The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: sokel on July 16, 2014, 08:12:25 pm
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Anyone else give the goats hot tea ? We where told about it by a show friend so gave it a go and every one of ours love it.
They get 10 gallon between them every night
It's made up of Tea bags ,brown sugar and apple cider vinegar added into the water and left to stand for 10 mins then they get it. They all love it but only a few go mad for the tea bags as well ,William would drink half a 5 gallon bucket on his own and eat all of the tea bags given half a chance ::)
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That's weird! Is it ok for them to eat tea bags? I might have to try it on mine? Any idea what benefit it has or is it just a treat?
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Yes somebody was talking about it at Great Yorkshire Show... but I haven't tried it yet. Not sure my OH would a) think I have completely gone mad by offering the goats tea & biscuits - they already get oat cakes as a treat - and b) he would be prepared (and definitely not volunteer) to carry the buckets from the house to the goathouse....
Having said that, if I had a sick goat some peppermint and/or camomile tea may be quite soothing....
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It was probably our friend who was talking about it as she was at the great yorkshire
Everyone already knows I am mad ::) so nothing to worry about here.
We have an urn outside the tac room door so hot water on hand and cold tap next to it if tea is too hot
Anke can you remember what it was given for ? I know it was for some reason but can't for the life of me remember. :-[
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It's Vivki that does it as I recall. I thought it was weird the first time I heard about it. Can't remember what benefit she said it has.
Beth
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The only medicinal reason for strong black tea for goats would be in the case of rhodi poisoning, otherwise I would have thought that a caffeine boost may the reason? I think some of mine would love it, especially my big old BT type girl, who started the craze for hot water with molasses in...mmmmhh, and now several of them like it!
Camomile and peppermint are both soothing for an upset stomach - for both goat and goatkeeper... I have given camomile tea with honey and a bit of bicarb in as an emergency electrolyte solution, the goat kid loved it!
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oooh that sounds good :thinking:
our Daisy is off colour just now (kidded twins 3 weeks ago) and have given her pretty much everything else, maybe a good old cup of tea in the morning would perk her up? Also going to get her some yoghurt, she has a better diet than I do :D
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well that was interesting/funny...I made up some chamomile tea with some blackcurrant pulp I had left over from jam & cordial making and gave it to Daisy....the result is below
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:roflanim: :roflanim: What a funny face. Looks like she enjoyed it. Not sure of it was the tea but my poorly goat loved it and was much more perky after and I've just checked her and she is up munching her hay. Hopefully her sides won't look so sunken tomorrow. She looks like an RSPCA case at moment.
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That is one happy goat. I think you may have to make this a regular occurrence now or she'll go on strike.
I wonder if mine would like a daily cuppa. I'd have to fight my OH for the teapot though. He's an addict.
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:roflanim: Thistle was not impressed with breakfast and no tea. She kept looking in bucket and grumbled. Just going out to give her some now before she sulks.
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Amazing, now she's happy. Just drank the whole 2 litres and had a lovely stretch after. Might actually get some weight back on her.
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Amazing, now she's happy. Just drank the whole 2 litres and had a lovely stretch after. Might actually get some weight back on her.
Is she the Toggenburg girl? Her coat looks a bit rough - have you got a mineral/vitamin drench (a sheepy one with added copper)? Her worming status ok?
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Yes she is. Her coat has always been rough since I got her. That is an improvement! They have red Rockies and I have started her back on goat balancer. She has only started waiting in last two days. I daren't worm her at moment until she is a bit stronger. My worm status is good and vet advised not to worm but I did them in May with kids.
She won't go to billy this year in the hope I can get weight on her.
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Yes she is. Her coat has always been rough since I got her. That is an improvement! They have red Rockies and I have started her back on goat balancer. She has only started waiting in last two days. I daren't worm her at moment until she is a bit stronger. My worm status is good and vet advised not to worm but I did them in May with kids.
She won't go to billy this year in the hope I can get weight on her.
Did you get her as an adult? If she came like this she may have had a problematic upbringing. Good luck with her! ( and the tea therapy! :))
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Yes I was told she was 2 but has always looked older. All my girls came in what I now know is a poor state. Only realised after I'd had them a year and now their coats are silky and shiny and they have some weight on, except poor Thistle. She had a wonky udder and I took her so I could practise milking but her milk is awful!
Not sure what to do with her but she is adorable. The lady struggled to feed them right and has now got rid of all dairy goats.
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If the milk tastes awful something in her mineral balance is not right - usually a drench with Copper should sort it. Staring coat is also sign of Zinc deficiency. To find that out would need however a blood test.
But if for example she had a heavy worm and possibly fluke burden as a youngster you will struggle to get her improved, as a lot of damage will have been done to liver and intestines. She just won't absorb much of her food, so whatever she is fed will go straight through...
However I would probably do the same as you and try to improve her condition....
I have a sheep that never grew beyond the size of a 3 months old lamb, is always skinny and skitty at the drop of a hat... and all because she had serious fluke infestation in that awful summer/autumn of 2012.... now I have a tiny sheep that's no use whatsoever... but she is still there :-\
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Hmmm, interesting. I've got some apple & mint variety I don't really like so I'll give it a go and try normal black tea tomorrow. A ginger tea might be good for digestion.
My pygmies love oak leaves which have a lot of tannin in them like tea, maybe there's something in that?