Undernourished Rehabilitation

[mountainpridefarm]

I have a young doe who was not fed the best quality milk as a kid and therefore has not grown to where I want her. I have routinely dewormed this girl, she has free choice Manna Pro minerals, about 1lb Purina goat chow a day, and free choice 1st cut hay (best I can get around here). I am wondering what I can do to get her grow. She is a registered Oberhasli turning about 1 year old and looks like a 3 month old. Any suggestions on what I can do for her?

 

[Beekissed]

She may need her rumen jumpstarted. They say you can take a cud from an adult that has a healthy rumen and feed it to one who does not and this will help. Sort of like shoving a pill down their throat, as I can't imagine how one would make a goat eat another's cud.

Probiotics, maybe?

 

[mountainpridefarm]

She may need her rumen jumpstarted. They say you can take a cud from an adult that has a healthy rumen and feed it to one who does not and this will help. Sort of like shoving a pill down their throat, as I can't imagine how one would make a goat eat another's cud.

Probiotics, maybe?

Wow never heard of that! Even though she is almost a year I could do that?

 

[mully]

You might try using a drench to stimulate her appetite. 5-10 mls twice a day for a week then once a day for two more weeks.

 

[freemotion]

I've had some great success with live probiotics by using fermenting methods. I rehabilitated a starved doe, preggers, who seemed to have little rumen function when I got her. Also a doeling who was weaned at five weeks and refused to take a bottle or drink milk from a pan. She ended up above average size for her age and I bred her at 9 months. Both were also fed beet pulp and as many veggies as I could get my hands on. In season, I cut leafy branches for the doeling every day and locked her in a stall so she could have full access to them without competition.

 

[Beekissed]

She may need her rumen jumpstarted. They say you can take a cud from an adult that has a healthy rumen and feed it to one who does not and this will help. Sort of like shoving a pill down their throat, as I can't imagine how one would make a goat eat another's cud.

Probiotics, maybe?

Wow never heard of that! Even though she is almost a year I could do that?

Works for cows!