# Kids market goat needs to get bigger!



## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

I have 3 kids who are taking market goats to the fair the end of July. Weigh in is June 2, and they have to weigh 60 lbs. 2 of the goats weigh 68 and 66 lbs, so I am not worried about them, they still have 2 weeks before weigh in. 
But the smaller goat is only 53 lbs. :? He eats well, they are all on Boer Goat developer and calf manna. Minimal hay. Exercised. De wormed and free choice loose goat mineral. 
He was a twin to the goat who now weighs 66 lbs, and they were born the first week of January. All my does were first timers, with the exception of a few who had beautiful doelings. 

Is there any way we can get him to weigh in at least at 60 lbs in 2 weeks? :shrug: 

We also have one other wether, but he has his horns. He was born with his oxygen cut off, and had seizures for a while. After about 2 weeks on b complex he totally came out of it, we bottle fed him and he is the twin to the big wether, and weighs about 64 lbs right now, and is not getting all the special feed the market wethers are getting. We were told not to disbud him when he was little because he was under stress at the time. I am wondering if we can dehorn him now :shrug: and use him for fair to replace the small one. His horns aren't as big as the bucklings, probably because he was wethered. 

I just don't want to have my grand daughter go to weigh in and not have a goat that made weight, she puts so much work into her animals, and the first 2 years she did lambs, and had to cut them back and watch them so they didn't go over! She is thinking she would have rather paid for a lamb than take one of the goats. :help: This is our first year of breeding goats, and we got way more doelings than we did wether prospects. I've called around to many places and there isn't a Boer wether to be found anywhere. 
I'll post pics later of their prospects, and maybe someone can tell me what you think of them. We have never shown goats except in the breeding classes and did well there.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

For the smaller goat I would personally stop excercising him until after weigh in. If he only weighs 53lbs I don't think two weeks withoutexcercise will hurt him... just start him back as soon as weigh in is over. What do you deworm with? I might try treating with another wormer and maybe a cocci treament. 

For dehorning the other, you could possibly try banding? I don't much about it so hopefully someone with more expirience will chime in.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm so sorry, I can imagine this being very stressful! I have no suggestions on getting him to gain the weight needed, sure wish I did. But I wonder, do the goats HAVE to be dehorned or can they be tipped? I was told in our state <KY>, that if a wether has horns they have to be tipped and can't be allowed to grow long. My kids have had no interest in showing in the market classes so I honestly didn't look into detail more.

You said you have a lot of does...here the kids can show a market wether or a market doe/commercial doe. But they don't HAVE to sell them for meat.


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## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

Dani I dewormed with Safeguard, 3 days in a row. He had previously been wormed with Ivermectin. They have been on medicated feed since they were born, do you think he could still get cocci? I have an herbal dewormer too, that I haven't used on the market goats yet. 

Hoosier, they say ours have to be dehorned and no scurs allowed. Which I don't understand, because they are market goats. Yes, I do have several nice doelings, most of them are as big as the 2 bigger goats. Maybe one of them could go, I'll have to check out the herd tomorrow. I took pics of all the wethers today, I don't know if I can post them here yet or not.


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## Goober (Aug 21, 2009)

A "cheat" thought to try to eek out the last few ounces on that day (will probably need to gain a little more in between, first): free choice hay at the last minute to add a couple extra pounds in the belly. After weigh-in, go back to the usual feeding arrangements.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

If Safeguard in your area is like it is here, it's not very effective unless you give VERY high doses. Also depends on the worms your fighting. Ivermectin is useless for the worm we recently battled. You might have a fecal done just in case.

That's so sad they have to be dehorned and no scurs, they are MARKET ANIMALS...sheesh!


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

In most of the US safeguard isn't effective unless given in very large doses. I've been hearing the ivermetrin isn't as good as it once was so I've started using cydectin... which really seems to do the trick for us. Its fairly expensive but absolutely worth it. 

As for cocci, I give all of my show wether 3 rounds of dimethox over a three month period... which is from when I get them at around 3 months old to 6months old. They all seem to grow better after it too. 

We don't have to dehorn wethers here althought most judges do prefer it. In all honesty I couldn't care less about horns vs dehorned. Its a terminal animal so why does it matter if it has horns?


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## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

I can certainly do the dimethox, not a problem. I can switch wormers too, I do have a lady coming to disbud some babies this week, and I can ask her to do a fecal on the market wethers, just to be on the safe side. I totally agree on the horns for a market animal. Why on earth be so fussy about horns and eve n scurs, when they are going to slaughter them? I think they just have the mind set they hate horns and they are dangerous. When at this age, they aren't that long anyway, and you can tip them.


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## Junebug1994 (Nov 6, 2011)

Maybe section off the smaller wether with some of your other smaller goats and give them all they can eat feed. I feed a 17% protein pelleted ADM Showtec feed and my market wethers get constant access to the feed. I've had weekly gains of 4-5 pounds. Just a thought. Best of luck to you!


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## boermama (Sep 19, 2012)

Just wondering what you ended up doing and what worked for you? We are first time 4H ers in the same boat right now. One needs to be 60 lbs and he is only 45! Thanks!


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Keep in mind there are also several supplements out there to put weight on. Here, we have one called Fast Forward Fast Fat which puts weight on "fast!" There are alot of others too. Some are all species, some are for goats.


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## FaRmEr FrEaK (Jul 7, 2012)

Feed...Feed....Feed I would free feed and stop excersizing until weigh in you might want ti feed a little alfalfa or You could try high octane supplement my market weather gained 15 pounds in 2 weeks on that Good Luck


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