Nubian goats has a specific growth patterns that is different than the growth pattern of the smaller dairy breeds of goats. Nubian goats are born at a larger size than the smaller breeds of goats, and the Nubian goats continue to gain bone and muscles until they reach their second year of age. The weight of Nubian goats should be tracked; the weight of an Nubian goat will indicate if the feeding program for the goat is successful, if the kid is ready to be breed, and if the doe has enough body condition to produce milk after kidding the kid.
Using a weight chart for the Nubian goat will eliminate the need to use guesswork when determining the weight of a goat. A weight chart will indicate the growth of a Nubian goat from a kid to a mature goat. A weight chart will show how quick Nubian kids gain their weight during the first few months of life, and then how their weight gain slow after their skeleton matures.
Nubian Goat Growth and Weight Chart
Nubian kids will double their birth weight during their first month of life, as they consumes milk from their doe. During the second month of life, Nubian kids begin to eat grass and develop their rumen. A weight chart will indicate the weaning period for the kid, and being able to visually represent the weight charts will allow the Nubian goat owner to visually determine if breeding cause the kid to lose weight.
In the case that the kid’s growth halt during the weaning period, it will be necessary to either change the grain that the kid is fed, or to check the kid for internal parasite. Nubian goats of different sexes will have different weights. Bucks will weigh more than does at four months of age, and will continue to maintain that weight into adulthood.
Wethers will weigh less than does, as bucks and does will experience growth spurt due to the presence of hormone. Knowing the difference in weight between the sexes will allow owners to make decisions regarding which goats will be bred, and which will be kept as brush goats or companions. The different weights of Nubian goats will allow for different care to each sex of goat.
A 300-pound buck will require more fencing and feed than a 160-pound Alpine buck. A 250-pound doe will need body reserve to perform lactation, but will also have enough body weight to not lose body condition while nursing her kid. The weight chart will indicate the weight of each sex of goat, allowing owners to compare the body condition of their goats to their weight chart targets.
Maintaining the weight targets of each kid will allow for decisions to be made regarding their diet. Forage will be the primary diet of Nubian kids, but the weight chart will indicate if the kids need to gain more protein and energy to reach their weight target. It is recommended that the Nubian goats be weighed each month to ensure that they are gaining the expected amount of weight.
If a kid gain less than one-fifth of a pound per day, there may be an issue with the feed, the kid’s internal parasites, or the kid is being crowded with other kid at the feeding area. Such a weight chart will indicate the expected weight of the kid each month, allowing the owner to visually note any deviation from that target weight. The milk production of Nubian goats is lower than other breeds of goats, but the milk that is produced contains higher amounts of butterfat.
The higher butterfat content of the milk is only produced if the doe is in the correct body condition. If the doe is too thin, the milk will contain less milk yield. If the doe is too fat, she may experience difficulty during kidding her kids.
The ideal body weight of a Nubian goat is within the middle of the weight chart. A weight chart allow for the comparison between the various breeds of goats. Such a chart will allow the owner to understand the reasons for the need for Nubian goats to have more space than breeds like Swiss breeds of goats, the need for Nubian goats to have more robust shelter than Swiss breeds, and the reason for the value of the butterfat content of the milk that is produced by Nubian goats.
Because many people make error in the care of their dairy goats, a weight chart will prevent error in the feeding of the kids of goats. For instance, many people underfeed their kids of goats due to the higher weight of Nubian goats compared to other breeds of goats. This may result in the kids never grow to reach their yearling weight.
Other people may feed too much grain to wethers, which can result in urinary calculi. Following a weight chart that indicates the proper weight of each sex of goat will prevent these types of error from being made. The value of a weight chart is that it transforms observation to information.
Observations of the goats will still have to be made by the owner of the goats to determine their body condition. However, by knowing the weight of a healthy goat between the ages of six months and two years, or any other age, those observations will become decisions. By keeping records of each kid or buck, the observations will become decisions rather than concern or worries.