ND wethers- skinny!

[katxattack]

Vet agreed its got to be nutrition related. Dry coat, which I didn't really notice as these are my first goats. She suggested rice bran pellets ( 1 Tb once a day) with the Calf manna . I've been doing 1/4 cup a day of that. Bermuda hay like we have been doing. BOSS ok, too.

She gave them a dose of ivermectin SQ and is having me do Ultra Boss topically.

Overall they look fine, just somehow lost condition on just Bermuda and minerals. I feel like a bad goat owner. Meh!

 

[taylorm17]

That is greta they are doing better and it was just nutrition related not disease or such... Also don't feel bad. I am kind of new at owning goats too. We got our does about 5 months ago.

 

[Southern by choice]

You may want to add in another type of hay if possible.

About a month ago I was reading some articles ( research stuff) I do not remember where I saw it but one of the articles mentioned bermuda hay. Something about it causing a certain vitamin deficiency....

I will keep looking but it got my attention because we live in NC where bermuda is our "Native" grass. So it had me concerned. Our hay is not bermuda but that is what they eat off the land 8 months of the year.

 

[katxattack]

I was kinda of thinking the same thing. We have orchard grass as another option for our area.

 

[Southern by choice]

How are their appetites?

 

[katxattack]

They eat the alfalfa pellets and other goodies with joy! They could care less about the Bermuda hay. Vet wants us to avoid the alfalfa, so I've cut back to get them back on hay. Looks like they have picked at it, but really want the delicious other stuff!

 

[rebelINny]

Yeah I am pretty sure that I read Bermuda grass doesn't have everything a goat needs to give them adequate nutrition. I feed a timothy/alfalfa, orchard/timothy or all three combined and my goats do well. They love the second cut timothy alfalfa the best and the grow really well on it.

 

[katxattack]

I found a hay they will actually eat now! Its a 3-way (barley, oat, wheat grass) mix. They actually eat it! They pick out one of the mix- I think the oat. They are still getting a little grain for now, and have put on a little weight.