Best gain of test
Jeff Semler weighed the goats. From August 25 until today, gain ranged from -2 to +12 lbs. and averaged 4.7 lbs. Average daily gain (ADG) ranged from -0.133 to 0.800 lbs. per day and averaged 0.313 lbs. per day. The top-gaining goat for the period was an 88 percent Kiko buck consigned by Randy & Lolli Allen (TN).
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| Randy Allen's 88% Kiko buck gained 12 lbs. |
Only three goats failed to gain weight during the past 15 days. Only two goats lost weight. No goat lost significant weight. The few goats that failed to gain weight are among the biggest goats in the test, and likely the most active in rut.
For the 84 day duration of the test, ADG is ranging from 0 to 0.274 lbs. per day and averaging 0.141 lbs. per day. The top-gaining buck remains Craig Adams' #2 Kiko buck. It gained 4 lbs. since the last weighing. After gaining 10 lbs. over the past 15 days, John Smith's #63 Kiko buck moved into second place for rate-of-gain. It is gaining 0.262 lbs. per day. Last year, Adams and Smith had the two top-performing bucks in the test.
The third fastest gaining buck is another Adams buck, #1. It is gaining 0.238 lbs. per day. Craig Adams and Wes Pinneo both have four bucks in the top ten (for rate-of-gain) and are vying for top consignment. The other two bucks in the top-ten (for rate-of-gain) are the aforementioned John Smith buck and a crossbred Kiko buck consigned by Mark Sweitzer (PA). The Sweitzer buck is gaining 0.226 lbs. per day.
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| The goats grazing the re-growth from the pearl millet field. |
No anthelmintic treatments
FAMACHA©, body condition, hair coat, and dag scores were determined by Susan Schoenian. FAMACHA© scores ranged from 1 to 3 and averaged 1.77. No goat required deworming. Body condition scores ranged from 1.5 to 3 and averaged 2.3. Coat condition scores remained virtually unchanged at 2.01. No goats showed any active or recent evidence of scouring, as dag scores approached 1.0.
August 25 FECs
For the fecal samples collected on August 25, fecal egg counts (FECs) ranged from 0 to 3,350 eggs per gram (epg) and averaged 385 epg. Only 8 goats had FECs above 1,000 epg. Only two goats had FECs above 2,000 epg, the pathogenic burden of the barber pole worm. Fecal egg counts have been low since mid-July, averaging less than 500 epg (low for the barber pole worm).
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| Another bale of hay for the goats. |
The pooled fecal sample collected on August 25 had a fecal egg count of 1,650 epg. The eggs (larvae) were 99.5 percent Haemonchus and 0.5 percent Trichostrongylus.
A strong finish?
Hopefully, the goats will continue to gain weight, as they finish the last two weeks of the test. They have the entire pasture system open for grazing. The 2-acre paddock of pearl millet has been re-opened to allow the goats to graze the re-growth. The wooded pasture should have enough forage to keep the goats busy for the next two weeks. The hay feeder will be kept full. A new bale was put in today. There is potential rain in the forecast for Sunday. Temperatures are milder.
Download September 9 (day 84) report
