# Diet Plans for Overweight Wethers?



## lenallen (Mar 25, 2009)

My four wethers are 2-1/2 years old. I have let them get overweight. I was told they are boar/nubian mix.

They are in good hiking condition (so far). About 2-3 times per week they hike briskly uphill for 1-1/2 miles and a 500-ft elevation gain and do a 5-mile circuit including that, then come back happy and comfortable.

But they are way past the back-of-the-hand rib test. Two of them seem to be so flat-back round that their (lightly loaded) saddles no longer fit well or stay in place while on trail.

In hindsight, I kept feeding winter servings of mostly alfalfa during last summer when they also got apparently plenty trailside forest browse. They each consume about a 4" length of a small hay bale each day. They each also get 1/2 cup grain each morning.

Here is a short video showing all four goats from various angles 




. I hate for a diet to deprive them of essential energy for sub-zero temps this winter (starting tonight).

If you can recommend any specific diet plans for winter that has worked for you, I sure would like to know.

Any suggestions please?

Thank you.
-Lee


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Lee,

they have so much fat inside that they won't suffer from lack of energy!

Just be careful not to cut their rations too much so that they have to metabolize too much fat reserves at once (can cause toxic reactions).

I would change from alfalfa to a simple grass hay (low energy) - this will have enoug roughage to keep the rumen working (and a working rumen is a good heater) and also try to do longer hikes, if your schedule allows this.


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## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

Hi Lee-

I have a very chubby boer and an obese boer/LaMancha mix. It is so hard to deprive them, but I have to feed them only grass hay, and just a handful of dry COB a day. My other two goats are all dairy goat breeds, and don't seem to put the weight on so much. The boer did fine packing this summer because I work hard, like you do, to keep him in shape. The boer/LaMancha mix had some hoof problems, probably because he's so overweight. He's better now, and on a much stricter diet. I can tell already that keeping the other two dairy breed types in shape is going to be a lot easier than keeping the meat goat breeds in shape. 

I love your video-camera-on-a-stick. I have a question about your barn: what did you roof with so the goats can walk on it?

Good luck with the boys,
Ali


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

You can cut the grain out completely and just gie them good quality grass and browse. They don't need alfalfa either.

You can kill a goat with food way quicker than you can starve him.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

I second the cutting of the grain (didn't read it the first time).


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## lenallen (Mar 25, 2009)

Hi. This is Lee checking back in. Thank you all for your advice and encouragement. I am implementing the advice you have given me. It's been below zero the past few days so I've not yet hit these fellows with the full-tilt new diet plan all at once. By Sunday they'll be on their new diet. Thanks again. I'll post some before/after pics when we get to target weight.


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## Bob Jones (Aug 21, 2009)

What a "back of the hand rib test"?


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## lenallen (Mar 25, 2009)

OK. This is Lee. I started the thread about my overweight goats. 

I've taken your advice. No grain. Nearly all grass. 

The goats hate me. They're standing out there now, staring toward my back door. I can read their faces: "BAD human!" ... "Goat abuse!" ... "We're starving." 

But ya know? The two fattest ones are looking a bit smaller already. I think.

Anyway, it's working. No goats have died and no humans have been killed.
Yet.

-Lee

(Mr. Jones: I heard or read that one way to 'measure' a goat's fat is whether rubbing your fingers across their ribs feels like rubbing the back of your hand, vs. the backs of your fingers. I think Carolyn Eddy posted it.)


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Lee,

let your goats experience how much easier hiking will be without having dead weight on the ribs - they will love you again.

Right now I'm considered "goat killer" because I have to treat 2 goats for a sore spot on one of their front hooves between the toes and another for an infected ear tag and taming one very shy youngster. One could really believe that there's nothing more dangerous than being hold by a person and offered some treats


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

IF you make a fist and then run your opposite finger across the back of your hand below the knuckles that's what a goat's ribs should feel like. If you do the same and run it over the fingers above the knuckles that's a goat that's too thin. If you run it across at the base of your hand above the wrist that's a goat that's too fat.


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