Baby goats and the runs.....I read.....

[Spanishchick]

Hey, I thought id share, I read from an old rancher that goats get the runs if they don't move around after eating. Interestingly one of my little ones was a bit loose so I put the dogs in with both of them who exsersised them really well and she was back to normal.
I thought this was good to know and it makes sender that food will ferment more easily when they're not moving. Seems to work for milk too.
Id love to hear thoughts on this one.

 

[H Diamond]

Well, for one letting your dogs chase the baby goats around is a really bad idea. While it may be a game for the dogs, goats are prey animals and it would make for a very stressful situation for the kids.
Secondly, I'd be more concerned with why your kids aren't moving around much. Baby goats should be up running and bouncing. They will also be laying around napping some, but the only non active baby goats I've seen are sick.
There are many reasons that baby goats get the runs... I would be more apt to think that the kids have cocci or something. Before I knew how bad milk replacer was for the kids, I was bottle feeding one kid with milk replacer. He got the runs unless I boiled the water first.

 

[Spanishchick]

Hey, my dogs and goats always PLAY. Not get chased. The goats love it and are wilder than the dogs. The reason they got loose was I was told they were 5 weeks and they're much younger so I overfed. Its not cocci or a parasite because its gone. They ate a good amount of milk and went to bed. In the morning one was loose. But not watery. I got her to play which didn't take any effort and she was fine later that day when I reduced the amount of milk she drank and spaced it to three feedings with the second bieng smaller.
I was told they were 5 weeks when they were bought and they still have the cord that was cut and dried attached and didn't know how to eat.
Of course they didn't need to eat yet.
That's why lying is really dangerous.
Its very presumptuous of you to think id let my dogs chase my little goats.
Goats are herd animals and dogs are pack animals. If they get along they will run and play together. The only concern id have is if they practiced ramming the dogs because one day they'll really ram them when their grown.

 

[H Diamond]

Well,, I didn't mean to offend you, I"m sorry for that. I suppose it is presumptuous, but I've seen it too many times. People think, "oh how cute, they are playing", when really the kids are scared to death.
I'm not sure if you meant I was lying or if the kids "lying" is dangerous. But taking a bottle an taking a nap is what kids do.
Baby goats don't really over eat, lol. A rule of thumb is that when you are feeding them, when they stick their tongue out around the nipple, they are full.

 

[Spanishchick]

Diamond I understand the dog issue so I understand your concern. I've had chickens long enough now to understand the dog problem. My husbands father is a cattle rancher.....anyhow dogs can be a huge problem on a ranch or farm if they're not controlled.
My dogs are definately seperate from the rest of the animals unless I take them in there.
I am new to goat rearing however.
What happened is when I went to buy them I was told they were 5 weeks old. I specifically told the lady that I work and cannot bottle feed 4 times a day. I took them home and they eat no hay, no goat starter, no grass. I spent a day reading and that's when my husband took a beter look at them and told me they were a week, 2 weeks at most. I went to the feed store, got them good fresh timothy hay, I spoke to ranchers, posted on here......in other words I thought I had a real problem. My goats are nubian kiko cross....not miniature goats.
That was the lie I was told. Man was I upset. People may say I sound crazy but these are living, breathing animals with needs and rights. Which includes not bieng pestered and hounded by dogs
Then I touch they're bellies and still find the umbillical cord dry but still attached.
Fortunately I went from working full time to part time because I'm needed for our landscape business and have more flexibility.
They're not drinking water yet and believe in my heart of hearts that 12 hours with nothing to drink at that age is far too long.
That is how they were fed before I got them.
I now do three feedings and they're chewing some hay....but still reject the pellets and some grass which I limit on the advice of some people here because I don't want them to get sick.
I read that goat starter is not a great idea.
I may buy some corrid just to have on hand but I don't think its cocci because the one that had loose stools didn't have persistent watery poop and it doesn't smell bad.....etc.
I do have to admit that I am very scared sometimes from reading stories of kids dying when they looked fine.
Anyhow, no hard feelings. As you can see its been a litte crazy thinking your buying one thing and you get something totally different. Even a few weeks makes some difference in what to do and what to expect.

 

[H Diamond]

Goodness....well you are doing the right thing. Some folks say have to feed way more times a day, but I get my week old kids on three bottles a day and they do great with that. I would leave the hay pellets and water out free choice. They will start on it when they are ready. By three weeks old they should really be starting on it. Bottle raised kids just take a little longer to start on solids than dam raised kids do.
As for cocci, I used to think that since I saw no signs they didn't have it. I started my kids on prevention a few years ago and the difference was amazing. That's a personal choice though and that's totally fine. I use Baycox. It's a one time dose so it's lots easier to do 50 kids with than the corid that's 5 days in a row lol. Or maybe I just lazy =p

 

[Spanishchick]

I can't find Baycox are there other options?
They also need to be dewormed.
I wouldn't call any rancher lazy.

 

[Spanishchick]

I just ordered dithemox powder better safe than sorry, and dewormer safeguard. And 2 more nipples just in case. Coccidiosis must be running wild because jeffers is out of some meds for it.
I think the pygmy and miniature goats need 5 feedings a day.
Let me ask you, at what age can I get my girls pregnant? I read 4 months.....but have no clue if that's ok. I figure you'd know.
50 kids and your lazy? Nahhhhh! I don't think so.

 

[Stacykins]

I just ordered dithemox powder better safe than sorry, and dewormer safeguard. And 2 more nipples just in case. Coccidiosis must be running wild because jeffers is out of some meds for it.
I think the pygmy and miniature goats need 5 feedings a day.
Let me ask you, at what age can I get my girls pregnant? I read 4 months.....but have no clue if that's ok. I figure you'd know.
50 kids and your lazy? Nahhhhh! I don't think so.

Definitely NOT four months. That is far too young for any breed of goat. Most breeders breed at 9 months as a minimum, and ONLY if they are at a proper weight and size for their breed. As you can imagine, breeding an immature goat that is too small to be healthily bred is setting the doe up for massive problems (or dying, if there is a issue during the birth, like a kid who is literally to large to be passed through her pelvis, and you can't get her to the vet in time).

Perhaps if you haven't already, you might want to head over to Backyard Herds. More goat folks to get more information from! It is a sistersite to BYC.

 

[Spanishchick]

I thought that was extremely young. This is what they wrote: You impregnate them at 4 months and they are ready to give birth at 9.
I thought......seriously?

I've been to backyard herds... I think I'm not used to it. Here you can stay in one place for goats and chickens. But its a good resource.