[resolved] Goat Kid Off Feed, repeatedly stretching legs

[abraeri]

So I have a 2 month old buckling and today he is being completely standoffish in a corner of the barn. Repeatedly stretching his hind legs. Yesterday night he kept tying to get to the grain his mother was eating so we had to restrain him by holding his neck/head and I'm not sure if that could be related.

What is my best course of action? If it is rumen related issue, what should I be doing? I have already given him probiotics, and vitamin B complex olorally

He doesn't have any temperature and is fed minimal grain; diet consists mostly of alfalfa hay and green forage.

Please help. Thank you.

 

[abraeri]

He wants to nurse and runs to mother but he does not drink anything. Should I try to get some milk into his system or would I try to clear his system out with something like MoM?

 

[chickens really]

Why is he not getting a kid goat supplement? At 8 weeks he should be able to eat regular feed. Lots of kids are weaned at 8 weeks.

 

[abraeri]

Why is he not getting a kid goat supplement? At 8 weeks he should be able to eat regular feed. Lots of kids are weaned at 8 weeks.

Could you elaborate on this? What is a kid goat supplement? We feed everyone alfalfa and all the kids get a handful of grain. They are outside all day as well. They are dam raised and still nursing. Never felt the need to supplement anything, but it's our first time raising kids so I don't want to be missing anything.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

He could have upset his stomach and possibly mild bloat. Well depends on how you want your goats raised. Mine are six months old and are still partly on the dam. She weaning them. I milk in am but not evening it works for us. Plus my doe gets over stressed without them and will not eat if she seperated. So this year we aren't. I doubt the next round I will either.

 

[chickens really]

Could you elaborate on this? What is a kid goat supplement? We feed everyone alfalfa and all the kids get a handful of grain. They are outside all day as well. They are dam raised and still nursing. Never felt the need to supplement anything, but it's our first time raising kids so I don't want to be missing anything.

Oh sorry. This feed is a starter feed for kids. Although can be fed till 1 year of age. Was recommended to me by my friend. Vet also likes this feed.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

What breed of goat do you have @abraeri

 

[abraeri]

We have Nubians @Jesusfreak101

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Yeah the can nurse along time. Without issues. I just watch out on changing their diets quickly it will effect them. My first were pure nubians and now I have nubians toggenburgs and nubian sansan. You can wean as early as 8 weeks if you prefer to have all the milk but it's not a must. Nubians are generally bottle fees till 20weeks of age. If you give him anything new treats or grazing or even a different hay do it slowly. Some of mine were more sensitive to change them others. I had one who would break into grain barrels and eat and eat and some how never have issues then her half sister would be sick from even a extra hand ful of grain. The goats i currently have have haven't been overly sensitive also they have been glutons either. My doe is hard to get her to actually eat all of her grain. She eat some then won't want the rest until later she a smacked. Her kids are the same way. I had to leave it out for her all day to get her back to weight. Even on the stand she just let me milk with out eating her grain. Drives me nuts. She loves corn and will eat that. We switched to a new mix of feed for them. Incase your interested. Is 2parts crimped corn, 2 parts whole oats, one part black sunflower seeds, and 2 parts alfalfa pellets. The one we originally used was this 2parts oats, 2 parts barley, 1 part black sunflower seeds, one part calf manna. In our area barley is 32-36$ for a 50lb bag and calf manna is also 36$ for a 50lb bag. For us the new mix was cheaper.