# weak in the chine



## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi, I have a question about market goats. What causes them to be weak in the chine and is there anything you can do exercise wise to help? A few kids in my goat club have wethers with weak chines. They are well fed and right around a hundred pounds. They exercise them on the treadmill at a steep incline plus handwalking. The older they get the worse it looks.


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

It is genetic, or caused by their growing skeletons breaking down too fast. Normally happens with creep feed goats that are pushed to grow as fast as they can. Weak chine, weak pasturns, and bad topline are normally caused by to quick gain or genetics.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

The only thing they can do to try to make the goats look better is to make sure when they set them up that their front feet are underneath them and not out in front. If they set the front feet out too far in front it will over exaggerate the weak chine.


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## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks for tbe replies and the suggestion for keeping their front legs under them. Wish I could post pics from my phone that I took at the meeting last night.


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## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

Oh I forgot, these goats werent on any creep feed at all or even developer til after June 1 because they couldnt go over 90 lbs. They only ate 3rd cutting alfalfa and minerals.


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

Well then I'd say it is genetic. Some boers, or goats in general, have REALLY bad toplines.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

We are finding the Chine to be one of the hardest things to improve on or to get just right in our genetics.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I was just at the local county fair today, and almost all of the show wethers had weak chines  Part of it I think was the way they were set up, but it was also just the way they were.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I agree, a weak chine is genetic. Not much you can do other than what was suggested on setting up.


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Sorry for my ignorance. I'll throw out my guess for this part of the goat : the neck muscles? Never heard the term "chine" before. I learn something everyday on this site.


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

Here is a diagram, the Chine is the part of the spine right behind the withers.


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Thanks!


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## SDBoerGoats (Mar 14, 2012)

Ok, we are done with fair, and I am happy to say our goats did really well. We had one Grand Champion Heavyweight Division, and he went on to be Reserve Champion Market Goat. Also had a Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Mid weight Division. The one I was concerned with the prominent shoulders and drop in his chine, ended up 4th in his class. The judge did put him in second for a while, then moved him to 4th. He was a really good looking goat, weighed 109 pounds and lots of muscle. But his backed dropped and I am sure this is why he placed low.


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

I would love to see a pic of your goats, especially the one with the weak chine, just to learn what this looks like. Thanks for the update


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