# Goat not eating hay



## michickenwrangler (Nov 9, 2009)

I just got an American LaMancha on Sat. She's eating her grain and chewing cud but she's not eating hay. She's new and probably lonely too. 
How bad is it if she doesn't get hay for a few days?

She's pregnant too (well, she's been in with the buck since Aug. 30)


----------



## cmjust0 (Nov 9, 2009)

Is she grazing?


----------



## kimmyh (Nov 9, 2009)

If she was here I would get her a buddy, even if you have to borrow one until her babies get there, she needs a buddy goat. Grain without hay can lead to trouble.


----------



## cmjust0 (Nov 9, 2009)

I missed the part about her being alone..  She needs a herdmate.  They're herd animals, so it's not just about getting lonely.....it's about being scared and feeling vulnerable to predators.

ETA:

I just saw a cross post (sort of) over on BYC..

To my understanding....the OP's been buying goat's milk from a neighbor, and the neighbor suggested she buy a goat and board it with her.  So, she got a LaMancha, and it's boarded at the neighbor's place.  The LaMancha's by herself for now, but not exactly....she's getting to know the neighbor's herd across a fence, so there are other goats on the premises.  OP says she's eating grain and gets a cud, but isn't making a "noticeable difference" in the timothy hay she's got available.

With that said, my thinking is that she's probably stressed a bit from being shipped, being isolated, and being around new goats in a new place..  The timothy hay may be different from what she's used to, also, and it may take her a while to get used to it.  

I might give her a shot of fortified b-complex to stimulate her appetite, and I'd probably put a little bit of alfalfa or something more tempting in her hay rack to see if she'll eat it.  And I'd definitely get her integrated into the new herd, ASAP..


----------



## michickenwrangler (Nov 9, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> I missed the part about her being alone..  She needs a herdmate.  They're herd animals, so it's not just about getting lonely.....it's about being scared and feeling vulnerable to predators.
> 
> ETA:
> 
> ...


Yes, that's me. She did eat some hay today. The neighbor (we'll call her K), out her in with the others for a little while, about 1/2 hour before putting her back. She can see other goats from both her stall and run. She is drinking.

Would they have the fortified b complex at TSC or a feed mill? What exactly should I ask for?

Thanks


----------



## zatsenoughcritters4me (Nov 9, 2009)

the hay you have is different from what she was getting? if so can you get a bale from the person you got her from? you could try mixing the hay together so she could have some of what she is used to and the other hay you have.


----------



## cmjust0 (Nov 10, 2009)

michickenwrangler said:
			
		

> Yes, that's me. She did eat some hay today. The neighbor (we'll call her K), out her in with the others for a little while, about 1/2 hour before putting her back. She can see other goats from both her stall and run. She is drinking.
> 
> Would they have the fortified b complex at TSC or a feed mill? What exactly should I ask for?
> 
> Thanks


It's good that she ate a little hay..  If there are no other problems to speak of, I'd say she was just a wee bit stressed.  

Vit. B-complex is, among other things, an appetite stimulant..  Kinda seems to perk them up, too, if they're maybe feeling a little cranky or off or stressed out..  

You can usually get b-complex it at TSC, but what they carry around here is made by Durvet and isn't all that potent.  Jeffers carries a fortified b-complex that's got quite a bit more of each B vitamin per ML..  If nothing else, it'll stretch your dollar a little further since you won't necessarily have to inject as much at a time.  

B-vitamins are water soluble, so what she doesn't use she'll just pee out.  The only one to watch out for is the B1 -- Thiamine -- but I think you'd really have to lay it on hard and heavy before you got into the danger zone with it.  Overall, and generally speaking, b-complex is pretty harmless stuff that can be pretty helpful at times.

B-complex is cheap, too..  A 250ml bottle either at TSC or through the mail order places is about $6 or $8 or thereabout..  I'd actually be quite surprised if the lady who's boarding your goat doesn't have some on hand..  

Your goat's pretty, btw...you should post that picture over here, too.


----------



## michickenwrangler (Nov 10, 2009)

Well, good news.

When I went over for evening chores, Neighbor K said that she ate hay that morning and when I put in her crate of hay, she buried her little earless head right in.  And... let me pet her while she was eating too!

For this week, she'll spend the day with the big gals (Nubian/Boer crosses) and go into her own space at night for a little reprieve from establishing pecking order. She's not at the bottom of the pecking order! Yea! Droppings look good, she's urininating (and it's not dark or stinky). Seems like she settled. 

Thanks for the compliments, I'll try to get some stuff uploaded to this site too.


----------



## cmjust0 (Nov 11, 2009)




----------

