The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: countrywoman on March 14, 2012, 10:45:29 am
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My GG has 5 weeks to go. I have been feeding her 300g of good mix dusted with Brinicombes minerals and split into 2 feeds a day, and she has always cleared this with enthusiasm.
This week I have tried to add another feed - initially about 80g - midday but she won't eat more than a few mouthfuls. I tried increasing her morning/evening ration but she eats the original amount and leaves the rest. She is keen to eat, bright, looks healthy and is begining to make an udder - just not interested in more hard feed.
She will eagerly take bramble cuttings/apple branches in the outside forage rack and loves her small mix of banana/apple/turnip/broccoli as a treat each morning.
Should I worry? Will she eat more as she gets closer to kidding? I don't know how many she is expecting as I was unable to get the scanning man to come for one goat - too busy with sheep - but she is clearly in kid (which my goatling is not!). Her condition is good and I am monitoring her carefully but don't want to risk a problem due to lack of intake.
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I am not a great believer in feeding my goats (pregnant or not) a great amount of hard feed ... and my lot have never given me any cause for worry when kidding. Many years ago, I tried to increase the feed for an in kid female, and ended up getting a lecture from my vet, because she went all wonky, and the vet said she should have more hay, not hard feed .....I have not forgotten this!!!
It sounds like your female is getting enough food with what you are giving her already, so I would not worry.
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It seems to me they'll eat what they'll eat and nothing you can do will change that! One of mine will wolf hard food, the other picks at it and prefers hay.
I have had success feeding mine ReadiGrass (JustGrass is the same sort of stuff) which is freeze-dried grass - they both love this.
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Forgot to mention she is getting non-stop good hay and a couple of chunks of Readigrass, which she loves - and I have to say, it smells delicious! My bantams love it, too.
Anyway, thanks for words of wisdom - now, just been brushing her so this is instant update, her udder is quite large. When she was in milk it was this big but is it okay so soon before kidding? She seemed tetchy when I gently felt it but it didn't feel hard or mastitis-like, just firm. Is this normal?
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IMO 300g of concentrate per day is not enough for a GG in kid with 5 weeks to go, but you will have to go with what she eats. Try and include a lot more of veg/fruit - also I already have a good selection of weeds (which mine love - docks, dandelion, ivy of course). Mine (due this weekend) was slowing down a bit, but I have given her some provit dressing on her sugarbeet (also very good for energy for both sheep and goats), and her appetite has improved.
She also loves Readigrass, is currently off oats and mix, but will eat diary nuts and shreds (but not mixed together...). Last week she didn't the dairy nuts (and I don't like giving too much of them as they are 18% protein a but too high I think)....
During the last few weeks goats will not manage to get all their energy needs from hay and a little concentrate, she will need supplementing, especially if she is carrying twins.
You will only really have to worry when she stops eating her concentrates all together or just picks at them and looks in general not be well. I have a bottle of Propylene Glycol (from the vets) ready to drench if necessary, and I do that even before I call for a vet if she stops eating - it doesn't do any harm and will help saving the goat. Same for Calciject - signs of hypocalceamia are her looking quite stiff and having trouble getting up. I had both of them last year...
Re udder - my 2nd kidder GG has had a huge, but soft udder since about 5 weeks before, she was milked until beginning of December then dried off.
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I have just been through this with my Tog who kidded 10 days ago. She just WOULD not eat loads of concentrate but would eat bananas, carrots and bread and lots of hay. Now she has kidded she will eat concentrate again and I'm gradually building up the amount. As has been said, providing she's eating something and looking ok then she's probbaly fine. Just keep a very close eye.
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Really useful replies, thank you. Since I tried increasing her concentrates she is actually eating less... May be that she has 'gone off' the mix - I'll get some dairy nuts and see if they appeal. She gets a daily helping of cut branches, fruit, veg etc and still eats with enthusiasm so I know she's not off food altogether.
I have propylene glycol on hand and am off to get Calciject for 'just in case'. Today her udder seems uneven, one side quite a lot larger than the other but still not over-firm or hot. Monitoring frequently!
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My Togg is due Sunday. She' gradually eating less of her feed and huffin, puffin and generally moaning to herself. She still eats about 2/3 of her ration (2.lbs twice daily) and will tuck into the greener stuff (veg/willow/hay)
Udder - getting larger but still soft and even.
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sooooooooooooooo xcited - may I be one of the first to see?????
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My Togg is due Sunday. huffin, puffin to herself.
:D haha! :goat:
Puffin the huffin and puffin goat!
My girl seems to go off her extra rations at weaning the kids - to the point that she looks thin. But just won't increase her intake. It seems to settle out, but right now she looks on the skinny side :/
Just glad there is more weedy stuff about and her favourite willow trees will soon be in leaf :thumbsup:
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My Togg is due Sunday. She' gradually eating less of her feed and huffin, puffin and generally moaning to herself. She still eats about 2/3 of her ration (2.lbs twice daily) and will tuck into the greener stuff (veg/willow/hay)
Udder - getting larger but still soft and even.
My GG due on Sunday too - just about staggering through the field....and lots of quiet moaning to herself . as in I am really fed up. (and so am I - late night checks for a few days now...).
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sooooooooooooooo xcited - may I be one of the first to see?????
Of course!!
My Togg is due Sunday. She' gradually eating less of her feed and huffin, puffin and generally moaning to herself. She still eats about 2/3 of her ration (2.lbs twice daily) and will tuck into the greener stuff (veg/willow/hay)
Udder - getting larger but still soft and even.
My GG due on Sunday too - just about staggering through the field....and lots of quiet moaning to herself . as in I am really fed up. (and so am I - late night checks for a few days now...).
Just been out and we have a little bit of clear discharge (not much but its noticeable) and we have 'staring eyes' - you know what I mean, the staring bloodshot type and I'm not sure if its due to torchlight or if we've started (my breeder friend invited me over to see 2 of hers in the early stages of labour and pointed out this stary eye business :o ) so yes, I'll be up most of tonight too - great! woodlice, slugs, spiders everywhere...
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Hope all goes well :thumbsup:
Still six weeks to go for me, Ellie and Rowan :goat:
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Just been out and we have a little bit of clear discharge (not much but its noticeable) and we have 'staring eyes' - you know what I mean, the staring bloodshot type and I'm not sure if its due to torchlight or if we've started (my breeder friend invited me over to see 2 of hers in the early stages of labour and pointed out this stary eye business :o ) so yes, I'll be up most of tonight too - great! woodlice, slugs, spiders everywhere...
I would definitely kep checking her for a bit, discharge could mean she is starting... or maybe not. You don't know. Have you got a radio to take out with you?
Better go and check mine too...
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Good luck PE - I've found the more I know the earlier I see the signs which probably doesn't help my sleep pattern but I'd rather be there than not - hope you have a nice warm fleece for the hopefully not too long wait :thumbsup:
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And a hot drink..., a few goat books...
Mine has just polished off a banana, an apple and wee bit of readigrass, but wouldn't eat her sugarbeet... so I don't think it's tonight...
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I'm wishing my girl was pregnant. Exciting times. Never mind, this time next year.
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did a 2.45am check and nothing happening so with full peace of mind managed to go back to sleep :)
secretly really enjoyed being out there middle of the night and seeing what all my animals and all the wildlife are up to! (apart from the insects :P )
how's yours Anke? shall we run a book on which one kids first both being due mothers day? ;D
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awww - lets hope not long to wait now ....
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I'm memorising all the signs mentioned above, ready for my turn at the night watch!
Hope all goes well with these imminent kiddings - dying to see the results...
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did a 2.45am check and nothing happening so with full peace of mind managed to go back to sleep :)
secretly really enjoyed being out there middle of the night and seeing what all my animals and all the wildlife are up to! (apart from the insects :P )
how's yours Anke? shall we run a book on which one kids first both being due mothers day? ;D
Maybe I won that one... triplets this evening at 6pm. She was not that keen on her breakfast and then later on wouldn't lie down.... started in earnest about lunchtime, and I have been in the goatshed all afternoon - I am frozen solid! At least I had a comfy chair, my goatbooks and Radio 3 to keep me company - Matilda has been STANDING up ALL DAY. She did the whole pawing the ground thingy, but all pushing was done while standing... What a girl.
Oh, two males and a female. Female quite small, so not sure if she 'll make it. All had good feed from the bottle (Matilda will not do the earthmother thing and breastfeed.., but otherwise very attentive). back down last thing tonight for another feed... Did I miss the late night feeds??? or didn't I????
Hope yours gets down to it soon!
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Congratulations on the triplets :thumbsup: fingers crossed for the little girl :-*
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Congratulations, Anke. Hope the little girl picks up.
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Yay! well done Matilda (and Anke!!) sounds like labour went really well (and in daylight hours - bonus!) really hope the little girl makes it :)
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Little girl (Cassandra, or Cassie for short) is fine. We did go down at 2.30am for another quick feed, I was preparing to just tube her, but she did take a good feed. This morning full of beans.... and now sleeping in their little cave (aka a big cardboard box on its side with some straw in). I will try and take some photos later, but have come down with horrible cold and feeling very under the weather.
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Poor you. Hope you feel better soon. Glad Cassie is doing well. Should I use a box for my kid when she arrives? She's been in a pen with several other kids in an enclosed barn so surrounded by other goats.
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Poor you. Hope you feel better soon. Glad Cassie is doing well. Should I use a box for my kid when she arrives? She's been in a pen with several other kids in an enclosed barn so surrounded by other goats.
Put one in and see if she uses it, she will certainly jump onto it... I would also make sure that her pen allows her to see and sniff her new goat companions and once she is settled and if they all get on outside she may be happily share a pen with the others...
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Great to read that all three are thriving - good idea about cardboard box/cave, must keep an eye out for a strong one.
Sorry you are ill, perhaps getting chilled during the waiting phase brought it on. How often are you bottle feeding? How long does it take? Trying to get myself ready for possibly needing to do the same but cannot work out dealing with triplets...
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congratulations :thumbsup: hope they continue to grow strong :)
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Put one in and see if she uses it, she will certainly jump onto it... I would also make sure that her pen allows her to see and sniff her new goat companions and once she is settled and if they all get on outside she may be happily share a pen with the others...
I'm going to partition the shed with sheep hurdles and partition the yard as well. She'll be inside most of the time but I'' put her out every so often to get used to it, so long as it's warmish. Hopefully it won't take them long to get used to each other but I don't trust Curry.
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Sorry you are ill, perhaps getting chilled during the waiting phase brought it on.
No the girls brought it home from school....
For the first few days I feed about 5 - 6 times a day (freshly milked out from mum straight into the bottle), but only did one night (2.30am) feed last night and think she will go through the night tonight. It will go down to about 4 feeds a day fairly soon, I am not too methodical about it in the first few weeks, more see how much they drink, write it down and if it seems low by mid.afternoon I put in another feed in-between. It will settle down fairly soon. Right now they are together with mum, after disbudding probably on Tuesday they will be in a separate area in the same pen. In the first few days I just let them drink as much as they want, it's usually anything between 50 and 150ml at a time, they will tell you when they are full.
Bottle washing..... takes about three times as long as the actual feeding (but I do not sterilise mine, just really hot water and washing up liquid)