sick 2 month old buckling

[MamaDee]

Must be my week for people calling me with goat problems.......

A kid we sold about a month ago is sick. They called just now to say he was acting "weird" yesterday, and now today he won't drink too much and is laying down--trying to sit up with limited success. They say he acts like he just doesn't feel good. O.K......

So here is the info. I could get:

he weaned from the bottle 3 days ago--gradually

he has had access to grazing, grain and water all along--not just added after weaning

they don't give hay, but do let them out to graze daily

He acts like he doesn't want the water in a bottle they are offering. I told them he shouldn't need water from a bottle as long as he has had and does have a bucket of water he can get to.

Can you think of any tie in with weaning to cause a kid distress? They only thing I could think of is that he ate something weird in the field. His poop is fine.

Huh.

Dee

[crazygoatgal]

You got me. But let us know so we can learn from this too. You may be right about having eaten something in the field, maybe something inedible?

[Starsmom]

Have they treated for cocci? If he ate something poisonous you may want to give him some activated charcoal.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

8 weeks is way to young to wean. He can't possibly be eating enough for him to have any energy. The stress of the move, the stress of this early weaning, he likely is being eaten by worms and cocci. A trip to the vet with fecal material would answer that question.

It's one thing for a breeder to wean early like this, but babies purchased especially by new people, should have better care than this. If you don't have a herd health sheet to give to newbies copy the one I have on goatkeeping 101 at dairygoatinfo.com or have them join a forum. Vicki

[MamaDee]

8 weeks is way to young to wean. He can't possibly be eating enough for him to have any energy. The stress of the move, the stress of this early weaning, he likely is being eaten by worms and cocci.>>>

Wouldn't he have symptoms, poop-wise? His poop looks fine.

<<<A trip to the vet with fecal material would answer that question.>>>>

I will suggest that--it's a good idea at any rate.

<<<It's one thing for a breeder to wean early like this, but babies purchased especially by new people, should have better care than this. If you don't have a herd health sheet to give to newbies copy the one I have on goatkeeping 101 at dairygoatinfo.com or have them join a forum. Vicki>>>

O.K. Hmmm...I was under the impression that although 8 weeks is on the early side, it was acceptable. I will ask more questions about how much grain, grass, etc. that he was/is eating. They bought 3 kids from us and the other two are just fine......maybe they are eating the solid stuff better?

Also, (waiting for my wet noodle lashing, here) we start weaning our kids from the bottle at 8 weeks. It takes me a couple of weeks to do it--I go pretty gradually. I've never had a problem with any of the kids. I do make sure, though, that grain/hay/water are introduced early on and that they are all eating it very well before their bottles are completely gone. By the time mine get their last bottle (too early for some, I know, at 10 weeks) they are chowing hay and grain like champs.


Thanks for all your ideas. I will pass all this info along to them and see if anything else has changed. I forgot to ask them to get a temp., too. I will do that.

Dee

[MamaDee]

I just looked at my records.....the sick buckling they are talking about is actually my oldest. He is 12 weeks old. The two other kids they bought are the younger--at almost 10 weeks. If that matters. I don't know what the optimal weaning age is.

Dee