How to Increase Growth in Goats

Increasing growth in goats properly is an essential management skill, especially for those who own commercial meat goat herds or market wethers (castrated male goats raised for meat production). Your goats will not be ready for breeding or slaughtering until they reach the proper weight; the faster you are able to get them to the desired weight, the more quickly you will be able to see a return on your initial investment. At the same time, improper feeding techniques may cause digestive upset and lead to potentially serious health conditions, such as bloat and enterotoxemia. Although daily weight gain differs by animal, it generally ranges between 1/4 and 1/2 pound per day in a well-managed herd of young goats.

Things You'll Need

  • Goat grain concentrate
  • Yeast culture powder
  • Goat collar
  • Goat leash
  • Boulders or wooden ramps
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Instructions

    • 1

      Supplement your goats' forage diet with 1 to 4 pounds of flaked, rolled or pelleted grain concentrate each day, depending upon your goats' ages. Select a grain mix that is designed specifically for goats, which helps ensure that your goats obtain the proper amount of essential health-enhancing vitamins and minerals, such as selenium and copper. Improve daily weight gain, and encourage increased muscle development and body conditioning by choosing a concentrate that features protein levels between 16 and 20 percent.

    • 2

      Feed your goats yeast culture, a powdered dietary supplement that may help improve a goat's appetite and minimize potential digestive upset, especially when you are adding grain to your goat's diet, according to Dr. David Pugh, veterinarian and author of "Sheep and Goat Medicine." Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of the powdered yeast culture across the top of each goat's grain ration each day before you feed them.

    • 3

      Encourage your goats to exercise daily. Minimize fat gain, and encourage muscle development by taking each goat for a 30- to 45-minute walk each day. Place large rocks or inclined wooden ramps in their paddock for them to climb and jump on throughout the day, which helps boost appetites and build muscle mass.

    • 4

      Check your goats closely for symptoms of a stomach worm infestation, which may compromise and slow their daily weight gain. Examine the insides of their eyelids once every five to seven days for pale pink or gray-tinged conjunctiva, a key sign of a heavy stomach worm infestation. Other symptoms that may indicate a worm infection include a sluggish appetite, listlessness, weight loss and loose stool. Collect a stool sample from affected goats, and take it to your veterinarian for proper worm identification and to obtain a wormer medication that is safe for use in goats.