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Bred Ewe, please help!

2244 Views 42 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  TripleG!
I have a ewe who is 2 weeks away from her due date. She went off feed around 5 last night and isn’t acting normal. We kept an eye on her last night and nothing. Still isn’t eating this morning.
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You are wrong. Goats have not "evolved" to survive on weeds and brush. They always survived on weeds and brush.
Until we domesticated them and started feeding them other things. There are still breeds that do well with mostly forage, but we have tinkered with breeding and made it so that in order to get the production wanted, they need that better quality feed. Dairy goats in particular need a bit of extra in order to "put it in the pail" to the extent that a lot of people want.
Besides, they are talking about sheep, not goats.
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You are wrong. Goats have not "evolved" to survive on weeds and brush. They always survived on weeds and brush.

Until we domesticated them and started feeding them other things. There are still breeds that do well with mostly forage, but we have tinkered with breeding and made it so that in order to get the production wanted, they need that better quality feed. Dairy goats in particular need a bit of extra in order to "put it in the pail" to the extent that a lot of people want.

Besides, they are talking about sheep, not goats.
Thanks. You said what I was planning to reply, only you said it better.

We have set up our goats in an unnatural situation, and we have to meet their nutritional/housing/safety needs in a different way than when they live "naturally."

But I'll bet that the mortality rate in the wild is a lot higher than the dairy goats in my paddock.

Same goes for sheep. ;)
Goats have evolved to survive on weeds and brush. We feed them good hay, too much grain, and drugs, when wonder why they get sick.

Does she have access to minerals and salt?
Yes she has access to both.
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