[fifixx]

One of the triplet born 4 weeks ago is scouring I think.  All I could see was some light coloured poo on her bottom but he is also standing with a hunch and seems a bit listless.  I think that it may be because I am giving them a bit more concentrate and I have been putting in lots of branches for them to eat before going out into the field this week.

I am going to separate the group, take his temperature and try and stop him having any concentrate for 24/36 hrs and perhaps try a bit of bottle feeding (not very successful last time I tried!)

Does this sound right?  I read that they need to have plenty of fluids - but how and what can I give?

[jaykay]

Is he mainly getting milk? From his mum or a bottle?
I think I'd cut out the concentrates and branches and just give him milk, water and hay for now.

[McRennet]

Hello,

I had a kid that was very similar a few weeks ago. Given that I couldn't vouch for their previous vaccines (hadn't clue even if they had been wormed!) I drenched them for Coccidiosis and wormed them. They had just been weaned an were on a small amount of concentrate plus Hay and water. Overnight the difference was incredible, Wall jumping, playful, coats were lying flat again and no scours.

I'm new to all this so please don't take my word as gospel but thought you might like to know someone else's experience.

Hope he gets better soon.

McR

[fifixx]

His temp was 38.8.  I have put him and the mum in a separate pen with clean straw, water and plenty of hay.  As there are 3 of them, he might not have been getting his fair share of milk, so this will give him a couple of hours to catch up.  I'll bring the other 2 in for the night with the mum.

I read somewhere that kaolin was good for scours - anyone agree?

I am organic so no automatic worming / vaccination etc - in fact the vet agrees and says to just do worm counts and treat if necessary.

[princesspiggy]

our first kid had a runny bum with yellow poo when she was a week old. lasted about half a week. i just thot it was her mums milk comng thru and that was normal. did i miss something there?
iv got kaolin powder, since the piglets had a runny bum when they changed brands of pig food last year. never used it tho but its supposed to work. not expensive.

[Anke]

I would actually not feed milk until the scour cleared, only on Lectade or similar, you can make your own from water (about 1 ltr, boiled and cooled, can also be camomile tea) honey (2 tablespoons, but not sugar) and salt (1/2 teaspoon) and baking soda (1/4 teaspoon). Have got the quantities somewhere. It could be caused by too much (possibly damp) greenery too soon after milk. Especially if they are bottle fed.

But watch out for scour going black, that could be cocci.

[cuckoo]

Hi,

When we have goats with diarrhoea we drench them with "white medicine" from our vets - which I understand is kaolin an morphine - twice a day for 2 days - feed only hay and  give a water made up with a calf rehydration sachet in a bucket or drench them with it if in doubt.

[wytsend]

DO NOT GIVE KAOLIN TO  3 week old kid..... can cause death.   Only a Vet can take that responsibility.

From your description, that kid is getting TOO much milk.   Separate out from mother completley & give only boiled cooled water for 24 hrs.  Have hay available,  NO concentrates.... they can't digest them anyway properly at the 3 weeks, the rumen is only just reaching working ability !!

As McRennet said,  the results will be quick.

Kids 'poo' should remain orangey in colour until they are digesting food properly when it will turn darker.

MILK is your problem.

[fifixx]

thanks for all the info - how do I "drench"?  syringe it in the mouth?  i don't have a drench gun...

[jaykay]

Yeh, syringe in mouth is fine 

[wytsend]

Make sure that the syringe goes down the side of the mouth...IMPORTANT.. as the water will go into the lungs as the kid is not used to bottle feeding.   Just do it very slowly giving a chance to swallow... keep a check that cwallowing IS taking place.  I have known kids hold the liquid and then choke on it !!!!!

If any water goes down the wind pipe,.... kid starts coughing etc... hold upside down for a very short while so that it can be coughed up.

In actual fact, as the kid has been feeding off mother, it could go 24 hrs without any further intake of liquid... it will not die.... but could then be very interested in considering a bottle.  This might be better than a struggle which are usually non productive.

[Anke]

Yes I have put kids onto the bottle that way, similar problem, but kids were a bit older. But you then have to start milking out the nanny immediately, otherwise she will reduce/get mastitis/ or you don't have any milk for yourself/to feed to the kid once it is better.

[fifixx]

The kid is definitely perkier, but still has his tail down.  No noticeable diarrhoea in the pen.  He is nibbling hay all the time.  I think I'll keep my eye on him for the next 24 hours....

By the way - I was going to put them all out in the field today - I've decided not to, but will it be OK in a day or two presuming he gets better?

[wytsend]

I would be leaving it for quite a few days to make sure he is really over it.  Otherwise you be back to square one.  Also it will complete the weaning from mum with a longer break.

[NormandyMary]

Can I just ask..at what age do you stop calling a kid, a kid? Is it when its weaned or when its a certain age?