Skinny goat

[Katiecop222]

i have an old boar-Nubian nanny. She was fat when we bought her at a flea market. She ended up with a surprise kid. He's about 6 months now and doing great. My girl though, is slowly declining. She contracted brain worm so we gave her a cow wormer and she seemed to bounce back slowly. She still walks a little cross legged but it's nothing like it was. Her skin got real dry, flaky, and dull. Her hair was falling out too. I worked on her and got her hair back and growing beautiful. Skin is still a little dry, but it's looking better. My BIG problem is she's losing weight and mass. She eats, drinks, has full free feed of grass and fed goat food with corn and black sunflower seeds. She has access to a goat block. Normal ball poop and clear pee. She acts healthy, just pretty skinny. My other goats are fat and happy so I don't know what is going on with her. I'm hoping someone on here has some ideas before we make a vet visit.

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYH. Sorry your doe is having issues. When you say she's an "old" goat... HOW old? She may be declining due to age... She may not be able to get the minerals she needs from a "block". You really should do loose minerals, free choice. The block is hard on their teeth and if it hurts, she may not be using it. I hope the minerals you are providing are for goats, and not just a generic mineral block... Goats need copper. You say she gets "goat food"... what specifically? IMHO, corn and BOSS is fine for the occasional treat, but is not a substitute for a quality feed &/or grain mix. She may also need some good quality hay, and not just grass... Maybe some of the pros can jump in here and help:

@Goat Whisperer @Southern by choice @babsbag @frustratedearthmother @OneFineAcre any of the other many present?

 

[Katiecop222]

We bought her at a flea market, so I'm not sure how old she is. Where can I find loose minerals? I'll be glad to do that. The goat block is one from tractor supply that is specifically for goats. We buy them frequently. The first day the goats are really excited about them, then the block is pretty much left alone. We feed them purina goat feed and i added cracked corn and black sunflower in it. I've told my finance that I think she needs a roll of hay added and he says the grass is better than hay. They have about 5 acres to roam and eat on. I'd LOVE any and all help and suggestions!!

 

[babsbag]

Everything that at @Latestarter said. The first thing I would do is get a fecal done. Then I would find her some alfalfa hay or at least pellets if there is no hay to be found. I would also get her a good goat feed that is at least 16% protein. Her kid is 6 months old...is he weaned? Her dry skin could be a mineral deficiency and sometimes even a good mineral is not enough, they occasionally need a copper, selenium, or zinc supplement to help. And definitely get her a loose goat mineral instead of the block.

I am not trying to scare you but there is always the dreaded Johnes. Goats usually don't show the typical scours like a cow. They will just struggle to maintain weight. There is no cure, but there is a blood test for it and if you can draw your own blood you can send it to a lab for testing. I would probably do that right after the fecal if she is clear of worms. Might as well rule our the worst first.

Oh, and welcome to BYH, hope that your doe can be turned around.

 

[Katiecop222]

Thank you for the welcome. She shouldn't be wormy, but we are planning to just go ahead and take her to the vet. She is our first goat and the sweetest one we have. I'm also looking into the goatzilla supplement. TSC has the loose minerals so I'll go there tomorrow and buy a bag of it for everyone.

 

[TAH]

 

[babsbag]

Go easy on the corn, it can really make them sick and even kill them if they get too much so be careful The goat chow is good and you can also add Calf Manna in the amounts listed on the package. Have you checked to see how much goat chow she should be getting? I have never fed that as a primary feed so I don't know the answer. Go slow with the Calf Manna too as it is really high protein and don't let her have more than they suggest. Goats love it, so lock it up. LOL

Grass is ok, but for a goat in milk you really need the alfalfa. Feeding a kid can really pull them down. Actually goats are browsers that prefer to eat woody plants and left to their choices and having access to anything they want grass will usually be last. It really isn't an adequate diet for them without added alfalfa, especially if she is in poor condition to start with.

Ask you vet about testing for Johnes; they can draw the blood and you can send it out, there are a couple of different labs that can run the test. Your location would determine which one to use but in CA I use UC Davis (CAHFS) or Sage Ag labs in Idaho. You can also test her for CAE and CL at the same time without much added cost. Sage Ag charges $14.00 to run all three tests and you would need about 7-8 ML of blood drawn in a red top vacuum tube. You should ask the lab of your choice about refrigeration for shipping.