Goats drying up-Could it be the heat?

[Kala]

Both of our goats seem to be drying up. Over the last couple of weeks their amounts have fluctuated but tonight they both only did about half a quart. Normally do about 3 times that each at least. We started them on kopsel about the same time and both their conditions and coats seemed to improve. That is the only change. Free choice mineral, baking soda, water that is changed several times a day. Feed (hay and grain) has not changed. No visible parasites but I really need to get the equipment to do my own fecals. Could it possibly be the heat? We've had an unusually warm summer so far.

Any thoughts?

 

[ChksontheRun]

I would love to hear others feedback or ideas on this. Our goats have significantly decreased their milk supply each time there is a heat snap. We have only been milking since March and I was really hoping to have milk into the fall but at least this year that is not going to happen.

 

[redtailgal]

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[Goatmasta]

Free choice baking soda isn't the best of ideas, it causes the goats to not eat the minerals. They may not be drinking enough. How is their food and water consumption?

 

[ChksontheRun]

Food consumption stable, water consumption stable, mineral consumption minimal at best.

 

[Goatmasta]

Completely expected the minerals consumption to be minimal that is because of the baking soda. Have you been milking @ 12 hr intervals?

 

[Bedste]

i bought some Calf Manna (protein boost) for my chickens and gave my goat a little and she loved it. I was concerned about her weight issue so I let her have it every day with her food. I also slowly increased her food to see if that would help. One of the side effects has been more milk. I am not sure if it is the protien booster or the increase in food or both but now she has a bit more meat on her bones and went up in her milk production taboot.

 

[freemotion]

Soy contains very powerful phytoestrogens. Long term use could impact her ability to be bred in the future. Proceed with extreme caution.

My naturopath told me to research "soy dangers" on this site: www.westonaprice.org. I was shocked. Fortunately for me, I reacted very strongly to the phytates in soy and avoided most soy products......now I avoid ALL soy products and don't feed them to my critters, either. Soy is relatively new as both an animal feed and as a human food other than a condiment (traditonal Asian diets contained only a teaspoon or so of fermented...for 6 months or more....soy as a flavoring or condiment. Not in the amounts that the multi-billion dollar industry would have us believe.)

 

[freemotion]

I would love to hear others feedback or ideas on this. Our goats have significantly decreased their milk supply each time there is a heat snap. We have only been milking since March and I was really hoping to have milk into the fall but at least this year that is not going to happen.

My four have held steady. I watch them, though, and if they are not going out to the pasture...I explore as to why. I go out there with them (they always follow me out unless it is raining! ) Sometimes they don't go out because the nastiest, biggest, bitingest flies are out in the hottest weather. So then they get some hay in the barn.