Small goats, any chance they will catch up in growth?

[TOU]

Thanks for the advice folks. They are alpines. I'm going to continue searching for some replacements to rotate in within the next couple years.

That seems pretty small for pure bred Alpines. No matter how cold it sounds & it may make me unpopular...but as many of my goat mentors have told me & I agree... "You can't afford 'Hay-Burners' & it cost just as much to feed a bad goat as it does a good goat."

That said, they all can be good & I love each of my goats individually as they all bring different things to the table. I intentionally have built a varied herd but have had to cull a few a long the way and will do it again if necessary. (I make sure they go to good homes though.) I wish I could keep all of them and want to add a bunch more but reality is I just have so many slots, only so much room, so much time & resources.

They are getting about a cup or two of grain a day (a no no I know ) and AC as well as alfalfa pellets and free choice hay.

Not all of us disagree with this BUT...we make sure the grain mixture etc. as AC in the mix at the least. Mine are grained (mixture) every morning & night & will be until at least 24 months. YMMV etc.

I feel at this time it is worth the risk of UC to try and pour the feed to them to see what they will do.

While I agree if you are committed to THESE goats BUT...see advice from all three of my 10, 16, 16 year goat packing mentors advice. While size is NOT everything & heart is, it is nice to try to maximize both. My rule of thumb as well as all my mentors is that they must pack #40's day in day out when conditioned at 4 years. (7-10 miles/day) If they don't or don't fulfill anther roll they are gone. I hate it but I just can't afford other wise.

I currently have 6 mature packers; 4-6 yr olds, 2-4 yr olds & also have 5 yearling kids. I will be adding two more kids next year....then 2 more in 2 more years. We will then see where it goes.

For my intentions they will need to be big and full of heart. These goats are wonderful company and have plenty of heart but that's not going to be enough when the rubber meets the road.

Agreed...I'm in the same boat.

Unfortunately the wife is already attached to them. ..

I understand, I have 5 kids & animal loving wife BUT...its part of the process & what you are buying into. It is part of it all & they need to come to understand this if you're going to have farm animals.

We did 25 miles last weekend with them in 3 days and they kept pace with us just fine. Longest day was close to 12 miles. It was fun but it would have been nice to have them carry our stuff!

NICE! With no saddles, I do not hesitate to take my 6-12 month olds 7-10 miles. I did 10 miles with my 6 month old kids last year in 97 degree heat from 5000-7000 feet...they were fine but tired. I think it was more heat & elevation than distance. Haven't had an opportunity for 12 but conditioning is everything & I wouldn't hesitate if unloaded & in condition.

These are just my opinions with my limited experience but I hope this helps a bit. Good luck & welcome!

TOU