Hi....another newbie question here.
Before I built my hay feeder I would throw in 1 flake per night to my 3 goats. They would appear to pick at it but it seemed as if practically none had been eaten the next day.
They stay out all day in about an acre pasture which is mostly weeds, some grass, and the tree branches they could reach have already been stripped bare. I was always surprised at how much time they spent laying around by the gate and not eating. They just don't appear to eat that much.
I switched them to a different kind of hay hoping they might like it better but they still hardly touch it, only now it's up in a hay feeder so at least I don't have to throw it out after it gets pooped on. I have just started putting fresh branches in their stalls at night in little "Branch feeders" that I invented so they can walk around their stalls "browsing". Last night they did eat every morsel off the branches I put in, we'll see about tonight because I threw branches in the pasture for them and they had already quit eating it by turn-in.
Anyway, the thing is I hardly ever see them grazing, and they seem not to eat their hay...they just seem like they don't eat much ?! The baby is the only one who actually looks kinda thin, though I don't know what else I could offer him. There is better grass in another pasture but the fence is not okay. I have been letting them roam free when I can watch them.
Do they really just lie around a lot and turn their nose up at hay? I can't imagine a horse doing that....
Replies
Deborah I forgot to mention that I sent off a fecal this past weekend. I did the baby, since he is the thinnest. I'm not sure how long it'll take, I think he said he was sending it to a lab, so...
but anyway, I believe I am seeing weight gain already. Remember how the wether had the sunken in belly? That is noticeably different. The baby still is bony but his left side usually has a big bulge after I've left them bunch of branches and hay so I believe he is eating heartily. The baby looks taller to me, too, so he may have just sprouted up a little and stretched himself out which is why I don't see the weight on him yet? Anyway, they have undoubtedly stopped losing weight and I feel we are on the right track. I am now bringing them armloads of branches and all sorts of goodies several times a day which they are devouring. I wasn't doing that before, either, so I just really think by next week we'll be caught up.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Well...everybody...joke's on me. I finally found some nice green fragrant hay. It is an alfalfa mix but supposedly not much. They sure don't have a problem eating this stuff. snobby goats! They were on hunger strike waiting for the good stuff.
I know the alfalfa is a little risky but it was my vet who recommended I get them an alfalfa grass mix since they were getting so thin on the plain grass hay, which around here is crap. The boys are both taking ammonium chloride at preventative levels so hopefully it'll all work out and I'll get them moved into the new pasture which has way better browse than their old one, and better grass too. Maybe by then they won't be eating enough of the storebought hay for it to matter if it's got a little alfalfa in it.
It's really kinda sad though, as soon as they'd been eating this stuff for 24 hours the boys just came to life, having rear-and-head-butt wars and little bucky boy says he is ready to make BABIES despite him not even being 3 months old lol. I feel really guilty now that I realize they weren't even acting normal either...
Melissa Johnson said:
didnt you say you just got these goats?? new home, new routine, different food - keep that in mind. and watch their behavior. I read online one time, a guy said, if they're eating, drinking and chewing cud - I dont worry too much. Of course, I am not implying you not pay attention to their body condition - just sayin' ^^
Juliana Goodwin said:
Juliana Goodwin said:
It is mostly his hair sticking up, it looks really alarming but when you touch him you discover that it's mostly hair. But still, his spine does stick up, as do his little hip bones.
They certainly don't act sick in any way, except that they won't eat the hay...but none of them has an appetite problem when it comes to things they like better.
I know their breeder had better hay than I have, I saw it. I've got the best of what's around here which is pretty poor unless you buy alfalfa (which I didn't because of the boys). Could they be possibly boycotting my hay because it doesn't taste good compared to what they were used to and losing weight because of it? Are goats that snobby?
Melissa Johnson said:
the buckskin (?) has the prettiest face - the black one, the larger one, looks like something is going on to me - course, I'm no expert, but I bet your fecal will answer alot of questions. None of my goats have ever had a belly sunk in like that. And is that the hair sticking up down the back or is that the goats spine?? If that is the spine, I would be really surprised if it didnt have a heavy case of worms.
My doe is on the other side of a heavy case of something, not worms, but mites or something like that. She still has a weird spot on her breastbone that I have treated once with pour on ivermectin - going to rub some on it tomorrow. It is really dry and the hair is missing there and there are little cracks - no red, no blood, but little dry, cracked lines. It is bought 2 inches long. Hope all comes out well - you said they are chewing cud - which means they are eating so that's good! Hopefully you will know soon bout worms.
Julianna Said:
Here are some pics. Am I losing it or are they thin? Especially the baby? I rate them baby thinnest, black female second, and buckskin/paint wether best of all.
The upclose pic of the caved in belly is the wether. Is that normal? Is that bad?
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