# Putting weight on quickly



## boermama (Sep 19, 2012)

Hello! We _ar_e new to the foru_m_, so hopefully we are p_osting in the right spot  We h_ave tw_o 4H Boer We_ther goats. Fair time is so_on and this is our first_ _ye_ar. One of _the b_oys is still _u_nder weight b_y a_bout 15 lbs. Any su_ggestions for _upp_in_ghis weight in time for fair? (A little less_ t_han a mont_h to go) They are currently on a good show feed. We have wormed him, we are upping his feed to 3x a day, we are making sure his our other goat is staying out of his food. Thanks for any and all suggestions no matter how crazy they sound! I would hate to see my children dissapointed by not making weight!_


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What kind of hay are you feeding? You can also add something like alfalfa pellets or beet pulp.


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## boermama (Sep 19, 2012)

Thank you! We were feeding a bit of alfafa twice a week, but since the time crunch, we started feeding alfalfa every day. Adding the pellets sounds like a good idea.
I forgot to ask what excercise recommendations are? I would think that excercise would make him more hungry.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

When you say wormed him? What kind of wormer? Something like tapworms or coccidiosis can really slow down growth rate. 

I wouldn't exercise him hardly at all, if he isn't gaining weight. He will loose weight from exercising him. 

CAlf manna is good for putting weight on. I would feed less hay, so he eats more pelleted feed.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Calf manna would be a good addition. How much feed are you giving at one time? I wouldn't excercise him because he'll loose fat which would be a bad thing.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

First off, Welcome to TGS :wave:

I agree that calf manna will help. 

Worms and cocci can delay growth. You can get a fecal to make sure. If he is being shown and sold, worming or treating him, you will need to allow for the withdrawal times before the show, if it is that kind of show/sale type of thing.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

I've heard about calf manna, has anyone used boer goat developer- R20; it has 17% protein, fat not less than 2.5%, copper 20-24 ppm, selenium not less than 0.3% ppm, vit A not less than 10,000 per IU/lb, vit d not less than 1,000 per IU/lb, and vit E not less than 10 IU/lb- it seems a lot of the boer people here use that.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

your wether should be eating 3.5% to 4% in his body weight a day of a good show feed. So a 50 lb goat should be eating almost 2 lbs of grain a day, divided up into 2 or 3 feedings. Our feed normally measures out to be 3 measuring cups per lb. 

We have been really happy with the Purina show feed, I beleive it is called Exclamation. We used Show Rite this year, but we weren't as happy with it. Of course feed brands will vary depending on the region you live in.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

clearwtrbeach said:


> I've heard about calf manna, has anyone used boer goat developer- R20; it has 17% protein, fat not less than 2.5%, copper 20-24 ppm, selenium not less than 0.3% ppm, vit A not less than 10,000 per IU/lb, vit d not less than 1,000 per IU/lb, and vit E not less than 10 IU/lb- it seems a lot of the boer people here use that.


With a handful of BOSS thrown in, BGD R20 is what we have always used. Excellent product. If you are not currently feeding it, change them over slowly.


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