I just got 2 babies this morning. They are 1/2 LaMancha (probably spelled wrong) and 1/2 Nubian. They are 3 weeks old, a doe and a little buck who has been banded. Both have had their CD-T first injection at a week according to the breeder. They should be due again in a week and they were given BoSe. They were also disbudded. The little boy was banded, but I forgot to ask the breeder when.
The little (breeder named her Coconut) girl is a nosy little spitfire, wanting to jump on everything and running and playing like crazy. The little boy (they named him Hercules) is not so much. Most of the afternoon, when we got home Coconut tried to eat EVERYTHING, but Hercules was very quiet, not eating, nibbling here and there, and laying down alot. He looked "fatter" than Coconut, but I didn't think too much about it, but he "Stretches" alot. He takes his rear legs and stretches them out ALOT. This evening he began grinding his teeth. I began to worry about bloat. So I started looking here.
The breeder was feeding powdered milk replacer and that did not thrill me, but whatever, didn't want to change too much as shipping (50 mile trip) I thought would be enough. She was only feeding twice a day, which was the instructions on the replacer. I didn't want to change the feeding times either as once again, I didn't want to make too many changes right away. When I fed them, Coconut sucked down 16 ounces of milk replacer and was looking for more. Hercules took about 7 ounces and was done. I was still worried about him, they both had soft stools when I picked them up, not liquid, but not pellets. After Hercules would not eat, I decided to give him some baking soda. I could not get him to take it from a bottle in milk, so I took about a 1/2 teaspoon and disolved it in enough water to make a paste and put it on the back of his tongue with my finger. He was really not happy!!! Someone said on another thread to massage the left side, which I did, and he seemed to enjoy that. I assume he burped as my daughter heard him "hiccup" one time, but neither have pooped or really burped since I brought them home that I have noticed. He is not standing hunched up and he seemed to quit grinding his teeth after the baking soda. I have put them to bed for the night and they seem to be resting well, but now come my questions....first of all, if he did have bloat, did I do the right thing? I also thought that his behavior might be due to the stress of shipping and being in a new place, but I didn't want to take any chances. Second, to put them on cow's milk, which would make me feel better, do I need to change them slowly? I bought the replacer that she had them on, but I didn't feel good about it then and I still don't. Lastly, could the way he is feeling be an effect of the banding, if so, what should I be looking for to make sure that heals properly and is there anything I need to do to care for the site (It doesn't look like anything has fallen off yet.) If there is anything besides bottles, hay for nibbling, loose minerals, please feel free to let me know. Any help would be oh so much appreciated. As you can tell I am new to goats
The little (breeder named her Coconut) girl is a nosy little spitfire, wanting to jump on everything and running and playing like crazy. The little boy (they named him Hercules) is not so much. Most of the afternoon, when we got home Coconut tried to eat EVERYTHING, but Hercules was very quiet, not eating, nibbling here and there, and laying down alot. He looked "fatter" than Coconut, but I didn't think too much about it, but he "Stretches" alot. He takes his rear legs and stretches them out ALOT. This evening he began grinding his teeth. I began to worry about bloat. So I started looking here.
The breeder was feeding powdered milk replacer and that did not thrill me, but whatever, didn't want to change too much as shipping (50 mile trip) I thought would be enough. She was only feeding twice a day, which was the instructions on the replacer. I didn't want to change the feeding times either as once again, I didn't want to make too many changes right away. When I fed them, Coconut sucked down 16 ounces of milk replacer and was looking for more. Hercules took about 7 ounces and was done. I was still worried about him, they both had soft stools when I picked them up, not liquid, but not pellets. After Hercules would not eat, I decided to give him some baking soda. I could not get him to take it from a bottle in milk, so I took about a 1/2 teaspoon and disolved it in enough water to make a paste and put it on the back of his tongue with my finger. He was really not happy!!! Someone said on another thread to massage the left side, which I did, and he seemed to enjoy that. I assume he burped as my daughter heard him "hiccup" one time, but neither have pooped or really burped since I brought them home that I have noticed. He is not standing hunched up and he seemed to quit grinding his teeth after the baking soda. I have put them to bed for the night and they seem to be resting well, but now come my questions....first of all, if he did have bloat, did I do the right thing? I also thought that his behavior might be due to the stress of shipping and being in a new place, but I didn't want to take any chances. Second, to put them on cow's milk, which would make me feel better, do I need to change them slowly? I bought the replacer that she had them on, but I didn't feel good about it then and I still don't. Lastly, could the way he is feeling be an effect of the banding, if so, what should I be looking for to make sure that heals properly and is there anything I need to do to care for the site (It doesn't look like anything has fallen off yet.) If there is anything besides bottles, hay for nibbling, loose minerals, please feel free to let me know. Any help would be oh so much appreciated. As you can tell I am new to goats
