# Keeping weight on a rutty boy



## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

My Merlin is giving me a run for my money this year.. I know some weight loss is normal BUT....
He’s getting ribby no matter what I do to the point I’m really getting worried. He’s a one and a half year old Nigerian dwarf. His FAMACHA is a 1-2 and he is being kept in a pen away from the doe area with a wether friend. 
I’ve tried upping his grain and alfalfa pellet ration, I’m giving him both Sudan and alfalfa hay, I’ve tried adding in dyne, calf manna And beet pulp shreds.
I sent out a fecal for tape worms which is a stretch but not impossible with the wormings I do.
Suggestions please..


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Oh, forgot to add...
I’ve only used him for two does since I can’t handle more this year so he’s done for the year...no more dates though there are many screaming girls in earshot.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Rut season is so hard on the boys. Ruleing out parasites is good. Try adding browse foods to his pen. My boys barely eat their meals too. Its frustrating..but they love them some leaves.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

A breeder friend of mine suggested bran pellets - can get them at tsc - has really helped one of my boys this season! I used the beet pulp, calf manna route too - but it just didn't do much for him.....


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Thank you. I’ll try the bran pellets. He’s just so skinny. I hoped putting him in a smaller pen away from the girls would help..out of sight out of mind type of thing but it hasn’t


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I feel your pain - m boy Blue is fine - but Hank is always throwing something new to me ,,, really happy how it worked - even though he is still breeding - try to take a pic today sometime. He was just ribby and "hippy"....... ugh.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Thanks, Merlin held his weight fine last year so this was a bit of a surprise. I just hope rut ends soon so I can get him back in condition.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All good advice.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Thanks y’all.
He ate his breakfast this morning which is the first real meal in a week. 
I really was hoping to sell him soon but until I get him into condition I can’t.  
He’s too closely related to most of my does and until I’m more mobile a bit of a handful. He’s a really sweet laid back buck and good boy Usually...but he’s a bit crazy right now.Ugh,


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

My boy loves pumpkin and squash. Steamed or baked is the best, he says.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

6oz flat room temp dark beer daily for a week then 2x weekly. Fecal test.


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

I hope you get him to eat better and he gets some meat on his ribs!
Give him a stinky scratch from me!


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> 6oz flat room temp dark beer daily for a week then 2x weekly. Fecal test.


Thanks for the suggestion but it's not a rumen issue it's a distraction issue. With me being in a wheelchair right now I couldn't wrestle him to drench him anyway.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

I couldn’t find bran pellets so I grabbed some whole oats since he loves hands full of them. He also ate some peanuts but lost interest when Tonks started her hollering for him...errr...bloody horney goats Ugh!


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

GoofyGoat said:


> Thanks for the suggestion but it's not a rumen issue it's a distraction issue. With me being in a wheelchair right now I couldn't wrestle him to drench him anyway.


Nope, not for the rumen. Beer contains a lot of nutrients that really helps underweight goats. Not the rumen, weight itself. It's better than Dyne. Liquid gold. Try offering it in a bucket some do love it!!


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## AndersonRanch (Oct 18, 2020)

Ugh what is with bucks this year! Mine all look terrible and they are still so strongly in rut. I don’t think it’s the deed of breeding since mine all got just a handful of does as well it’s just the stupidity that comes with rut! 
There are 3 things that I swear by on putting weight on, it won’t really help if they are on strike eating but at least it will help when they decide not to be morons. The dune which you are already doing. But watch that, some goats don’t really like the taste of it. I’m assuming your mixing it in his feed so that might make him not want to eat. The kids show kids would NOT eat that stuff willingly! We even went with tough love with it and they would rather starve! Calf manna is another that I really like. It’s expensive but I just saw at my tractor supply a few months back they have a off brand that is exactly the same but $10 a bag cheaper. And then something called show bloom I tried last year. It is SUPER SUPER expensive but it is almost a joke on how little they need of that stuff to make a difference. I bought 2 bags last year and mixed in with all the kids grain and even having over 80 kids I still had a little bit left.
But really probably the only thing that is going to really get him to start packing the pounds on is when this never ending rut ends :/ I think his age is about the worse to deal with. Yearlings to 2 years old they seem to be extra hormonal and dumb about eating


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

AndersonRanch said:


> Ugh what is with bucks this year! Mine all look terrible and they are still so strongly in rut. I don't think it's the deed of breeding since mine all got just a handful of does as well it's just the stupidity that comes with rut!
> There are 3 things that I swear by on putting weight on, it won't really help if they are on strike eating but at least it will help when they decide not to be morons. The dune which you are already doing. But watch that, some goats don't really like the taste of it. I'm assuming your mixing it in his feed so that might make him not want to eat. The kids show kids would NOT eat that stuff willingly! We even went with tough love with it and they would rather starve! Calf manna is another that I really like. It's expensive but I just saw at my tractor supply a few months back they have a off brand that is exactly the same but $10 a bag cheaper. And then something called show bloom I tried last year. It is SUPER SUPER expensive but it is almost a joke on how little they need of that stuff to make a difference. I bought 2 bags last year and mixed in with all the kids grain and even having over 80 kids I still had a little bit left.
> But really probably the only thing that is going to really get him to start packing the pounds on is when this never ending rut ends :/ I think his age is about the worse to deal with. Yearlings to 2 years old they seem to be extra hormonal and dumb about eating


I'll try the show bloom if this continues thanks for the suggestion. I'll also try a bucket of beer. The only thing about the beer is I'll have to remove his wether friend from the pen because he's a lush and loves beer...Merlin wouldn't get a drop if I don't lol.


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

Clyde is hard to feed during rut, hes been good on apple slices and oats this year.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Make sure he is worm and cocci clean. 
Stress can bring it in and cause weight loss.
So be sure to get a fecal in case.


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> Nope, not for the rumen. Beer contains a lot of nutrients that really helps underweight goats. Not the rumen, weight itself. It's better than Dyne. Liquid gold. Try offering it in a bucket some do love it!!


I offered beer to each goat as a trial back in the summer. The only one who wouldn't touch it was my buck. Shook his head in disgust!
Funny, how a thing can be the best thing ever to some and disgusting to others...


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

My Hank decided he would have a worm bloom during rut - had a fecal done - and sure enough! So getting him back into shape has been fun....


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

The bran she was talking about may be rice bran and it is found in the equine section. High in fat, and some have the calcium/phosphorus ration balanced.

My Lamancha buck hasn't eaten hay since September and looks like death warmed over. He will eat his grain, and I have added hay stretcher and beet pulp, but anything other than concentrates he refuses. He won't even eat his browse. My Nubian buck is skinny as a rail, but at least he eats his hay. He is constantly moving because of the girls. The 2 Nigerians are not as bad, and will pick at their roughage.


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

On my.myotonic buck..Titan. he tends to thin down during rut. And afterwards ..any doe goes buy...he follows..and blubbers. But I have a few secrets I use on my Titan...lover pants..
I give him a little sweet feed with Supremo..just a handful. Supremo is the generic calf manna it half the price. I also pur VetRx on his nose. If he cant smell em..he will at least eat. Also electrrolytes in his water seems to help him put his mass back on. I figure if I can put up with his Rut smell...he can smell VetRx for me..lol lol


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Moers kiko boars said:


> On my.myotonic buck..Titan. he tends to thin down during rut. And afterwards ..any doe goes buy...he follows..and blubbers. But I have a few secrets I use on my Titan...lover pants..
> I give him a little sweet feed with Supremo..just a handful. Supremo is the generic calf manna it half the price. I also pur VetRx on his nose. If he cant smell em..he will at least eat. Also electrrolytes in his water seems to help him put his mass back on. I figure if I can put up with his Rut smell...he can smell VetRx for me..lol lol


Thanks for the ideas!
Do you get Supremo at TSC? I'll try the vet RX too. He's still hit or miss on feeding. I have to be careful what food I put in with him because his wether buddy will clean his plate and Merlins if we're not standing on top of him. He started getting chunky before we noticed Merlins weight loss.
I'm thinking maybe a protein bucket might help at this point. What do y'all think?


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

The Supremo I get at a feed store. I think TSC only carries Calf Manna. And it is $$$$$$$. YES on the protien bucket. I always get mine after kidding. When the Moms need all the extras!


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

I love protein buckets! Other than that all my goats look like toddlers that found moms lipstick


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

I’m not going to put one in with my herd just my skinny buck. I’m just hoping the extra calories put some weight back on him.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All good advice.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

And how is your buck doing now?


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Tanya said:


> And how is your buck doing now?


Sorry I missed this! He's doing better, still thin but gaining again finally PHEW!
The protein bucket helped a lot more than anything else I think. He's put quite a dent in it. Thanks for asking


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

GoofyGoat said:


> Sorry I missed this! He's doing better, still thin but gaining again finally PHEW!
> The protein bucket helped a lot more than anything else I think. He's put quite a dent in it. Thanks for asking


So good to hear! I was thinking about Merlin yesterday, also wondering!
My Jeffrey is also doing better with his eating. A very gradual change, but definitely better.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

MadHouse said:


> So good to hear! I was thinking about Merlin yesterday, also wondering!
> My Jeffrey is also doing better with his eating. A very gradual change, but definitely better.


Silly sex crazed boys will drive their mommas nuts won't they lol! I'm glad Jeffrey's doing better yay! It's been a rough year across the board


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

GoofyGoat said:


> Silly sex crazed boys will drive their mommas nuts won't they lol! I'm glad Jeffrey's doing better yay! It's been a rough year across the board


Yes, definitely!
And now it's looking up!


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Yay. Go boys. Stop making momma stress dagnabbit


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