Nutrition and condition discussion

[SDGsoap&dairy]

A friend uses rice bran with excellent results. It adds fat without throwing your cah ratios out of balance. I've just purchased a doe who needs to gain some weight and will be trying it myself.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

I will try to get a picture of her onto this thread before I head out in the morning, but my doe Maude has lost quite a bit of conditioning over the past week, I gave her her first dose of dewormer, and have been giving her 2 cups of Noble Goat per feeding, PLUS: probiotics, produce trimmings, corn husks, corn, and she has been out on browse every day. She is only feeding 1 kid, and I wouldn't think that 1 kid could be causing this much of a loss in condition... but I just don't know.

Also, what would you recommend feeding to a Pygmy in milk? how much of what, that sort of thing.

 

[journey11]

I've been reading through this thread and I've got some questions about gestational nutrition and how to go about changing/adding to their diet without causing bloating or diarrhea.

My girl, Katie, is in her last month of pregnancy and we found out recently her mama, Julie, is pregnant also! Katie is 11 and Julie is 12. Julie hadn't successfully taken for the past couple of years according to my friends who sold them to me. She was bought more as a pet and companion, so I'm kinda concerned about her kidding at her age.

So there has been a major hay shortage in our area. I can't get good hay without driving a couple hours. May have to borrow a truck because ours is not real road-worthy. My BIL has been kind to spare me a couple round bales, but they're not the best quality of hay, the girls don't really like it, and I am concerned that they are losing condition going into kidding a month from now. I'm looking at what I can add to their diet to help. They are currently on pasture a couple hours a day, dry hay (cattle quality), 1 cup of 50/50 mixed goat ration and sweet feed dusted with DE, top dressed 1 oz. of loose minerals, and 1/4th cup of shelled BOSS each, and occasional animal crackers for a treat. I've been hesitant to let them out on pasture longer because it is so green and lush, been gradually working up on that.

If it is a one quart, that is what my rescued skinny doe got 2x a day, along with ALL the other things, veggies, brush, pasture, alfalfa, beet pulp, BOSS, and the grain was sprouted, dramatically increasing its food value.

I guess what I'm wanting to know is a good procedure to add these things to their diet. I'm kind of limited to what I can buy from the feed store right now. I can go out and cut brush. Wondering what things need to be added slowly and what measurements you would recommend for a ND doe.

The girls were dewormed with Levamisole per my vet, dosed on 3/14 and 3/28. He said Safeguard wasn't working. I'm going to take him another fecal this week to see how effective it has been. I'm still not seeing much pink in their eyelids. They don't scratch or act lousy, but I plan to go ahead and douse them again with Farm Boss this weekend, which is a month from the last time.

I am new to all this, but am reading all I can. I want to set them up for success, especially since they both have a history of multiples. Any advice is much appreciated!