# How much should a wether eat?



## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

Hi I was wondering how much I should be feeding my 7 month old alpine wether. He gets 1-2 pounds of goat pellets in the morning and 2-3 pounds of pellets at night he also has hay all day as well as grass and many various plants in his pen.
I feed dumor goat pellets


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

How much does he weigh currently?


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@ArborGoats About 30 pounds


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

Is he a purebred Alpine? My 7-8 month old Alpines are currently in the 90# range, so 30# is pretty small. My boys only get hay and minerals, so I can't help you on the feed for the boys.

But, have you had a fecal done at all to include coccidia because that can stunt kids and make them smaller.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Well, he is just a real cutie pie.

I don't really know what you mean by goat pellets. Do you have a brand name/formulation?

I also don't know his purpose. Is he to be a show goat? Market wether for meat? Long lived pet?

My wethers pretty much only get as much natural browse as they can eat, and hay, and loose minerals. If I were keeping him as a pet or companion animal I would give him some alfalfa and make certain he got AC. If I were trying to pile on the pounds for a meat market, I would give him alfalfa pellets and some grain, but mostly the hay/browse/alfalfa

Show goat requirement, you'll have to ask someone else. But I'm certain that will include AC


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

Wow yes hes purebred and i haven't had a fecal done but i was just at the vet to get dewormer and she asked his birthdate and didn't say anything about him being under weigh so I will have to look into it thank you.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

I feed him DUMOR goat pellets and he is my 4-h/ show goat


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

The rule of thumb I heard a while back, was that my Alpines should gain at least 10 lbs a month. How did you weigh him? Just asking because sometimes they sneak up on you and suddenly they weigh more than we think they do. So I wasn't sure if you used a scale or a weight tape or eyeball? Also how tall is he? I can go out and measure how tall mine are if that would help at all for a comparison?


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Dumor is a TSC brand that has several formulations for ruminants. Can you tell us which one you like/use?

I agree, just on general principal, you need to ask for a coccidia check on a fecal sample (just, well, because it needs checked)

AC is ammonium chloride, that will help prevent urinary calculi. This is very important in males, especially wethers.

Glad you are here, and he is really cute


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

What kind of hay is he getting? I would highly recommend giving alfalfa if you aren't already.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@ArborGoats I weigh myself and then hold him and re weigh my self. He is about 25 inches tall.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@mariarose These are the pellets


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@Suzanne_Tyler The hay we feed is a alfalfa timothy mix that my family bales


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I would say that the hay sounds good. I'm glad he has some alfalfa. The pellets look ok too. The Dumor Sweet feed has a higher mineral level, but if you are offering a quality free choice mineral then that shouldn't be as important. Does he have a playmate? A companion goat his size and energy level can encourage play and exercise which would help muscle development.

What loose minerals are you offering? If you tell us your options, we can help you with that.

Do please have that cocci check though.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@mariarose He doesn't have loose minerals. But he does have a mineral block. He doesn't have a goat play mate. But he is always playing he has stuff to play on and runs and play with the barn cat and the horses. I play with him and walk him daily.
Are loose minerals better than a mineral block?
Thanks for all the help. (this is the mineral block he has)


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

No, he needs loose minerals, that are low in salt and high in copper. They can't get enough with their soft tongues off of a block. If he is a single goat, and you don't want a larger bag of minerals, Manna Pro makes a small bag that TSC sells

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/manna-pro-goat-mineral-supplement-8-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Here is a similar, but better, mineral in a larger bag

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-6-phosphorus-cattle-mineral-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Here is another OK one, but the salt is too high for my comfort

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-wind-rain-storm-all-season-75-complete?cm_vc=-10005

You seem to enjoy shopping TSC, so I'm sticking to their offerings.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

OK I can get the manna pro at my tractor supply so I will go there later today and get some. Tractor supply is the only store that sell goat supplies near me so I always shop there. 
Do I need to take the mineral block away from him or is it OK for him to keep it. Do I keep the loose minerals available all the time or only so much each day?


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I would take it away because it is so high in salt, but really, that is up to you. Goats will stop eating minerals because they have had enough salt. So they may not get enough minerals. I only offer salt when the weather is intensely hot.

Your pelleted feed has ammonium chloride in it, and soon you'll have minerals that have AC in them. 

However, one day you should consider buying some AC separately, in case you change feed, go to a better mineral, or need to make an AC drench to help your wether who developed UC (stones in the urinary tract) in spite of everything. 

I can't find it on the TSC site, but you should be able to get it on amazon.com.

He is really lucky to have you. You are very responsive and responsible.

Do consider getting him a friend, and please do take a fecal sample to the vet to get a coccidiosis check.

And have fun with him. He's adorable.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Sorry, I missed a question. Yes, the minerals should be free choice, available all the time, along with good hay and clean water.

All the mineral choices I showed you are on the TSC website. They have lots of mineral choices. Some are truly awful, like this one. Don't ever get this one.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/nutrebeef-all-purpose-mineral?cm_vc=-10005


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Since a lot of this discussion has centered on minerals, here is a thread you might find of interest.

https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/white-muscle-disease.194195/


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@mariarose Thank you for all of the advice and help I will call the vet first thing Monday morning for the fecal test


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

You are in the very best place for help and companionship. Welcome.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Again, because of the focus so far on minerals....

this is one of my favorite bloggers, with an excellent article

https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-minerals/

Because I am unable to help you regarding showing issues, perhaps you should post another question in the showing forum? I'm glad to do what I can, but I don't show, and can't advise about those ins and outs.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

UPDATE I called the vet and they said since I gave him de wormer it might clear up the cocci if he has it. They also said the are not sure what dewormer they gave me. They said I can do the test for $35 And if has it they will give him dewormer again I gave him dewormer not even 2 weeks ago can he have it again?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

You can send a fecal sample into mid america and they will run the test for much less than that.

http://www.midamericaagresearch.net

If he still has parasites, he will still need worming. What kind of wormer was given, how much, how many times?


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@Suzanne_Tyler I got the wormer from the vet and It was a shot and it was only like 1cc and I only gave it once. They dont know what kind it was they told me. But the bottle she got it out of I think said safeguard on it. And thanks for the information i will defiantly look in to it


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm...flabbergasted...

Coccidia requires a coccidiostat, not a wormer, and your vet should know that.

@Suzanne_Tyler is correct. You can send in a fecal to a lab (I've not done so, but she has) and if there are parasites of any kind, they need addressing. Cocci are not worms and can't be addressed by a wormer. Tapeworms are worms but require specific wormers and repeated doses.

I'm assuming since you asked your vet what they gave before, you don't remember either, so we're starting from scratch.

Send in your fecal and request a cocci check as well, and we'll go from here?

We're here for you.

I've had too many bad vet issues today.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@Suzanne_Tyler @mariarose 
we have 2 farm vets in the area I just called the other one and they said the same thing the test is $29 and they treat it with wormer to.
I am going to send in a sample as soon as i can


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

You might want to switch vets. Safeguard doesn't work in general (due to overuse), but it certainly doesn't work on cocci. And anyways, I believe the dose is 1cc per 10lbs orally, and it has to be repeated multiple times.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Perhaps the problem is really fuzzy language. Perhaps they are calling all parasiticides wormers. That is no excuse for giving Safeguard for coccidia. Or not keeping records on their patients. Or even severely underdosing a noneffective wormer in the first place. I'm so sorry.

Please write to the lab that Suzanne referenced, and find out how to send a sample in to them in order to find out what you need to know, and then follow through with that. 

You're doing awesome. It's going to be OK, and your boy is going to be fantastic due to the care you are lavishing on him. Well done.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Back to the original post - 5 pounds of Dumor goat grain is a LOT for a 30 pound goat per day. Is he really eating all five pounds? I would cut back on the grain.


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## goats_upper_michigan (Jun 18, 2017)

@SalteyLove Yes he eats all of the feed and we just weighed him and he is now 50 pounds and we goat another goat who is a little bigger than him who eats the same amount and the eat veggies, grass, and hay


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I would definitely back down on the grain to 2lbs per day per goat. Their rumens need plenty of roughage to function properly and too much grain can cause acidosis. 5lbs is an appropriate amount of grain for a doe who is lactating, feeding kids and being milked at the same time. But for wethers that is too much. You could offer alfalfa pellets instead and that would help balance your Calcium to Phosphorus ratio and prevent urinary calculi.


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