Could Clover hay make goats susceptible to bloat?

[The Tin Mom]

Maybe this is a silly question, but I have never had a problem with bloat in the past, and this spring I have had a doe & a 3.5 month old doeling both get bloat. Vegetable oil took care of it right away, but I am trying to figure out what could cause this.

The doe was especially tough. About a month and a half ago she bloated the first time. She would get better & then a couple days later start bloating again. She hasn't bloated in about two weeks. The doeling bloated just yesterday.

I can't think of anything that has changed, other than we haven't had access to alfalfa hay yet this year & I have been feeding clover since March. Hay and baking soda are always available free choice, as are minerals.

The doeling is nursing, gets a little grain 2x a day and has access to some green browse, but not a whole lot. The does get some green on their way to & from the milk parlor and get their grain on the milkstand.

I appreciate any thoughts you may have. So far, I have noticed the bloat pretty quickly, but I want to figure out if there is something causing this or if these two girls were just piggies & ate too much at the time they bloated.

[southerngurl]

Not that I'm aware of other than changing from one type of feed to another. Can you offer some grass hay too? Do you offer baking soda? Since she is not getting much grain, can you cut it out for a couple weeks to let her rumen straighten out?

[coso]

I know it does in cattle. Always put a bloat block out if you put cattle out in a new field of clover. Don't know about goats.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Our hay has some clover in it & all my goats seem to do fine.
Are they getting too much fresh green stuff & maybe not used to it or could they be getting into another critters feed you may have their like chickens or ducks?

[coso]

Hay is fine, it is the fresh that will bloat cattle.

[saanengirl]

If clover hay is all, or the majority of the hay that is being offered, it could cause bloat.

[The Tin Mom]

Yes, clover hay is most of the hay they are offered. I will tell my husband to change that and start offering more prairie grass.

Any changes in feed have been gradual and we are careful not to let them into feed for other animals. The hay is the only big change from last year.

When we first started using it, I couldn't find anything about it, but since then I thought I read somewhere that it could cause issues - but it was just a short statement that was inconclusive & now I can't find it.

[saanengirl]

Goats need variety. Anytime they are fed just one thing it is a recipe for problems. Clover hay is great in moderation because it is highly digestible and high in protein. If it is taken out of moderation, it can cause bloat, as you discovered.

[The Tin Mom]

Originally Posted by saanengirl

Goats need variety. Anytime they are fed just one thing it is a recipe for problems. Clover hay is great in moderation because it is highly digestible and high in protein. If it is taken out of moderation, it can cause bloat, as you discovered.

You are right. I didn't think about that. My son & husband took over the hay & stopped mixing in as much prairie grass. Hmmmmm..... probably about oh, two to three months ago - when we ran out of alfalfa.... Think the timing of the bloat is more than coincidence? I blamed it on the clover, but it was probably that the variety is reduced and they are getting too much of one thing.

Thanks so much! This is a huge "duh" moment for me and I feel stupid! I will talk to those boys & let them know to start mixing the hays more! I should have been more on top of that, since the girls are my responsibility & they are just helping me out.

[motdaugrnds]

Any green can cause bloat if not balanced with dry hay, especially clover.