Sunken hips in goat

[tod1972]

Quote:
No, not entirely correct.

If you're graining the wethers...then you MUST use alfalfa hay. Grain + grass hay = UC

Alfalfa, IMO, is the perfect food for bucks and wethers. The Ca/Ph ration is as close to perfect as you can get.

Also, as Chaty said...AC at the appropriate times will ward off UC. New theories say you should not feed AC constantly, that the goats system will become accustomed to it and render it useless...so just use it at the appropriate times of the year.

When is the appropriate time to use AC, and what is the best method (mixed in water, food, forced administration, etc.) and dosage of administration (amount of AC/weight or amount of AC/ amount of grain {or water})?

 

[Chauntecleer's Keeper]

The local vet I use for my dogs and cat is Cliff Peck. I have not had to use him for any of my live stock. He is a great vet, and he makes house calls. His office is in Ferndale. I guess you could call the vet in Morrilton and see who he would recomend in Little Rock area for goats. You could try Heifer International in Little Rock for a recomendation also. I would look them up on the web to find their phone number. Good Luck.

 

[Blooming chicks]

Do you absolutely have to grain a wether? My goats have about 7 acres pasture and free choice hay. I only have 3 goats, I am graining my does (one is in milk, the other due to freshen end of april), but was hoping that pasture and plenty of hay would be enough for a wether?

When is the appropriate time to use AC, and what is the best method (mixed in water, food, forced administration, etc.) and dosage of administration (amount of AC/weight or amount of AC/ amount of grain {or water})?

Any suggestions for this would be great too! Thanks so much everyone.​

 

[Skyesrocket]

No, wethers on that much pasture with free choice hay should not need any grain. The wether will lie and tell you different, but ignore him.

 

[tod1972]

Quote:
So true, so true: according to our goats they are always starving: regardless of how much they've had to eat!

I built them a new manger yesterday; hopefully that will cut down on the worm problem, as their former "manger" was a cluster of young trees fused together at the bottom forming a natural, circular manger about three feet in diameter. It was perfect size for a bale of hay, but the larger spaces between the trees didn't keep the hay from falling on the ground nearly as well as my new manger as they tore it apart.

I hope somebody who uses AC can help me and the other newbie out though; I can get some AC, but I have no idea when to use it, how much to use, or via what route of administration.