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Where in Colorado are you located? I have been looking into Packgoats for about 9 months and I finally picked 2 this year with plans of 2 more next year. I am excited and this thread makes me more excited.

I’m near Delta. What did you pick up?

I picked up a sable and an alpine/Ober they are roughly 2 months old if you can or will send me a pm I would be interested in talking with you some time. I live near Fort Lupton Colorado your story and pics here are great. I would like to hear more about your goat hunt from last year. You said you were going to post it in a different thread did you ever do that?

Here’s the goat hunt
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/14162316/7-in-8-out#Post14162316

I’ll PM you. I think new members can’t PM until 5 posts

Doesn’t appear as I can PM you either

I thought you guys were joking... I’m kind of speechless - I have never heard of this before.

Of the various animals used for packing, goats are the easiest and cheapest to train and raise. The hardest part is inventing goat proof fencing to keep them in.

Just read your story! It’s was very good I’m glad you were successful. I’m sure I feel just like you did but I can’t wait for me to get a few more and I wish they were older already. But it’s a journey For the next couple years. How did they do with 10% for weight? Also where did you get your goats? If you figure out how to PM me please do

I’d say they hardly noticed the weight as long as the load was balanced properly.

I think you’re banned from PMing as a way to curtail classified scammers. I think you need 5 posts.

My kids came from 3 different dairy goat breeders. Thor and Odin from one in the San Luis Valley. Ivar, Gunnar and Ragnar from one south of Durango, and Nigel and Loki from a breeder near Olathe.

I got my goats from packgoats.com. Marc was real nice to talk to and I think he does a pretty good job representing the pack goat community I enjoy watching his videos too

Cool, those goats from him/ Dwite Sharp, are supposed have some size potential. I will warn you that I’ve seen some very small ones from those lines that I attribute to poor feed. I’d keep them on grain and alfalfa for at least a year, then continue on alfalfa after that. I’m not worried about the issues with calcium stones, as I also do other mineral supplements that should help.

Ok thanks right now I have them on Purina grower and give them mana goat balancer and also give the the mana goat mineral too a vet told me not to give them alfalfa at all? I guess it doing well for you your goats look like they are pretty good sized they will be 3 this year? I am still bottle feeding 16 oz milk 2 times a day. They will be 60 days old in a few days I plan on giving them their shots and tarazal for coccicda next week he recommended 30,60,90 days

I am also planning to wait until 90days to band them. Im hoping the goats will get 250# or so where do you think your will finish at?

I’d wait as long as possible to band. If they aren’t exhibiting really bucky behaviors at 3 months, and most won’t, then I’d wait if you can(pissing on their faces or backs of the legs primarily). I can’t for the life of me understand why a vet would say to avoid alfalfa entirely on young kids. When I was a kid that’s all we fed too.They are so scared of urinary calculi, it’s crazy.

My kids are just two this year and four of the 7 around 220ish. I really don’t have a great feel for how big they will get but seems like well over 250 on four of them. Admittedly that’s not far away and if they grow til 3 ish, which they are supposed to, then, maybe getting close to 300. I don’t want to say that too loudly yet though and get my hopes up. I still feed alfalfa exclusively, but have stopped grain at 1. I bottle fed until about four and a half months and around there is where I castrated too.

I have been told if I wait until 3 months they might be to big to band I don’t want to pay a vet. Bill to casterate not sure I want to mess with it myself self. Did you casterate or take to the vet I guess I’ll start with the alfalfa again. My goats have plenty of grass to feed on around my place do you still feed alfalfa if they have plenty to eat just for nutrition?

Yeah I did it myself, you do have to stuff the balls into the banderone at a time as they get pretty big. I should have waited on Loki though, as he just hasn’t developed many of the more masculine features of a buck and his horns and balls (at the time) reflect it.

Definitely supplement at least grain if they are being pasture raised, but probably also alfalfa in the winter to keep their weights up. I have never seen a pasture raised goat break 200. There just isn’t enough nutrition to maximize their growth when young. Obviously milk and grain will be the bulk of it for now.

I can point to a great example of Dwite Sharp lines for sale a week or two ago that are all under 170 as adults and all I can attribute that to is nutrition. If you want to see what I’m talking about I’ll send the link. Most people get insulted when you point that out about their goats though.

Yea I’m good with the banding I thought you “cut” them that’s what I wasn’t wanting to do banding easy enough I might need calf bands instead of goat yea please send me the link I would be disappointed with 170lb goats I’ll be happy with 220 but 250 would be about right I appreciate your knowledge and info.

Since I still can’t PM, though it was just 5 posts. Here’s an example of what I’d be disappointed with, and have to assume it’s a nutrition issue...
Go to the Facebook group New Homes for Packgoats and look at the May 12 post. Scroll down to where he mentions sizes... yikes.

Yea I would be quite disappointed if that’s what happens with mine. I like how he mentions they are his big boys, How did you feed your goats? I’m feeding mine about 18 ounces of milk 2 a day and giving them Purina grower roughly 13/4 lbs a day I’m giving it free choice also I have been giving them a balancer and minerals both from mana. I vaccinated them a few days ago for cd and t and also gave them a product called tarazualtine for coccidia ,I know both are misspelled, I haven’t weighed them yet but I might tomorrow. It should be fun trying to hold them and read the bathroom scale. Lol They don’t seem like they are growing very much. They are right at 60 days. This is probably not the best idea but my phone # is 307-851-1074 text me if you would like to chat. I would love to visit with you

Not sure how to post pics, but I weighed my Goats today.
Trail is my Ober/Alpine and he was 69 days old today and weighed 42.8#’s
Tracker is my Sable and he is 71 days old today and weighed 42.0 #’s. Tracker although lesser weight looks to be a slightly bigger frame and horn growth is a little thicker and larger than Trails

Those are good solid weights

As for your earlier question about grain, It was about a pound a day per goat. Had to eventually put out 7 or 8 feeders to prevent The biggest boys from dominating the grain. I think it was 8 for 7 goats, and would throw half a scoop of grain into each