# ND wethers- skinny!



## katxattack (Jan 19, 2014)

I have a pair of ND wethers about 6-7 months old. I feed free choice Bermuda hay, Manna minerals free choice. Occasional dose of probiotics. That's it. All has been fine. The past couple weeks, I noted they aren't eating as much hay.

I noticed this week that one of them is skinny. (I can feel spine/ hips easily) The other is not, he feels pretty good. No sign of diarrhea. I have seen him poop (pellets) and urinate normally.

Am I feeding incorrectly? Should I add in something else? It just seems strange they were doing so well and now I have a skinny, yet happy and active, goat. I bought some alfalfa pellets to add in for now. 

Ideas?


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## AshleyFishy (Jan 19, 2014)

I would collect some fecals for your vet to run a parasite count on. 

Or have you checked your hay to see if it might be contaminated? ie mold, sunbleached, wet, slept on, pooh touched it..etc.

Or have you gotten hay from the same batch as your other hay? Maybe you got a bale with lower protein.


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## elevan (Jan 19, 2014)

I agree, run a fecal.  Parasites are my first thought when a goat starts losing condition.  Have your vet do a float for coccidia too.

Second would be nutrition...adding some alfalfa pellets is a good idea.  Definitely give your hay a once over to make sure there's not some reason that he's stopped eating as much...or maybe if he's eating a "ton" of it then the nutrients have been sapped out of it by improper curing.


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## katxattack (Jan 22, 2014)

I'll do a fecal. Good thing is I work in the veterinary world! I just don't know a lot about goats!

I'm wondering if it is the batch of hay, honestly. It does look to be a lighter color than previous bales, now that you mention it. I have a fresh bale now. I think I will just scrap the old and start the new.

I also got some BOSS to add in. They LOVE the alfalfa pellets!


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## katxattack (Jan 23, 2014)

Well... upon further inspection... they have LICE! Maybe this is our problem. Call in the Vet.


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## elevan (Jan 23, 2014)

You can deal with lice on your own... http://www.backyardherds.com/resources/dealing-with-lice-on-goats-sheep.6/


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## Southern by choice (Jan 23, 2014)

elevan said:


> You can deal with lice on your own... http://www.backyardherds.com/resources/dealing-with-lice-on-goats-sheep.6/



also still run that fecal... more often than not where there are external parasites there are internal... it acts like a cycle because it breaks down the resistance... they chew and chew feet etc, if too bad they do not sleep well and this wears down resistance.
Boost their protein if you can.


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## katxattack (Jan 23, 2014)

I am going to get the fecal in tomorrow at work. (Sick human kid today) 

I still want them looked at... I would hate to miss something bigger!


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## katxattack (Jan 25, 2014)

Fecal negative!!!


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## elevan (Jan 25, 2014)

Well, that's definitely a good thing.  Now that you've ruled that out it's time to look at nutrition.  Increase protein as southern suggested.  Calf Manna is a good way to do this, just be careful not to over do it as you don't want them to bloat.  Make sure your hay is good quality.  Add probiotics so that the good gut flora is flourishing and they will better utilize nutrients.


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## katxattack (Jan 25, 2014)

Vet agreed its got to be nutrition related.  Dry coat, which I didn't really notice as these are my first goats.  She suggested rice bran pellets ( 1 Tb once a day) with the Calf manna . I've been doing 1/4 cup a day of that.  Bermuda hay like we have been doing. BOSS ok, too.

She gave them a dose of ivermectin SQ and is having me do Ultra Boss topically.

Overall they look fine, just somehow lost condition on just Bermuda and minerals. I feel like a bad goat owner. Meh!


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## taylorm17 (Jan 25, 2014)

That is greta they are doing better and it was just nutrition related not disease or such... Also don't feel bad. I am kind of new at owning goats too. We got our does about 5 months ago.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 25, 2014)

You may want to add in another type of hay if possible.

About a month ago I was reading some articles ( research stuff) I do not remember where I saw it but one of the articles mentioned bermuda hay. Something about it causing a certain vitamin deficiency....

I will keep looking but it got my attention because we live in NC where bermuda is our "Native" grass. So it had me concerned. Our hay is not bermuda but that is what they eat off the land 8 months of the year.


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## katxattack (Jan 29, 2014)

I was kinda of thinking the same thing. We have orchard grass as another option for our area.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 29, 2014)

How are their appetites?


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## katxattack (Jan 29, 2014)

They eat the alfalfa pellets and other goodies with joy! They could care less about the Bermuda hay.  Vet wants us to avoid the alfalfa, so I've cut back to get them back on hay. Looks like they have picked at it, but really want the delicious other stuff!


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## rebelINny (Feb 6, 2014)

Yeah I am pretty sure that I read Bermuda grass doesn't have everything a goat needs to give them adequate nutrition. I feed a timothy/alfalfa, orchard/timothy or all three combined and my goats do well. They love the second cut timothy alfalfa the best and the grow really well on it.


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## katxattack (Feb 26, 2014)

I found a hay they will actually eat now! Its a 3-way (barley, oat, wheat grass) mix. They actually eat it! They pick out one of the mix- I think the oat. They are still getting a little grain for now, and have put on a little weight.


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