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Author Topic: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?  (Read 6115 times)

Thrift Bee

  • Joined Aug 2013
  • Co. Wicklow
What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« on: February 21, 2015, 06:53:25 am »
She has been on dairy nuts , oats and hay. Any advice re giving her a helpful boost. She is 6 yr old and in great condition.
Thrift Bee

ballingall

  • Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2015, 09:03:53 am »
Ours get extra feeds in the winter of soaked sugar beet and also Alfalfa. They get these at different times of the  day compared to their usual feed.


It might be worth getting her a bag of mix for the pregnancy to help to tempt her to eat, so a goat mix, or even a sheep or pony mix. Ours eat Spillers goat mix, Dodson and horrel (either sheep or goat mix), and we use a horse mix, Majestic horse mix. But only the milkers get these- we have a variety because they all like different things! Hopefully you would only need one of these- it might depend what you can get as well.


Beth

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2015, 10:12:27 am »
If she is in great condition why do you need to give her a boost?


Maybe some black sunflower seeds.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

Thrift Bee

  • Joined Aug 2013
  • Co. Wicklow
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2015, 11:10:45 am »
If she is in great condition why do you need to give her a boost.

It's the mother in me. I just want to spoil her a bit. ????
The query was mainly about switching her dairy nut feed. It doesn't feel right to keep her on these. But we've milked her since we had her two years ago and that's the only hard feed she has had.  She was brought to the Billy a month ago and all is quiet on the western front so we are hoping she's in kid and we are drying her off.
Thrift Bee

Thrift Bee

  • Joined Aug 2013
  • Co. Wicklow
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2015, 11:13:46 am »
Think I'll get some sheep mix and slowly mover her onto that.  Thanks for your help guys.
Thrift Bee

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2015, 11:35:06 am »
If you are still milking her at the moment you do NOT need to change her diet at all. If she eats dairy nuts, then she can stay on them until you start to dry her off, at which stage you just reduce those over a few days to 0, and only offer hay. That would be about 10 weeks pre-kidding. Once she is dry, she only needs a bit of maybe soaked shreds with a dusting of oats - but if all she has had so far is dairy nuts she may not take easily to other stuff. ???

In the last 6 to 8 weeks pre-kidding bring her back slowly to a milking ration.

In the first three months of pregnancy the foetus develops without using the dam's food intake, and it is only during the last trimester that they need more feed to make sure the kid(s) grow. Overfeeding in the early part will more likely lead to pregnancy toxaemia.

Melmarsh

  • Joined May 2014
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2015, 08:38:02 pm »
If she has been on dairy nuts all this time leave her on them and if she is in great condition why change a thing?? If you feel the urge to give her extras and spoil her find a low calorie treat for her. Changing feed needs to be done slowly or can be detrimental as you change the balance in her rumen. If it ain't broke don't try to fix it or you may regret it. !! :huff:

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2015, 08:26:09 am »
If she eats nuts I would avoid giving her a mix as they can make fussy eaters.  Every goat i have had has picked out the choice morsels first and left the rest in the hope of getting more good stuff.  This leads to them not getting a balanced ration if they get their own way.

tattycat

  • Joined Nov 2013
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2015, 08:48:36 pm »
Hiya  My girl that wouldn't dry up is MASSIVE. (Not her udder yet though)
The Billy she went to was MASSIVE.
Last kidding she had quads, before that triplets. ...
She's been on about 2 lb of ration nd oats/barley.
HELP!! Really worried for us both... :tired: :tired:
Dun Roaming Smallholding and Open Farm. Ireland on Facebook

Smallholding Weekends  in rural Ireland.
Also some 'Showing Goat's ' weekends.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2015, 09:38:00 am »
How much longer does she have to go?

I wouldn't introduce completely new feed stuffs right now, but maybe divide her meals into smaller portions and feed more often if you can. Lots of greenery (cabbages, carrots, bananas, apples). Can you buy readigrass - they love it and it is more nutritious than hay right now. A coupe of handfuls as "dessert" are often appreciated..

I would have some of the following ready.:

20CMD Calciject 6 plus a 50ml syringe with a THICK needle. If she becomes staggery and not very keen to move about - hypocalcaemia (as in she runs low in calcium as she will be making an udder) - it needs injection of between 50 to 80 ml under the skin over her ribcage. Warm the Calciject up by leaving the bottle in hot water for a few minutes before you inject. It is a painful injection for them and it helps to have on person holding the goat. If you haven't done this before - call the vet out. They may actually do an intravenous injection which works much better. She may be absolutely ok, but defo one to watch out for and if not treated quickly she will not make it!

If she stops eating her food, or even just becomes very fussy she is starting to go into pregnancy toxaemia (google the condition). Get either some Ketosaid from the merchants or Cetophyton from the vet - and drench her with that at the sheep dose rate. Again a fatal condition if not treated quickly. If in doubt - drench her, it does not do any harm, it just provides energy.

Often hypocalcaemia and preg tox go together, one or two shots of calciject should stop the hypocalcaemia, but you may have to continue the preg tox drenching until she kids.

Other than that exercise - take her for gentle walks around the yard, lots of TLC.

tattycat

  • Joined Nov 2013
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2015, 08:36:40 pm »
Cheers Anke! Was hoping you'd see the post nd give advice. Thanks so much. OH in charge of injections nd pretty good!
She's not due till early May, but like said already MASSIVE. She's been getting Alfala, nd is the ration amount Ok?
Dun Roaming Smallholding and Open Farm. Ireland on Facebook

Smallholding Weekends  in rural Ireland.
Also some 'Showing Goat's ' weekends.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #11 on: February 28, 2015, 05:32:54 pm »
So she is coming up for her last 8 weeks? Keep her on what she is on now (although mine get less when they are dry). Once she is 6 weeks off I would slowly increase very slowly, maybe introduce a 3rd feed in the day.

There isn't much you can do if they decide to grow huge early on.

One of mine has been doing the same, unfortunately not looking great right now. Vet gave 2 x Calciject i.v. last weekend and she is now eating a bit better (still on 40ml CP a day), can now get up and down but very wonky when trying to walk. HUGE udder.... she is due in a week's time...nothing else I can do for her... very difficult times.

tattycat

  • Joined Nov 2013
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #12 on: February 28, 2015, 08:30:14 pm »
Ah Anke..it's quite scary!! :hug:
Have you got anyway of getting any raspberry leaf? It might be a bit late but anythings worth a go!! Some of the horsy places sell it, as some health food shops..Real good for difficult births.
I'm late with my breeding this year but my consolation is the raspberry leaf should be out.
Are you gonna milk her off too?
Fingers crossed for you.
What breed of goat is she out of curiosity? Mine's a Saneen (spelt right? lol)
Dun Roaming Smallholding and Open Farm. Ireland on Facebook

Smallholding Weekends  in rural Ireland.
Also some 'Showing Goat's ' weekends.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2015, 10:23:55 pm »
Mine is a BT x GG, and she is in reasonable spirits - it's when they decide they had enough that's when you are fighting a loosing battle. As long as bananas and oatcakes are eaten keenly I am hoping for a successful outcome! (but her show career may be over...)

tattycat

  • Joined Nov 2013
Re: What would be a good feed for goat in kid.?
« Reply #14 on: May 10, 2015, 06:54:06 pm »
Hopefully you'll  see this Anke...
She's  kidded 2 HUGE girls nd everything seems alright..but I'm just not convinced :huff:
She's  spending time on her feet nd swaying slightly..hopefully just so the girls can suckle.....
just not sure... :tired:
Dun Roaming Smallholding and Open Farm. Ireland on Facebook

Smallholding Weekends  in rural Ireland.
Also some 'Showing Goat's ' weekends.

 

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