# Rate of Gain? Can we do it?



## polopony (Jun 24, 2011)

Due to circumstances beyond our control, my son's does didn't get bred until October. They should kid the end of March. Our fair is the first week of August. That give him 18-19 weeks to try and make weight with whatever he gets. We have a 50 pound minimum. Can we make it?


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

polopony said:


> Due to circumstances beyond our control, my son's does didn't get bred until October. They should kid the end of March. Our fair is the first week of August. That give him 18-19 weeks to try and make weight with whatever he gets. We have a 50 pound minimum. Can we make it?


IMO you should. When we wean our 'half breeds' <haha> at 3mo they are usually around 45lbs. and that's just with graining 2x a day. 
Of course we've never done market wethers...


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## polopony (Jun 24, 2011)

I hate to buy anything and then have to sell what we produced. It was a bummer that our really great genetics buck ended up being sterile  We have a good replacement, but then it was late for breeding. Sigh.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm so sorry, sometimes we get it planned out and something crazy like this happens! sorry he was sterile 
Our girls were bred at the end of Sept, so the first one is due 2 weeks from today - my son's 4-H doe from last year, so he's really excited, of course I told him he has to help deliver her and I'll stand back and watch, LOL!!!!

If you have fullbloods, you may be cutting it close, but you could probably do it, I'd think fullbloods would grow pretty well, especially boys. But of course I am going off of what we have, and we don't have fullbloods <but we breed to fullblood bucks>. I just assumed fullbloods wethered or not would grow a lot better than mixbred, especially since our does top out at about 115lbs.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I think you should make it no problem maybe if your does are doing alright wait til 12 weeks to wean the kids that will help them grow some more but get them started on an 18% feed at around 3 weeks and give them all they will eat and you should be good. I have a 4 week old that's 26 pounds and a 3 week old that 15 pounds as far as wethers go. So if I keep them both on their dams another 4-5 weeks they should be around 40-50 pounds when I wean and then they still have a few months till the fair. Our cut off is 40 pounds which I think is a little light but there is always a family that can't make weight some how. I really think you should be fine. I am like you I would hate to have to buy kids and sell mine just because they won't be big enough.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

It depends. We had the same issue last year (mainly because we were clueless LOL) One of the goats made weight easily and had he been born a month earlier probably would have made grand champion. Judge said he just didn't have enough finish on him to do it. But he did place first in his weight class. Of course, his mama is a fantastic milker and throws huge babies to begin with.

The second one....didn't quite make weight. Only 47 pounds. Sheep superintendent is very kid friendly and "fudged" the weight 3 pounds so my daughter could sell him. 

The first one above was a boer/nubian mix. The 2nd a pure boer (more or less anyway). Keep the babies on the mamas for as long as they will nurse them. That will definitely help. And, Good Luck.


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## Junebug1994 (Nov 6, 2011)

One thing I'd say is that if you're going to creep feed, make sure you get your CD-T Vaccine in them. Dont want to lose any kiddos Good luck.


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## polopony (Jun 24, 2011)

We always vaccinate as necessary. Does are vaccinated approx. 3 weeks prior to kidding.


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## Goat Crazy (Feb 8, 2010)

I would leave the kid on his mom till 3weeks before fair, I find the longer they are on their dams the faster they grow. I would wait to wean till fair, but that might stress him out to much.. I have never done market goats, but I would imagine the grow better the longer they're on mom too.


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