Help! Goats Got into the Barn! Emergency?

[SkyWarrior]

My husband went down to feed and found all the goats in the barn. That's 10+ goats. They got into the hay big time and stuffed themselves huge. They thankfully didn't get into much feed, but decided to eat the cord to my Brinsea brooder light.

Okay, what do I need to do, if anything? They stuffed themselves silly and I'm guessing they ate about 70 lbs of grass hay.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I don't think grass hay is a problem, mine get all they want all the time. but any change in diet may set off over eating disease, so I would monitor them, give them plenty of water, put out a bowl of baking soda free choice. and know where to get Procain G, pepto-bismo or kaolin pectin, and c&D antitoxin(not the vaccine). Have a thermometer for taking temps if needed. Oh, and mineral oil is good to have on hand with a 30 to 50 cc feeding syringe.

They should be fine. Are they up to date with CD &T vaccinations?

 

[20kidsonhill]

What have they normally been eating if they don't eat the grass hay?

 

[SkyWarrior]

What have they normally been eating if they don't eat the grass hay?

They've been eating grass hay -- just not this much!

They're due on their vaccinations this month. I should probably do the lot of them now. I have C&D anti-toxin in my refrigerator as well. I can't find the thermometer, so I'll probably get one at the store today along with mineral oil and extra baking soda. SIGH.

The little snots tried to spring Sid the llama too. The open lock had been flipped up and halfway out of the latch.

 

[Southern by choice]

Just hay... they should be fine but 20kids as usual, has great advice!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Just hay... they should be fine but 20kids as usual, has great advice!

Yes 20kids always has great advice.

Everyone except the two Boer crosses are back to eating. Blaze and Bolt (the Boer cross does) were the worse of the goat-pigs. I'll keep an eye on them to make sure they're okay.

 

[Southern by choice]

20kids is pretty awesome!

 

[20kidsonhill]

Glad they are mostly doing well. Those two must have really made pigs of themselves. My daughter put out a bale of alfalfa hay one evening by mistake instead of grass hay. I had some mighty bloated and unhappy goats for a couple days. The buck, who was still in with the does at the time, must have made a real pig of himself and he was miserable. My daughter was none to happy either when I made it clear that after years of farming she should know the difference between alfalfa hay and grass hay and get her .........out of her.............. and pay attention to what she is doing.

 

[Southern by choice]

 

[SkyWarrior]

They're back to normal!

And I should've taken pictures of them. They were huge, even for Boers. All of them were so fat, it was amazing. Thanks all for your help. There was a small bit of panic, even though deep down I suspected they might be okay.