# ?? about feeding my market goat?



## Timothy Hay (Feb 12, 2011)

Okay my market goat for 4-H was born in November and I have had him since March.. he doesn't seem to me like he is growing a lot... 
He was just taken out of the pen with 4 of our younger doe's so he wasn't getting a lot of grain but now he is in the pen with my market lamb for 4-H and my sisters 2 little bottle lambs.. My sisters boyfriend who raises sheep for a living said my lamb should be getting around 3lb of grain a day.. how much grain should my goat be getting?? I have been giving them about 3lbs of grain all together and 2 or 3 sheets of hay a day depending on how much they eat of it..


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## Reed (Mar 15, 2011)

What are you feeding? Sheep or goat feed?


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## Timothy Hay (Feb 12, 2011)

It is a mix that the farm co-op makes for goats, but it doesnt have copper in it so it is safe for my lamb too.. 

this is what is in it..

Corn 
Oats 
Steakmaker 38 vp
48% soy balk 
liquid molasses-(millcoat 70-5) 
Decoxx


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I give my wether 2-4% of their body weight in grain. If he's fat he needs 2%, but since he's not growing much I'd give him between 3 and 4%. 

Since his feed doesn't have copper in it then you may want to give him a top dress mineral with his grain.


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## Timothy Hay (Feb 12, 2011)

ok thank you.. I will try and see what happens..


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I am new at this and trying to help my kids with their 4-H goats <they are showing breeding does this year not market goats...that'll come next year  >. We have been feeding a basic medicated goat grain from a feed mill that is 15%. But...we just recently switched to Honor Show Chow - Impulse and then there is the finishing feed Xclamation. They are 16%, and have copper, selenium, etc. in it. I read somewhere that once you get them on this feed their need for loose mineral 'should' decrease.
So I wonder if it's possible you could get something goat specific to offer him like this feed? I understand if you can't, but just thought I'd mention it. From what I understand, sheep do better on feed that is based for them, and goats do much better on goat specific feed.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

Have you wormed him or treated him for coccidiosis? 

we feed ours twice a day as much as they will eat and clean up in around an hours time, So if they are cleaning it all up right away that is not enough, if there is still some left by the next feeding that was too much. It normally works out to around 4% of their body weight. 
Plus daily exercise is very important to tighten the muscles for showing.


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

When is your fair? and how much does he already weigh? And is a he a dairy market or a Boer market? Or a Boer %? 

You want them to weigh at least between 80-100 pounds by fair.

Mine was 75% Boer and weighed 72# 4 months before my fair so I had to decrease him to 2# a day. Even then he was overweight by 1#! He weighed 101 so was put in the overweight class and was not able to win Grand/Reserve Champion because of it.


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## Timothy Hay (Feb 12, 2011)

we haven't wormed them yet we are getting wormer today for all the goats.. 

he weighs about 75 pounds now...

they have to be over 80lbs but there is no limit..

fair is August 14-21 

he is mostly Boer not sure the % though..


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

I think I'd give between 1/2lb-2lbs.

Make sure you have him jump and stretch his muscles. That's a big part of it. Having him jump on logs or even going up and down stairs would do wonders as well.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

Is the feed a pelleted feed or are all the grains seperate like in a sweet feed? Maybe the lambs are eating too fast? We would never beable to feed our goats with our lambs, lambs eat much faster than the goats. 

Perhaps the goat would do better, if you pulled him out twice a day and offered him extra feed away from the lamb. for 20 minutes at a time or so. 

That is also a lot of hay for show animals, Our lambs only get a small handful of hay one time a day, just a little to help their rumen. 

I would be feeding him 1 1/2 lbs a feeding twice a day, making sure he is eating his share of the feed. You could halter the lamb during feeding time. Lambs eat pretty well on a halter, goats are a little more annoyed by it. 

The lamb should be getting around 1 1/2 lbs two feedings a day, if he isn't over weight. 

Neither one should be getting a lot of hay, you cetainly don't want your show lamb to have a belly, they don't show as well. I am assuming it is a meat show and not a breeding show. 

For example, we are feeding 3 lambs that are around 90lbs each and 7 market goats that range from 45 lbs to 60 lbs each and they aren't getting more than 2 flacks a day, for all 10 of them. We have our lambs in a different pen than our goats.


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## Timothy Hay (Feb 12, 2011)

He seems to be gaining wait and he doesn't have a giant jiggly belly.. I am going to way him next week at the lamb weigh in I think if the leader says its okay..


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## Timothy Hay (Feb 12, 2011)

well he weighed 90 yesterday he is bigger then both my market goats from the last 2 years.. my lamb weighed 95.. I have 3 weeks till fair and I am going to try and get them both over 100.. My sisters Boyfriend whos a sheep farmer said it is doable with the lamb so I am going to try it with the goat too...


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

this would be a good time to start a top dress you can purchase a 30% protein pellet and add a 1/4 of a cup at first going up to 1/2 cup slowly, should be feeding instructions on the package. 

You can also try adding 1/4 a can of ensure drink per animal mixed into the feed, we just get the walmart brand, it is messy to feed. We work up to 1/2 can per animal per day or a little more. for a couple weeks before the show.

another recipee is with raw eggs, this is way messy. but works. Google: Make your own Show Supplies and Drench
Famous Gail Christian Drench


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