Goat bloat?

[TXMissy]

Hello!
I am a new goat mom and I am worried about my doeling. I just might be a new mom overreacting. Does she look bloated? Or pregnant? Or just fat? She just looks a little bigger to me. her stomach has alway stuck out some. I asked the lady when I got her if she was pregnant or just fat. She said she thought she was fat. She will be a year old in Dec. Pics below. The pic of her biting my shorts is the day I got her. The other pics are today. Thanks for your help.

 

[TXMissy]

Here are a couple more pics..she looks normal here..maybe she is just fat.

 

[animalmom]

Is there any reason, besides being well endowed, that you think bloat? For example, has she gotten into the chicken feed as that would cause bloat. Has she been overeating alfalfa, if you give her that? Too much alfalfa and not enough exercise can cause bloat. It doesn't look like she is developing an udder so I'm going with her being plump.

Now I don't particularly like the "standard" dairy goat look with the sunken sides... makes me think the poor things are starving. You won't see that in my goats.

If you are worried about her being too heavy you can check her ribs. Lightly run your fingers across her ribcage, either side. If you can feel ribs she is fine. If you barely feel ribs then cut back on the Honey Nut Cherrios.

Last thing, rugrats on the right and lunch on the left. The rumens are on the left side, so if that bulges then they are good eaters. Babies are carried on the right side.

By the way, I applaud you for questioning if it is bloat.

 

[TXMissy]

Is there any reason, besides being well endowed, that you think bloat? For example, has she gotten into the chicken feed as that would cause bloat. Has she been overeating alfalfa, if you give her that? Too much alfalfa and not enough exercise can cause bloat. It doesn't look like she is developing an udder so I'm going with her being plump.

Now I don't particularly like the "standard" dairy goat look with the sunken sides... makes me think the poor things are starving. You won't see that in my goats.

If you are worried about her being too heavy you can check her ribs. Lightly run your fingers across her ribcage, either side. If you can feel ribs she is fine. If you barely feel ribs then cut back on the Honey Nut Cherrios.

Last thing, rugrats on the right and lunch on the left. The rumens are on the left side, so if that bulges then they are good eaters. Babies are carried on the right side.

By the way, I applaud you for questioning if it is bloat.

Thank you so much for the info. The reason I thought bloat was just cause she look a little wider this morning than I remembered lol. The only things I could think of that would casue that is bloat, pregnancy, or just being chunky. I dont mind chunky. They do have access to alfalfa pellets. I put some in their bowels every day because I read somewhere they should have access to it. They get regular feed once a day in the evening. I do not normally give them cheerios lol. I try to save those for the grandkids to give. Maybe it is because she ate recently. How much alfalfa pellets do you think I should give them.? I have one of those red scoopers that have 2 lines on the inside. I normally fill it to the 2nd line and dumb in both of their bowels so they don't fight over it. I have yet to see them eat it all. They don't eat as much as I thought they would. The way people describe goats...you would think they never stop eating. It seems to be just the opposite. I just want to make sure I am taking good care of them. They seem happy and healthy..acting crazy jumping around and doing goat things.
Thanks again! You are amazing!

 

[Alaskan]

To me it looks like good rumen development.

A good hay, or lots of brush, will make the rumen pretty big, and it can push things anywhich way.

Fat in goats isn't usually their width there in the middle/tummy area. Too fat is a health issue.

On the photo below, aim for number 3.
Fat is usually measured along the backbone.
Here is a photo from Google...

And here is a really good video on dairy goat condition. It looks like the video doesn't work... but the link is good, click on it and it takes you to you tube to watch it.

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, as to quantity of alfalfa... I would only feed that on the milking stand, and then about a large handful per goat.

 

[TXMissy]

To me it looks like good rumen development.

A good hay, or lots of brush, will make the rumen pretty big, and it can push things anywhich way.

Fat in goats isn't usually their width there in the middle/tummy area. Too fat is a health issue.

On the photo below, aim for number 3.
Fat is usually measured along the backbone.
Here is a photo from Google...

View attachment 87540

And here is a really good video on dairy goat condition. It looks like the video doesn't work... but the link is good, click on it and it takes you to you tube to watch it.

Thank you so much. This is awesome! I don't think she is truly fat. But I am going to go check her out this evening.

 

[TXMissy]

Oh, as to quantity of alfalfa... I would only feed that on the milking stand, and then about a large handful per goat.

So they don't need it every day? We have a nice green backyard but they don't seem to eat much of it, that I can tell anyway. We have some ragweed that they will not touch. I have been trying to pull it. I know its bitter. I dont have a lot of brush. In my backyard. It's mostly grass..some bushes/tree things..I didnt plant them so I am not sure what they are but the goats haven't really munched on them yet. They are still green with leaves. I think my goats are broken.

 

[BarnOwl]

I am new to goats, but to my understanding if goats are bloated, they will not eat or be active and will appear to be in distress. Mine start out sleek and trim in the morning before I put them out in the pasture. When I bring them to their pen in the evening they have big ole fat hay/brush bellies.

 

[Alaskan]

So they don't need it every day? We have a nice green backyard but they don't seem to eat much of it, that I can tell anyway. We have some ragweed that they will not touch. I have been trying to pull it. I know its bitter. I dont have a lot of brush. In my backyard. It's mostly grass..some bushes/tree things..I didnt plant them so I am not sure what they are but the goats haven't really munched on them yet. They are still green with leaves. I think my goats are broken.

If they are NOT pregnant, and NOT in milk, then no, they don't need any alfalfa.

They do probably need hay free choice.

Timothy or whatever "normal" hay you have in your area.