# Doe in milk wont eat grain.



## LBFarms (Apr 14, 2013)

I have a 2 year old Alpine, 1st freshener, who never did eat a whole lot of grain, but would always eat a few cups. She kidded and would eat some grain on the milk stand for the first few weeks, which has gradually dropped off to now she wont touch it or alfalfa pellets. She will eat plenty of hay though. Her milk production has dropped from about 5 cups to a quart. I have noticed that she had been bloating quite a bit, I'm assuming because the pasture is greening up and she is grazing a lot. I give her balking soda & mineral oil as needed , which gets her back to normal, then a few days later she will be bloated up again. I'm assuming that this is related somehow to her not wanting to eat her grain. Any suggestions?


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## sprocket (Apr 14, 2013)

Do you have free choice baking soda available at all times?  I'd recommend having it around at all times so that they are able to take it as needed.


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## Pearce Pastures (Apr 15, 2013)

Goats are such picky things.  If she didn't eat grain before, and is eating plenty of hay and browse, she is probably just full.  I personally wouldn't do free choice baking soda because it seems like benefits are outweighed.  When you say she is bloated, are you sure it isn't a full rumen or is she acting as if she is in pain?


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## sprocket (Apr 15, 2013)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Goats are such picky things.  If she didn't eat grain before, and is eating plenty of hay and browse, she is probably just full.  I personally wouldn't do free choice baking soda because it seems like benefits are outweighed.  When you say she is bloated, are you sure it isn't a full rumen or is she acting as if she is in pain?


I'm curious - what do you see as the downsides to free choice baking soda?


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## LBFarms (Apr 15, 2013)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Goats are such picky things.  If she didn't eat grain before, and is eating plenty of hay and browse, she is probably just full.  I personally wouldn't do free choice baking soda because it seems like benefits are outweighed.  When you say she is bloated, are you sure it isn't a full rumen or is she acting as if she is in pain?


She is my pickiest goat, and she's also one that usually looks like she's got a full rumen, but it is always deflated by the next morning. Lately she's been ballooned up more than normal, even first thing in the morn. When I give her the baking soda & massage her rumen, she burps a lot and within about 15 minutes, she's deflated. She's also had a lot of soft clumpy poo, which is normal for when they first start eating pasture, but with everything else, I was a little concerned. She also just hasn't been herself lately. When she kidded, about 2 months ago, she didn't pass her afterbirth for about  2 days, which concerned the vet. I put her on a heavy dose of Penicillin for a week becasue the vet said she was sure to get and infection. She had scours after that, which quickly cleared up with some heavy dosing of pro-bios. I have been giving her Pro-Bios off and on ever since. she always has pellets the day after the pro-bios and then a few days later she's back to mushy poo.  It almost seems like her gut has never fully recovered from the antibiotics, but that was almost two months ago?


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## LBFarms (Apr 15, 2013)

I did offer free choice baking soda up until probably last fall when I read something on here that it wasn't necessary and there was some type of problem it could cause (cant remember now & can't find it now) so I took away the free choice baking soda. I even bought the Bob's Red Mill kind, which is aluminum free.


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## Queen Mum (Apr 15, 2013)

Sounds to me like she has a problem with digestion.   I would guess that the bloating is a symptom.  Has she been wormed? If not, it is probably a good idea to do it now.


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## LBFarms (Apr 15, 2013)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Sounds to me like she has a problem with digestion.   I would guess that the bloating is a symptom.  Has she been wormed? If not, it is probably a good idea to do it now.


I've never had a problem with worms here, very cold & dry climate, maybe I should go ahead and worm her just to rule it out.


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## Pearce Pastures (Apr 15, 2013)

sprocket said:
			
		

> Pearce Pastures said:
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For us, baking soda is great for bloat and occasional use but 1) regular use can leach minerals 2) it acts against ammonium chloride which is often used for preventing urinary calculi, which is more of a reason to avoid its use with wethers 3) some goats will eat it over minerals 4) and this is NOT something I have read in a formal report but just has been passed through word of mouth---but some have said that they found that it seemed like their goats got to dependent on it and got bloaty when they didn't have it.


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## Queen Mum (Apr 15, 2013)

Can't hurt to have a fecal done just to check for worms.   No sense worming if there are none, but there can be some parasites and you might not know about them.  She could also have a mild bacterial infection.


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## Pearce Pastures (Apr 15, 2013)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Can't hurt to have a fecal done just to check for worms.   No sense worming if there are none, but there can be some parasites and you might not know about them.  She could also have a mild bacterial infection.


x2 get a fecal and I bet you get some answers.


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