My Alpine has loose droppings

[amaliayosa]

Hello everyone, I have a question/concern about my alpine doe. She has had droppings the consistency of dog poop for a few weeks now.
I am a first time goat owner and learning as I go along. It started when she was in her final week of pregnancy, and continuing on now that she is a week post part-um.
She eats 2-3 lbs of grain twice a day , (she is nursing triplets), dairy pellet, sweet feed, oats, alfalfa pellets and a sprinkling of beet pulp. She also gets a tsp a day of probios and diamond V yeast.
She also gets free choice hay and golden blend minerals.
Any advice?
My other doe is on the same diet and fine.
Thanks
AMy

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Caprines, and really all grazing creatures should have grass, or the next best thing- hay- and nothing else. Except for nursing animals that need the extra grain for calories.

Sounds like her diet is too rich...

And a salt block- possibly a mineral block if youre in an area where the soil is especially deficient.

 

[amaliayosa]

Do you generally have to cut the grain back slowly, or can I just cut it in half and increase the hay at once?
Thanks
Amy

 

[helmstead]

You're not over-graining. Up the probios a bit, give her some Kao, make sure you dewormed her. Might be a slight cocci bloom from kidding stress, too.

 

[Felicia]

That happened to my Alpine after I had had her for a couple months. (Her diet was correct, and she already had been dewormed) Her diet never changed or anything and it was getting even more runny, so for about a week I gave her anti diarrhea pills. It was gone and has never came back. I think she must of caught some type of bug.

 

[amaliayosa]

What anti diarrhea medicine did you use? And what is Kao?
Thanks
Amy

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Quote:
I wouldnt cut the grain back, myabe just the other stuff.

Some does do get loose stools from the hormone changes during and just after kidding that corrects itself, although it squares away faster with some probiotics.

I doubt its worms, but thats not something to rule out unless you've already wormed her or know she came wormed. i say that just cause theres so much else with the rich foods and the having moved recently and just kidded.

Well water contains natural bacteria, and some times switching from one farms well water to another can disrupt an animals internal bacteria balance- causing loose stool. if you have wells thats something to consider too- again, nothing a little yogurt or probiotics wouldnt hlep.

Alfalfa is a legume, its insanely rich- it causes much fermentation too. Generally if you give an animal gain they dont need the alfalfa too. Its easy for them to over eat on it, horses founder on it quite often, caprines tend to over eat on it and bloat.

 

[amaliayosa]

Thanks everyone, I cut everything back a bit, except grain, gave her a sprinkling of baking soda over her grain, and added some celtic sea salt. I also increased her hay.
She was not eating much of the last few bales, just bought a few more and she is eating it again.
Happy to say her poops are normal today! Yay!
Thanks for the advice
Amy

 

[Chatychick]