Goats and probias

[arabianequine]

How do you give this to your goats or do you? I was told by a local that they give it 2-3 days in a row.....should I? I gave it once yesterday but not today.

 

[glenolam]

Probios is really only something you need to give AS NEEDED IMO. It's basically good bacteria to help get/keep the rumen in good working order.

Show goat owners sometimes give probios to their goats on some type of a schedule if they are gearing up for a show...since conditions at a show aren't the same as at home, the goat needs to be in the best condition it can be in so it doesn't get sick.

Now, having said that, it doesn't hurt to give it to your goats by any means. But I only give probios to my goats when someone is starting to show some loose stool or has just come off of a case of diarreah (I don't give probios during a bout with scours, though, either before scours really starts to get rid of it before it his, or after when their stool is coming back to normal).

The recommendation is to give them one scoop (I think it's about a teaspoon full or so) as a top dressing to their grain. That's how I do it as well.

 

[arabianequine]

The pro bias I have is in a paste and says sheep and goats 5mg basically one click.....comes in a tub like horse wormer.

I did it the other night the same night I wormed them. I have only had these goats that last week or two. I can't trust what other owners say was done. So I am just doing everything all over.....if that is the case. They did not have pro bias at all though per the owner.

The person I had out here trimming my buck said that because they are not eating all their hay given they needed the pro bias.....not sure on that.

 

[glenolam]

If you are leaving your hay out 24/7 and refilling when it's empty, they are eating all the hay you put out, just not all at once.

I would have done just as you did - give them probios when you first got them. It gives them an extra boost. I just wouldn't continue giving it to them unless they seem to be having digestive issues.

 

[arabianequine]

I had someone out to trim my buck and they said they needed it because of all the hay on the ground. She said they should be cleaning it all up. the one that said they give probias 2-3 days in a row when they give it and I was just wondering if I should or not? or if the one time was enough?

I have a different feeder in there now just tonight I did a bunch of work out there and hopefully it will cut down on the waste.....it has about 1000lbs of alfalfa in there and they put their head in these holes to eat.She i

 

[CapricornFarm]

I hope you are not letting the buck eat alfalfa hay . It can cause urinary problems for them. When I get new or stressed goats I mix up a drench of molasses, Karo syrup and corn oil, one part of each. Gives them a boost and they like it

 

[glenolam]

To each his own, but I don't know of any goat that always eats every morsel of hay in the feeder. My goats usually eat what they want and pull what they don't want through the feeder.

As I mentioned, probios is nothing more than good bacteria to help keep their rumens running smoothly. Here's an excerpt from the goat world website :

Used to get the rumen back working. Contains a source of live naturally occurring microorganisms. We use this prior to trips with goats and after shots to keep the rumen microorganisms in balance and working.

It doesn't hurt to give it to your goats at all. It's just rather expensive so why give it if they really don't need it. If your goats are otherwise healthy, I'd save my paste for when they really need it.

 

[arabianequine]

Quote:
I see, I will leave it then for now since they had a dose. Yeah my horses are wasting the same that they did just not as much.

@Hot2Pot my buck is not in with the does he is getting what my horses are getting which is mostly grass at the most 50/50. He won't be in with them till fall/winter. I am trying to get them healthier before then. I hope they are not pregnant really.

That feeder was free and full of alfalfa. I just put it in their pen last night. Pretty cool but I hate those huge bales. They are so compacted and to big to handle. We used our tractor to get it all in the pen.