Very round goat bellies

[PolarBerry]

So I have 3 Nigerian dwarf wethers that are about 10 weeks old. They are fed orchard/local grass hay, baking soda and minerals with ammonium chloride free choice. No grain and only other things they eat are some small amounts of brush (mostly blackberries and some sapling trees) in their pen.

By the end of the night when I lock them up the three of them look like balloons. One more so slightly than the other two. By morning they’ve slimmed down and are pooping their m&m poos throughout the day just fine. They act normal and spunky (bouncing off each other and trying to eat my pants) even when so full-looking and I hope no bloat.

When I pat their tummies it isn’t drum taught but more like a soft full water balloon (not at all like my dog was when he bloated).

Should I be concerned? Not free feed the local hay? Or are they just pigs?

 

[The Moonshiner]

No worries its normal.

 

[PolarBerry]

All of them look more like the left-most one by evening.

 

[Wellsken]

Filling their tummies while food is abundant. Normal goat behavior. Good looking goats, by the way.

 

[PolarBerry]

Thanks! After having a dog get bloat I’m paranoid. And I’m a new goat owner so appreciate the input!

 

[Wellsken]

I was raised around goats, and love them. At one time we had 23 milking goats giving about five gallons after feeding babies etc.
I don't have them now, as my wife is not keen on drinking the milk, although it is a shame. Also, I don't know if I have the patience to keep my pasture area goat friendly, they are experts at getting out and getting into mischief. But there is also nothing as satisfying as watching a bunch of kids dance around one another and play with each other. So funny to see and be around.

 

[cassie]

Have you vaccinated those goats for entero and tetanus? If not get a vial of CD/T at the livestock supply and do so at once. You give two doses about a month apart and then a booster yearly. Enterotoxemia is a true emergency. Nice goats, by the way.

 

[PolarBerry]

Have you vaccinated those goats for entero and tetanus? If not get a vial of CD/T at the livestock supply and do so at once. You give two doses about a month apart and then a booster yearly. Enterotoxemia is a true emergency. Nice goats, by the way.

Yes, already vaccinated for CDT. I’ve slowly been introducing them to pasture as they’ve been in a smaller pen and they’ve done fine with me throwing blackberry cuttings, grass from their pasture, and pine twigs. Was nice out so let them out for a short bit on pasture last 2 days and longer today.

Holy moly they are FULL today... I gave them hay before allowing foraging but I think my labradors have a better full sensor. It’s not taut like bloat and they have baking soda available. I finally got them back into their dry lot area (they were enjoying browsing too much to come back mid day) and they’re acting fine, chewing cud, normal poops, etc. but look like they’re pregnant with triplets. I think tomorrow I’ll keep them off the grass. Is it normal for 3 month old Nigerians to eat until exploding and then still act starving? I just dewormed in the last week and have done anti-coccidia meds as well.

 

[cassie]

Goats have a rumen, which is essentially a large fermentation vat. They fill it up and then go lay down and chew their cud. The expansion is normal. As long as they are comfortable and acting OK, this is nothing to worry about. On the other hand, if they are acting like they are in distress and the belly is tight as a drum, that is bloat and another thing entirely. Do you have chickens? A chicken will fill it's crop to the point the uninitiated think the chicken has a tumor. As the chicken digests its food the crop shrinks. A crop is not a rumen, but it is the same principle.

This is just FYI. If your goats ever do get bloat (and what you are describing is not bloat) the best treatment is GasX which you get at the drug or grocery store. It is a lot safer and works much better than the traditional treatments like oil. GasX is something every goat owner should always keep on hand for emergencies.