Goat Diarrhea

frustratedearthmother

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One of my does had diarrhea this morning. I feel fairly certain that it was because I increased their feed yesterday.

I kept her and her penmates on hay only until this evening and VOILA she's cured.

If I had not known her background I might have taken other steps, but they weren't necessary. She is fat, sassy, sassy and shiny. She's been dewormed and fecaled and all is well. Just goes to show that no good deed (increasing feed) goes unpunished!
 

baymule

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I guess that goes to show, More isn't always better! LOL! To be such resilient animals, they sure do have delicate tummies. Around the corner from us, about a mile or two, is a collection of the worst, trashiest, houses you have ever seen. They tie a goat on the porch. No shelter. Then they let her loose, no fence, nothing. Amazingly, the goat doesn't leave. The house next to them has a pack of dogs that sleep in the road and chase cars. How that goat survives is beyond me, AND she has a full udder which means the people (two families living in the same held-together-by-termites-holding-hands-house) are MILKING her. Yet she thrives. Amazing.

Then your goat, by comparison, is well cared for, has a pasture, hay, barn, shelter, other goats for company, you for her mommy, all the comforts in life a goat could want, and gets too much to eat and has the resulting diarrhea. Go figure.
 

frustratedearthmother

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Yep, it is amazing that some even survive under such conditions - much less thrive! In all honesty, goats weren't meant to consume copious amounts of grain. The pen of goats that I increased the feed for are young first fresheners that still need to finish their own growth while raising a baby. Easiest way to help them along is more groceries. If I had access to alfalfa that wasn't nearly $20 a bale that would be ideal for them. Chaffhaye is good, but I shy away from it during this heat/humidity. So, my solution was more grain. In a group situation - the strongest gets the most feed and this gal is stubborn and strong. That'll show her what being greedy will getcha!

She's fine this morning - clean behind and her baby is keeping her udder soft - so all is well.
 

baymule

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The termite-holding-hands-houses are the ones that lean a little. I guess no one taught them proper carpentry.
 

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