The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: plumseverywhere on May 23, 2010, 10:03:40 pm
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I was just reading back on some old posts and I think if I read it right, one of them said to avoid giving male goats beet? does this mean kwikbeet too? for risk of renal stones.. (bit worried as Reggie has been eating it..)
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;)in over 40 + years i have never known mum feed her boys beet
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I never give any of my males sugar beet and similar products. Although, when the vet treated Abel our male, she said to give him sugar beet. Did not seem to know that you are not supposed to. Having said that, both Cain and Abel have stolen the ponies sugar beet a number of times!!
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read up in my Katie Thear book last night and she says to 'avoid' it due to the risk of stones. Reggie has muscled in on his mums feed bucket on the milk stand a couple of times but seems fine. will just make sure he drinks loads this week!!
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My male sheep (wethers) have been eating sugarbeet shreds happily for the last year, soaked and mixed with sheep mix.... But the tup doesn't really like it. No stones or similar....
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I never give sugarbeet to our boys. Male goats do seem to be a bit more prone to getting stones, than tups for instance, and I know of several males that have died of this. We had one ourselves, who did recover from his stone (much to our very pessimistic vet's surprise), but he did eventually have to be put to sleep a few months later as he never got back to full strength after it.
So I would definitely avoid feeding it. That said, Reggie may be able to cope with it and be fine, but it is a slight risk.
Beth