[jaykay]

I'm bothered about my goatling, Rowan, she's in kid for the first time and is very skinny. She prefers hay to concentrates (like her mum did) and eats in a picky fashion. Dairy nut have sorted out Ellie's weight but not Rowan.

I bought her some alfalfa pellets (which were a gamble) and some flaked maize (which I know she likes) and she's eating both.

Apart from obviously introducing them gradually to the sheep/diary nut mix she's already on, so her rumen can adapt, anything else I should know about either to an in-kid goatling?

I lost her mum to 'a bit thin, won't eat, ketosis' when her kids were just a few days old - so I really want Rowan to be in good condition (3 or 3.5) before she kids.

[Anke]

My in-kid nannies (and goatlings) get a gradual increase of the following in the last 8 weeks prior to kidding:

Sugarbeet shreds (soaked and still warm - I am a softie)
Rolled oats
Dairy nuts and/or A&P all round goat mix (some prefer one over the other )
some flaked maize if I think she needs it

also obviously hay and if they stop eating any kind of fruit/veg/toast they like.

I also divide the meals up into at least three, up to four in the last two weeks.

I had the opposite problem last spring - two GG's going down with Pregnancy toxaemia in the last two weeks before kidding, and I think it was because they had been a bit on the chubby side early on and it was a cold winter - so more food... so they never slimmed down enough.... and both produced quite big twins...

I was quite quick in drenching, and had to do the goatling for all of the last week (plus inject Calciject as she refused to get up). She was actually right as rain as soon as the kids were born and milked quite well. Propylene glycol (I get it from the vets) is wonderful stuff!

I would keep a bottle of PG ready plus Calciject (and/or Magniject for milk fever), and also maybe prepare to feed back some of her milk to her in the first few days after kidding.

[jaykay]

Got all of that Anke, as I have it for the sheep too, but I did all of that and more with Daisy and she still died  and I love Rowan the most just like I loved Daisy the most 

I'll keep finding things she likes to eat - see how she goes with the alfalfa and maize and maybe add oats and sugar beet too?

[Anke]

Bananas, cabbages, carrots, apples and pears, also the one usually eaten when all else fails: TOAST (if you have got Marmite in the house you could try that? I cannot stand the smell of it..)

[jaykay]

Right, I have marmite and i can buy some bread for toast  Thanks Anke 

None of them eat cabbage, cauliflower or apples when I've tried, nor baked potatoes  - I tried that yesterday after following the 'can you feed potatoes to sheep' thread. My poor sheep, they'd love all these titbits, I should take them some too!

Don't think I've tried the goats with carrots. They all love ivy but of course can't have too much. They all love sultanas too  Will try again with apples, it seems like they should like them.

[Lesley Silvester]

MIne go mad for swede.

[jaykay]

I'll buy some of that too, thanks - I like it if they don't 

The alfalfa and flaked maize seem to be going down well - she's still eating them  (phew)

[Blinkers]

Bananas are what all mine go made for and if they're unwell the ONLY thing they'll eat are bananas and likewise some sugarbeet and I also give a bit of rolled barley too.  Good luck.  We;re all behind you and Rowan 

[Hatty]

Some thing you could try is chopping the Apples and Carrots etc. my 2 won't touch either whole but love them in little bits

[jaykay]

Thanks Hatty, I'll try that. I think they had them in quarters last time, so I'll try cubing them.
All these are useful treats and I need her to eat something substantial too so i hope the alfalfa nuts and flaked maize will achieve that.

[colliewoman]

cream crackers are what get mine every time!

[Anke]

I have a  BT goat that doesn't eat apples, my GG's were slow to eat bananas (and at the beginning only ate the peel!), but now they love them. Pears are a great (if expensive) treat.

Barley is another one to get them to put on condition.

[Cinderhills]

I was going to ask if they eat bananas whole including skin, so I guess they do.

[Anke]

I was going to ask if they eat bananas whole including skin, so I guess they do.

I peel them for them and they eat all the bits.

[Cinderhills]

How sweet!  Thanks Anke.