# How to help a goat lose weight



## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

One of my new goats is heavier than I would like her to be. I've never had a "fat" goat before, so not sure how to get her to lose weight.

What is the best plan to help her lose weight without dropping her milk production?

Cut back her grain now? Cut back when she gets bred? How will this affect flushing her prebreeding?

Thanks!
PJ


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't flush when breeding but wouldn't cut back a thing if she is milking good now. kinda depends on her weight and production and how much your feeding now and what. When I dry them off they don't get any grain at all until 100days from freshening and then start gradually adding back in the grain. When dry they get alfalfa pellets and grass hay here.


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## Kaye White (Oct 25, 2007)

When did she freshen? That will tell you if she's going to "milk it off" or if you need to cut back on her grain. Some "less than normal" milkers will put fat on their butts rather than milk in the pail, if fed like one of the heavy producers. With heavy producers...it's just the opposite- you WON'T put any weight on them until they're several months past their peaks.
Kaye


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

She freshened 4/3/08 with twins, so she's almost 2 months fresh.

Last year as a 2 year old first freshener she peaked at 12 pounds. This year we moved her to our place at about 2 weeks fresh. She is only giving me 8-9 pounds daily. She gets free choice alfalfa pellets, and about 2 pounds grain (whole oats with a bit of soy to up the protein) at each milking. At her previous home she was given free choice grain (19% custom mix) and alfalfa hay.

She's lost a tiny bit of weight in the month and a half she's been here, but not much. I don't want to just start messing around with her grain amount without a plan. 

PJ


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## pokyone42 (Oct 26, 2007)

Wire her mouth shut and put her on a treadmill for 3 hours a day?  just kidding.. we have a VERY fat Alpine, who only gets a handful of alfalfa pellets a day, yet refuses to lose weight..........she is 7 tho......and a blimp. (and like me, I guess the older she gets, the easier it is to put on poundage.) ummm.. she's not fat... she's fluffy?


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

please don't cut her alfalfa unless Kaye says to on this doe. try cutting her grain down at each feeding even my best milkers only get abt 1 to 1 1/2 lbs per milking.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Last year as a 2 year old first freshener she peaked at 12 pounds. This year we moved her to our place at about 2 weeks fresh. She is only giving me 8-9 pounds daily. 
................................

I wouldn't do anything drastic at all. If she has visibly lost weight with your new program than I would keep her on it. If she milks 9 pounds after the move you should be jumping cartwheels. If she milks next month 9 pounds on 2 pounds of grain go down to 3/4 pound in the morning and 3/4 pound at night. Give her couple of weeks and see how she does, then maybe decrease her to 1/2 pound morning and night and you may have to give her alfalfa pellets with the grain to keep her sifting and doing something  or she may become a pill on the milkstand.

I would not take away her alfalfa, she should have gotten more exercise at your house fighting her way into the pack also.

Just as slowly as you increase grain or change grain you want to decrease things also. Vicki


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## Kaye White (Oct 25, 2007)

:biggrin
YEP...exactly what Vicki said above. Leave it alone...she'll take care of the problem.
Kaye


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

Good! Leaving it alone is what I wanted to do. I just didn't want to mismanage now and pay for it later during kidding time.

Vicki - I am so excited to have goats that finally milk! "Only 8-9 pounds" is a dream that has finally come true!  You should have seen the dance we did at our place when our first freshener hit 10 pounds! My daughter wrote exclamation points all over the milk records. 

Sondra - thanks for the concern - the goats get alfalfa pellets free choice. I only have grass hay available to me, so the alfalfa pellets are their source of calcium. I'm not about to mess with that!

PJ


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

:biggrin


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