How to get a doe to eat her grain?!?!?

GoldenWood Farm · #1 12/28/04, 05:03 PM

My doe who is 2 week away from kidding won't eat her grain! She eats a little bit of it then plays around with it. Now this is only on the milkstand or outside of her pen...inside she will eat it down like nobodys busness....She is such a butthead! Grrr.....I can't feed her inside the pen because of course everybody else will eat her food. Any ideas? I thought about putting a tiny bit of molassas in her grain to see if that would help....I need some ideas!!!

MotherClucker

Sondra Peterson · #2 12/28/04, 05:25 PM

what are the others eating?? is she full?? boy aren't I a lot of help

by the way what are you feeding her. I mix my own grain not pellets so have never had the problem.

GoldenWood Farm · #3 12/28/04, 05:43 PM

I am feeding feed store bought pellets. The other goats get the same thing.

MotherClucker

Sondra Peterson · #4 12/28/04, 05:49 PM

My guess is she is just being stubborn. and is eating with the other goats I don't feed my dry does anything except alfalfa pellets and hay so guess the preggers does and lactating ones are just happy to get that feed. Boy I don't know what to say to help you on this.

GoldenWood Farm · #5 12/28/04, 06:03 PM

Well...my other goats don't get pellets in their pen...and I only feed the babys their pellets. I have my pen set up where I can cut in half by shuting the gate inbetween them and then I get to feed the babys. This doe will ONLY eat her grain in the pen with the babys

. She is hungry but man she is stubborn! You would think she has some alpine in her history somewhere! But nope she's a Boer. Her daughter isn't like this! *Sigh*...guess I will have to try the mollassas...

MotherClucker

Sondra Peterson · #6 12/28/04, 09:37 PM

try adding some black oil sunflowerseeds to her pellets may 1/4 cup she then might start eating the pellets too. And if you add molasses use just a tad and mix it up good so some gets on all pellets but don't over do the molasses or you will have the runs.

Stacy Adams · #7 12/28/04, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotherClucker

She is hungry but man she is stubborn! MotherClucker

I'd add the boss to the feed, and if she doesn't eat it where you want her to, send her to bed hungry... If she know's she's going to get it where she wants it, then hey, she wins!!!

Sondra Peterson · #8 12/29/04, 08:45 AM

I really agree with Stacy on this too. Try getting some cheerios on the feed stand or something she loves then go to the feed. I really don't like to use molasses.

#9 12/29/04, 09:45 AM

We like to feed on the milk stand too, but a heavy pregnant doe should NOT be made to get up if she doesn't want too. She still needs her grain, so feed her in her pen. Yes, you may need to rethink your pen setup, perhaps bringing her in the barn first, give her grain, then let the others in. Or you may need to supervise her feeding. But forcing or lifting a pregnant doe close to kidding is obviously uncomfortable for her and makes her lose her appetite at least temporarily.

GoldenWood Farm · #10 12/29/04, 11:41 AM

Oh she gets on the milk stand just fine. The grain that she has right now is not what they used to get. They used to get a grain that had molassas mixed in with it and they loved that. But alas that place is to far away now and so I get this grain. If she doesn't eat her grain on the milk stand she doesn't get it. But I am worried about her since she is only 2 weeks away from kidding and she is a little bit on the skinney side

. Stupid stubborn boer!

MotherClucker