# Putting weight on



## dodgecitynubians (Mar 5, 2013)

I've read numerous times that its hard to put weight on dairy goats in milk, but we need to get our senior doe looking good for fair. We separated our kids from mom today & will milk twice daily and feed back. They are triplets & 6 wks old and eating hay & grain well.


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## dodgecitynubians (Mar 5, 2013)

Also - we're feeding 16% protein Umbarger show feed, good alfalfa & clover hay, beet pulp, calf manna, baking soda & free choice mineral. I wormed her with ivomectin about 2 weeks ago & I've given her probios. She has normal 'berries' and eats well but seems very bony along the rib and spine. I've seen plenty of does in milk that look much better. Will separating her help and is there anything else I should do?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

what do you mean milk twice a day and feed back? 6 weeks is a bit too young to ween...are you giving bottles? 
to add weight...add beet pulp and a bit of BOSS. to her meals...free choice hay a good mineral...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I should ask what breed is she..how much does she give in milk? and how much of the feed ration does she get...


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

It's not at all hard, just take a lil bit of time.

A good grain will pick them right up.
I feed

Lactating dairy chow (I feed purina or farmers, *however*, I recently discovered that farmers lactating dairy chow and their beef calf developer is the SAME! But the calf feed is half the price! so I feed calf feed to my does now, no issues there)
Sunflower seeds (black oil)
Calf Manna (or farmers brand Excelorater, it is actually a bit better that calf manna, nutritionally and price wise)
Sweet Cob (corn, oats, barley, etc, w/molasses)
Alfalfa Pellets
Beet Pulp
and some carrots

My does get 6lbs a day. But of course you can adjust it if your does milk less!

Also make sure you worm your does regularly, and make sure they have *CLEAN *water! I cannot stress that enough, it has to be clean enough that you would drink out of it.

A good hay is key, as it is mostly the roughage that makes their milk. 
I feed Oat/Grain hay one day, then Alfalfa the next day, and sometimes they get orchard grass or alfalfa grass hay.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Oh, yes,
What breed, how much is she milking, how much grain are you giving her, and are you still feeding the kids milk? You do NOT want to stunt the kids growth.


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## dodgecitynubians (Mar 5, 2013)

She is a purebred registered nubian we purchased from risin' creek. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear - we just separated them tonight and we will be milking the doe and feeding the milk back to the kids. They will probably get more milk this way as she's been trying to start weening him for a week or two now. They are all strong & healthy.


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## dodgecitynubians (Mar 5, 2013)

I just went out to the barn & weighed out 6 lbs of feed and I've not been giving her enough. We will start upping her rations ASAP. Next question - how much beet pulp & calf manna? I've been feeding a cup of each, each day. Is that enough? Can u get black oil sunflower seeds at tractor supply? Haven't seen them. Also, hadnt thought of the carrots. Will have to see if she likes them. How do you feed them? Whole? Cut up?


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## dodgecitynubians (Mar 5, 2013)

Oh yeah - we've had the triplets in with her so its hard to know exactly how much she was milking but they are all strong @ healthy. We did get a gallon from her one day though.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Well, slowly work her up on the grain, you don't want to give her too much and cause her to get the runs.
Here is what I do, this is all together what mine get.

3lbs Dairy chow
1lb sunflower seeds
3/4 lbs calf manna
3/4 lbs alfalfa pellets
1/2 lb sweet cob

that is the grain they get all together for both feedings. Halve that list for each feeding to total this for both.

The beet pulp is in a separate pan, they get up to 2 lbs a day. Mine seem to eat it better if i mix honey or molasses in it

I feed the carrot sliced up in round slices.

I get the sunflower seeds at the feed store, I havent seen them at TS either.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Also, approx. how much does she weigh? The grain ration affects it a lot depending on if she is a big doe or small doe.
If she is a small doe, she does not need 6lbs a day, that will put too much weight on her and she will get too fat, and that can cause reproductive problems.

But if she is a big doe and milks a lot that should bee a good ration for her.

If she is a med-small doe and doesnt milk up to 2 gallons a day, she doesn't need that much grain either.


My does get that much because they are quite large girls and milk like holsteins. My best doe Peeps is a 3 gallon a day milker, so she needs that much.

Id say if she is about 200lbs, milks a gallon a day+, give her 4lbs of grain a day.


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