Really Need advice on Baby Goat

[Mylied]

When you say grain, do you mean the goat pellets or are there grains I buy separately? She is 10wks now, 8wks when I got her, and was in a pen with bucks and bucklings. I have regular vit E and Selenium from my chickens, can I just crush that up and drench her or should I got for the gel at TSC? I give her and her pen mate from the same herd free choice on their pellets, should I back off that? Thank you all so much for the help! I am so confident with my chickens, but the goats are new and slightly scary!

Goat pellets are the grain I am talking about. They don't need a lot if you have hay. She is most likely not pregnant at that age. I do have mini lamanchas that always have a big rumen after they eat, so that may just be how she is built. Yes, you can just give her what you give the chickens. You'd have to look up the dose for their size. And no, do not give free choice feed. Since they are young, I'd do a cup a day for each of them. Here is a website with everything you could want to know about goats: http://fiascofarm.com/goats/index.htm

 

[hollymh]

If it's bloat, be sure to scale back on rich hay and legumes. Offer more roughage, if possible.

But I am not so sure it's actually bloat....I have a cull doe (old goat I bought for almost nothing) who has a big belly especially after eating. And she has a stiff lame leg like your little goat too, as a matter of fact! What I think, is that she must have eaten something... plastic, whatever before I got her and she has a permanent bulge in her belly. None of the bloat stuff or rumen treatments worked for her, but she doesn't seem to be suffering at all.

If you can rule out pregnancy (remotely possible at this age but not probable), I would just give her a good non-bloaty diet and take a wait and see approach. Definitely don't give her any kind of grain....the goat chow probably contains quite a bit of grain; check the ingredients!

Ive only offered them Noble Goat feed and then their minerals and the baking soda, free choice on hay and rose bush clippings and then weeds and leftovers from the garden. Should I withhold the goat feed and just let her have roughage? The other little goat isnt bloated at all, and has the same treatment/feed. thank you for the help!

 

[hollymh]

Goat pellets are the grain I am talking about. They don't need a lot if you have hay. She is most likely not pregnant at that age. I do have mini lamanchas that always have a big rumen after they eat, so that may just be how she is built. Yes, you can just give her what you give the chickens. You'd have to look up the dose for their size. And no, do not give free choice feed. Since they are young, I'd do a cup a day for each of them. Here is a website with everything you could want to know about goats: http://fiascofarm.com/goats/index.htm

Thank you! Great information, we will cut out grains for a few days and then offer only a little. That relieves a lot of my concern. I thought I was fully prepared and did enough research, so thankful for help and resources like this!

 

[Mylied]

Also, the thegoatspot.com is a good, active forum.

 

[ShannonR]

Ive only offered them Noble Goat feed and then their minerals and the baking soda, free choice on hay and rose bush clippings and then weeds and leftovers from the garden. Should I withhold the goat feed and just let her have roughage? The other little goat isnt bloated at all, and has the same treatment/feed. thank you for the help!

I would keep the goat feed to a minimum, then wait and see.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How is your little goat, she looks extremely bloated to me.

 

[hollymh]

How is your little goat, she looks extremely bloated to me.

Thank you for asking! She is doing wonderful, we overfed her grain so we pulled it that day, she was half the size the next morning and now normal sized. We also gave her a b-complex injection and drenched her with selenium and vit e for the wobble. The wobble is about the same, but we are assuming it is related to her scar on that leg. I will give them grains again in a few days, but definitely far less! Lesson learned.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Grain and goats can be a deadly mix, I have learned that lesson the hard way. It should be considered a treat to avoid problems. I'm glad she's okay, I was a bit worried for her.

 

[Fizzlecat]

Ive tried Backyardherds with no luck, so Im trying here. This is Maizey and she came from a bad situation, I couldn't leave her there. This is my first time owning goats so Im not seasoned yet. She has a funny walk and a large belly(in my opinion), looks like a possible healed injury on her leg??She isnt in pain, seems simply clumsy. Im not worried about the way she looks, just quality of life and if she can potentially be a milk goat in the future? I have vaccinated, dewormed(9 days ago), started them on minerals, good goat feed, free choice hay, pasture grazing in dry pasture, provided probiotics, and offered baking soda. I didnt find out until after I took them, they got chicken feed for food and he had just pulled them off mom that day. Is her belly really distended and should I be concerned about her leg? Thank you thank you!

Video here:

I’ve been raising goats for 17 years. If you change their feed abruptly or allow too much lush pasture when they are not used to it, they can get what is called “bloat,” which is very serious. Gas and foam accumulate in their stomach causing their stomach to swell. It causes discomfort, then pain, then if it advances, it will press on their diaphragm to the point that they cannot breathe, killing them. This can happen very quickly. You may want to check with a small ruminant vet, especially if her tummy feels tight. I have had good luck opening about 10 softgels of Gas-X, drawing up the oily stuff with a syringe and needle. Then remove the needle and give by mouth with the syringe, this can be repeated every couple of hours if needed. All the stuff you’re doing is good. I don’t tell you this to scare you, I just wish someone had told me about it a long time ago. This treatment has saved many goats I would have otherwise lost, and I’ve sadly lost quite a few in the past to bloat. Best of luck to you and your new baby!

 

[cassie]

The belly certainly does look big and she is definitely not walking normally. I would give her some BoSe. A selenium deficiency will cause weak muscles resulting in an odd gait. If that is the problem she will improve rapidly after the BoSe I would also give her some GasX ASAP. If she is bloated it will deflate her promptly. In any event it won't hurt her. You should also give her a shot for the prevention of entertoxemia and tetanus. Get a vial of CD/T from the livestock supply and that will take care of both.