What do you feed your goats?

[4dluvofchickens]

Ok. So im new to goat keeping. I recently brought 2, 8 week old wethers. After the first week here one (señor chewy) started having really soft stool then started acting sick. His brother (timmy) was acting normal and had normal poops as well. So I took them to the vet. She put both on a wormer. Then señor chewy on two different shots as well for the next 4 days. Came home and within 2 days his poops were back to balls and he was acting normal. Now another week has passed and they are 10 weeks old now and señor chewy is having the very same mushy poop again. ...... what is going on? I feed them coastal hay and loose minerals and clean water. They eat the grass and bushes and trees and plants too..... someone help... what am I doing wrong? I absolutely love these guys!

 

[MakelaNJoe]

Ok. So im new to goat keeping. I recently brought 2, 8 week old wethers. After the first week here one (señor chewy) started having really soft stool then started acting sick. His brother (timmy) was acting normal and had normal poops as well. So I took them to the vet. She put both on a wormer. Then señor chewy on two different shots as well for the next 4 days. Came home and within 2 days his poops were back to balls and he was acting normal. Now another week has passed and they are 10 weeks old now and señor chewy is having the very same mushy poop again. ...... what is going on? I feed them coastal hay and loose minerals and clean water. They eat the grass and bushes and trees and plants too..... someone help... what am I doing wrong? I absolutely love these guys!

I just recently got a Nigerian dwarf after the first day his poops got soft and runny i put him in a pen with just water and lots of hay it cleared up i believe it was from the grain i was feeding! So i stopped grain completly until he was better. Now i only give him a few nibbles of grain here and there. Not sure this is the problem you are having... hope the little guy gets better best of luck to you.

 

[wispy55]

I noticed ivy in the pic you posted of your sweeties. Ivy is one of the plants that is not good for goats. Perhaps that is what caused the loose stools? New plants can cause upset in the digestion of any animals or birds. Take agood look around at what they are eating

 

[scubacoz]

What vaccination do you give for overeating disease?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

What vaccination do you give for overeating disease?

There's no vaccine for bloat. If a goat has the signs of bloat they should really be treated by a veterinarian for the best outcome.

However, many people vaccinate their goats with a Clostridium vaccine (CD/T) that protects against tetanus and enteritis, which can often be a sequelae of bloat.

 

[cassie]

What vaccination do you give for overeating disease?

CD/T. That is for clostridium perfingens and tetanus. You give two shots about 4 weeks apart and then an annual booster.Clostridium perfingens is the cause of enterotoxemia, Enterotoxemia is called overeating disease even though overeating may or may not have anything to do with it. It is also called pulpy kidney disease.

Even though you have your animals vaccinated with CD/T, clostridium perfingens toxoid, it is cheap insurance to have a vial of clostridium perfingens antitoxin on hand. Vaccination is not 100% effective, and the onset of entero is a true emergency.

Although you didn't ask, the best treatment for simple bloat I have found is Gas X. It is fast, safe, and a lot more effective than the usual remedies,

 

[cassie]

There's no vaccine for bloat. If a goat has the signs of bloat they should really be treated by a veterinarian for the best outcome.

However, many people vaccinate their goats with a Clostridium vaccine (CD/T) that protects against tetanus and enteritis, which can often be a sequelae of bloat.

Just a comment. If your goat has bloat, there isn't time to get a vet. By the time the vet gets out to your place or you get the goat to the clinic, chances are the goat will be dead. Gas X works as well as anything for bloat. Gas X and enterotoxemia antitoxin are two things every goat owner should always have in their medicine chest. When you need them, you need them NOW.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Just a comment.  If your goat has bloat, there isn't time to get a vet.  By the time the vet gets out to your place or you get the goat to the clinic, chances are the goat will be dead. Gas X works as well as anything for bloat.  Gas X and enterotoxemia antitoxin are two things every goat owner should always have in their medicine chest.  When you need them, you need them NOW. 

I definitely understand that bloat is an emergency, but the best chance for a positive outcome is discussing options with a vet ahead of time and having a good relationship with them so you can call in an emergency and get advice even if the vet cannot be there immediately. There are definitely home remedies, but they are definitely "at your own risk". (Some more risky than others)

(Obviously I know some people -yourself included- have lots of experience and know how to treat things on their own, but I always like to make a disclaimer for people newer to the hobby. Some of the worst medical cases brought to the vet are because people tried home remedies before consulting a professional)

 

[cassie]

Just a comment. I never know when to shut up. The only "home remedy" I know of for bloat is oil. There may be others that I am not familiar with. I don't like oil because it is too easy to get it in the lungs. If that happens you've cured the bloat and killed the goat. From the vet or vet supply you can get things like therabloat and some other remedies I can't remember the names of. Over the years I've tried most of them with variable results.

You are right that it is a good idea for goat owners to cultivate a relationship with their vet. If nothing else, to earn how to prevent a lot of problems. A good vet is invaluable for any livestock owner. That said, in the case of bloat, a lot of times you have only minutes to act. Unless the vet clinic is just next door, you are not going to have time to get the goat there.

There are certain things responsible goat owners just need to learn how to do themselves. Like how to take a temperature, how to safely give injections, and how to treat entero and bloat. These last two can kill very, very quickly.

 

[Zoomie]

I'm chiming in here, no reason really... I'm new to the forum but I raise dairy goats. The OP, which I realize was asked years ago, asked what people feed their goats... I feed mine a plain alfalfa pellet, lots of grass hay, and a little barley with an even tinier amount of black oil sunflower seed. However mine are hard-working dairy goats. This might not work for everyone. In order to know how much to feed you basically just observe the animal every day. If they are gaining weight, you are feeding too much. If they are losing weight, you are either not feeding enough or possibly something else is going on that needs to be investigated. If they are a good weight and stay pretty steady you are doing well.

I also vaccinate with CDT, and as for bloat, my old vet pointed out that there were bloat remedies on the market. It is a true emergency and action must be taken right away. Using good management, keeping them a good healthy weight and feeding good healthy feeds (not moldy and so on) as well as keeping them in clean areas and keeping up shots and wormings, go a long way to keeping such issues at a minimum.

It is sad to me that some people have this idea that goats will eat "anything". They are the pickiest animal on the farm and are notorious for wasting feed. People who raise goats have come up with all sorts of clever ways to build feeders that at least minimize the waste.