Dairy Goat Growth Curves (More information coming soon!)
Objective(s)/Purpose of Research: To determine standard growth curves for 6 of the dairy goat breeds recognized by the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) – Nubian, Alpine, La Mancha, Saanen, Toggenberg, and Oberhasli - by collecting body measurements and weights of individual goats at specific times throughout the first 3 years of life.
Why is it important to have a standard growth curve for each breed of dairy goats? Each breed has a different rate of growth. Growth rates are important to reduce feed costs and monitor herd growth and health. Growth curves give owners a basis for monitoring their goats’ growth. Are they below average – is there an underlying health issue or are they in need of better nutrition? Are they above average – are they costing extra and reducing feed efficiency? Are they going to be on track to be the correct weight at breeding? Most importantly, the reason to establish growth curves, is to develop and best utilize nutrition and feeding management systems to yield high production and efficiency.
I am currently working on the Nubian and Alpine breeds, but I plan to expand the project to the other dairy breeds once the project is more underway. This project requires at least 200 animals from each breed from a variety of management systems, and a large genetic base to provide accurate representation of the breed(s).
Required Measurements
Weight (lbs.)
- It is very important to obtain actual weights.
- Weights should be measured in pounds to the nearest 1/4 lb.
- Most young goats can be weighed using a set of household scales.
- Larger goats will require regular animal scales (or any scale that is large enough for them to stand on).
- DO NOT ESTIMATE WEIGHT!!!
- In my research so far, most of the charts that "convert heart girth (inches) to weight (pounds)" are NOT accurate for young goats.