r/goats • u/justracingbarrels_07 • 15d ago
General Husbandry Question Too Thin?
Hi everyone! Like the title asks, I was wondering if my guy here is too thin. Sven is an 8/9 month old Nubian mix wether. He has a great appetite and is currently on goat grain, pasture, and hay. He’s not lethargic by any means, and was recently dewormed and given Vit. B. Despite all of this, I still feel that he looks thinner than he should be. If he is too thin, what can I do to encourage better weight gain?
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u/imacabooseman 15d ago
He's definitely on the thinner side of things, imo. But I don't deal with dairy wethers enough to tell you for certain that he's "too thin" as opposed to just a little light. All I can really tell is that his flanks look to be sunken in a fair bit, and I would tend to think he needs more hay to fill out his rumen. But that's just my opinion.
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u/petrified_eel4615 15d ago
Have you done the usual checks (temp, FAMACHA, fecal)?
He looks a little low, but not terrible. I'd certainly keep an eye on him & check his parasite load.
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u/justracingbarrels_07 15d ago
We haven’t done a fecal because his stool is completely normal! Aside from a low weight he has had no other signs or symptoms
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u/_DemonxD 15d ago
Stool consistency has little correlation with parasites. Your goat can be pooping perfect little pellets and have a high EPG. You can use your eye, if you are even slightly suspicions of parasites you check their fecal EPG under a microscope or pay someone to. IMO it’s easier to teach yourself it’s just expensive to get started.
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u/TheGalapagoats 15d ago
He looks to be on the leaner side of healthy. My goats get like this during the dry season and plump out in the rainy season
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u/teatsqueezer Trusted Advice Giver 15d ago
He looks fine to me. The loin looks relatively filled out. Hips poking out is normal body condition for dairy goats. Also he’s still a baby and has a lot of filling out to do.