Question on Boss/UC

[Minelson]

This may be a really stupid question...Is boss considered a grain? I'm asking because I notice Frankie hump his back a couple times when he peed. So of course I'm freaking out. He gets ammonium chloride daily as a preventative for UC and I don't feed any grain. But I do feed Boss. I'm wondering if that could cause a problem. He is acting totally fine in every other way. I gave him an extra drench of 1 tsp AC today and plan on doing that for a few days just in case. Any opinions about this would be appreciated

[Goat Servant]

Dont have any answers but I would think a couple of tablespoons or so. Does he have any crystalizations in his pee?

[Minelson]

Originally Posted by Goat Servant

Dont have any answers but I would think a couple of tablespoons or so. Does he have any crystalizations in his pee?

no no no....that would be way too much. Even for a full size, Frankie is a mini at 50lbs. But some say weight doesn't matter. I haven't been able to get a sample..I think he is sneak peeing.

[KimM]

If his urine is crystalizing, you might find some some hard particals stuck to the hair at the opening of the sheath. Other than that, I don't know about the BOSS contributing to UC. I think any male goat can get UC on any diet. I hope Frankie doesn't have it.

[Minelson]

Thanks Kim, no hard particles or crusties at all....I just checked.

[Backfourty,MI.]

BOSS I think would add to the phosphorus. UC can be because of many things I believe but for most goats I think it's because the calcium to phosphorus ratio is off.

The browse he eats, dried leafs, grass, etc. is all phosphorus. The calcium would come from alfafa hay or pellets usually.
I also think really hard water with lots of iron can have something to do with it as well as alot of sulfur in the water.
Some goats just may be more prone to them I think too just like some people get stones while others never do.

How much BOSS does he get a day? But you always makes sure he gets AC everyday too right? Does he also get alfafa hay or pellets?

[Minelson]

He gets about a handful of Boss a day...It's just their nighttime, time to go to bed treat. Lots and lots of browse. No alfalfa hay or pellets at this time. Just grass hay, browse, handful of boss. Frankie gets his dosage ball with AC and Gretta and Flossie get a Frosted Mini Wheat. Maybe because no alfalfa? I have been holding off on purchasing Alf hoping to get some with my grass hay load in..and that is late because we are working on the new hay loft and waiting on the new roof. UGH! Every time I go to the stupid feed store they are out of stock on pellets...plenty of cubes but no pellets. I just figured with all the browse they should be getting what they need. I'm also wondering if it's just a behavior thing...Flossie is in heat and maybe he some kind of weiner/pee/buck thing going on. I just noticed twice now that he hunched his back when he peed. That is the only thing different.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I would really watch him close, I'm trying to remember when my buck had UC. I don't think he hunched his back but he would stretch far & strain to try & pee. My little Buck hunches his back to pee on his nose usually & then curls his lips, funny sight. He thinks a girls in heat always or maybe he wishing.

Maybe Frankie has forgot he's fixed! Let's hope that's all it is.

[KimM]

When you do see him peeing, what's his flow like? Dribble? Trickle? Full stream? Intermittent or constant?

[Minelson]

Originally Posted by KimM

When you do see him peeing, what's his flow like? Dribble? Trickle? Full stream? Intermittent or constant?

From what I could tell it was a stream. He has never had a very "forceful" stream...just kinda slow and steady. I'll be sure to watch his stream close tomorrow morning when I let them out. All 3 pee and then poop right away. I don't know why...it's not like they held it all night by the looks of their bedding in the morning!

[Goat Servant]

Usually I hear of the boys only getting grass hay. I'd like to know if there's any truth to feeding them alfalfa cause it supposedly contributes to uc, then I hear if they are prone to get it, it will happen no matter what they eat. Obviously I havent checked it out or done any research.
Hope your concerns about Frankie are resolved very soon!

[betsy h.]

Doe you mean hump his back up? Or stretch it out?

If he is stretching, they just do that sometimes when preparing to wee- if he is a wether, they still go through the motions that full bucks do when they prepare to ejaculate when stretching their backs out.

And little bucks walk around hunched up because, well, you know.....

[DQ]

I went round and round with trying to determine the ca ph ratio of BOSS. it drove me insane. I seriously had a folder with feed values printed off the net and all the pertinent info about sunflower seeds highlighted. finding numbers was difficult and then they would contrast. some sources say ca higher some ph higher some about even. there must be great variation or very little actual testing. however. it is a seed as are all grains so i would treat it as such.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

If you really look at the feeding BOSS or even calf manna, most aren't feeding enough of it to increase the fat, or protein or really anything of their total ration, so the point is moot. A little handful is meaningless.

Really good alfalfa hay can cause ----le rot and urine scald in your males because they are peeing out all that uric acid, what the body makes excess protein in to. But yes I do give my bucks alfalfa pellets each and every day, because there whole life is excess phosphrous in their grain (when they get it) their grass hay and the woods they live in.

Hunching in a buckling who is peeing is usually meaning his penis is extending and he is going to spray his face with urine and seminal fluid. Or put it in his mouth, all wonderful natural things bucks do (mostly in front of your MIL or someone else who is totatly offended Vicki

[Illini]

Originally Posted by Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians

Hunching in a buckling who is peeing is usually meaning his penis is extending and he is going to spray his face with urine and seminal fluid. Or put it in his mouth, all wonderful natural things bucks do (mostly in front of your MIL or someone else who is totatly offended Vicki

Thank you, Vicki Somehow breeders always forget to mention that second, natural thing that bucks do, and you're left thinking that you're the only one whose bucks are so crude!

Kathy

[Minelson]

So there is a real good chance that Frankie (wether) is pretending to be a buck because Flossie is in heat?? It is a little hunching...not stretching. Unfortunatley I have not been able to witness his stream today...between work and it rainy out I have just not been with him. He is still acting normal and I have not seen the hunching either. I did drench him 1 tsp of AC just in case.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

And why on earth can't you spell P I Z Z L E rot on here?? Vicki

[Madfarmer]

Who knows?? You can't spell "billy" on DGI! There's no accounting for taste!:banana02:

Madfarmer

[Minelson]

Originally Posted by Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians

And why on earth can't you spell P I Z Z L E rot on here?? Vicki

lol! I was wondering the same thing and thought maybe you spelled it with s's instead of z's and that was why.

OK... this morning I watched him pee. No hunching, he just stood there and pee'd a nice steady stream. Then he pooped and walked off. I will still keep a close eye on him and continue a tsp AC a day for a few more days. I hate to make any changes if he was just doing the I'm thinking I'm a buck thing!

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Touche` just hate that whole nanny and billy goat thing, and if I didn't block it, evey 3rd person wants their user name to be one of them also! Vicki