# Goat Not Eating Grain



## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

One of my dairy goats stopped eating her grain about a week ago. I give them a Purina mix when they are being milked, and she won't touch it anymore. The others continue to eat it just fine. She seems vigorous and has an appetite for everything else...but she just won't eat her grain anymore. I give her 24/7 access to alfalfa pellets and hay and she eats that just fine and seems normal in every way, but she just stopped eating her grain. Any suggestions or observations?


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## squeak (Jun 21, 2012)

Hmmmm. Maybe acidosis? Have you tried bi-carb soda? Vitamin B12 injection? 
That's what I would try anyhow  This may not be your answer though, but I hope it helps 
Helen.


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## 2Sticks (Dec 13, 2007)

I do believe I can answer this for you. Last year I had the same thing happen with noble Goat Dairy Parlor and with the medicated noble Goat Grower. It was only 1 or 2 of the goats each time that refused to eat it. I spoke to Purina and they told me that sometimes they inadvertently leave out an ingredient at the mill and it will cause problems. I was told to return it and then get a bag that didn't have the same run date on the bottom (where it's sown together). Sure thing, it worked each time. There was something wrong with that particular days run and while most of the goats would go ahead and eat it certain ones wouldn't. You might find that if you check the bottom and see the run date and the mill code and get a bag with a different date that she'll eat it.


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## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

Thanks for the advice. Tamera, that may very well be it. That's exactly what I give them, the Purina Noble Goat Dairy Parlor. What I did this morning was rather than give her that, because she hasn't been eating it, is I gave her the Purina Noble Goat Grower that I feed the kids (which is similar except for the calcium content and a few other things)....and she sucked it right down. In fact she cleaned the plate like she doesn't usually do. I think what I'm going to do next time I milk here is simply mix the grower and the dairy parlor half and half and see if she'll eat it. If she does, I'll just keep upping the mixture until she's back on the parlor until this batch runs out. Thanks for the input.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Ok, Matt, but just know that the regular Noble Goat contains a coccidiostat which would come through in the milk.


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## 2Sticks (Dec 13, 2007)

Cindy is right, you can't feed the grower to a doe your milking. the nutritionists at Purina told me that if they accidently get ahold of it for one meal that's not a problem, but it's not good any more than that. Can you look at the code and the date on the bottom of the bag and get a bag of Dairy Goat Parlor that's from a different date? That would be the best thing to do.


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## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

That's why I love these rooms. I knew the grower had cocci meds, but I didn't know that would be bad for them or come through in the milk. I only milk once a day, so I was just about to go out right now. I'll try giving her the Dairy Parlor again rather than mixing the two. Since the others are eating it, and I'm not sure I have the bag anymore, I think what I might have to do is go to the store, get a few more bags, and give the does that's not eating it the feed from those bags until what I have now runs out with the other girls.


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