THE PLASTIC GOAT By Marvin Shurley for The American Meat Goat Association
Goats ... are highly adaptable animals
Have you ever thought of your goats as plastic, moldable, or malleable? Perhaps the thought isn't as far fetched as it may seem at first impression. Plasticity is a term which refers to the ability of an organism to adapt and/or alter itself in response to changes in environment. Goats, as you are aware, are highly adaptable animals being found thriving in a wide range of climates and environments worldwide. These two factors, along with the genetics received from the parents, determine what type of animal we as producers will raise. If a nanny/doe goat is undernourished and suffers poor health, the growth of her body, including the reproductive system, is usually reduced. With a shortage of raw materials, she can't build enough cells to construct a bigger body; at the same time, what is available goes into repairing existing cells and tissues damaged by disease and illness. Her smaller size as an adult is the result of a compromise made by the body while growing up. Such a goat can pass her small size to her offspring, but genetics have nothing to do with it for either of them. When she becomes pregnant, her small reproductive system probably won't be able to supply a normal level of nutrients and oxygen to her fetus. This programs the fetus to grow more slowly than it would if the mother was healthier; this being the case she is more likely to give birth to a smaller kid. Low-birth weight kids (those weighing less that 5.5 pounds) tend to continue this trend throughout their lives. By weaning time, these goats are already showing noticeably smaller size than normal birth weight kids. A simple study of this may be made by tracking the weights of twins which in theory are genetically identical. I say in theory because goat twins or triplets aren't normally monozygotic, or developed from a single egg, as is the case in identical human twins. This point aside, twins, and to an even larger extent, triplets, are usually birthed with one markedly smaller. The cause of this is unequal nourishment while in the womb; more placenta is assigned by the mothers body to nourish a particular fetus. The kid or kids which are smaller at birth will rarely catch the larger ones, showing throughout their lives a disparity in size, even though they're genetically identical. Basically this article suggests we can use the size of any group of goats as an indicator of general herd health. It all boils down to the old adage, "take care of your livestock and they'll take care of you". It isn't all genetics. Management is just as important! A lot of good feed, trace minerals, fresh water, and pen/pasture time by the owner helps tremendously. To a certain extent, it's up to you to decide what you want your "plastic goat" to look like.
Mr. Shurley can be contacted at marvin@sonoratx.net

THE PLASTIC GOAT

By Marvin Shurley
for The American Meat Goat Association

Goats ... are highly adaptable animals

Have you ever thought of your goats as plastic, moldable, or malleable? Perhaps the thought isn't as far fetched as it may seem at first impression. Plasticity is a term which refers to the ability of an organism to adapt and/or alter itself in response to changes in environment.

Goats, as you are aware, are highly adaptable animals being found thriving in a wide range of climates and environments worldwide. These two factors, along with the genetics received from the parents, determine what type of animal we as producers will raise.

If a nanny/doe goat is undernourished and suffers poor health, the growth of her body, including the reproductive system, is usually reduced. With a shortage of raw materials, she can't build enough cells to construct a bigger body; at the same time, what is available goes into repairing existing cells and tissues damaged by disease and illness. Her smaller size as an adult is the result of a compromise made by the body while growing up.

Such a goat can pass her small size to her offspring, but genetics have nothing to do with it for either of them. When she becomes pregnant, her small reproductive system probably won't be able to supply a normal level of nutrients and oxygen to her fetus. This programs the fetus to grow more slowly than it would if the mother was healthier; this being the case she is more likely to give birth to a smaller kid. Low-birth weight kids (those weighing less that 5.5 pounds) tend to continue this trend throughout their lives. By weaning time, these goats are already showing noticeably smaller size than normal birth weight kids.

A simple study of this may be made by tracking the weights of twins which in theory are genetically identical. I say in theory because goat twins or triplets aren't normally monozygotic, or developed from a single egg, as is the case in identical human twins. This point aside, twins, and to an even larger extent, triplets, are usually birthed with one markedly smaller. The cause of this is unequal nourishment while in the womb; more placenta is assigned by the mothers body to nourish a particular fetus. The kid or kids which are smaller at birth will rarely catch the larger ones, showing throughout their lives a disparity in size, even though they're genetically identical.

Basically this article suggests we can use the size of any group of goats as an indicator of general herd health. It all boils down to the old adage, "take care of your livestock and they'll take care of you". It isn't all genetics. Management is just as important!

A lot of good feed, trace minerals, fresh water, and pen/pasture time by the owner helps tremendously. To a certain extent, it's up to you to decide what you want your "plastic goat" to look like.

Mr. Shurley can be contacted at marvin@sonoratx.net

Feb 17, 1998

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