Goats and bloat, help?

[OHMYCHICKIES]

My buck and my wether, were a little bloated when i got them. Now they seem really bloated. I'm concerned I'm doing something wrong. I am giving grain plus hay. About a cup each one in morning, then in the evening. Is it too much? I don't want them to die on me. The girls get the same thing but they look fine. Also the boys tend to eat ALOT more than the girls. They finish the hay and grain. Any ideas?

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

oh and they are 3 1/2 months old.

 

[Crest Acres Girl]

Did you try giving them some baking soda? ( I always have baking soda free choice for them) Sodium bicarbonate helps in balancing the pH level in the rumen and keep the digestive processes in tune.

If it gets really bad you'll need to feed them some oil about 1/2 a cup( force feed with syringe) olive oil would work or any oil with flavor. Then you kinda rub and massage their tummy to burp and fart them. They will start burping and farting lol and will look much better after. Then feed them about one or two tablespoons of baking soda mixed with water (optional:add some molasses)

To find out of your goat is really bloated, flick their belly on both sides...is it tight like a drum? when you push on it, is it hard like pushing a balloon? if so then they are bloated? when they start crying out then its pretty serious.

I don't give my boys grains at all(well maybe sometimes as treats), goats then to get bloated when they over eat. They also get bloated more often when they eat too much grains.

Good Luck!

 

[redhen]

Quote:
How do you force the oil down w/o choking them? thanks, Wendy

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

oh thank you for your quick reply. I'm going nuts trying to figure out what to do tomorrow. I have been giving them grain and they act like they haven't eaten in ages. I wasn't sure if I should give them grain still or not. I probably shouldn't then. They'll be mad tomorrow but I don't want them sick. And yes, it does sound like a drum. I was noticing that today, when I tapped on his tummy. More so on the buck then the wether. The girls didn't have that same sound.

They are not crying or just laying there. So I will try the Baking Soda. So do I stop giving grain?

 

[bheila]

I don't feed my boys grains. Your boys should do well on good grass hay. If they're bloated give them the oil like Crest said, 30cc-60cc. Then walk them around forever until their out of the woods. This is why I have Debloat on hand, always. You can use GasX in a pinch too.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

Is it normal for them to eat so much more than the girls? I'll stop giving them grain and try to get rid of the bloat. Why is it okay to give grain to girls and not boys? Is it because they eat it so fast?

I also give them orchard grass mixed with alfalfa.

 

[Crest Acres Girl]

some goats will keep eating grains until they pop lol because its so yummy, try feeding them less, or not at all. If you have a feed store ask them for some debloating medicine as bheila mentioned. I dont have a feed store so I use oil.


Redhen,
If you use a syringe and put it in their month, do it slowly and they will just swallow the oil. some goats enjoy it.. some don't. The reason why you need oil with some flavor is so that they can tell and not choke on it. Oil with no flavor such as mineral oil can possibly cause choking.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

I also don't have a local feed store - I'll have to use oil. I thought we were suppose to give grain to the boys for growth, I guess I was told wrong. Also, I was told that baking soda was for dairy goats, so much for that. This is a whole new learning experience for me.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

I give all my goats and sheep CD/T shots every year. This has medicine in it to protect from over-eating disease, among other things.
Boys bloat much easier than the girls, at least at my place.

Jean