You can tell a goat’s age is by looking at their teeth. If all the teeth are small then they are under 1 year old. If two teeth are big and the rest are small they are between 1 and 2 years old. If four teeth are big and the rest are small they are 2 years old. If six teeth are big and the rest are small they are 2 1/2 to 3 years old. If eight teeth are big then they are 3 1/2 to 4 years old.
Lumbar scoring is a way to evaluate a goat’s weight. It is a scale of 1-5. A ’1′ would be very thin and a ’5′ would be very fat. A ’3′ is the best.
To determine the lumbar score first feel the back bone and ribs. You should be able to feel the bones under a thin to moderate layer of fat. Then look at the tail head (the area on either side of the tail at the end of the spine). If it is caved in the goat is too thin, if it bulges out the goat is too fat, it should be nice and smooth.
If the goat is too skinny you can give it grain but increase the amount gradually becuase if you give it to a goat all at once when it is not used to it the goat will get sick and get bloated. Bloat is when the stomach gets filled with gases which can be deadly if not treated. To relieve bloat give the goat some baking soda and if it is bad give the goat mineral oil. This will break up the gas bubbles in the goat’s stomach.
If the goat is too fat lower the amount of grain or even stop giving grain.
To weigh your goat you will need a measuring tape. You will measure around the heart girth which is behind the front legs and goes all the way around the goat. Then you will need to compare your measurement to a goat weight chart to get their aproximate weight. This is useful when you are developing a feeding program and when you need to give medicine that doses by weight.
Here is a weight chart for large dairy breeds.
Goat Weight Chart
First you need hoof trimmers and a rasp. It is best if you put the goat in a stantion. A stantion is a thing that holds the goats head in the head piece and it can eat some grain in a bucket while you work. To start you lift a hoof and clean off most of the dirt and then trim the overgrown hoof off. Rasp the hoof flat and smooth and move on to the rest of the hooves. If you see a pink spot stop trimming or rasping and if it bleeds spray it with Blue Coat. If it is bleeding a lot use blood stop powder and wrap it with vet wrap.
Diagram of a Goat Hoof
I’ve been thinking about starting a web site about my goats and other things for a long time. Today I finally figured out how to get started and will be writing more articles about my goats as I find time.
Zach
My goat Morgan is a Gene Master (Kiko-Boar). He is available for stud service.
