# Goat won't grow



## Kevin Paul Harrison (Sep 13, 2016)

Hello! I'm new to backyard herds so I'm not sure how to post and all but anyway, I have a Pygmy goat about 4 months old that was given to me, he was given to me at 2 months of age but he doesn't seem to grow at all, his belly is always huge and he seems really skinny, I don't have a vet that treats goats anywhere near me but I've gotten advice from a nearby goat owner and she told me it could be worms and so I wormed him and I'm not sure how long it takes to see a difference but it's been 3 weeks and I see no difference, he eats lots of hay and a bit of grain every day but doesn't seem to gain weight or lose the big belly, or even grow at all, he is a wether btw. Please help ASAP thank you in advance! Edit: he isn't my Only goat, I have 4 more beside him and they all seem fine, I even have a bottle baby Nigerian dwarf about 8 weeks old and he's bigger than him!


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## OneFineAcre (Sep 13, 2016)

Can you post a picture of him and the Nigerian bottle baby?

He may just be a slower grower.
If he had an issue with worms, you wouldn't see a drastic difference in 3 weeks.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 13, 2016)

I have a buckling that had somewhat of an issue with worms and is also a super slow grower.  Also,  he gets "hay belly" more than my other goats.  You can always tell when he just ate a bunch of hay because he gets huge.  But it goes back down as he digests.  It freaked me out at first. 

Oh and welcome to BYH! There is a ton of information on here about parasites and dewormers so browse around a bit and you'll find a lot!


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## Mini Horses (Sep 13, 2016)

I find that most animals with a heavy worm load show it in many ways......poor coat, less lively, pale eyelids, etc.   So, how are these issues with yours?  In horses, low protein can create a thin topline & bloated look, some other animals will, also.   This speaks to not simply amount of pasture/hay but quality stats.  Lastly, if a worm load, you may do well getting a fecal to decide what type of issues you are facing, if any.

I know, many suggestions and no real answer.  But, gotta start somewhere.


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## Kevin Paul Harrison (Sep 13, 2016)

OneFineAcre said:


> Can you post a picture of him and the Nigerian bottle baby?
> 
> He may just be a slower grower.
> If he had an issue with worms, you wouldn't see a drastic difference in 3 weeks.



yeah sure, I can post a picture when I'm out of my classes, 



NH homesteader said:


> I have a buckling that had somewhat of an issue with worms and is also a super slow grower.  Also,  he gets "hay belly" more than my other goats.  You can always tell when he just ate a bunch of hay because he gets huge.  But it goes back down as he digests.  It freaked me out at first.
> 
> Oh and welcome to BYH! There is a ton of information on here about parasites and dewormers so browse around a bit and you'll find a lot!



and thank you! I'll be sure to look around.


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## Kevin Paul Harrison (Sep 13, 2016)

Mini Horses said:


> I find that most animals with a heavy worm load show it in many ways......poor coat, less lively, pale eyelids, etc.   So, how are these issues with yours?  In horses, low protein can create a thin topline & bloated look, some other animals will, also.   This speaks to not simply amount of pasture/hay but quality stats.  Lastly, if a worm load, you may do well getting a fecal to decide what type of issues you are facing, if any.
> 
> I know, many suggestions and no real answer.  But, gotta start somewhere.



Yeah I will try to find a Vet hopefully tomorrow, and he does seem pretty lively but he does have a poor coat and I'm not sure about his eyelids I'll check when I'm home.


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 13, 2016)

How much does he weigh and how much are you feeding him? What are you feeding him? Hay, grain, minerals? 

The best thing to do is have a his fecal checked for parasites and cocci.


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## Latestarter (Sep 13, 2016)

Greetings and welcome to BYH. Start off by saying not just any "vet" will do. Most vets are "pet vets" and don't have a clue when livestock are concerned. Not all livestock vets have a clue about goats. ASK before you waste your money. If you can find a vet familiar and knowledgeable about goats, you've hit the lottery. You really should do a fecal count before worming so you know if it's even needed and if so, for what worms. Not all wormers work on all worms, and most wormers don't work on cocci. We have a lot of great goat folks here and lots of experience and knowledge in the various threads (as someone already pointed out). Browse around a bit and make yourself at home. Glad you joined us!


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## Kevin Paul Harrison (Sep 13, 2016)

OneFineAcre said:


> Can you post a picture of him and the Nigerian bottle baby?
> 
> He may just be a slower grower.
> If he had an issue with worms, you wouldn't see a drastic difference in 3 weeks.


I was able to take this picture of them, the bottle baby is on the right and the dwarf is on the left


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## Kevin Paul Harrison (Sep 13, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> Greetings and welcome to BYH. Start off by saying not just any "vet" will do. Most vets are "pet vets" and don't have a clue when livestock are concerned. Not all livestock vets have a clue about goats. ASK before you waste your money. If you can find a vet familiar and knowledgeable about goats, you've hit the lottery. You really should do a fecal count before worming so you know if it's even needed and if so, for what worms. Not all wormers work on all worms, and most wormers don't work on cocci. We have a lot of great goat folks here and lots of experience and knowledge in the various threads (as someone already pointed out). Browse around a bit and make yourself at home. Glad you joined us!



Thank you! Yes I've been looking around for a vet who treats goats, I've found one about an hour away but I've been looking around for one nearer to me, thank you for the welcoming too


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## OneFineAcre (Sep 13, 2016)

So the white one is only 2 months and the black one is 4 months?
He is tiny.
Do you know how many were in the litter?
Sometimes triplets or quads or even quints will be smaller than singles or twins.


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## Kevin Paul Harrison (Sep 15, 2016)

OneFineAcre said:


> So the white one is only 2 months and the black one is 4 months?
> He is tiny.
> Do you know how many were in the litter?
> Sometimes triplets or quads or even quints will be smaller than singles or twins.



yes he's only 2 months and the other is 4, and from what i know he was a twin, so maybe that's why he's so small


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 15, 2016)

Goat Whisperer said:


> How much does he weigh and how much are you feeding him? What are you feeding him? Hay, grain, minerals?
> 
> The best thing to do is have a his fecal checked for parasites and cocci.


quoting my post as you didn't answer/ may have missed it.
He looks abnormally small in the pic. 
Do you know approximately how much he weighed at birth? 
Being a twin shouldn't have much to do with it. Its different when they are from a larger litter such as quad and quints, and sometimes triplets, but I don't see this happen with twins. 

2 of my 11 1/2 week old Nigerian Dwarf kids weighed 22.4 & 26.2 pounds. There grew a little faster then most, but this gives you an idea. 

I have 2 other doelings that were from a set of quints, I need to go back and check my records to see how much they weighed. 

Any luck finding a vet?


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## Southern by choice (Sep 15, 2016)

x2 what @Goat Whisperer said


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