Picky eater help.

Lesheffer

Exploring the pasture
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
5
Points
16
Location
Wisconsin
I have a 2 year old Alpine doe, who is a dairy cull, freshened beginning August. We got her the end of August. She is hand milked twice daily, giving about 3-4 pounds of milk each time. Her temp is normal, good rumen sounds, normal defecation. Fecal is within normal range per vet. Famacha is 4. We are working on fixing her copper deficiency. Has free choice hay and pasture. She eats hay well, but won't eat any grains. We've tried our custom dairy mix from our feed mill, goat feed from another local mill, Prince goat feed, Nutrena 17% dairy goat feed, Empower horse supplement, calf manna, manna pro goat balancer, 12% all stock sweet feed, a 14% horse sweet feed, Nutrena calf starter, BOSS, alfalfa pellets, and timothy pellets. I've tried every different combo of all these feeds, as well as feeding all of them separately (plain and adding molasses) We even soaked her feed thinking she had teeth issues. She barely nibbles at all of them (at best about 4 mouthfuls of plain calf manna). She will only eat soaked beet pulp with Manna Pro goat skin & coat added. I'm looking into adding either soybean meal with added dyne supplement or prince hog concentrate (a meal form also) to her beet pulp. If she won't eat this, I am out of ideas. She is losing condition. I'm at a loss. I've never encountered a goat who won't eat sweet feed. Does anyone have any suggestions on what other feeds to try? I'm willing to try anything at this point to get her to at least maintain.
 

Alaskan

Herd Master
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
5,366
Reaction score
12,588
Points
553
Location
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
I have a 2 year old Alpine doe, who is a dairy cull, freshened beginning August. We got her the end of August. She is hand milked twice daily, giving about 3-4 pounds of milk each time. Her temp is normal, good rumen sounds, normal defecation. Fecal is within normal range per vet. Famacha is 4. We are working on fixing her copper deficiency. Has free choice hay and pasture. She eats hay well, but won't eat any grains. We've tried our custom dairy mix from our feed mill, goat feed from another local mill, Prince goat feed, Nutrena 17% dairy goat feed, Empower horse supplement, calf manna, manna pro goat balancer, 12% all stock sweet feed, a 14% horse sweet feed, Nutrena calf starter, BOSS, alfalfa pellets, and timothy pellets. I've tried every different combo of all these feeds, as well as feeding all of them separately (plain and adding molasses) We even soaked her feed thinking she had teeth issues. She barely nibbles at all of them (at best about 4 mouthfuls of plain calf manna). She will only eat soaked beet pulp with Manna Pro goat skin & coat added. I'm looking into adding either soybean meal with added dyne supplement or prince hog concentrate (a meal form also) to her beet pulp. If she won't eat this, I am out of ideas. She is losing condition. I'm at a loss. I've never encountered a goat who won't eat sweet feed. Does anyone have any suggestions on what other feeds to try? I'm willing to try anything at this point to get her to at least maintain.
Have you given her a B vitamin? At my feed store you can get it as a paste.

I would give her vitamin B paste, AND a probiotoc paste... and see if that helps her appetite.
 

Jesusfreak101

Herd Master
Joined
Jan 29, 2018
Messages
2,867
Reaction score
7,128
Points
413
Location
Texas
I use to use the following mixture
2 parts oats
2 parts barley
1 part black oil sunflower seeds
1 part calf manna
mine seem pretty happy with it. they really liked oats and barley. if you have some old fashion oats in the house for like oat meal might want to try it and see what she thinks
 

Lesheffer

Exploring the pasture
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
5
Points
16
Location
Wisconsin
Have you given her a B vitamin? At my feed store you can get it as a paste.

I would give her vitamin B paste, AND a probiotoc paste... and see if that helps her appetite.
I did give her b complex for 3 days orally and it didn't seem to do much. However, I will try this again with the probios. At this point, I'm willing to try anything. Thank you!
 
Last edited:

Lesheffer

Exploring the pasture
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
5
Points
16
Location
Wisconsin
What does she eat while you are milking?
She eats beet pulp with the goat skin and coat. She is a calm goat and stands well while milking. She wouldn't eat any of the other things we've tried. It was suggested to me to try beet pulp last week with alfalfa pellets soaked. She refused to eat it with the alfalfa in it.
 

Lesheffer

Exploring the pasture
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
5
Points
16
Location
Wisconsin
I use to use the following mixture
2 parts oats
2 parts barley
1 part black oil sunflower seeds
1 part calf manna
mine seem pretty happy with it. they really liked oats and barley. if you have some old fashion oats in the house for like oat meal might want to try it and see what she thinks
I will give this a try as well. Thank you.
 

Alaskan

Herd Master
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
5,366
Reaction score
12,588
Points
553
Location
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Well... next thing, if the vitamin b and probiotics don't work, is start to dry her off.

if she isn't producing milk she should be able to maintain weight on just hay.
 

Lesheffer

Exploring the pasture
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
5
Points
16
Location
Wisconsin
Well... next thing, if the vitamin b and probiotics don't work, is start to dry her off.

if she isn't producing milk she should be able to maintain weight on just hay.
That is the plan, but I want to exhaust all options first before I dry her off. Thank you for your help.
 

Alaskan

Herd Master
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
5,366
Reaction score
12,588
Points
553
Location
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Just crazy.... must be something else wrong with her since she doesn't want to eat....

The question though.... is what.

Are you going to worm her again? Since she is so pale?

And.... maybe due to the anemia, she needs vitamin b, pro biotic, and red cell for iron.
 
Top