# Underweight goat HELP me help her(newbie here)



## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

I would like to say I rescued her. Honestly, I was just completely enamored by her and bought her at a flea market on impulse. :crazy:I feel really ridiculous because I should have known more about picking out a goat before I picked her up. That being said, I have a goat now. I am looking for a healthy friend for her and will hopefully have luck this weekend.
I was told she is most likely bred. After I got her home and did more research the prospect of her being pregnant is frightening because she seems grossly underweight. I can feel her bones/vertebrate. I added pics on my last reply.The man I bought her from said he had just got her that day and was not sure about vaccines but that I should get her wormed. He said she is two years old.... and that's about all he told me except she is most likely bred. 

Anyway I went and bought purina noble goat feed. I have her out eating pasture too. I gave her some hay, and bought a mineral block. Is there a way to help keep mosquitoes off of her? but I am wondering what I should do about her being so underweight? I just want her to be happy and healthy. Thanks for your support. I am brand new to this and I already know I made a mistake I just want to know how best to take care of her from people that have experience.


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## purplemountain (Jun 2, 2014)

Don't give her too much of that Noble goat feed. That is a supplement and if given too much you will have serious trouble! Good quality hay or chaffhaye is main part of diet. To put on weight, supplement with grain or calf manna (please research this and learn how much). I use alfalfa pellets with my hay if I know it's not high enough protein for them.


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## gonegoaty (May 15, 2015)

I'm new to goats too, but over the last 6 months I've been learning a LOT and doing tons of research, so based off of that, I'll tell you what I've learned. Much of what I've learned pertains to wethers (neutered male) but that part won't help you much.... I also have two goats, the wether given to me by a friend, and a young doe I adopted as a companion for him.

I would slow down a bit on getting another goat, at least give it a few weeks and make sure the worming and feeding gets her in better condition. There are several contagious goat diseases and you want to rule that out. Be sure not to overfeed her. She can have unlimited hay, but limit grains! Overeating disease can kill them - there is a vaccine that can help prevent it, but still watch those portions and don't change her diet too rapidly giving her a bunch of new food her stomach isn't adjusted to. Rumens have a very sensitive digestive system. Black oil sunflower seeds (boss) are something that can be mixed in the food to help.

Get her a really good loose mineral, not a block. According to my vet, they can chew on a block all day, and not get enough out of it. It should be a salt/mineral mix. The salt will encourage her to be drinking enough water, which goats don't always do especially if not in good health. The minerals are also much needed, and get the ones that include copper - sheep minerals don't. You may want to research copper bolusing. I've heard very good things about it doing so much for their overall health and am considering it myself. Keep in mind none of my research has been for a pregnant goat, so if yours is research everything you plan to do first. I used valbazen wormer. It's pricey but works well. Giving vitamin C is also something a lot of people do when their goats are feeling under the weather to help with the immune system, as well as giving B complex, so you might want to look into those options as well.

Good luck! I absolutely love my 2 pet goats and I bet you will too. It is quite a learning curve at first!

Edit to add - you can get Goat Balancer from Tractor Supply and it is good for improving condition. I've been adding a little bit to my goats feed.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

No valbazen on pregnant does. Yes to loose mineral and yes to copper bolous.  read read read


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## GCKRanch (May 27, 2014)

We've had goats for over a year, and this forum will be one of your best resources. You can generally ask about anything and somebody knows the answer. We have 30 goats and we've been dealing with issues of weight and worms and whatnot. It may just take some time to get some weight back.


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

Thank you all very much. I feel a bit overwhelmed but I am trying to learn all I can. I have no idea what she is used to eating so that' s a bummer.


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

I think I figured out how to add pictures <3 here she is


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## gonegoaty (May 15, 2015)

Aww she's adorable! She reminds me of my goat, Rose. (on the left)


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

What kind of goat is Rose? I am trying to identify her breed too.


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## gonegoaty (May 15, 2015)

wyndraga said:


> What kind of goat is Rose? I am trying to identify her breed too.


Hilarious you ask because I was wondering what breed your goat was. :laugh:

Since I had no intentions of breeding, I was only looking to adopt a tame companion for my other goat. I got Rose from a lady that does farm animal rescue. She said she got a call on Halloween night to pick up a 4 hour old baby and had no other history on her.

I guess she's probably a mix breed, but I'd love to know too!


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

I am thinking Saanen maybe or someone suggested Nigerian? Mystery goats.


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## gonegoaty (May 15, 2015)

Yep, a friend of mine who bred Sannens years ago said Rose reminds her of that breed, and I think Rose's coat and build are similar to Nigerians... She doesn't 100% fit the profile of either, but could be a mix of the two or similar breed.

Mainly, I just wonder how big she will get. I got her at just over 2 months old and hoped she would stay small. She appears to be a dwarf breed as far as I can tell... in my super limited goat experience. How big is yours?


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## WitchHazel (May 5, 2015)

You could try mixing a couple of tablespoons of black oil sunflower seeds into her grain every day. A cup or two of grain once a day should go a long way, especially if she is bred. If you can get alfalfa hay or pellets, that will help, too. Blackberry leaves are very high in nutrition, provided they haven't been sprayed with pesticides, etc.

Also, many goats will not gain weight if they are lonely, so try to find her a companion as soon as possible. In the meantime, give her lots of attention!


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

She is about 2 feet tall at her back


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

Oh people keep saying grain but it seems to mean different things to different people. What is good grain? I know it's less than ideal but I have been giving her oats, (quaker to be exact...).I apparently spent a bunch of money buying the wrong things... live and learn I suppose. I get paid later today so I will be going back out. Someone else in a different forum said too much pasture might not be good. How much is too much? I am getting 65 different solutions to one problem and I am getting muddled. Should I wait to get her a friend or hurry up?


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## burtfarms (Apr 4, 2013)

everybody has their own opinion based on what has worked for them. browse or pasture is good in moderation, do your research check for poisionous plants, feed hay also a little grain to help with nutrition. I would worm her with Ivomectin, give her a CDT shot as well as Bose, its likely she is mineral deficient. keep a good loose mineral free choice, as well as some baking soda. people treat their goats according to their needs, you will learn we all have been in your shoes!


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

Ok so so far I have been leaving her out to browse during the day and putting her up at night. I have a 12 by 12 enclosure that I am keeping her in at night until my hubby builds her something better (much to his excitement....) Should I keep her penned up more often?


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## gonegoaty (May 15, 2015)

Ok she's a little bit taller than Rose, but Rose is still growing. They must be pretty similar.

There are so many different ways to keep goats you're going to get a lot of different answers. You're going to have to make some choices after educating yourself. I wanted to pull my hair out when I was trying to figure out how to feed my first goat. Talk about a ton of conflicting info! 

As far as getting another goat, you should base that off of her health. Goats are social and they DO need a companion, but if you have any concern that she may be ill, you should wait. If you aren't sure if she's ill, give it a couple weeks. If you're around to give her some treats and attention, she'll be ok a few weeks. I waited that long to find the right companion for my first goat. I really think you should look at copper, especially if she's pregnant. A copper deficiency can cause so many problems. My vet really pushes loose salt with minerals, so I'd go for that too. 

Grains, I consider pretty much anything in a pellet. Wheat, corn, etc. are all grains. Moderation is key and not changing her diet too fast. Unlimited hay should be available since they need that for digestion and she should be able to graze the land. Assuming she didn't come from a different region of the country, her gut should be accustomed to eating the forages available on the land. It wouldn't hurt to take a quick look at a toxic plant list to make sure you don't have an abundance of something harmful, but goats are pretty picky grazers and usually don't eat the bad stuff. I have acres of land I let them browse without issue.

Baking soda is something you'll find to be controversial too. I choose not to keep that available. It can cause problems for wethers. Keep them healthy and there's no need for baking soda.

Black oil sunflower seeds are often suggestion to be mixed with their grains because the extra nutrition is good, especially for a preg goat, but the oils also help their coats shine.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

She is a cutie!! good advice given...weight gain is always much slower then loosing it for goats ( wish it were true for me lol)...always add new foods slowly...plenty of browse and hay/alfalfa..loose minerals for goats or cows..not a multi species or sheep blend...not enough copper...
as for grain...you will want to introduce it slowly, I would look for a quality ( meaning NOT purina ) 14% pellet grain..your local feed mill should have some ideas of what to get...start with a cup or so twice a day...then increase as she does well...if she gets the poops...then go slower...Lots of new things for her and so a daily B complex shot and probiotics will help support her body as she adapts...
If she is anemic or a fecal shows worm load then use a broad base wormer safe for pregnant does...

best wishes


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

With goats there is so much multi tasking that must happen.


Physical
Emotional
Rumen
Dietary
Parasites
vitamins/minerals

All these things must be considered pretty much at the same time.


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## purplemountain (Jun 2, 2014)

You'll see lots of different ways of feeding because it depends on the region and the individual goats, just like I can't eat icecream and sweets the way my husband can! The 14% pellet mentioned above is referring to protein. You want to up her protein to grow rather than a lot of sugar like corn. Oats are actually a good protein grain, but you'll want something more economical than Quaker. BOSS (sunflower seeds are 30% protein plus good fats so great for bringing back into condition. I have one that gets real thin by the end of gestation and no matter what I can't seem to get the weight back on her until she weans and we're in our milking routine. You're doing great learning here and glad you are seeking out help before it's too late which happens too often.


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## wyndraga (Jun 7, 2015)

I found out she's been suffering from lungworms and she is being treated hopefully that helps her overall health


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

Lots of good advice has been given already. I am facing the same problem with a little doe that has given us quads and a quart and a half of milk a day but she is thin. I do my own fecals but took one to the vet to double check my findings and he found a higher count. So am reworming on his advice. Check the fecal with a vet. I also added about 1cc oral of vitamin B complex and some probiotics to hopefully stimulate her and get her eating more. She is a picky eater but loves the addition I am giving of calf manna and sunflower seeds. She gets probiotics in a spoon full of her favorite -peanut butter.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

What wormer are you using to treat lung worm....ivomec plus and valbazen are the only two to kill liver fluke. ..


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