doe not eating

[farm mom]

I have a doe, FF, due April 23 who is not eating. Refused her grain last night and didn't eat her alfalfa pellets this morning. She is on 3 lbs of alfalfa pellets and 1 lb of whole oats with BOSS a day. Grass hay free choice. Has been on that same diet since I bought her last November. I gave her a copper boluse yesterday and her CD/T shot but that is the only thing out of the norm. What should I do now?

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Go to goatkeeping 101 on dairygoatinfo.com and read the articles on hypocalcemia by Sue Reith, get your meds together in case you need them. CMPK should be part of your med cabinet anyway if you have does kidding.

You can do nothing but monitor her.

When was the last time she was wormed? Maybe take a fecal into the vet at the same time you go get the CMPK injectable? Whats her temp...low is a pretty good sign that she is in metobolic distress, take a herd mates temp also so you know what is normal for your climate. Are the feeders dirty? Clean out everything and see if perhaps something happened to the feed, or feeders. Is she eating her hay?

Not eating for a goat is of course a huge deal, first because it's their passion in life, but secondly a doe carry 1 to 4 very fast growing kids right now, with as fast as her metabolisim is, she will quickly be out of energy, which rises her blood pressure, she can go toxic the kids can die and you have a real problem for the next 23 days.

Is this the first bolusing you have done in your herd? Because even on lots of alfalfa, if you haven't met her copper needs until now, it won't help, they can't absorb their calcium because of the copper defficency. And since you live in the Pacific Northwest where copper defficency is the worst of anywhere, you can see how important it is.

Let us know how she progresses, and Sue Reith is in your area of the world, email her. Vicki