# My dairy goats



## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

I DONT FEEL LIKE MY DAIRY GOATS ARE GETTING WHAT THEY NEED FOR FOOD SUPPLY,WE ARE FEEDING THEM CRIMPED OATS AND WITH THE GROWN DOES WE ARE USING A MILK SUP,I DONT FEEL LIKE THEY ARE GETTING ENOUGH TO EAT WE ARE ALSO FEEDING THEM HAY WE CUT OURSELF JUST NATURAL GRASS HAY WE ARE TRYING TO STAY ORGANIC Thanks joan


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Hi Joan. What specifically is your problem? Are your does thin? Do they milk well? What is a milk sup? If you have good alfalfa hay, I'd feed that instead, or in addition to, the grass hay. Alfalfa pellets or chaffhaye can also be used for their alfalfa source, or another legume like clover, but they need some sort of high calcium, high protein food in their diet for milking and growing.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Welcome to the forum.

I have to ask, if you are trying to stay organic, does that mean that your goats do not get wormed? Are your kids not on a cocci prevention program?

In addition to what Nancy advised, parasite overload will have an effect on growth and condition.


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

thanks for your help my goats are Alpine and we also have some Nubians to but we feed them crimped oats /grass hay but I feel they need more to me they seem thin and they are eating well but I also give them a milk supplement for the grown ones ,
but I feel they need protein and I was trying to stay organic but how am I to know if I get my feed from like a amish family?
thanks for your help.


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Hi cindy thanks but no I am giving natural goat wormer from mollys they are on a weekly wormer and also one that's a little stronger for when in need thanks for your question and help on my goats.


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Thanks Nancy MY DOES ARE MILKING FINE BUT I NOTICED I HAD ONE TO GIVE BIRTH YESTERDAY EVENING LATE AND IT WAS A LITTLE DOE AS WELL BUT I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WENT TO TRY TO MILK SOME OFF OF HER TO GIVE HER CONFORT, THEN HER RIGHT TEAT SEEM KINDA LIKE IT HAD SOME DRY POCKETS THEN AS I SQUEESED A LITTLE HARDER SHE WOULD RAISER HER LEG UP AND THE MILK STARTED COMMING OUT GOOD BUT I TRIED AGAIN AND ITS LIKE THERES SOMETHING TRYING TO BLOCK BUT I WAS STILL ABLE TO MILK HER? THEN BUT THEN AGAIN THIS IS HER FIRST KID AND SHE ONLY HAD THE ONE SHE DID FINE GIVING BIRTH SHES A ALPINE.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Joan, do you run fecal samples to know if that wormer is actually working? What color are their eyelids (search FAMACHA)? If you are in middle TN, I cannot believe you won't have an issue with coccidiosis in your kids. A wormer will not help with cocci. Please get your does and kids fecalled to KNOW that you do not have a parasite overload.

You do not mention feeding any form of calcium to your milkers. Goats really need calcium in their ration and the best form is in hay. I would switch their hay to alfalfa (do this slowly) or keep the grass hay, but add alfalfa pellets to their ration. You need to balance out all that phosphurus your are feeding (grass hay and grain = high phos).

What do you feed your kids? Are they on the same feed regimen? I like to feed my kids a higher protein content for growth.

Regarding that doe that just kidded, it could just be calcified milk. Keep milking her out and see if you notice any changes.

Another question, have you tested these does for CAE?


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Thanks for all the info and good info at that I will do a fecalled should I carry our goats to the vet to do this? or can this be done from home?Thanks again I will start adding some of the pellets and alfalfa hay.the kid was borned on the 26th and I had another nanny that was due to she gave birth today to a little doeling and a little buck the kids are Nubian and 1/2 san.I did continue to milk the Alpine that just had the kid on the 26th so she is good to go now,now I have the two other kids that was born today around 12:30 they are the sweetest things and there mom has a large udder on her and the babies are having a hard time finding it because its very low to the ground but I have tried showing them I think they will pick up on where its at they are pretty good size babies auctually larger than the kid borned on the 26th,also I am having one of my does with the scars what should I do I have been giving her liquid meds to try to clear it up but its not working so hot ,any suggestions on this ?her jaw is swollen like under her mouth not the throat nor the jaws but under her mouth area any info you can give for this???thanks again for all the info..Joan


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Read up on CL and see if you think that's what your doe with the swollen jaw has. If you think it's CL, have a vet sample it and quarantine the goat until the test comes back, as it is contagious to humans and lives in the soil for a very very long time. What do mean a goat getting scars? I don't understand. 

OH, wait, I think you mean scours? As in diarrhea. On second thought, I am guessing that doe is severely anemic which will cause "bottle jaw", google for pictures, but it's a swelling under the jaw. With the scours, that also suggests heavy worm burden. I would treat that doe asap with Cydectin, and do again in 10 days, then maybe even once more. She might also need iron supplementation until her anemia clears up. Check her inner eyelids to see if they are dark pink, pale, or white.

Please get your doe that just kidded milked out into a bottle and feed those kids some colostrum. They will die without it. You can worry about getting them to suck on their mom later, but they need the nutrition and antibodies from the first milk RIGHT NOW.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

As Nancy said, scouring and swelling beneath the jaw sounds like a parasite issue.


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Thanks Nancy and nicki I appreciate the info it sounds like the bottle jaw now that you mention it I will try to treat her with the Cydectin thanks nancy do you think I should carry her to the vet or can I get this meds at the local co-op or tractor supply?


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Thanks for all the info ,I went to the feed supply store today got some all stock feed to add to there oats for extra protein food in their diet.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Cydectin is over-the-counter, you can order it online or some stores have it. If you would rather get from the store, but they don't have cydectin, look for the Quest horse dewormer stuff. The dosage is different for each one; I think both are in the wormers and cocci section of the forum. If you want to have a fecal checked to see what her worm load is, you can just collect some berries and bring to the vet. Your other goats that live in the same pens probably have the same issues as this one.


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Thanks again for all the info I gave our Alpine the one who had the scours a dose of the Cydecttin and the I went ahead and gave it to all of our other goats as well,But I have a question to anyone who has give this meds to the goat herd ,the ones that are in Milk can you drink the milk after giving this medcations to them or do you wait a while cause I know it says give it to them in 10 days again?


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Our Alpine I still can't get the jaw to come down from the swelling I did look it up and I just don't know its like she wants to eat a little but then she just walks away should I give her more of this Cydectin we gave her 6 cc of this first she is out on the pasture and she is grazing but she's still not wanting to eat and still has some of the scours,what should I do she ate about a small hand full ,then I took and poured abunch of feed in the tray left her in the barn without the other goats to bother her then went back out in 1/2 hour and let her out it looks as if she ate may 1/2 handful I am suppose to give it again in 10 days its already been 3 days so 7 more days the bottle says give it to her again what should I do??Help


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

*I haven't been on in a while*

I was wanting you all who try to help with my Alpine nanny here while back ,just wanted to let you all know from the past experience with the Alpines they are beautiful goats and I finally did get the scours under control it nipped it in the butt for me ,I went to a local Amish man and he told us to try the blackberry root and he said to boil it and then let it cool down to where it was warm to the touch and give her some by the mouth and see if this might help well I did do just that and I don't know if it was all the blackberry root or a combination or the other meds I had been giving her but I can say that right after I gave her the blackberry root juice of of the blackberry root she cleared up in like a hour or so and she had the scours for like several days I would almost say a week if not more pure scours but it all cleared up.We had two different breeds Alpines then Nubians we wanted to choose between the two breeds so we decited to sell off our Alpines and go with all Nubians ,so now we have all Nubians.


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Hi friends we now have Nubians and I have one that's due date is 1/22/14 and she still has not add the baby or babies she is moning some but the past few days she has been staying close to the barn,

and I have kept her up on and off for the past 3 days or so turning her out with the others for the biggest portion of the day while the sun was out shinning ,then put her back up by her self at night,

she is moning and also now has started rubbing her head against the wall here and there also shes not moving as much laying around more and she is wanting my attention more like she don't want me to leave her,

my ? is if her due date is today then what should I do sense she has not had them thus far,she also has beenhaveing what milky muscus out her back end like its the plug they I guess call it,

but still no babies she has gone about 3 days with jelly white muscus coming out from behind her rear but not all the time any info would be appreciated I have been in and out of the pasture all day on and off for the past 3 days lol Help whats your thoughts need to know asap thank you in advance.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

You can go in and check if she's dilated. If she is check that the kids are positioned right. But if she's not streaming Amber colored goo, she's probably not dilated yet.


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

Sounds like you should start her on on CMPK, she may be low enough on calcium that her labor cannot progress.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I'd go in and check, too. I always check my goats to ensure babies are positions drohht because if they are not and the mom pushes a lot, the babies can get jammed up and be harder to reposition than if you do it at the start.


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## hmcintosh (Jan 8, 2013)

Wondering if your doe has kidded yet?


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

All stock feed is usually very low in protein and contains no copper.


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Thanks for all the help but went out yesterday morning and we now have two little bucklings so adorable I just didn't think she was going to have them she was over her due date or we thought lol thanks for your comments and help.


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## Zahid (Jan 21, 2014)

Congratulations!!! Can't wait to see pictures


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Congratulations!


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

Yes she gave birth to two little bucklings that next morning around 10:00 am thanks for asking I will post pictures .


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## Joan (Jul 19, 2013)

*Our new bucklings that was born on 23rd 2014*

These are our new bucklings that was born on 23rd 2014 around 10am


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## Zahid (Jan 21, 2014)

They are such cuties!!! You must be sooo happy with them. I can't wait for our doe to have hers! Thanks so much for sharing.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Congratulations! They are adorable!


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## cvalley (Apr 15, 2009)

Wonderful news and photos!


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