Three Skinny Goat Kids - Updated

[journeysend]

Well I'm really not sure if she is pregnant, but she was running with a buck and the man I got her from said he thought she was too young... so maybe I will just use it and hope for the best. I don't want to lose her.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Good luck...Hope it works out for you!!

 

[journeysend]

I wanted to give an update. The kids are doing better since they have had an increase in their milk amount for the past 5 days. I have not had anyone scour since Monday. I will still have a fecal done but I'm not able to do it until after tomorrow. Every store that I have been to is completely out of any kind of coccidiosis meds anyway and the Albon I was given was nowhere near enough since it was for a kitten.

Since then I have been doing research and it seems as though maybe copper deficiency was causing my older doe to scour... Not sure on that, since I am definitely not an expert, but it was listed as one of the symptoms. She was severly copper deficient when I got her (as well as horribly emaciated). Up until a couple of weeks ago I thought she was kinda like a light reddish-brown roan color with a white face. Poor thing is actually a dark red. She has been slowly getting her color back and her coat has improved dramatically. I am worried about her though because I'm almost 100% positive she is pregnant because she has an udder now. I have read that copper deficiency in does cause unborn kids to be born with problems. I bought some Goat Balancer from TSC to top dress their feed, especially hers. Is it too late at this point to do anything to help her unborn kids?

I feel a little silly because I felt like the 3 kids were so skinny but then I realized I was comparing them to the Boers I used to raise lol. Thanks for all the advice and for having patience with me I feel like a newbie with these dairy goats and I really do worry way too much about them.

 

[Roll farms]

I would consider giving the doe at least 1 BoSe shot pre-kidding (most of us are in low-selenium areas of the US...and in my herd if they're having copper issues, selenium deficiency issues tend to be there as well...
I give my does 1cc per 40# 5 wks and 2 wks before they kid, as well as boost their CDT 5 wks pre-kidding, so the kids get passive immunity in the colostrum.
Ask other local goat producers (knowledgeable ones, not "I've had goats for 6 mos and know everything"-types).
Some vets will tell you that you don't need it, even if you do.
Few vets "know" goats or their nutritional needs....they treat them like mini cows or wool-less sheep....if you are lucky enough to find one who does know / care about treating goats...but him / her flowers and candy.