ok goat folks.... i have questions!

sdshoars

Songster
11 Years
May 12, 2008
702
1
161
Texas
i got two alpines a little over a month ago. one doe, and a whether for company. i read they should put on 10 lbs a month. well the fat boy isnt having any problems with that, but daisy has only put on a couple of lbs. she was born in march, and weighs right around 75 lbs. i feed her 1 lb of nutrena goat feed per day, unlimited alfalfa, apple branches as treats, fresh water, and a sweetlix meat grower mineral block. i cannot get loose minerals around here, trust me i have asked, looked, and begged everywhere. i want her to gain weight so i can breed her this fall, and the lady who has the buck i am going to breed her to wont breed unless she weighs at least 90 lbs. also, she has not come into heat thus far as i can tell, and i was told she is plenty old enough to. so, help the newbie, please??? thanks guys!
 
There are many schools of thought on this topic.

I REFUSE to breed a doe under 1 year old. They are still growing and filling out and developing their own bodies to be trying to produce another body.

Dairy goats do not come into heat like other goats. Usually late august through December and it is over.

If it were me I would wait until next season to breed her. Yes, you will loose the seaon of milk but you gain a mature doe who will milk longer and kid better.

But like I said there are those who breed them ASAP.

As far as weight. If she is eating plenty there isn't alot you can do. Too much grain makes ruminants very sick. You can try probiotics and other feed supplements. Alfalafa hay, beet pulp shreds etc.

Have you wormed her? Parasites can prevent weight gain.
 
the lady i got her from used no vaccinations or worming... so i vaccinated her for cd/t and wormed her with ivermectin paste about a month ago. she seems totally healthy otherwise. and i have read about some waiting to breed, and some not, and dh and i have both decided that she needs to earn her keep, and waiting almost two years to get a kid out of her won't work for us. its fantastic if you can do it, but here we need them to produce. but i have thought about probiotics. maybe i should order some.

and she gets all the alfalfa hay she wants *that what i added in the edit*
 
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Perhaps you should have purchased an older doe. That aside...

It sounds like you're feeding a little light for a full sized goat based on the recent thread here where someone said their average growing/breeding does get 3 lbs a day. I suppose you could gradually increase her to 2 lbs a day and see if it makes a difference.

Also, you should have dewormed twice by now - once and then again 10 days later. Make sure you're using the right dosage, and do it again to get all life stages of the parasites.
 
I would let her have alfalfa hay or pellets 24/7 as is helps with growing and it wont hurt the wether either. I personally would worm like Kate said but add again 10 days later with Ivermectin Plus instead of just the paste. The plus has more and will get to the lung worms and brown and barber pole worms. I use the paste for tapeworms and even a cattle pour on given orally at 1 cc per 10 lbs. If I;m not sure or they said they havent been wormed then they get the 30 day worming 10 days apart. I personally would let her grow and breed her when she is more mature also. I dont go by weight I go by age and I have Nigerians and La Manchas and Alpines too. I wait till they are at least 1 year old ...Like MissPrissy said some breed at 7 mths or 70 lbs which I think is too early for my taste but some dont think its bad. With my Nigis I wait till a little older as they are all still growing. My Alpines I wait till at least 1 yr.
Good luck with your decision.
 
i am worming again today, when i give the second round of cd/t. she will not eat any more than a pound of grain a day, and i have to sit with her for her to eat it, she would rather sit with me and be petted than eat her grain. i will be waiting until late november to breed her, i want her to weigh around 90 lbs, and be as old as this season will allow. and she does get alfalfa free choice, 24/7. thanks.
 

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