# Feeding the nursing doe



## cteague (Feb 12, 2017)

My does had their babies almost a month ago. And i have been having trouble getting them to eat. The babies have nursed them to almost a bag of bones. No fat whatsoever left on their bodies. I can feel their backbone. One seems to have good color in her eyes and takes supplements very well. The other she is very pale and i have to force them down her. I give Power Punch and Jumpstart. They have minerals and fresh water. They get vitamin c tablets and 2 cups of feed. And all the hay they want. I turn them out to browse for an hour a day when im working and longer on days im off. They were just dewormed when the babies were born. And again 2 days ago. Is there something i can give them to help bulk them up and keep producing milk? The one thats color isnt very well she has a wierd smell. Reminded me of ketosis in cattle. Thanks for ur help.....again!


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 12, 2017)

It would be best to have fecals run on both does to see what they are dealing with. You could be using the wrong wormer, or they had a very high count and its going to take several rounds to get the parasites knocked down. If she is pale, she is becoming anemic. I would be very concerned about the smell, it very well could be ketosis trying to set in.

Are they finishing the 2 cups of feed you are giving to them? If so, give them more. 
Beet pulp, calf mannna, and alfalfa pellets are pretty good at helping them bulk up. 
What kind of hay are you feeding them? Try adding in some good quality alfalfa.

Go slow with any feed or hay changes, espically the ones with high protien. 

What breed of goats are they?


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## frustratedearthmother (Feb 12, 2017)

What she said!


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## cteague (Feb 12, 2017)

They are boer/nubian/alpine crosses. The best hay i can find is bermuda. The other stuff just looks like straw. Im using ivomec plus orally. 1.5 cc. She wasnt eating 1. Then she started eating oats. So i went and got a goat feed for milk production/bulking up/grower. She ate 2 1/2 cups today.


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 12, 2017)

I suspect you are severely underdosing your dewormer. This is building resistance and won't have any effect on the parasites. 
They are also not getting enough nutrition. Feeding 2.5 cups (assuming you are using a 1 cup kitchen measure) isn't near enough for those breeds. My dry (standard) does are eating more than that. 

Can you post the nutrition information for the feed you are using now? 

Given the cross, I was assume they are at least 140# each (or they should be), you will  probably need to work them up to several pounds of feed/day.


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## frustratedearthmother (Feb 12, 2017)

Goat Whisperer said:


> I suspect you are severely underdosing your dewormer.


Ditto


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## babsbag (Feb 12, 2017)

I worm with Ivermectin 1cc per 40lbs and I am not sure if the Ivermectin plus is the same dose or not. I also feed my milking does 4-6 cups of feed a day and all the alfalfa they want. You might add alfalfa pellets too. The smell would really concern me.


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## cteague (Feb 13, 2017)

I think they are around the 80-90 # range and that was when they were healthy. But i never weighed them. I was told to do 2cc per # of body weight and i did that with a buck i had a few years ago and it killed him. So im afraid to use to much. I deworm with 1.5 cc one week then come back the next with another. Will that build resistance?


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## babsbag (Feb 13, 2017)

I'm not sure if it would build resistance or not; worms are not much of a problem for me so I am no expert. Since we had such a bad drought no worms, this year may be different.

But did your buck die because too many worms detached at once?  I have read that you can inject the ivermectin instead of orally and that it will kill them off slowly. 

http://goat-link.com/content/view/58/46/#.WKFTfPJNj1Q


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## cteague (Feb 13, 2017)

babsbag said:


> I'm not sure if it would build resistance or not; worms are not much of a problem for me so I am no expert. Since we had such a bad drought no worms, this year may be different.
> 
> But did your buck die because too many worms detached at once?  I have read that you can inject the ivermectin instead of orally and that it will kill them off slowly.
> 
> http://goat-link.com/content/view/58/46/#.WKFTfPJNj1Q


Im almost certain that is what happened to him. And i have never heard that u cohld give it by injection. Luckly they like the taste of it so that is easier to do orally


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## cteague (Feb 13, 2017)

babsbag said:


> I worm with Ivermectin 1cc per 40lbs and I am not sure if the Ivermectin plus is the same dose or not. I also feed my milking does 4-6 cups of feed a day and all the alfalfa they want. You might add alfalfa pellets too. The smell would really concern me.


What would i do if she does have ketosis?


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