Supplements during gestation?

[Bifrost]

I'll be overseeing my first kidding for my two year old Nubian/Alpine this Spring. I'm starting to dry her off now, hoping to be done by mid-Feb when we go on a short vacation. I raise and treat my goats as naturally as possible and have yet had any reason to vaccinate or give chemical wormers. I use a combination of supplements/treatments from both Molly's and Fir Meadow.

As Lexsie's pregnancy progresses, are there any suggestions for extras she should have for optimum birthing? She was bred before I got her as a yearling and apparently had a very very hard time kidding. She'd kidded six weeks prior to when I got her. She currently is still getting some grain when I milk her (down to once a day), an organic mix with a sprinkle of BOSS on top, has free access to alfalfa/grass mix hay, as well as minerals. Gets a kelp, Kop-Sel, DE blend three times a week in her mineral bowl. I use Fir Meadows natural wormer weekly. Lexsie also tends to be on the thin side to me. She does not have the barrel body I see in most dairy goats and is smaller than the standard size. I have a nine month old mini-nubian and she's only a bit larger than the doeling.

Thanks in advance!
Meg

 

[ksalvagno]

Are you saying that she was bred back only 6 weeks after kidding?

If you think she is thin, then I would keep up with the grain. You could add some beet pulp and/or alfalfa pellets to try and beef her up.

 

[Stacykins]

Have you run a fecal on the doe to see if she is carrying a worm or coccidia load (adults can have enough to cause issues too, not just kids). That would help rule out internal parasites causing her lower weight. Though if she is small framed or stunted somehow, it is unlikely she will do much growing at this point. For example, I have a boer wether who is genetically stunted. The same pairing threw another stunted kid another year, so obviously something is genetically up with the two parents (they will never be paired again, after two incidents. If it was just one, might've been a fluke). But kids with a high coccidia load can be stunted, too.

Nubians can have a genetic disease, referred to as G6S. Here is a quote from an article about the disease :

"The main symptom exhibited by affected goats is failure to grow. Sometimes the kid is smaller than normal at birth, and grows slowly. Some breeders have reported kids which grew normally for the first three months and then stopped growing. Other affected goats grow to what appears to be normal size but is in fact small for the particular bloodlines. They lack muscle mass, appear "slab-sided", sometimes with blocky heads. Immune function appears to be compromised, and sometimes they become deaf or blind. The longest-lived goat known to be G-6-S affected died at just under four years of age, and death is usually due to heart failure. Unfortunately affected animals can and do grow up to breed, although they often experience reproductive problems. "

 

[nmred]

She sounds like a sweet girl and it sounds like you're doing a good job with her. I always give mine some red raspberry leaf starting about 1/2 way through their pregnancies, or even earlier if I have it. It is very good for female reproductive tracts and can help give easier deliveries. I put about 1 Tbsp. on top of their grain each day. They love it and it is so good for them (and pregnant humans, too!) BTW, try not to worry too much about her having a hard time with her first kidding. The first kidding is often hard. The second (and so on) kiddings usually go a lot easier.

 

[goatboy1973]

I would definitely have her checked out for internal parasites. I am a firm believer in alfalfa pellets and beet pulp also. I have a goat feed recipe that all my weakling kids get to help them through the weaning process because this is a very stressful time in their development and a time when they're susceptible to coccidia and worms. I mix calf manna, alfalfa pellets, dried beet pulp, powdered corn, Nutri-drench liquid goat vitamin, and 10% sweet feed. I mix equal parts of alfalfa pellets, sweet feed, and calf manna. I then add about 2 lbs of beet pulp and powdered corn. I mix all this together and use about 20 oz. of Nutri-drench to bind all the ingredients together. I make this up 25 lbs. at a time. Feed daily as any other feed. Make sure you have free choice hay and fresh clean water available at all times. I usually only feed this short term for male goats (either intact or wethered) since alfalfa and corn are high in calcium which causes urinary calculi which can be fatal. You can feed this mix to doelings, pregnant does, nursing, or sick does.

 

[SheepGirl]

I usually only feed this short term for male goats (either intact or wethered) since alfalfa and corn are high in calcium which causes urinary calculi which can be fatal.

Actually, it is too much phosphorus in relation to calcium that causes UC. The ratio in the ENTIRE ration a goat or sheep eats throughout the day should have at least two times as much calcium as phosphorus. Alfalfa is high in calcium and corn in high in phosphorus. Usually alfalfa pellets/cubes have 1.3% calcium and 0.25% phosphorus. Whole grain corn usually has about 0.02% calcium and 0.30% phosphorus. So as long as you have at least the same amount of alfalfa pellets/cubes as you do corn (more alfalfa than corn is probably better) you should be good in that part of the ration.