Just got some skinny goats

[JenniferDuBay]

Is she eating/ drinking? Color getting better? Fecals improving? Cost in good confusion? Overall appearance healthy/ happy? I wouldn't worry. I'm not an expert, at all. I've only had goats since November.

It takes time for goats to become comfortable in their new surroundings/herd. It took about two months for my second additions to be friendly towards me and my other goat I had gotten them as friends for. Now they are all friendly to the point of annoying ( in a good way) and all play/sleep/browse together.

Just watch her, observe and spend time with them, and give it time. You were thrown into a rough situation and are doing a good job the way it seems. Don't force weight onto her, just keep her healthy and let her eat at her pace. My Nigerian is a rotund little guy, my mini nubs, much more lean.

Now let them go destroy all your poison ivy! ( That's my goat's job)

I would feel comfortable upping her feed a little each week, maybe 1/2 cup. What are giving her other than hay? Are her fecals clear?

She's eating and drinking like a pig. I've got her on 1.5c goat pellets morning and night. Morning she gets a 1/4c BOSS and at night 1/4c alfalfa pellets, and all the coastal hay she can consume. I've not seen much improvement in her color, but when she was getting out of the pool yesterday I was brushing her and noticed fleas. I'm going to assume that's why she's anemic, and gave her a DE scrub today, I'll vaccuum it off her tonight. Her poop softened a bit when I increased from 1c to 1.5c, but it's already gone back to being solid. Her coat doesn't gleam, not like myrtle's does, but neither does lily's, could that be due to the color? Overall, she's super happy. She follows me around the pen with her little tail wagging like a puppy. I actually let her out of the pen because she's more than willing to let me just walk her right back in when I'm done outside. Super tame, super nice, super happy.

 

[misfitmorgan]

It takes a long time to put the weight back on.

Say hello to Ella

We couldnt figure out what was wrong with her, she just kept getting thinner and thinner. We did finally figure it out..in mid-may. It is now the first week of August and she has put on maybe 20-25lbs since this picture as well as growing a full new coat. We feed her hot hay, a half cup of BOSS, a cup of Beet shreds and 2.5lbs of sweet goat grain per day. We tried some show goat feeds but she wasnt to keen on them and they didnt seem to work better. We asked the Vet about something like weight builder for horses she did not advise it. We need to pick up some calf manna though, that should helpm too i was told on my "wasting away thread."

I will someday get a recent pic of Ella.....someday..

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Sounds like you saw lice. Good catch! It can make them anemic if it gets to a certain point, but I would still check her fecal again. Generally, when they are loaded with external parasites they will have internal parasites as well. Not always, but most of the time here in NC anyway.

You will need to treat ALL the goats, not just her. You might not see lice on the other goats right now, but if they have been living together they are pretty much guaranteed to have it. DE may or may not take care of it. It seems to help, but not fully eradicate it in my experience.

Whenever we have had it, I bathe them with permethrin. The dosage is on the label.

Its going to take time for her to get her color back and gain weight. What are the pellets you are feeding her? Are you giving minerals yet? You could give a small amount of Calf Manna, I've used it and have had good success.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

It takes a long time to put the weight back on.

Say hello to Ella
View attachment 20264
We couldnt figure out what was wrong with her, she just kept getting thinner and thinner. We did finally figure it out..in mid-may. It is now the first week of August and she has put on maybe 20-25lbs since this picture as well as growing a full new coat. We feed her hot hay, a half cup of BOSS, a cup of Beet shreds and 2.5lbs of sweet goat grain per day. We tried some show goat feeds but she wasnt to keen on them and they didnt seem to work better. We asked the Vet about something like weight builder for horses she did not advise it. We need to pick up some calf manna though, that should helpm too i was told on my "wasting away thread."

I will someday get a recent pic of Ella.....someday..

What was wrong with her?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

What was wrong with her?

I was in the middle of asking the same thing! LOL

 

[misfitmorgan]

coccidiosis....we didnt think of it because generally it does not affect adult goats. I started treatment on her on a guess as a last resort to what was wrong with her and then the vet confirmed 2 days into the course.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

coccidiosis....we didnt think of it because generally it does not affect adult goats. I started treatment on her on a guess as a last resort to what was wrong with her and then the vet confirmed 2 days into the course.

I am very happy for you that it wasn't something awful like Johnes! (Not that coccidiosis isn't something awful, but Johnes is a whole new level of awful) Glad you found out what it was and she is doing well!

 

[JenniferDuBay]

Sounds like you saw lice. Good catch! It can make them anemic if it gets to a certain point, but I would still check her fecal again. Generally, when they are loaded with external parasites they will have internal parasites as well. Not always, but most of the time here in NC anyway.

You will need to treat ALL the goats, not just her. You might not see lice on the other goats right now, but if they have been living together they are pretty much guaranteed to have it. DE may or may not take care of it. It seems to help, but not fully eradicate it in my experience.

Whenever we have had it, I bathe them with permethrin. The dosage is on the label.

Its going to take time for her to get her color back and gain weight. What are the pellets you are feeding her? Are you giving minerals yet? You could give a small amount of Calf Manna, I've used it and have had good success.

It'll have to do until payday, as it is I'm on a ramen diet with all the vet bills and stuff. I'm feeding them this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Family-Farm-Goat-16-Feed-40-lbs/42010641

 

[JenniferDuBay]

I had no idea Walmart sold goat feed! I'll have to check ours. How much does it cost?

Not much 12-13 bucks? Not sure, the better half bought it.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Not much 12-13 bucks? Not sure, the better half bought it.

Not bad. The kind I get (for the regular herd, not milking) is $15.50. Do you know what the calcium/phosphorus ratio is on that feed?