Posted by GoatWorld on January 21, 2003 at 16:43:58:
In Reply to: Fat Goat questions (long, kind of) posted by Kerrie on January 21, 2003 at 05:14:58:
Hi Kerrie,
From what I know and have heard, a fat goat is not a healthy goat - generally speaking. This can be due to a number of factors; diet, genetics, lack of exercise, etc. Just as it applies to people, it can apply to goats. Being overweight places a strain on the various organs as well as the body (such as the legs and joints). So I guess in answering your question in a roundabout way, I would say that you would probably want to follow a plan of finding out as much history as possible about these goats, especially if they are tested and registered. The testing will be especially important since you'll need to breed the does anyway - you would not want to be passing a virus or the potential of a virus through your herd.
Now in defense of obesity, it does not always mean an unhealthy goat. It may just be the conditions in which they are raised, and you bringing them home and introducing them to a different regimen might slim them down somewhat. They could turn out to be some very good milk producing does. It's all somewhat of a gamble. But I really do not think I would consider adding them to your herd unless they were indeed tested and registered.
Hope I've helped somewhat. Best regards,
Gary