Goats and Bloat

[Chirpy]

Our local goat vet said she's never seen so many goats with bloat (and the number that have died) as she has this year. She believes, at least in part, that it is because of the great rainfall we've had this year and the fact that people had their goats in the barn and then just let them out this spring to eat on pasture.

So, when I started letting my goats out to eat in the pasture I literally let them out for ten minutes the first few days. I upped that to 20 minutes for a few days, then 1/2 hour... you get the picture. They are now only out for about two hours a day and I never let them out until late morning or early afternoon so they've already eaten their fill of hay and don't try to gorge themselves on the wonderful grasses/weeds.

If people are going to start giving grain or feed they need to start with just a small handfull and work up over a few weeks time to the total amount they are going to give.

Keep baking soda available at all times and have tums available to give if your goat starts to look like they may be bloating.

 

[norcal]

Thought I'd list this webpage too - I know it's posted here somewhere, but thought it might help w/ any bloat questions.

http://goat-link.com/content/view/16/81/

 

[lupinfarm]

I was also curious as to what bloat looks like, as when my girls escaped the other day on their little hobby farm goat rampage, they stopped for a snack in the alfalfa field. Good to know that they haven't shown any signs of bloat!

I don't think they ate anything from the field, thank goodness, because they seemed hell bent on getting in with the horses but couldn't figure out how to get past the gate!