WARNING TO FELLOW GOAT OWNERS!!! Plants cause CYINIDE POISIONING!!!!

[GwenFarms]

I've always heard this called "bloat". Its common in the spring, as you say. My vet says most of the time its from them gorgeing on food. She said that if you put them on green when they haven't had it, or naturally like at the first of spring, it often can occur. We had one to have it year before last. I just got two new goats from BuffOrp and have been watching them closely. Our vet told us to walk them if they go down with bloat until she can get here, or we can get there. Kind of like a horse with colic.

Btw...goats prefer browse to graze, so if you have a bushy area, turn them out there a little while each day.

Thanks for posting about the Johnson grass, we are going to be reseeding some areas soon and we'll steer clear of it. I wouldn't take a chance with horses, or goats. Cyanide is poisonous to all living things.

 

[karen71]

Coco sorry your little goat went thru that, Happy that she is ok now
We just got 2 pygmies this weekend and will look around for any of this Johnson grass .
Love my little goats
I have printed out the list and will make sure nothing is around.

So far 2 goats no chickens yet- hubby said he needs to get used to the goats first - Soon chickens will come I really want them


Question about the charcoal - If this is kept on hand and you supsent poisoning of the goat Do you just feed some to the goat and it should help or just buy more time until you can get to the vet?

 

[Lizzybean]

I see this is an old thread but I just wanted to say thank you for posting this! We are about to get a pasture ready so we can start our mini farm and right now it's overgrown with johnson grass. I thought that was a good thing because a fellow "goat person" told me to plant it all over for the goats... So glad I saw this!!!:/

 

[bbpygmy]

Aww thats horrible! Glad she's doing ok...even though this is an old post.I will be more aware of what my goats can get to from now on. Thanks for sharing!