# How badly have i screwed up?



## zoomom (Feb 27, 2010)

Was doing some research on feeding pregnant does. Came across this article http://kinne.net/drostudy.htm in an old post.

My ND does were first bred around March 10-17 (which if they took, would give me August babies) I am pretty sure two of them are pregnant, and my FF, which i suspect due to her size and coloring is not a pure ND, but has some pygmy in her, may or may not be pregnant.

The hay i was using earlier in the winter seemed fine, and i was feeding my wether and my young girl about a 1/2 cup or so of pellets (Sunshine Plus and sweet feed mix) each. I gave away the wether and bought the two NDs, keeping up the same feeding regimen. Shortly after that, they started being dissatisfied with the hay. They seemed hungry all the time, and started looking skinny, right around the time i bred them. I upped their grain to more like a generous cup of the pellets, and since i was unable to obtain alfalfa hay, i bought the cubes. They liked them, but had trouble unless i broke them into small sections, so i bought a bag of alfalfa pellets. I kept giving them the cup of Sunshine Plus pellets/Sweet feed mix, plus about a cup of alfalfa pellets. (each) Now that i can get them onto grass, i cut back on the alfalfa pellets, they still get the grain, and i offer them hay, but they rarely touch it. 
Which seems odd, but i am finally out and was going to talk to the farmer to see if he had anything else. Last time i went there he wasn't home, and i just paid his wife and went and grabbed the hay - i later noticed one bale looked slightly different, a little greener, it wasn't alfalfa, but it didn't look quite like the timothy bales either, and the goats loved it whatever it was.

So, after reading this article, i am probably feeding them way too much grain. They all look good, i can feel their ribs, so they aren't overweight. The pygmy is a bit chunky, but i thought she was bred (now i don't really know, b/c the buck was very interested in her a couple days ago) If she is bred, have i doomed her to super-large babies? Is there any way to fix this?

My only saving grace might be that the other does drive my youngest away from the food all the time. I have to feed her on her special window ledge that only she manages to hop up to, and i give her grain up there, but half the time she knocks her dish off and spills it. Also the buck is a pig and hogs as much grain as he can, so the other does may not be getting as much as i think.


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## K-Ro (Oct 14, 2007)

I don't know what the Sunshine feed is and I don't have ND, but I do have pygmies. It doesn't sound like you have hurt them, especially as you said they aren't over weight and if they are bred, they need a little extra anyways.

If they weren't eating the hay then the alfalfa pellets would make up for that part of their diet.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

sunshine pellets are just a higher protein feed. Its like 18% I think

sounds like you just need to get a different hay that they will eat. Other then that I wouldnt worry about your feeding routine as it sounds fine to me. If you are worried about large kids then in that last month you want to cut back to 1 cup of grain twice a day. This is what I have done with good success.


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