# Best way to put weight on a dry doe.



## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

I have two dry does who will be bred in a couple months, and they need to gain weight, a 5yr old Boer and a 2 year old Alpine. I have had them on 2# each of noble goat a day, free choice grass hay, 1 flake each of alfalfa a day, and free choice minerals. 

They have good famancha scores but I do plan to do a fecal Monday. 

I am thinking about adding some better feed. They hate BOSS. I am trying to decide between adding some calf manna to their diet, or a horse feed. And if I go the horse feed route which kind, senior, maintenance, or mare and foal? 

We are going to pick up a batch of really nice alfalfa this coming week so I will also up their alfalfa. 

Thanks


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

I've never tried horse feed on goats, so not sure which kind is best.  

Our adult does (all Boers and 1 Nubian) get a mixture of Allstock/Noble Goat/BOSS. They only get 3/4lb a day and no hay at all. They are in very good condition and one of them is too heavy IMO! I think the BOSS has something to do with their weight being so good. And I know our pasture is probably the equivalent to alfalfa right now. 

Have you tried mixing some BOSS in with the Noble? 

Our kids and show does get Calf Manna/Noble/Allstock. CM would definitely help with muscle development. 

Sounds like they are getting plenty of good feed to be in good condition.  Have you had them for very long? It can take a while for them to start putting weight on.


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

I have been mixing in BOSS with the noble goat, the Boer will eat it but the Alpine picks out the noble goat and leaves the BOSS lol! 

When you say all stock are you referring to sweet feed? What protein level? Around here they sell 10% and 12% all stock. 

They are on pasture, but its pretty small right now I moved them to a smaller pen so I could feed them with out everyone else. 

I have owned the Alpine about a year, she started dropping off weight 1 1/2 months ago (when her only kid died). I started feeding her separate but she still isn't gaining it back, she is eating good though. 
The Boer I bought over winter, her twins really pulled her down, the herd was on a hay/pasture diet but she wasn't keeping her weight on with that so I started pulling her and feeding her separate around the same time as the other doe. 


Thank you for replying  Also I would like to say you have beautiful goats, when you post a thread with pictures I drool lol.


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## chuckles (Aug 7, 2014)

What's wrong with plain old alfalfa pellets and a little beet pulp? That is my go to combination for any adult doe that needs some help - whether during lactation, or if they need a little condition after weaning their kids.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I do alfalfa pellets, beet pulp and a little calf manna. Probably wouldn't hurt to put a little safflower or wheat germ oil on the feed too.


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

kramsay said:


> I have been mixing in BOSS with the noble goat, the Boer will eat it but the Alpine picks out the noble goat and leaves the BOSS lol!
> 
> When you say all stock are you referring to sweet feed? What protein level? Around here they sell 10% and 12% all stock.
> 
> ...


Must be a dairy goat thing with the BOSS as all of my Boers will eat it plain. 

The Allstock is a molasses rolled feed... it is 12% protein and all of the goats love it. It's actually called "Ranch Blend" and is super cheap compared to the other feed. So we use it as a filler. 

It can take a good amount of time to get weight on does who raised kids recently. I have a doe right now that hasn't gained much in over a month and she's been on free fed alfalfa and grain 2x a day. She's just now starting to look good. Well... better. 

I'd check their worm load. Sounds like you are going to or already did though.


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## moonspinner (Oct 5, 2007)

I'd definitely do a fecal because it sounds like they're getting ample groceries. Sometimes great eye color can be deceiving on a wormload and I've read that famacha may only be reliable for blood sucking parasites.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

moonspinner said:


> I'd definitely do a fecal because it sounds like they're getting ample groceries. Sometimes great eye color can be deceiving on a wormload and I've read that famacha may only be reliable for blood sucking parasites.


I agree especially with them weaning/loosing their kids. I usually just worm mamas after I wean/sell kids because I figure it's a stressful time......I didn't this time. Long story kinda short  I didn't worm a doe after weaning and she wasn't bouncing back like she usually does. Did the fecal and worms and cocci and within almost a month her eye kids went from nice pink to white.
The two feeds I LOVE to use to put weight on is calf manna and BOSS as said above. Calf manna is high in protein and BOSS is high in fat. My goats hate both lol so I gave to grind up their grain. If your girls will eat the calf manna (most do except for mine  ) then then you can too dress it in oil like Karen suggest because that is also very high in fat. 
I don't know much about shredded beat pulp but I do know I tried it on my buckling last year because he was sold a little early. What I did for his mix was a scoop of calf manna a scoop of beat pulp and a scoop of BOSS then 4 scoops of of 16% goat feed and he gained just shy of a pound a day. I'm really not sure what all was the key factor in that but I'll use that mix again on ones that need help.

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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

my dairy girls love the BOSS as well...you can give whole unsalted peanuts in the shell...Goathiker suggested it...5-6 per feeding did the trick for us..and the egoats LOVE THEM...when wanting to add weight I believe its the fat you want to increase rather then protien...:greengrin:


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

What do unsalted whole peanuts in the shell give them, fat? Are they an alternative to BOSS? 

I have seen beet pulp in the store but I don't know much about it. Is it high in fat or protein ? Shreds or pellets? Don't you have to soak it in warm water?-If so I can't use it because I have no excess to warm water near the barn. 

Protein builds muscle and fat adds weight, is that right?

Sorry for all the questions  

I was unable to get to TSC today, but will be going tomorrow. 
Fecals will have to wait till Monday, the vet I use isn't open on Saturday's.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I want to know about these peanuts too 
I first got the pellet beat pulps...I went out with a handful and everyone seemed to like them but would spit them out so IMO they are to hard. I didn't soak my shredded beat pulp and had no issues with my buckling. 
And from my understanding your right protein is muscle and fat is...well fat....bone coverage lol. But I wouldn't do a all fat diet myself but to make sure there is a good amount of fat in their feed.


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## chuckles (Aug 7, 2014)

Beet pulp offers about 8% protein, 1% fat, and about 15% fiber. The big thing about beet pulp is that it helps animals convert feed better. I feed it in the pelleted form, I do not soak it - although you can do that, and I feed at the rate of about 1/2 lb per doe. It does seem to be an acquired taste sort of thing but, after a day or two of feeding, my girls will go for the beet pulp over the alfalfa pellets. Overfeeding can cause diarrhea due to the high fiber. As far as the protein vs fat for weight gain, you are basically correct. They need to be balanced in order to put on the right kind of weight. A balanced combination of both is much better than simply adding a lot of fat which can cause problems.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Idk about the peanuts, but to put weight on my goats I have used the shredded beet pulp. I did not add water, I added about a half cup of that with 5 cups alfalfa pellets, 1 1/2 cups whole oats, 1/2 cup BOSS and 3/4 cup calf manna.. Twice a day. My boer doe had triplets that just sucked all the weight off her and this really helped her gain it back even though I was still milking her!


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats! 2 nubian does, 1 Nubian buck, 1 Pygmy doe, 1 Pygmy/ Nigerian wether, and 1 alpine/ guernsey wether! Plus the rest of the farm pets which would take the whole page to list  
~Dee

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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

chuckles said:


> Beet pulp offers about 8% protein, 1% fat, and about 15% fiber. The big thing about beet pulp is that it helps animals convert feed better. I feed it in the pelleted form, I do not soak it - although you can do that, and I feed at the rate of about 1/2 lb per doe. It does seem to be an acquired taste sort of thing but, after a day or two of feeding, my girls will go for the beet pulp over the alfalfa pellets. Overfeeding can cause diarrhea due to the high fiber. As far as the protein vs fat for weight gain, you are basically correct. They need to be balanced in order to put on the right kind of weight. A balanced combination of both is much better than simply adding a lot of fat which can cause problems.


Ahhhhh.... Thank you on the info on the beat pulp. I remember looking at the tag and thinking it didn't look to impressive but had always heard wonderful things about it so I tried it and liked it and just figured it would be a go to thing lol

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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Peanuts offer fat and fiber since in the shell...and added sheen to their coat as well  It made a huge difference in my girls..


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## springkids (Sep 12, 2013)

I had good results with adding calf manna and beet pulp pellets. 
My hubby used to sit in front of the tv at night before we go to bed and cut them into smaller pieces with side cutters. :laugh:


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## jannerbanner (Apr 1, 2014)

I have to always comment when beet pulp comes up...It is full of GMO, but if that is not an issue to you then it's no problem. Also, I gave my horse a handful of non-soaked beet pulp years and years ago and he nearly choked to death. If I were going to use beet pulp, I would soak it. It is also a handy medium for soaking up oil and mixing rice bran into. Rice bran is also a good source of fat. I have a friend that feeds a feed called "fat and fluffy" when she needs to put on weight. I, myself just increase their grass hay, add a little alfalfa and a cup of oats and a cup of barley and 1/4 cup of BOSS. I know this is not pure fat, but it is a lot of energy which also turns to fat when the basic needs have been met.
janice


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Goats can eat the beet pulp dry. Not sure why horses tend to choke on it.


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## springkids (Sep 12, 2013)

I tried soaking the beet pulp at first and my crew wouldn't touch it. So we just cut them into 1/4'' long pieces. I was afraid of the chocking hazard as well. That seemed to work well for us. It is a little time consuming though.


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## goatiegirl (Jan 7, 2013)

I am trying to put weight on my ND girl so I bought beet pulp pellets. After opening the bag and seeing them I worried they were too big and tried feeding them to her soaked. She wouldn't touch it.
Now I am putting them in a bag and smashing them with a mallet to break them into smaller pieces. Kind of a pain.
Do any of you feed the beet pulp pellets whole? Is choking a concern or am I being overly cautious?
Thanks.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Shredded beet pulp is a choking hazard for horses because of the way they chew. They don't grind like goats do since they have different teeth. If you have one that east super fast I would probably soak it some but it shouldn't be an issue for goats. Mine will eat sticks and barks when given the chance so I think they should be able to eat beet pulp. I'm actually getting ready to try it on my girls and see what it does for them. I do.however know that for wethers.and bucks you need to watch the calcium phosphorus ratio... it has a tone of phosphorous


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