# 18 Day Old Doeling Eating Dirt



## greenfamilyfarms (Feb 25, 2011)

I noticed that Flo (our new Alpine/LaMancha bottle doeling) was eating dirt today. Not just pushing it around or nibbling, but eating mouthfuls. Does she have a vitamin deficiency?


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## elevan (Feb 25, 2011)

I'd say there's something in that dirt that she needs...


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## Livinwright Farm (Feb 25, 2011)

I agree Elevan... I think you should give her a nice 1/4-1/2 c of loose mineral and let her get what she is needing.


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## elevan (Feb 25, 2011)

Oh wait 18 day old?!?

She's nursing or on bottle?  Cause if she's nursing then her mama is probably deficient.


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Feb 25, 2011)

Yep I agree with her being vit/mineral deficient.


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## greenfamilyfarms (Feb 25, 2011)

She was nursing her mama until about 4 days ago, but now she's a bottle kid. 

Would it be ok to add some loose mineral in her bottle?


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## freemotion (Feb 25, 2011)

If she is eating dirt, she'll likely also eat minerals.  Put them in your hand at first.

She may be trying to populate her gut with good bacteria, too.  A lot of baby herbivores eat dirt by the mouthful around the time they start eating solid foods.  If she insists on it, you may want to be sure she has access to "clean dirt," like from the woods or from the garden (if you don't use chemicals or fertilizers.)

Can you include some raw goat's milk in her bottle?  That might be helpful, too, as it will have good beasties in it.


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## Roll farms (Feb 25, 2011)

I'd try giving her some probios or cultured yogurt in her bottle, too...


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## freemotion (Feb 25, 2011)

Baby horses stuff their faces with their mama's fresh poo.....really stuff their faces!  Huge mouthfuls!    Is that why they are called road apples or meadow muffins???  But it is to populate the gut.  Probios or yogurt sounds far nicer....keeps 'em more smoochable, too.


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## greenfamilyfarms (Feb 26, 2011)

She has access to some goat pellet and I put out some loose mineral where she can get to it today. Other than that, she seems happy and healthy. Thanks for the ideas, everybody.


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## Renegade (Feb 26, 2011)

I had a 14 day old doing that last week. I put fresh mineral out for them and they dove into it. I haven't seen her eating dirt since.

Donna Finley
Finley Boers


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