[grumpsgarden]

my golden gurnsey is  under weight she gets 6 scoops of goats mix plus ad lib hay and out all day and veg while i had vet out for pony got him to check goat he said she was under weight but healthy, but on what she gets she shouldnt be she does have a kid which is 4-5 months old which she is feeding vet advice worming her which ive done today he also asked if she had been with a billy after she kidded which she had until i got her so do i drie her of i was hoping to milk her but she has never been hand milked and she wont stand she sits or kicks out she does have a very full bag so not sure how much kid is taking but at the moment i want to do what is best for the goat she was only on grass before i got her  and under weight but the goat keeper i go to for advice said she would but weight on once on hard feed any advice would be more then welcome thank you

[miniaturesabound]

Constant milking/feeding strips the weight off their backs. Sounds like she needs a good rest so if you can take the kid away and dry her milk up I'm sure she'll start to put weight on. Good luck.

[wytsend]

Several things going on here.... none of which are really beneficial to the goat.

First:  goat mix DOES NOT contain the correct minerals for goats that are milking as yours is, particularly as she was poor on arrival.   Change over to cattle coarse calf mix... MUCH cheaper anyway... plus add Premium Goat Feed Balancer (only available mail order).     Your Vet could test her for pregnancy which would eliminate/confirm that.

Which wormer did you use ?  Should be  Ivermectin to eliminate worms in goats, particularly the Barber Pole worm which is very prevalent and does a lot of internal damage to the gut wall.  If the Vet gave you the wormer, ask which one.

The kid is probably not taking much milk now so you will have to milk some off.... tie one hind leg up out behind her... reduces kicking... but make sure her head is secure.  Take whatever you can... it will be messy !!!!

[grumpsgarden]

thank you wytsend i will try and milk her tomorrow and ask vet what wormer it was, i will get the calf mix tomorrow vet was on about taking some bloods if she dont start improving once kid is of and wormer kicked in and ive got the number somewhere here for that goat mineral 

[wytsend]

The phone number is  01363 778792 for the mineral.

You can buy wormer at any agricultural store...sometimes availavble in 500ml packing  but it does last if kept sealed.  Perhaps share with another goat keeper.   Once your girl has been wormed twice,   don't do it too often,  can be counter productive.

The kid could be totally weaned actually  but may be a little more difficut in actual practice !!!!

Take bloods by all means but usually they will only test for haemoglobin levels,  whichof course is a good starter.

[grumpsgarden]

he said about taking bloods if her weight dont improve after weening and worming as he said she was fed to much and should be over weight on what she is getting ,as he checked my other goats they dont eat as much as her and looking great , weening the kid is going to be a proplem as the gg are with my bottle fed lambs and she takes her nanny dueties seriously tried seperting them today but she was not happy loseing the lambs let alone me taking her kid away

[little blue]

Is she CAE tested?
Can make them underweigh & bony looking...

[grumpsgarden]

i would say no to cae tested next time i need vet out which will be soon i have a pony to be castrated when he is better, i will get them to test all my goats as i dont think any of them have been tested , now the stupid question what is cae 

[Anke]

Be careful with introducing dairy goat mix to GG's. They do not need as high a protein diet as other dairy breeds, and mine get it as part of a mixed ration (with goat mix, sugar beet and oats). You may find that a) they don't like it, and b) if she does and you give it to her exclusively she may produce very loose stools.

Also try and actually get her weighed properly, GG's are mostly under 50Kgs, even if well fed.

GG's are also known to be very motherly, mine have taken in a GG kid that came in from a different herd wihtin days of arrival and here Granny and mum are looking after this years kids (across the hurdle in the pen, as they are bottle fed). So your girl may just also be that type, but I guess she is not letting the lambs suckle?

Has she been tested for CAE and/or Johnes disease? I would discuss with the vet.

[grumpsgarden]

no she dont let lambs suckle but goes mental if one wonders of ive struggled to find a feed she would eat as where i got her she was only on grass and out all winter she eats the goat mix but dont eat sugar beet and ive tried her on cattle dairy nuts but she dont eat that she eats veg and apples hay but prefers haylage , i will get the vet to test her for both of them think he will be out again this week as pony still not right and he got have the chop as well so might as well have it all done and save on call out fees , the other gg ive got a boy kid as well he is a good weight and so is her kid a little girl they both eat well how do i go about splitting mum and baby ive noone to put with mum as my other goats are in pairs and only just get on with each other pair

[jaykay]

My skinny goat likes the following (much trial and error as she's the pickiest eater out)

Flaked maize
Chicken mixed corn
ReadiGrass

But yes, she prefers hay 

To be honest I'd be surprised if the kids were taking that much milk at the age they are and I think she would get distressed which isn't going to help. I'd leave the kids with her and just try to find 'fattening' things she'll eat as well as chasing the other things people have suggested.

[grumpsgarden]

going sound like a right thicko here but what is ready grass ive tried it all expect the ready grass as i dont no what it is the loacl goat keeper i go to for help just said she to fussy and she will eat what i put out for her but she is eating food goat mix hay and veg vet said 6 scoops was too much for a goat so he wormed her and said to take kid away

[jaykay]

ReadiGrass is chopped dried grass, it looks and smells much more like grass that hay or haylage does.

It's sold for horses, our local WCF CountryStore sells it, about £9 for a big bale. JustGrass is the same stuff, different brand.

Rowan, my skinny, fussy girl quite likes it.

[little blue]

now the stupid question what is cae 

Caprine Arthtitis Encephalitis

(spelling?!)
It can kill, its a retro-viral condition (as is HIV - incurable atm) that is passed on via bodily fluids, colostrum etc.
Kids often die early on, encephalitis symptoms - brain swelling.
Adults show more arthritic conditions - poorly & painful joints, knobbly knees, boney & weight loss,
balance problems, and seizures, shorter life span.

Get them tested before you frighten yourself reading up on it!

If you want to breed, billy-goat owners should insist on seeing a negative test certificate before breeding...
It is getting rarer in this country, due to testing & non-breeding / protective kid raising (bottle feeding etc) and the idea is that it should be eventually "bred out" (not the right phrase but the best I can manage just now!) 

hope that helps...

[grumpsgarden]

yes thank you i will get them all tested and im planing on taking the togs kid at birth and bottle feeding if im here when she kids it never rains it pours when you dont need it as im away this weekend taking my daughter to open day at vet school and i cant cancel hoping the gg will be looking better by the weekend but the person im leaving here is good and knows to call for help and weve met all the vets at the practise now been here over a year and this past month weve met more vets then ever oh well just keep telling myself not to think of the vet bill that will be coming , i just love the goats so will line up all the test to make sure they are fit and healthy and stay that way