Weight loss!! Help please!

[suziquzi]

My 2 female pygmy goats have both lost weight here recently. We feed them grain and mixed straw. To be honest, they were very round because we are too generous with their feedings... However, we have had a lot of snow here in the past few weeks and I am sure they are not picking through the field as much for other snacks, but we feed them o'plenty! Could it be shedding winter weight? In heat?? They seem to be healthy otherwise and still eat grain but they lost their round bellies and look like little kids again. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Have you had fecals done to check for worms??? Worms will do that to them and with warmer weather coming..so do worms...they wake up from the deep freeze too!!

I would recomend starting there. How is there pooping?? Any issues??

 

[suziquzi]

Yeah, we are on the lookout for a dewormer (had a previous post on that ) Haven't noticed any poop problems. They did have some "funk" around their butt, but I wouldn't know if it was diarrhea or if they were in heat. Light brown and runny looking but not a lot. This is the first time I have ever described goat funk.

 

[Caprice_Acres]

Are they loosing CONDITION or belly girth? They are two different things. Belly girth is a GOOD thing and is NOT a good indication of overweight/underweight. It is simply a sign of a good functioning rumen - so the bigger the better! Fatness is stored mostly subcutaneously and not as 'belly fat', generally. Fat goats can be found by getting handfulls of fat especially at the base of the neck, armpit, and over ribs. A goat at good weight or overweight, and you will not be able to feel divits between the spine crests. As a goat looses condition (either over course of lactation or due to illness) you will feel divits more and more pronounced.

The loss of belly girth tells me the rumen function has decreased (stress, antibiotic treatment that kills beneficial flora), or they are simply not intaking enough roughage. If you think rumen funtion has decreased, I'd give Probiotics for a few days.

I would first look into their diet and hay (You did mean HAY and not STRAW, right?). Is it high enough quality for goats? Mouldy? How much are they getting? Are they reluctant to go to the hay feeders due to weather/cold/snow? I would free feed hay and completely eliminate grain from their diet - non working goats do NOT need grain in their diets and actually cause more problems than good. Do you offer free choice high quality mineral? Are you in an area that requires copper bolusing and/or selenium supplementaiton?

Then, I'd look to worms. Mainly this is because worms usually cause the belly to STAY big and full, while a goat looses condition. Always do a fecal before arbitrarily choosing a wormer. I'd also get second opinion from an experienced goatkeeper or two before using a vet's advice on worming (doseages, appropriate chemicals) - At least MY vet is incompetant when it comes to goats...