# Feeding show goats



## crazygoatlady_inthemaking (Apr 25, 2014)

Our show goats look great and have plenty of muscle but we always have a problem with our show goats getting a big gut during show season. Our goats we have now are a little gutty but we don't know how to get rid of it? Any tips? Feeding per goat: they get fed 8 oz purina impulse show feed, 4 oz of oats, and 4 oz of sunglo. We are thinking about using a supplement like fitters 35 bc it is a "fat-sucker" but we arnt sure.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Does or wethers? I muzzle mine if they get a big belly. I watch them at home and try different things to see how they respond. I've had some swell up after Gatorade and other not... I try it at home a couple times first. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with these goats?


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

My son has a wether with a big belly, he looked pregnant yesterday! He is the type to linger at the feeder and eat, eat, eat. he will also consume all the hay<we don't give them much> and grazes a bit too. We have 3 wethers & 2 bucks in a pen together. 
Daytime they have a decent sized grassy pen, night time they have a 'dry' pen in front of the barn and their shelter. 
My kids are going to start leaving the 2 big wethers in their night time pen longer and see if that helps make a difference. If your goats are in a grassy pen or have access to hay, I'd limit it, but certainly wouldn't cut it out all together, they need to have some hay. 
Otherwise, it may just be who they are. Oh, one thing my kids learned is, shave them down so you can see who they 'really' are. We thought my youngest daughters wether was a fatty boy, shaved him down last week for a show, and he looked really good  Sometimes hair can really throw you off.


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## crazygoatlady_inthemaking (Apr 25, 2014)

We have 3 does and 1 weather and we just want to make them look less gutty. Thanks!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Gutty as in how, are they too wide in the belly? IMO in the pics they look fine to me. Give them a bath, get them clipped a bit and see if your opinions change...


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Alot of the times the "gutty" look is a good thing. Volume and Capacity is measured in three dimensions, goats are no exception to this. We want good length, width and depth on them. This equates to a gutty look, as does a big healthy rumen. 

You can try to cut down on feed, or feed small frequent meals before shows. I've used baking soda to bring them down before... Even if its not a clinical, "call the vet" bloat, baking soda still works. Just don't use it alot as it changes the PH in the rumen.


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