Confused About Feed

[Chebird]

Hi there, we had to have the vet out the other day for a very uncomfortable wether. He was crying and his belly looked like he was constipated. I gave him a dawn and water enema. The vet said to give him olive oil. That helped a little. The vet did come out and give him Banamine. Then last night, the goat was acting like he had trouble urinating and was complaining. A few hours later, I checked him, and he was peeing and eating and seems fine.

I told the vet I was feeding them Bermuda hay with alfalfa/bermuda pellets with free choice baking soda goat minerals. and I used to give them goat chow. I quit the goat chow because all seven were getting chunky. Vet said that was a mistake. He said they need the ammonium chloride from the complete feed. I just looked at the label and there is no ammonium chloride (non-protein nitrogen). So I ordered some A.N. online. How do I use it? My goats are in a dry lot with a donkey and horses. Can I mix it in with the minerals?

The lady I got the goat from fed straight alfalfa with baking soda on top. I don't think that would be the correct protein/phos ratio, but this is all new to me.

One thing this goat has done is eat the mini horse's Safe Choice Senior feed (they're best buds).

I have gone nuts trying to research goat feeding online; it seems so contradictory. Many articles said don't feed goat grain to a goat with a urinary problem, but my vet said to feed that. I am totally confused! What do you feed your wethers? Thanks for any help! Holly

 

[animalmom]

Hey Holly! Yes there is a lot of differing information out there regarding feeding goats and especially wethers.

My vet thinks wethers don't need pellets at all -- just hay but my vet likes to see dairy animals that look thin... like dairy animals look. I don't like the thin look so my guys, wethered or intact, do get pellets once a day and all the hay I can stuff in their hay racks. The pellets I use does have both AC and decox (for cocci). I have to admit my boys are not thin however they are not chunky monkeys either.

If you want to supplement your guys with AC I think the easiest way would be to put it in their drinking water. If they are sharing drinking water with another species that may not want/need AC then consider adding vinegar to the communal water. The vinegar would keep everyone's urine slightly acidic which would help prevent UC stones.

The directions on the AC I have says for treatment to administer 1 1/2tsp orally as a drench for 7 days. The one time I needed to do this I mixed the measured AC with 5mm water and used a 6mm syringe (no needle) to drench. The instructions for prevention have you combine 1 1/2 lbs with 25 lbs of loose minerals and feed free choice.

I put vinegar, just plain old white vinegar, in all my goats' water. Some folks like to use vinegar that has "mother" but I just use white.

Hope that helps. Let us know any other questions that come up. 'Taint no stupid questions just confused people looking for answers. Believe me we were all there at some point.

 

[Chebird]

Hey Holly! Yes there is a lot of differing information out there regarding feeding goats and especially wethers.

My vet thinks wethers don't need pellets at all -- just hay but my vet likes to see dairy animals that look thin... like dairy animals look. I don't like the thin look so my guys, wethered or intact, do get pellets once a day and all the hay I can stuff in their hay racks. The pellets I use does have both AC and decox (for cocci). I have to admit my boys are not thin however they are not chunky monkeys either.

If you want to supplement your guys with AC I think the easiest way would be to put it in their drinking water. If they are sharing drinking water with another species that may not want/need AC then consider adding vinegar to the communal water. The vinegar would keep everyone's urine slightly acidic which would help prevent UC stones.

The directions on the AC I have says for treatment to administer 1 1/2tsp orally as a drench for 7 days. The one time I needed to do this I mixed the measured AC with 5mm water and used a 6mm syringe (no needle) to drench. The instructions for prevention have you combine 1 1/2 lbs with 25 lbs of loose minerals and feed free choice.

I put vinegar, just plain old white vinegar, in all my goats' water. Some folks like to use vinegar that has "mother" but I just use white.

Hope that helps. Let us know any other questions that come up. 'Taint no stupid questions just confused people looking for answers. Believe me we were all there at some point.
[/QUOT

Thank you so very much for your reply! The vet was out last night to help with a little baby mini that was just born so I asked him again about feeding goats.
The vet said just to feed them Bermuda now so I am feeding that with a little bit of the complete goat feed which looks like grain some lake and light which has a little bit of alfalfa and then I have the ammonium chloride on the way. Thank you for explaining what a drench is. I had no idea what that is when I read up on what to do with goats that are sick, etc. I guess it is just oral syringing?ammonium chloride on the way.

again thank you so much for your detailed answer. I so appreciate it! Blessings, Holly

 

[animalmom]

Yes I understand the head scratching over "drench". The first time I heard it used I asked "you mean I pour it over the goat?" Drench is just a liquid solution poured down a goat's throat. Much easier to say than do... imagine someone a whole lot bigger than you trying to get you to swallow something. I think you'd object.

There are drenching syringes you can buy, in different volume amounts. They are nice to have but I find the drenching syringes break so depending on how much has to go down the gullet I use either a regular syringe without a needle or go with a catheter syringe. A catheter syringe looks a lot like a regular syringe except the end where you would normally stick the needle is longer and tapered. I like the 60mm size. It is larger, holds more and helps keep the goat from biting the end of the syringe.

Hope that made some sense for you.

Allow me to suggest, even though you now have just wethers, get, or build a milking stand. There are designs out there on the net with building instructions. A milking stand is good to have as a place to put one of your boys while you drench, or give a shot or even groom.

 

[Chebird]

Thank you both for your very informative replies!