Made ya look! Seriously, my newly rescued and very skinny and probably preggers doe does a lot of grunting when she eats. I realized that I never heard those noises coming from my other two pigs....um, goats....and don't remember hearing anything like it from the goats my family had when I was a kid. We did raise two piglets that sounded kinda like this doe. She is not a piggy eater, I wish she would eat more. It seems like I have to encourage her to eat more. We just got her Tuesday night. But what about the grunty/growly noises? Wish I could somehow record and post the noises. Anyone else experience this?
Gosh, dunno. My alpha doe and alpha buck are noisy eaters because they claim their food. They talk the whole time they're eating, I guess to tell the others to stay away. Also, they grunt miserably when in the last stages of pregnancy. It doesn't sound at all like congestion, does it? Have you given her any B Complex? ProBios? B would help her energy and appetite. ProBios, daily, to keep her rumen happy. Maybe her tummy is upset from all the changes and she's burpy and has a lower appetite as a result?
I have a doe that when she is given treats or something that really likes she grunts the entire time she eats it. I take it as she is happy. Maybe your girl is just happy for a good meal and showing her glee.
I am going to jump in here with a suggestion, I have a newly aquired baby goat, was told she was 8 weeks old NOT! she wasnt eating nor drinking much on her own , so after a few wrestling matches and horns to my throat for serynging fluids I found. Licorice flavored goat treats at TSC, it helped immediately, the smell alone was enough to make me want a bite, she dove right in and then started drinking on her own. thank god , those little nubbys hurt. Mann Pro puts out these little great smelling treats and a small handfull in their regular feed is good. lable reads: crude fat min1.50% crude fiber max 14.00% calcium min1.00% calcium mx 1.50% phosphorousmin0.75% salt min0.75% salt mx1.25% copper min 25ppm zinc min 100ppm selenium min 0.30ppm vit A min5,000IU/LB Licorice is a natural appatite enhancer, and I have noticed not only can little Bailey not resist the feed anymore she is also gaining weight and looks more like a pgmy goat not some pathetic excuse of skin. Bailey got her name when we brought her home in a Baileys Irish Creme box. whats sad about that was she didnt even make the sides of the carton bulge out. forgot to add , grunting is a happy noise when they are eating, I think she is letting you know she is gratefull for the rescue. Some goats are talkers, some are not,
Hmmm....I am leaning towards happy grunting now. I certainly don't want it to be uncomfortable grunting in the last stages of pregnancy...she needs more time. So happy grunting it is..... I will give her some of my B-Complex today, and she is on probiotics in the form of yogurt whey in her feed. She is not congested, as the grunting starts and stops with her actual eating of grain or cut up veggies. I was in TSC last night and looking for anything with "goat" on the label, didn't find the treats....but there aren't too many goats in my very suburban area, just lots of horses for farm animals. There is another TSC that I drive by, I will look, anything to get her to eat more!
The treats are in the horse section and they have many different types as theya re in Licorice, butterscotch, and apple, and peppermint. Mine love all of them and they are tiny pieces also. They are in I think either 3 or 4 lb bags. I dont take many out as my goats will mob me over them. Mine grunt when they are far into their pregnancy also, but I do have some that love their food and grown when others run them off...