new potential problem goat

[bettybohemian]

Oooooohhhhh.... I went against my better judgement. I went to a 'farm' today and picked up an Angora goat doe, who was sold as pregnant. I found the breeder on CL. I don't think she is pregnant. Some of the goats looked really bad. I bought her anyway. I had a checklist of things to look at when I inspected her. Didn't even take the list out of my pocket. I just nabbed the goat dropped the money and headed for the hills. She's currently in quarantine. Waiting for bet to come out to do some testing. She wouldn't eat the alfalfa hay I have her but gobbled up the grain (of course) and began to consuming all the weeds and grasses growing in my isolation area. Oh. Dear. Now on worried I made a horrible mistake!!!! She's very wild so I have my work cut out for me. Sheesh.

 

[ksalvagno]

Good luck with her. Sounds like more of a rescue than anything. I can understand because I do things like that too.

 

[Roll farms]

Yeah, I think we've all 'been there / done that' when our hearts make us bring home something our brains know we shouldn't.

Good luck w/ her.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

You done the right thing by putting her in quarantine, so good job "rescuing" her and keeping your other critters safe as well. Got any pictures of her yet?

 

[bettybohemian]

You done the right thing by putting her in quarantine, so good job "rescuing" her and keeping your other critters safe as well. Got any pictures of her yet?

I snagged a couple photos but I can't get any good ones because she runs from me. I'm working on it though!

 

[chandasue]

Let's just hope for the best that she's alright. Good feed and minerals will improve her condition. I've walked away from a few goats after checking them out and it was very hard to do. I even lost deposit money a few years ago changing my mind on a couple after going home and doing more research on a breeder. (Money down the drain but so glad I didn't take those goats in the long run...)

 

[bettybohemian]

An update: after a quick bout of loose stool her droppings are back to normal and she is finally eating the hay and not just the grass and weeds. I can get a little bit closer to her buying have to sit real still on a chair and throw handfuls of grain about five feet from me, then she'll come.eat it. I gave her a pie tin with baking soda and meatmaker goat mineral. I can't get close enough to her yet for a proper inspection but sprinkled Service dust on her sleeping area. Vet still can come out for two weeks. Added coccidia treatment to water supply. Any ideas on how to add weight? Molasses maybe?

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Bless you for taking her...hope it goes great for you guys!!!

Molasses will not put weight on and high volume of that is too much sugar for her.

I would get her a high protien goat grain and quality hay, and loose goat specific minerals. I would get a mix of grass/alfalfa hay instead of straight alfalfa...its better for her.

I would not recomend throwing food on the ground for her though...you dont want her eating off the ground at all. I would put it off the ground.

I would feed grain twice a day till she starts getting some weight on. She'll get there.

And as for her being timid...give her time..she will come around...time heals all! She been through alot of changes. Hope it goes well for her!! Good luck!

 

[freemotion]

Along with all that....

If you can get ahold of some root veggies and chop 'em up really small (goats need them in small bits...think coins) that will help a lot. But add them slowly, start with maybe a cup in each grain meal, and increase it every 2-3 days. Any roots except potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams. Think carrots, rutabagas, beets, etc. Also things like squashes, green beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens....make friends with a produce manager and see if you can buy the "reduced for quick sale" stuff in one big box for less since they don't have to package it on those stupid little foam trays.

Trim bad spots, though. Only good stuff. Also apples, pears, melons (including rinds) will be good.

In moderation. If she gets clumpy poo, back off. I did a similar rescue and happened to have a cellar full of a huge garden crop that winter, along with hundreds of pounds of gleaned winter squashes and pumpkins from the farm next door. It made a huge difference. I just gradually increased the amount of fresh stuff until she got clumpy, then backed off. I think she was up to 3 quarts a day. I would run it through the slicing blade in my food processor and make enough to last for maybe 4 meals at a time and store it in the cool cellar or garage.

 

[4hmama]

Don't know that I'd start giving her a bunch of stuff she isn't used to, to put weight on...sounds like the answer is groceries! Simply feeding her (grain and hay) on a regular basis - if that is something that she hasn't had - will make a difference.... Good luck, and thank you (from the goat) for the rescue.