Little doeling with pale gums, staggering and shaking her head??

[dianneS]

I'm watching her out the window right now. She's easy to spot in her burgundy sweater! She's grazing with the rest. I'll make sure she's got plenty of hay. I'll give her some more pellets tonight and add some corn oil to her feed.

She's completely fine now. This is all very strange. Her behavior was quite disturbing this morning, and now she's fine???

 

[dianneS]

Its starting to get dark, so I went out to get everyone settled in for the night.

She's still behaving normally, not even cold anymore. She ran to me for treats, even stood up on her hind legs to beg with her brothers. She gobbled down her grain, pellets and corn oil that I gave her to warm her up. I loaded up their pen with more fresh hay for tonight.

She seems fine. Could she have just been THAT cold that she behaved so strangely? I don't think she wanted to be outside with the rest this morning, I think she followed them out to the pasture just to stay with the herd. She was hiding under one of their big wooden wire spools and shivering when I found her this morning. I think she would have preferred to be in the barn.

Well, I'll be keeping a close eye on her that's for sure, but as for now, she's totally back to normal.

 

[freemotion]

Can you create a nest for her so she will retain more body heat overnight?

Grain and other supplements will help her grow, but it is the fermentation of roughage like hay that creates heat.

 

[dianneS]

She has about three different little nesting spots where she could curl up tonight. I didn't want to pen her up by herself so that she could choose to cuddle with her brothers or the bigger goats or even the dog.

I just went out to check on her and she and one of the big girls were munching hay from the pile. The rest were settled in for the night. She didn't seem ready for bed yet, she just kept following me, and standing up, putting her feet on me, hoping for treats!

She's still got her sweater on too, that really seems to help. I think she'll be fine tonight. Very odd situation earlier today?? Hope it doesn't happen again.

 

[freemotion]

Sometimes you just never know the answer to why or what.... :/

 

[cmjust0]

She gobbled down her grain, pellets and corn oil that I gave her to warm her up. I loaded up their pen with more fresh hay for tonight.

It's not grain or pellets or protein content that warm a goat through rumination...it's bulk. The courser the hay, the more heat it'll make -- regardless of the nutrient content.

When it gets really cold, make sure you're throwing the coursest hay you've got.. And, like Kimmy said, make sure they've always got hay.

 

[ksalvagno]

It probably wouldn't hurt to give her some probios for a few days. Obviously she is more delicate than the others and will just have to be watched more closely. At least you know this and are doing just that.

 

[Beekissed]

If this recurs, this would be a goat that I would get rid of as quickly as possible. If not, you are looking at vet bills and passing on a weak constitution in your herd.

 

[dianneS]

I wouldn't breed this goat, I know she came from poor stock. I wanted to rescue her from that woman that had her!

She's doing fine today. She's got plenty of hay, but I can't force her to eat it. She's perferring to graze today. If she could get at the wild rose bushes, I'm sure that is what she'd eat. Maybe I'll throw her a big pile, we just cut a bunch down to fix the horse fence.

Oh, and I tried giving the goats some warm maple and brown sugar oatmeal a few weeks ago when it was cold... they wanted nothing to do with it!! They hated it. I won't waste my time again!

 

[mully]

I would put her on a drench for about 5 days. It will stimulate her appetite and take care of her weak condition ... she may even do better with the cold.