It can be really frustrating and concerning when your goat’s health is not developing as it should.
We can often feel helpless in these cases as we try to understand what’s going on, and worry that the goat’s health is only deteriorating further as we try to understand the problem.
There can be many reasons why your goat isn’t gaining weight, and often the most natural piece of advice is to speak to a vet.
But there are many things you can do to help a goat gain weight faster and in a healthier way.
Naturally, it mostly comes down to nutrition and diet. there are many common mistakes that goat owners make when arranging their goat’s diet that can lead to poor weight gain—so let’s look at what you should be doing.
What is your goat eating?
The place you ought to start is with your goat’s diet.
What is it actually eating, mostly?
A number of things can make up the bulk of a goat’s diet, but you might need to rethink what you feed the goat if it isn’t gaining weight at a healthy rate.
Hay or forage are the most common feeds for domestic goats.
These are fine for healthy goats, but if something is causing your goat to not gain weight, then you might be better switching to grain, like corn or oats.
These foods will help your goat gain weight at a faster rate, since they are so much higher in carbohydrates.
This is the first thing to try.
Is your goat getting enough vitamins?
Another thing you may want to consider is the minutiae of their nutrition.
Goats need a number of essential vitamins in order to gain weight properly and at a healthy rate.
Vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D—the list goes on. Just like us, goats do need a degree of balance in their diet.
Though they will eat a great deal of their core food, they’ll need vitamins too.
If your goat isn’t gaining weight at a healthy rate, look at introducing some vitamin supplements into their diet.
This can go a long way to helping them.
Is your goat getting all the minerals they need?
Hand in hand with the need for vitamins is the need for minerals.
Minerals in the diet are essential for a vast array of bodily functions, so if your goat is deficient in any one of them, they may have trouble gaining weight.
You should provide supplements that contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and copper.
Copper deficiency is very often a problem in goats and could lead to poor weight gain.
Any one of these minerals lacking in your goat’s system could have the same effect.
You can often find paired vitamin and mineral supplements formulated for goats, so this is your best choice to make sure their diet is fully comprehensive.
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Is your goat getting enough protein?
The last kind of supplement you’ll want to consider is a protein supplement.
Protein in goats is vital for developing muscle mass and aiding in efficient digestion.
Your goat’s problem may be that it is eating enough, but not able to properly break down the food and extract its energy.
If your goat has diminished levels of protein, then it will decrease forage consumption.
This will cause them to actively lose weight, which is obviously a cause of lack of weight gain.
You don’t want to go overboard with protein supplements, and the right amount to give is going to depend on the kind of goat you have.
But it’s certainly worth considering.
Check for Coccidia
One of the most common medical reasons goats are not gaining weight is a condition called coccidiosis.
This is a very common cause of diarrhea in young goats, which can lead to poor weight gain.
This is a very serious condition in which parasites called coccidia live in your goat’s gut and cause poor digestion.
If your goat is not gaining weight and is frequently having diarrhea, and seeming sluggish and unhealthy, then coccidiosis is a distinct possibility.
There’s not much you can do about it on your own—you’re going to need the vet’s help on this one.
Breed
Finally, you’ve got to be sure that the diet you’re providing for your goat is sufficient for its size and breed.
Goats come in all different shapes and sizes, and with equally differing dietary needs.
Though goats eat a lot of the same thing—hay, forage, grain—you’ve still got to be carefully aware of your goat’s particular needs.
Often, the best way to get a clear sense of this is to have them weighed and assessed by a vet.
Based on the breed and individual weight, they can tell you what the best diet course is for them and put your mind at rest.
You might just not be feeding your goat enough based on their size.
Every goat is going to be different, then, and you need to take that into account before you do anything.
A goat’s early life is critical to its health, so its vital that you are monitoring them closely during this time.
Know what to look out for and how much they ought to be eating, and this will help you make a judgement about whether or not they’re eating properly.
Then, your first port of call should always be a vet if you have serious, immediate health concerns.
As much as you might want to avoid the bills, the goat’s health should always be the number one priority.
Once you’ve eliminated worry about immediate health problems, you can then look to the tips we’ve suggested here.
If your goat’s diet isn’t sufficient, or is lacking some essential element, this is the most likely explanation for their lack of weight gain.