# How do I make my goat fat?



## GoatKids (Apr 8, 2018)

For fair, I need a goat over 60lbs. As of right now, I am feeding the goat milk replacer formula to my goats morning, evening, and night. I have tried to ween them as they are about 3 months old, but I've noticed that they become skinny again and nothing seems to be working to help gain their weight back up. Any tips on how to fatten up my goat :cake:


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

In order to wean them, they need to be eating hay and grain (if you feed that) plus drinking water on their own. I know there are people on here that can give you more advice.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

What kind of feed (grain) are they on? How much do they weigh right now, at 3 months old?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

They are going to loose weight during weaning and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Weaning stresses them out and since the dams are still there they spend more time crying to mom then they do eating. If there is a way to get the dams and put them away from the kids where at least they can’t see them that will help. Not hearing them is even better. But after about a week they usually start to calm down and start gaining well again.


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## Nudanud (Mar 1, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> Weaning stresses them out and since the dams are still there they spend more time crying to mom then they do eating


I assume they are on a bottle if they are on milk replacer.

When I weaned bottle babies, I cut them down to a bottle a day for a week then just quit, but I will readily admit I am not a model goat "parent". 
Working small amounts of soaked beet pulp into their diet as you slowly cut back the milk might help offset the weight loss, but you can only force so much into a goat without making them sick.


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## ISmellLikeGoats (Oct 4, 2017)

When is your fair? If it's not until the end of summer you have plenty of time to make weight before the fair, even after weaning them, as long as you are feeding them a quality diet after they are weaned they will gain.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oops done how I missed the replacer :/ 
They are still going to throw a fit even on a bottle though. Depending on how long you have on how I would go about it. Usually what I do with bottle babies is I drop a bottle once a month. At a month old they get 3 bottles, two months 2 bottles, 3 months one bottle and weaned at 4 months. If you have time I would slowly start taking a bottle away. Start now and drop them to 2, probably morning and night. You can also give less in the bottles as well. In a week or so drop the morning bottle, give it another week and drop the third. Or rip the bandaid off and wean them, let them scream for about a week and then let them focus on feed. 
Since you said they have to weigh 60# I’m going to assume they are wethers. You don’t really want them fat anyways. Get them on a good feed, 16-18% protein, 3% fat. If what you are not feeding them meet that add calf manna for protein and BOSS for fat. You will actually get them to gain better if you only feed them every 12 hours. Give them a little hay, then give them grain. Wait 12 hours and repeat. Depending on what they weigh now and how long you have till fair on how much grain they should be getting though.


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## lifesabtchlearn2deal (Mar 26, 2018)

I usually start diluting the bottles more before I cut back on the amount of bottles. Example it was 4table spoons of replacer to 10oz of water...i went down to three tbs and then two and then one...i didn't give straight water ever out of the bottle but once I got to the one tbs per bottle after about three days they stop looking for it themselves. I think it makes them taste bad. I could be wrong doing it that way but it is what has worked for me so far when it comes to weening


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## GoatKids (Apr 8, 2018)

Goat_Scout said:


> What kind of feed (grain) are they on? How much do they weigh right now, at 3 months old?


We weighed them yesterday, and my fair goat, Niko, weighs about 40 lbs while Kylie, my breeding goat, weighs about 35 lbs. I am feeding a Boer Goat Developer which has 17% protein, but only 2.5% fat.


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## GoatKids (Apr 8, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> Oops done how I missed the replacer :/
> They are still going to throw a fit even on a bottle though. Depending on how long you have on how I would go about it. Usually what I do with bottle babies is I drop a bottle once a month. At a month old they get 3 bottles, two months 2 bottles, 3 months one bottle and weaned at 4 months. If you have time I would slowly start taking a bottle away. Start now and drop them to 2, probably morning and night. You can also give less in the bottles as well. In a week or so drop the morning bottle, give it another week and drop the third. Or rip the bandaid off and wean them, let them scream for about a week and then let them focus on feed.
> Since you said they have to weigh 60# I'm going to assume they are wethers. You don't really want them fat anyways. Get them on a good feed, 16-18% protein, 3% fat. If what you are not feeding them meet that add calf manna for protein and BOSS for fat. You will actually get them to gain better if you only feed them every 12 hours. Give them a little hay, then give them grain. Wait 12 hours and repeat. Depending on what they weigh now and how long you have till fair on how much grain they should be getting though.


I am feeding a pellet called Boer Goat Develepor. It has 17% protein, but only 2.5 crude fat. Is this OK for my goats or should I add more fat to their diet?


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## The boy’s mom (May 31, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> Oops done how I missed the replacer :/
> They are still going to throw a fit even on a bottle though. Depending on how long you have on how I would go about it. Usually what I do with bottle babies is I drop a bottle once a month. At a month old they get 3 bottles, two months 2 bottles, 3 months one bottle and weaned at 4 months. If you have time I would slowly start taking a bottle away. Start now and drop them to 2, probably morning and night. You can also give less in the bottles as well. In a week or so drop the morning bottle, give it another week and drop the third. Or rip the bandaid off and wean them, let them scream for about a week and then let them focus on feed.
> Since you said they have to weigh 60# I'm going to assume they are wethers. You don't really want them fat anyways. Get them on a good feed, 16-18% protein, 3% fat. If what you are not feeding them meet that add calf manna for protein and BOSS for fat. You will actually get them to gain better if you only feed them every 12 hours. Give them a little hay, then give them grain. Wait 12 hours and repeat. Depending on what they weigh now and how long you have till fair on how much grain they should be getting though.


Jessica 84- my son has a 6 month old goat that is not super interested in eating. He gets alfalfa, quality goat feed mixed with lamb feed, glucoat and then drenched with dyne 2 x daily. He also gets B12 twice weekly. What are your thoughts about adding calf manna BOSS to this mixture? What about adding beer?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You can add it and see if that helps. I would try and figure out why he isn’t interested in eating that much though. I haven’t played with giving the vitamin B yet, but does he seem to eat more after giving it to him? We are going to start giving the Goats vitamin B though when it gets hot and they don’t eat as much but from what all I gathered it was a every day kinda thing. I’m not sure what the glucoat and dyne is. I’m gonna google it and see what it is. I don’t think beer will make him want to eat more or gain better. It is mostly used for rumens that are off. If your not hearing a bunch of rumbling going on you could sure try it and see if it helps.


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## The boy’s mom (May 31, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> You can add it and see if that helps. I would try and figure out why he isn't interested in eating that much though. I haven't played with giving the vitamin B yet, but does he seem to eat more after giving it to him? We are going to start giving the Goats vitamin B though when it gets hot and they don't eat as much but from what all I gathered it was a every day kinda thing. I'm not sure what the glucoat and dyne is. I'm gonna google it and see what it is. I don't think beer will make him want to eat more or gain better. It is mostly used for rumens that are off. If your not hearing a bunch of rumbling going on you could sure try it and see if it helps.


Thank you


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