Is it time?

Shepherdess219

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I have an 8 year old Nigerian dwarf/Pygmy cross doe. She’s never had any issues birthing, feeding her kids, until this year. She gave birth to triplets this year, no issues, spat them out like a pro. Cleaned just fine.

But about a week after she stopped eating her grain completely. Grass was ready so I I turned her out with everyone out. I noticed her kids were looking hunched so I started trying to feed them, only one would take a bottle and believe me I tried…lots, so I figured they were getting enough, and supplement one would ease the pressure. She looked good nice and round, albeit out of shape, she is 8 (ish, the owner didn’t know exactly her age when I got her).

Anyways, we’re at almost 6 weeks for the kids. One is a bit skinny but all are eating grass, chewing cud, peeing. They are getting some milk, I can see some milk mouth, but moms udder isn’t very big and when I felt her today she is quite skinny under that roundness. Still won’t eat any grain.

Her teeth are fine, she eats grass, hay and step 4 horse nuggets with no problems. She’s clean of worms, did a fecal. She still comes a running when I call everyone in. Just so thin.

Is she just done?
 

Mini Horses

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Yes. Older does can/do lose condition. But have you increased her feed? It takes far more groceries to make milk than most realize. Add her age into the equation. Get a good dairy ration for her and be sure she gets her feed 2x day. I think you'll see a difference. She's using her body resources to make milk. I use a pellet. Blue Seal dairy goat. I've also mixed Alf pellets, rolled oats and flaked barley, along with good mixed grass hay, for use on milk stand. Feed will make a huge difference....and they need it for best production. After weaning, she'll slowly gain back. Olders have a harder, slower time. You seem to have checked everything else. :love
 

Shepherdess219

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Yes. Older does can/do lose condition. But have you increased her feed? It takes far more groceries to make milk than most realize. Add her age into the equation. Get a good dairy ration for her and be sure she gets her feed 2x day. I think you'll see a difference. She's using her body resources to make milk. I use a pellet. Blue Seal dairy goat. I've also mixed Alf pellets, rolled oats and flaked barley, along with good mixed grass hay, for use on milk stand. Feed will make a huge difference....and they need it for best production. After weaning, she'll slowly gain back. Olders have a harder, slower time. You seem to have checked everything else. :love
How do you get them to eat grain? She normally loves her grain (I have a 16% goat text that she gobbled up all winter and during her first week after birth) but now she takes a bite and spits it out, crunches a tiny mouthful or refuses it entirely.
 

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How do you get them to eat grain? She normally loves her grain (I have a 16% goat text that she gobbled up all winter and during her first week after birth) but now she takes a bite and spits it out, crunches a tiny mouthful or refuses it entirely.
That makes me think this is a teeth or gum issue.... as if chewing the grain hurts her.

Something stuck between 2 teeth, a rotted tooth, an abscess, a splinter on her tongue...or ???

Yes, she will hate it... but you will have to manhandle her and give that entire mouth a super close look....

There is no way any age goat can keep condition while milking without grain.

If she can still eat nuggets, I would feed a high nutrition pellet, and also some alfalfa pellets.... maybe soak the pellets a bit... maybe they need to be softer for her to eat them....
 

frustratedearthmother

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Strange that she won't eat grain. Have you changed what you feed? Did the manufacturer change the formula? When did you run the fecal? Birth can cause a parasite bloom that may have happened after you did the fecal.

I've never had anything but a very sick goat refuse grain so my guess is that somethings going on. As I'm sure you know - nursing triplets is hard on a doe of that age. Have you tried beet pulp? You can soak it in water before you feed it which will soften it up in case she has a mouth problem. Goat Nutri Drench, Replamin, Red Cell - any of them might give her a boost.

However, there comes a time when home remedies just won't do the trick. I think maybe a vet visit and some blood work/tests might be what she needs.

RE: kids
Have you given the kids any coccidia prevention? Sounds like something may be up with them also. Being hunched is a sign of pain. Have they had any diarrhea? Coccidia can take advantage of a stressed kid.
 

Shepherdess219

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That makes me think this is a teeth or gum issue.... as if chewing the grain hurts her.

Something stuck between 2 teeth, a rotted tooth, an abscess, a splinter on her tongue...or ???

Yes, she will hate it... but you will have to manhandle her and give that entire mouth a super close look....

There is no way any age goat can keep condition while milking without grain.

If she can still eat nuggets, I would feed a high nutrition pellet, and also some alfalfa pellets.... maybe soak the pellets a bit... maybe they need to be softer for her to eat them....
I
That makes me think this is a teeth or gum issue.... as if chewing the grain hurts her.

Something stuck between 2 teeth, a rotted tooth, an abscess, a splinter on her tongue...or ???

Yes, she will hate it... but you will have to manhandle her and give that entire mouth a super close look....

There is no way any age goat can keep condition while milking without grain.

If she can still eat nuggets, I would feed a high nutrition pellet, and also some alfalfa pellets.... maybe soak the pellets a bit... maybe they need to be softer for her to eat them....
i thought that too and checked her mouth, but it was just a palpation and she didn’t flinch at all. I’ll have someone else hold her and have another look. But when she horks back several inch square nuggets at a time and you can hear her crunching them, I was like it can’t be her teeth. That and hay, which has some alfalpha in it so some decent thickness. I know, but that’s what has been frustrating. Her pasture is clover, grass mix and lots of it.

I will pick up some alphalfa pellets, any idea how many she should have? I’ve never fed it.
 

Shepherdess219

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Strange that she won't eat grain. Have you changed what you feed? Did the manufacturer change the formula? When did you run the fecal? Birth can cause a parasite bloom that may have happened after you did the fecal.

I've never had anything but a very sick goat refuse grain so my guess is that somethings going on. As I'm sure you know - nursing triplets is hard on a doe of that age. Have you tried beet pulp? You can soak it in water before you feed it which will soften it up in case she has a mouth problem. Goat Nutri Drench, Replamin, Red Cell - any of them might give her a boost.

However, there comes a time when home remedies just won't do the trick. I think maybe a vet visit and some blood work/tests might be what she needs.

RE: kids
Have you given the kids any coccidia prevention? Sounds like something may be up with them also. Being hunched is a sign of pain. Have they had any diarrhea? Coccidia can take advantage of a stressed kid.
No change in feed or brand. It’s the same as far as I know and it was within the same bag. She just woke up that morning and said no thank you! In the claiming pen so didn’t change environment.

Kids didn’t/don’t have diarrhea, they seem to be hungry. So once I started feeding the one, things got better for the other two. One, the biggest is fine. They all run, play, happy kids.

But yes, I may have to take her into the vet. Always painful as it’s a $300+ bill to do it.

How old can a goat get?
 

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I

i thought that too and checked her mouth, but it was just a palpation and she didn’t flinch at all. I’ll have someone else hold her and have another look. But when she horks back several inch square nuggets at a time and you can hear her crunching them, I was like it can’t be her teeth. That and hay, which has some alfalpha in it so some decent thickness. I know, but that’s what has been frustrating. Her pasture is clover, grass mix and lots of it.

I will pick up some alphalfa pellets, any idea how many she should have? I’ve never fed it.
The fact that she crunches the nuggets but will not touch the grain.. is odd... so maybe not teeth, but still maybe a sore of some kind, or something stuck between teeth...

As to how much alfalfa... what kind of horse nuggets is she eating? Can you transition her to a milk goat pellet? And then I would add a handful of the alfalfa pellets to the milk goat pellets, and do 2 feedings a day
 

Shepherdess219

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The fact that she crunches the nuggets but will not touch the grain.. is odd... so maybe not teeth, but still maybe a sore of some kind, or something stuck between teeth...

As to how much alfalfa... what kind of horse nuggets is she eating? Can you transition her to a milk goat pellet? And then I would add a handful of the alfalfa pellets to the milk goat pellets, and do 2 feedings a day
It’s step 4 Rocky Mountain crunch. I use them for treats for the sheep and goats.

I’ll see what I can find for a dairy pellet, but feed and feed types are in short supply in my area (Canada). I may be able to find a dairy cow feed. Otherwise the sheep goat text is the best I can get my hands on. She’s eaten it all winter.
 
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