My First Goats :)

[wishomesteader]

I just recently bought 2 baby Nubians who are bucks and a milking Saanen. The boys were very sick with coccidosis(?spelling) and the 3 week old almost dies, now 5 days later he is bouncing back. Let me tell you this story, first the breeder yelled at me and said it was my fault for changing his formula and changing eating times because I fed him in the middle of the night when he was bellering.

I changed him from goat replacer to fresh goat milk from my milker I bought. Come to find hout that their scours were not from my change but from cocidosis(?spelling)! I called the breeder and ended up talking to her husband explaining about what the vet said,The vet had said that they were sick for a while but the parsite was so great in numbers and that the breeder had to have known that she sold me sick babies. however, she never called me back and 1 week later has not called to check on the babies status, me I would of called back many times.

I LOVE my goats and if I would of known they were this great, I would have had them long ago. I hope to have a bunch...they are like Lays potatoe chips, can't just have one.

My question now is , my milker is slowing down on milk and her poop is little pebbles but stuck together like a stick..is this OK?? She is bypassing her Alfalfa hay and only wants corn, is that ok??

Thanks for your help.

[pookshollow]

She is bypassing her Alfalfa hay and only wants corn, is that ok??

No, this is not OK! It's like you not eating your vegetables but only eating chocolate bars. Corn by itself is basically goat "junkfood" - it only has about 11% protein and next to no fibre. She needs hay (preferably alfalfa) for roughage and nutrients. She will need about a 14-16% protein ration if she's getting alfalfa and higher if she's getting grass hay. She'll also need minerals (not sheep minerals - she needs copper and that's toxic to sheep) and salt, as well as clean fresh water at all times.

If all she is eating is corn, that would probably explain the slowing down of milk and the state of her droppings.

You really need to research goat nutrition and basic care. fiascofarm.com is a good place to start.

[fishhead]

I would think that all that sugar (starch) might lead to acid stomach and all the problems that come with it. I would make sure they have access to baking soda at all times. It helps buffer the rumen pH.

[neehifarm]

Coccidia is found in most soils...I am fairly confident the farmer was unaware he sold you a 'loaded' kid....usually rears its ugly head on it's own.
As for corn...R U CRAZY?! Corn is the equivalent of feeding FRUIT LOOPS to your kids every day.
There is no corn at my farm, as it is too risky with male goats. Urinary Calculi is not what I want to deal with.

[trob1]

The goats that came down with cocci were just the right age for it to show up and with the stress of new owners and new milk they should have been on prevention treatment. Stress can cause cocci and worms to get out of hand and make them sick quick. Bottle babies really need cocci meds in their milk to prevent this from happening. Remove the corn from the milkers diet she really needs to be on a good goat grain and all the alfalfa hay she wants. Do go to fiasco farms website they have great advise. Be sure to make any diet changes be it milk or grain very slowly so they do not get sick. When I buy goats I get enough of their current food to last through the change over. Oh and watch out goats are an addiction. I started with 2 and I now have 9 and 5 are pregnant.