# Picky goat...



## Cuttlefishherder (Aug 2, 2011)

Well, our milker goat is giving us some issues. She hasn't ever given us any complaint about  her food till recently, nothings changed about it, but now she only eats a little and acts like that's all we gave her. It looks like shes only eating the rolled oats and the corn  she wont eat the other stuff any more,  and if we stir the food she starts eating again, but stops when she realizes its the same stuff. Its just your basic 4 way ration.


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## Goatmasta (Aug 2, 2011)

If she were here she would be fed a "quality goat pellet".  We feed this for the sole purpose of them not being able to "pick" through their ration which in turn means they get the properly balanced diet they need.


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## 20kidsonhill (Aug 2, 2011)

yup, picking throught their feed is certainly a bad habit of goats.  we also prefer a pelleted goat feed to prevent the picky eaters from doing this. 

Have you considered she isn't feeling well and not being herself?  Have you had a fecal done lately?


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## elevan (Aug 2, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> yup, picking throught their feed is certainly a bad habit of goats.  we also prefer a pelleted goat feed to prevent the picky eaters from doing this.
> 
> Have you considered she isn't feeling well and not being herself?  Have you had a fecal done lately?


x2


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## 1MrsMagoo (Aug 12, 2011)

I have a picky eater too. She is okay with her feed...it is everything else she is picky about and always has been since she was weaned. She will put any fruit of veggie treat we attempt to give her half-way up her nose before she decides whether she is interested in eating it or not. She will stick her head as far into the hay feeder as she can get it and sniff around for just the right piece to nibble. When out grazing will pass up all kinds of yummy green things to get a certain kind of dried leaf?

I'm sure it is because she was bottle reared away from other goats. She was our first goat and given to us when she was a few hours old because the owner didn't want the hassle of a bottle baby. Her mother never got milk and we had no way to get any colostrum for her, so the vet I called advised keeping her away from other goats till she was older.  When we first put her outside with other goats she was indignant as if she had no idea why she was being left out there with those animals. If she were human and rich I'd say she was eccentric, but being that she's just a goat ....well picky will do.


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## jmsim93 (Aug 12, 2011)

I think it is funny that goats have a reputation for eating anything!  It has not been my experience at all.  I'm a new goat lady :-D and read a million things to prepare for my new adventure...my finding has been that each goat is different and they don't do "what they are supposed to do"!!!  LOL  (Like eat poison ivy)  ha ha


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## Ms. Research (Aug 13, 2011)

jmsim93 said:
			
		

> I think it is funny that goats have a reputation for eating anything!  It has not been my experience at all.  I'm a new goat lady :-D and read a million things to prepare for my new adventure...my finding has been that each goat is different and they don't do "what they are supposed to do"!!!  LOL  (Like eat poison ivy)  ha ha


X2   All animals have different personalities and reactions.  It's amazing how people who don't know put them into one specific catagory and the animal is then labeled.  Shame. 

Good for you for seeing the difference!


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## 1MrsMagoo (Aug 17, 2011)

jmsim93 said:
			
		

> I think it is funny that goats have a reputation for eating anything!  It has not been my experience at all.  I'm a new goat lady :-D and read a million things to prepare for my new adventure...my finding has been that each goat is different and they don't do "what they are supposed to do"!!!  LOL  (Like eat poison ivy)  ha ha


Yep, only one of my four loves the poison ivy the rest won't touch the stuff. About the only thing I can universally say about goats is that they all dislike getting rained on to some degree or another: Some mind it more and some less, but I've never seen one go happily skipping out into a thunderstorm like our horse or cow.

I think all animals are somewhat like that though: We've had three horses now and while they've all had similarities, they have all be unique individuals with very different personalities. My four current goats are the same way: Anybody who would call a goat a dumb animal must have never owned one...


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