Sunday, January 17, 2010

Are my goats too fat?

I've been practicing with the new camcorder and merged together somel segments. You know when you're on a learning curve and in the frustrated phase? well, I'm sorta there, at the moment it seems much more involved than just using my digital camera to shoot some video, put the memory card in my laptop and upload it, maybe I'll have some breakthroughs though. I have a real love for photography and the video thing just doesn't have the resolution that holds much interest for me.

Canon FS200 Red Flash Memory Camcorder with 41x Advanced Zoom - Sunrise Red


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http://fiascofarm.com/goats/behavior.htm#Fat
How can I tell if my goat is fat?

The first question is, are your goats really fat, or just in good condition? Goats are tricky because what looks fat to us is just a healthy goat. We call it "good condition".

If you look at their belly, or width side to side, and this is really big or wide, that is not fat. That is good rumen development and a sign of a healthy goat. A goat's rumen is a big fermentation vat, and the bigger it is the better they process their food. A big rumen is a good thing.

To really judge if a goat is fat, you need to feel the base of the tail (where the tail meets the body). If it is "pudgy" here, the goat is "pudgy". You can also feel their brisket; their front chest. If this area is soft and feels like it has a little extra padding, then your goat also is carrying a little extra padding. We say of our goats that are a little overweight: they are in "very good condition".


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello, When I first read the title I thought, Oh No, is this a trick questions like is my butt to big in these jeans.....LOL....Thanks for the FYI on how to judge if a goat is to fat. Great video. Your farm animals sure do love you. Oh, I was never bored watching the video.
Thanks again for sharing.

thecrazysheeplady said...

Very good condition...I'll have to file that one away for future use ;-).

John Going Gently said...

love the little turkey
exactly like three of mine!!!
asfor fat goats...

is it another was of saying "does my bum look too big"???

Carol said...

They look like they are pregnant. Are you expecting a lot of kids shortly?

Enjoyed the video.

www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com

Mary Humphrey said...

Some of my goats look fat, some look too thin. My own opinion is the breed of the goat has a lot to do with how fat they look. The smaller the goat, it seems the more they look like barrels on legs. Funny critters, aren't they?

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Are all your does bred? Did you figure out if they are in 'good condition' or in 'very good condition'?

Your bucks are very sweet. But don't they pee on themselves and rub it on their bodies when they are trying to attract a female?
I think that's the ammonia scent you smell.

I love Pappy's wild hair. He's precious!

~Lisa


ps
Thanks for all the wonderful comments and encouragement you've been giving me over at my blog. They are much appreciated :)

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

This Ozark farm chick knows cattle but girl, ya'll got some healthy lookin' goats there. I enjoyed the video. :o)

From the hills and hollers of the Missouri Ponderosa, have a wonderfully blessed day ya'll!!!

Ruth Trowbridge said...

I used to raise nigerians myself. I am so jealous of your herd and was also in tears at the end of your video. We sold ours when an organic farmer moved in next door with 67 goats and begged us to take gallons of her extra milk every month. I was ill and having a hard time keeping up with all the chores and we were having a hard time paying for groceries let alone for the hay. I still feel guilty. The next door farmer moved away within the year. It is hard to find nigerians up here. You have a wonderful herd. Oh yes, you also gave excellent advice on the video I hope all goat herders watch it. Peace