Feeding questions. How much to feed?

[Voodoo-Jones]

This is my first time with goats and I have some feeding questions. I have a 5 month old pygmy and a 4 1/2 month old mini-dairy. I'm not sure how much to feed them. Currently I feed them 4 cups total to share of goat/sheep dq for coccidia and free feed mixed grass hay with a goat block available at all times. They are penned most of the time. Is this too much feed? Initially, I was told by the breeder to feed the mini-diary as much as she would eat, as she was grossly underweight and I almost lost her to coccidia 6 weeks ago. She was so under nourished that her hair started falling out. Then last week she had a terrible urinary tract infection. She has also had a respiratory infection since I got her and just finished her 4th round of antibiotics. I do have them both on a probiotic supplement. She is just now normal weight and is running and jumping and playing like a normal goat finally. Do you all free feed your goats grain and if not, how much do you recommend feeding? At what age do you stop free feeding grain to growing kids and how much do you maintain them on? The pygmy is currently 22 pounds at 4 months and the mini-dairy is only 11 pounds at 4 1/2 months. Thank you all for your help!

[Alice In TX/MO]

They need lots of quality hay and not much grain or concentrated feed (pellets, goat chow, etc.)

Pygmies and mini's are easy keepers if they are healthy. (That means they don't need much feed besides hay.)

[Backfourty,MI.]

I agree with Alice also. I would also get them a good loose mineral, dark gray or black in color that has a high PPM of copper in it. The goat block will not give them enough of what they need.

11 pounds for a mini dairy still sounds a little under weight to me but I'm not sure how big her parents were, etc. My Nigerians & mini nubians were well past 11 pounds at 4 months I am almost sure.

[mrs.H]

"as she was grossly underweight and I almost lost her to coccidia 6 weeks ago"
Coccidia will stunt growth. That may be why she is so small. Was she a twin or triplet?

[Voodoo-Jones]

Originally Posted by mrs.H

"as she was grossly underweight and I almost lost her to coccidia 6 weeks ago"
Coccidia will stunt growth. That may be why she is so small. Was she a twin or triplet?

She was a triplet. I believe is fairly stunted due to the coccidia. In speaking with her breeder, her brother is fairly stunted too, due to coccidia. The other triplet died after her second round of vaccines unfortunately, so I'm trying to be very, very careful with this one. The pygmy is her half sister and couldn't be healthier!

[Voodoo-Jones]

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

II would also get them a good loose mineral, dark gray or black in color that has a high PPM of copper in it.

Oh good, I started putting this out about a month ago! Yay! I'm glad I was correct in doing so. Thank you!!

[Creamers]

They can overcome severe growth stunting if you get them on the right track now. 11 lbs is GROSSLY underweight - I mean - GROSSLY.
Keep them on a medicated pellet plus do Dimethox or Sulmet in cycles of 5 days every 21 days.
At that size, they should get about a cup a day each of grain/pellets.
Offer quality hay, give a shot of BO-SE, offer free choice alfalfa pellets and continue a loose goat mineral.
A kid that stunted if in a really serious area of live or die, and I've been there in the past.
I also drenched with organic baby yogurt. . . who knows if it helped, but the doeling I had come out of it and is normal sized now at 18 months.

[Voodoo-Jones]

Here is what she looks like. Still somewhat on the thin side, but way better than she did a month ago. Again, she is probably eating 2 cups of pelleted grain and doesn't seem very interested in the hay.

Notice, she's not much bigger than my chickens! My black Orph. rooster is bigger that she is!

[jordan]

What did you treat her with for the coccidia?
Did you worm her? With what?
What meds did you give her for the respiratory infection, how much and how often?
Something is not working and we need to figure out an alternative that will.
Her system is in an uproar right now with all the medications and grains, so your best bet is to get back to the very basics. Hay and clean water. You can add Apple Cider Vinegar to their water too.

As suggested, a good loose mineral labeled for goats or cows with higher copper (not anything marked for sheep & goat). Goats cannot get what they need from a block.

For now, free choice hay and at most a handful of grain twice daily and to help get the weight on her, you can add a small amount of dry Quaker Oatmeal mixed in that small handful of grain.
She needs hay more than she needs "candy". I don't feed my kids grain at all (only my milkers) and 4 cups between your two babies is 3 1/2 cups too much. They are filling up on grain and not getting the food they need (hay).

Take a stool sample in to your vet to make sure that you have the coccidia under control. Don't assume that since you gave her something for it, that it actually worked. Have them check for worms too.

If that little girl has lasted through all this, she sure is fighter!
Good luck!
Lois

[Voodoo-Jones]

Originally Posted by jordan

What did you treat her with for the coccidia?
Did you worm her? With what?
What meds did you give her for the respiratory infection, how much and how often?
Something is not working and we need to figure out an alternative that will.
Her system is in an uproar right now with all the medications and grains, so your best bet is to get back to the very basics. Hay and clean water. You can add Apple Cider Vinegar to their water too.

As suggested, a good loose mineral labeled for goats or cows with higher copper (not anything marked for sheep & goat). Goats cannot get what they need from a block.

For now, free choice hay and at most a handful of grain twice daily and to help get the weight on her, you can add a small amount of dry Quaker Oatmeal mixed in that small handful of grain.
She needs hay more than she needs "candy". I don't feed my kids grain at all (only my milkers) and 4 cups between your two babies is 3 1/2 cups too much. They are filling up on grain and not getting the food they need (hay).

Take a stool sample in to your vet to make sure that you have the coccidia under control. Don't assume that since you gave her something for it, that it actually worked. Have them check for worms too.

If that little girl has lasted through all this, she sure is fighter!
Good luck!
Lois

Thank you for your reply!

She was dewormed last July 2nd with Ivomectin when she got her 2nd round of vaccines- all by the breeder.
For her respiratory issues, she was placed on Nuflor injections .25cc every 2 days for 3 doses total initially back on 8/9. This was repeated again 1 week later.
At the same time, for her coccidia, a fecal floatation and a centrifuge sample were analyzed, both showing high levels of coccidia and she was placed on Albon.85mls orally for 5 days. This was August 9th as well.
Then 9/7 she was placed on Baytril .28ml injection once daily for 5 days and banamine .04ml once daily for 2 days for a urinary tract infection.
pffffwwwww!!!!

I am due to get a urine sample into the vet this week, so I will have them check a stool as well.
Thank you for the feeding tips. I will reduce the "candy" and increase the hay. I can hear them crying already!