. But then........I don't raise boers...


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

We do not do any more then you as far as exercising them. They get walked when the kids are around but that's about it. It is the kids project not mine so I do not train any of them. What protein levels and how much crude fat are you feeding them? All the kids are raised in a more confined pens. The does go to "summer camp" in the summer but otherwise are kept the same as the kids. Our wethers have never really been flabby but might this year because we may be holding them a little while. I would keep feeding grain as that's what we do until they are 1 year old. After that does only get grain 1 month prior and 1 month after breeding. Then a little for the first 3-4 months then none at the end and just good alfalfa so we do not have huge kids. Our kids still averaged like 8 pounds. Then while lactating then get grain. All summer they are on a grass/browse only diets.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I would do more than walking. Try to get them climbing things and jumping. That should really help with the muscle. Up stares, up flat boards and back down. If you can find a slightly slippery surface to make a ramp out of at a decent angle then have them like they are walking downward while holding them in place. They will start to slide a bit and normally they will start walking backwards trying to keep from slipping. Keep them there for a few minutes at a time.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Another thing we do is elevate their food and then put a step so that it stretches their backs and back legs while they eat. Here are some pictures of that. We started them like this in the creep area.
This is the creep feeding area. Jager found the way to do it without stretching though.








Then the girls have their feeder








Here is the boys feeder









This is the first year we have done this but this is what I have heard from alot of people on how to feed so it strengthens their backs and puts on loin muscle, also rear leg muscle. I hope this helps some.


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## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

Thanks Roger-it does help! I really need to take my girls off of grain. They have access to pasture--I guess I should do that now, because they are in breeding w/Joker right now. That way I can taper them down and begin feeding grain back in August. 

I knew I needed to get on that type of "feed train" with the girls-I just had not gotten there yet. 

I have some feeders where they have to stretch to eat-the feeder my husband made for the does-they actually have to climb up to eat. However, Moe and Macho have just a flat feeder-they just lower their heads to eat. But we could easily move it up and put some boards below for them to climb on-- :thumb: That may be a good thing! Thanks for the idea :greengrin: 

I just see these THICK bucks at shows--I dont' know why mine aren't like that  LOL--maybe it IS genetics? :shrug: 

Roger-re: feed I actually just switched to Purina (Noble goat for the does and X-Clamation for the bucks. We will see how it goes. The feed I was using had 17% Protien and a 3% fat content (I think?) Noble goat has less protein-both the Noble and the X-Clamation have 16%. 4% fat in the boys and 2% in the does. I am wondering if I should not be adding some more fiber to the feed? I have been toying w/the idea of adding some beet bulp-but I got scared because when you add the beet pulp you gotta up either the phosphorus or the calcium (I can remember which) because it messes w/those ratios. 

I will press on w/trying to find a decent priced 4 wheeler and we will see if that does not bulk them up some too.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I also heard I think from Pam? not sure if it was her or not but sprints are better then just running them. The short bursts of the sprint gets them in shape better then a "cross country" work out.


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## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

good to know...sprints will be easier for us to work them on as well!


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## cowgirlboergoats (Apr 29, 2012)

i have a 4 wheeller and i choase my goats aound with it and i make not to fat. i have a buck that is HUGE!!!!! and we have a huge doe so i'm wornding if how huge the kids will be :whatgoat: i'm hopeing that they will be :kidred: :kidred: i hope you find one and the kids will love it like this hlala:


RPC said:


> Another thing we do is elevate their food and then put a step so that it stretches their backs and back legs while they eat.are \. We started them like this in the creep area.
> This is the creep feeding area. Jager found the way to do it without stretching though.


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## GoatGirlMO (Aug 13, 2010)

Hi,
I've been around the block with club lambs and a lot of the strategies flow over to market wethers. If you are talking breeding stock, most of it is genetics. A lot is fat. 

Wethers, however, need to be trim and lean. Remember that goat meat is known for its leanness. With that said, a super-lean carcass will dry out in the cooler. Thus we want just a thin layer of fat over the entire carcass.

When you arrive at your fair with your wether, you want him to be perfectly "finished" with the proper "cover." (Cover and finish = fat). This isn't something you should try to adjust just before the show. You should be going over him daily, months in advance.

The easiest way I've found to estimate fat cover is to compare their last-rib area with your hand. Hold your hand flat (fingers together) and feel across your fingers. See how you can almost lay a finger in the little valleys made by your fingers? That goat would be too thin.

Now turn your hand over and feel across the top of your palm, where your fingers meet your hand. Feel how bulgy that is? That goat is too fleshy, or "over finished."

Now feel across the top your your hand, just below your knuckles. That is just right for your goat-- you should be able to easily feel the ribs, but they should have a little cover over them.

Cover is more important than muscle, to a degree. It's no use trying to amp up muscle on a thin goat. So get them properly finished, then tone that muscle and burn some calories with exercise to keep them from getting fat. 

A lot of the big-time folks use a track and a track dog to exercise their lambs and goats. The adrenaline pumps up those muscles like nothing else. 

Others use treadmills (both human and goat), but these take lots of precision. It is easy to way over-do it. 

What my sister does is take her wether down the road, then turn him loose and chase him back to the pen. She does this twice a day, a couple times a week. 

The important things to remember is that sprinting builds bigger muscles than long-distance running. So short bursts are best. Don't overdo it, build up to it and don't run them if they are loosing cover. 

There are many, many techniques out there. Some work, some don't. The lamb guys have figured out what hurts and what helps. Chariots, ramps, jumps, ledges-- anything that brings the front end up to "work the hind end," have fallen out of favor because they break down that hip-loin junction. 

We have found that just taking them away and letting them run back to the pen is the simplest, cheapest, and most effective way to sprint them. Our wethers are also penned up and away from the other goats, so we will occasionally let them out for about an hour and let them "fight" with their old herdmates. 

Good luck!


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Wow that was alot of good information thank you for that GoatGirlMO.


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## Riot_My_Love (Jul 12, 2009)

I have a feeder they have to climb up on, or stretch to get to.

I feed grain (in mass amounts, I like to fatten up my goats to grow them), fesque/orchard grass hay.

Then I seriously let my goats free range over 30 acres. They run, forage, climb, ect. I let them be goats. It really does muscle them.


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## brbn (Nov 30, 2011)

We feed our wethers on a ramp. One end screws into the wall and the feed pan is screwed into the wall too. This helps build there lower legs. Tthey often play on it when it isnt feeding time too. We walk our goats about a quarter mile then run them back with a four wheeler one of us walks them back while the other is getting there feed in there pen so that when they run back they automatically run into their pen because they know there is food there. We do this twice a day from 5 mo old and up for wethers. If they are starting to look too thin we up the feed and lower the run.
anna
www.freewebs.comm/brbn


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## carabelli (Jun 14, 2011)

We raise predominantly show does and bucks ... we do sell wethers, but, we show our does and will bucks ... we try to exercise them at least every other day ... we chase them in short sprints ... just on foot ... we are talking 10-20 feet bursts ... we aren't looking for endurance, but rather, muscles and sprints will do it. 

For feed, we have our show does on a creep feeder and free choice alfalfa ... they are on the fat side, but, that is what wins in the ring ... before breeding them, we put them out to pasture to slim them up ... as mentioned above, genetics is the key ... exercise and feed help, but, they have to have the building blocks to begin with.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I thought I'd ask here since we're on subject 

My kids have started doing little sprints with their doelings who are 2 1/2 - 4 months old. There are a couple we bought that we're trying to put weight on, one has loose skin like she's still growing into it LOL But she also IMO needs to build muscle as she grows and fills out, not just fat.

How many short 'sprints' would be ideal per day when they are working with them? For the most part they are fine, we're not trying to be big time show people, but the kids want to have a bit of a chance with them at the fairs <this is for fun, and learning as well as confidence yet responsability for my kids>.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Since you want to put weight on her I would not run her to much. As far as how much is too much I don't have a clue. Maybe only like 8 sprints a day?


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

We live on a very steep hill - if the goats wont venture to the bottom, I will sometimes bring some hay down there. They hate this but then decide that it is worth the trip for all the other good grass and low tree branches. It really wears them out. They have to wander about the hillside some to get food so for me it is easy to get them in shape. I get in shape too.


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