# Big belly wether



## BoerTex

Can someone tell me how to get my weather looking like he's not bloated all the time


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## Suzanne_Tyler

Have a fecal done to make sure its not parasites. Other than that, it's perfectly normal and actually a good thing if they have large stomachs.


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## amanda5858

Are you feeding lots of hay? That's can cause them to get a hay belly. If you are worried about the way he will look for a show, then cut hay at least a week before your show.


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## BoerTex

We only feed a small hand full of hay three or four times a week. But he is as wide as he is tall.


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## ksalvagno

What are you feeding him and how much?


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## BoerTex

Purina show chow. Around 5 to 4 pounds a day


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## Suzanne_Tyler

Does he have lots of pasture and/or browse?


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## BoerTex

No he is in a dry lot


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## catharina

Has he always looked like that or is this a new thing? That sounds like a lot of goat chow! Can you feel his ribs at all? I've only had goats 5 years or so, but it seems like for most goats hay &/or browse are the largest part of their diet, with some grain or chow usually, but not even always. But if he's a show goat, maybe it's different. I don't know anything about show goats, honestly! Good luck!


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## BoerTex

He's a little fat across his ribs. But not real bad. He has had a little bit of a belly but it seems to be getting bigger as he grows.


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## BoerTex

We're going to leave it alone I guess and see how it turns out come show day


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## jschies

I didn't realize you were talking about a show wether. A lot of people say to split the food into three or four feedings so that not as much is in the stomach at once. Some people also cut the feed down and drench them with a "show shake" about a week before to get the belly off. If you ask around, I'm sure someone will be able to help you with that. Where are you showing him and when?


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## Sandyfrayne

The lady who works at the farm/feed supply store we shop at told me that she just lost her favourite wether due to feeding it grain. It was a purina horse feed she was giving him. 

Apparently the vet told her that wethers cannot properly digest grains and he had many gallstones.


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## catharina

Why horse feed??? Goats have very special nutritional requirements. Too much protein can be bad. Wethers are often only given hay, browse & loose minerals.

Did she mean stones (crystals or calculi) in the urinary tract, or gall stones like people get in their gall bladders? Feeding alfalfa hay, supplementing with ammonium chloride, & adding apple cider vinegar to their water are ways that people prevent urinary stones.

Most people have hay always available for their goats.


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## Idahogoats

I have 3 wethers. Can I feed them alfalfa hay? It is summer and I don't want to feed them anything too hot or can cause problems.


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## mariarose

Unless they have access to a lot of browse, like mine do, I would feed them a mixed hay, or grass hay with another high calcium source. Browse and grass are high in phosphorus, I've been told. And you don't want the calcium/phosphorus ratio too far one way or another.


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## Suzanne_Tyler

Yes, you can.


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