Feeding does

Both our girls had twins, and r doing great. But, wanted to make sure, we r feeding them enough. They r getting Purina goat chow, alfalfa pellets, and BOSS with all grass hay. Have been wormed, regular, But they act they r starving to death. Again, we r still learning, and I've done all research, but wanted to make sure, they r getting enough. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

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  • It sounds like they are getting plenty to eat.  I would be suspicious that you may have gotten to a point that your dewormer is not working anymore.

    Do you know how to check a FAMACHA on your goats? It is the color of the inside of the lower eye lid. That is a pretty good estimation on if the goats have a worm burden that is causing any degree of anemia. The color should be red to dark pink.

    What area of the US do you live in?

    Are they on pasture graze, a dry lot, or mostly browse from trees and shrubs?

    Do you know if intestinal parasites are a particular problem in your area?

    kenneth spear said:

    They get all the alfalfa pellets they want and they get 16oz. of purina chow , twice a day. Worming has been going on now for about a year. The Coop, and the lady, we got our goats from, told us to do it that way. Now, finding out, it's wrong.
  • The typical recommendation is 1 pound of goat feed for every 3 pounds of milk a goat is producing. To feed twins, they really need to be producing 3-4 pounds of milk per day, so the amount of grain you are giving them should be enough. 

    There is a good chance they have a worm overload. If you've been using a dewormer every two months for a year, it's not killing the worms because they are resistant to it. You can check their anemia status by pulling down their lower eyelids to see if they are red, pink, light pink, or white. (This does NOT work on gums -- must be inside of eyelid. Gums always look paler than eyelids.) Are they pooping pebbles or logs or diarrhea? 

  • They get all the alfalfa pellets they want and they get 16oz. of purina chow , twice a day. Worming has been going on now for about a year. The Coop, and the lady, we got our goats from, told us to do it that way. Now, finding out, it's wrong.
  • Hi Kenneth

    Trying to get all the info on this discussion into one thread so we can help you out =)

    How much Purina Goat Chow and alfalfa pellets are the girls getting daily?

    How long have you been giving them the dewormer every 60 days?

    Also- can you please post pictures here in the reply? You do that by clicking the little paper clip up in the left top corner of this reply box.

  • Kenneth said, "we worm our goats with Manna Pro Positive Pellets Goat Dewormer with 10 oz, ever 60 days."

    You should not be using a dewormer on all of your goats on a schedule like that. It's like giving your goats an antibiotic every 60 days. If the goats got sick, that antibiotic wouldn't work. The same thing happens with dewormers. The worms become resistant to a dewormer when you use it regularly. If your goats did suddenly have a worm problem, this dewormer would not kill the worms because they've been exposed to it regularly so much that they are immune to it.

    I really need you to answer the other questions I asked in my last post before I can help you. Look below my response, and you will see a "Reply" button. Click on that, and a box will open up. Write your response, then click the green "Add Reply" button below the composition box.

  • Pregnant does and does in milk need unlimited alfalfa because it has two to three times as much calcium as grass hay. If you can't find alfalfa hay, you can buy alfalfa pellets can work. How much are giving them? 

    How much Purina Goat Chow are you feeding? 

    You should NOT be using a dewormer regularly. Which one have you been using? What dosage exactly? How often? Routine deworming was a common pre-2000s practice that has been shown to lead to dewormer resistance.

    Can you post full-body pictures so I can see their body condition?

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