# HELP! my goat won't eat much and crying and coughing? choking?



## arunek (Mar 30, 2017)

So maybe I jumped into the deep end... I've been reading and dreaming about goats for years and finally got my first mini nubian and her little doeling 5 days ago. I am having several issues with them and some anxiety that something is terribly wrong and I'm just not noticing it?? I'm completely out of cash so going to vet isn't an option right now. Would love some help, advise, anything really... 

Firstly the mini nubian mom is in milk and when she arrived I tried to give her everything she had back at the home farm to eat - alfalfa hay, alfalfa pellets and grain. I couldn't get the sprouted wheat she used to get (I ordered it and am waiting but will be another 1.5 weeks  so I bought some other mix grain with molasses that the lady at feed store said any goats would love. Well... she won't eat the alfalfa hay, she kind of sniffed and nibbled at it for a minute but won't eat it... is it possible that the feeder I have isn't good enough? I have it hanging in a slow feeder with a tray that's off the ground underneath that that I put chunks of it into as well for easy access. Then the alfalfa pellets she won't eat either! And I'm sure you guessed it, she won't eat the grain I have. The only other thing I could get was wheat bran and she won't touch it, I tried mixing some with water, mixing some pumpkin seeds in, some other things, no touch. She only eats some wild tall grasses growing on my property and other few weeds and branches I'm cutting down or offering. 

She cries constantly and baaaaaaahs at my door (I think she is hungry??) but won't eat anything. What is up??? Oh and she also is sometimes doing a couching/choking? sound but nothing comes out. No runny nose, no temperature. 

Besides this she seems great, she is milking a quart in morning and jumping around and running around like mad. 

Oh, she has her doeling with her and I separate them at night (but still next to each other through a dog metal crate) and the doeling doesn't seem to eat much at all??? not even the grasses. I know she drinks some of the milk during the day but can't be that much. 

Thanks for reading.... I'm just having such anxiety that she will starve! Her hip bones are sticking out (she was sort of on the skinny side when arrived) but seems like will only be losing more weight. 

What should I do? and am I worried too much??? 

HELP!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Get a fecal done to check for parasites.

How old is the doeling?

Did the previous owner say anything about wormer?

Give her a shot of b complex and some probiotics to help her appetite.

Check for anemia by rolling down her eyelid. The color of her inner lower eyelid should be deep pink to red. 

What does her poop look like? Pellets, clumpy, scours?

Is her rumen (left side) making lots of sounds?


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## arunek (Mar 30, 2017)

The doeling is 8 weeks old and she had dewormer before she arrived. Is there any way I can know if mom has parasites by looking? 

Poop looks totally normal, just pebbles. 

If she seems to have anemia then what do I do? 

And the shot and probiotics I assume I have to order somewhere online?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

You can get probiotics at any farm supply store, or just give yogurt. B complex can be found at all online goat supply stores and some farm supply stores. 

If she is anemic, you know she has some sort of parasite and also that you need to begin supplementing iron. 

Only one or two kinds of parasites can be seen without a microscope. You ready need to get a fecal done at a vet's to know for sure what to do. 

Do you know what kind of wormer they were given?

At 8 weeks old, sounds like something's up with the doeling as well. She should be eating well be now. I'd give her b complex and probiotics and check her for anemia along with the doe. 

Your feeder sounds fine. 

Can you post photos of the doe? The dairy breeds and heavy milkers in particular sometimes have an underweight look no matter what you do.


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## arunek (Mar 30, 2017)

Ok ill take a photo tomorrow. What should the doeling be eating ideally? Alfalfa hay or pellets or??? 

I'll check all those health things tomorrow too, it's night here now. Thank you! 

and I don't know what wormer the doeling was given. Could it be that she is just really fussy and wants the grains she had before??? and all the crying is about that?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

The doeling should be eating the same feed and hay as her dam. 

My goats are crazy picky, but if there is molasses on the grain they eat like there is no tomorrow. I think there is a problem other than them being unhappy with a change of feed. Probably the stress of moving and change of feed weakened their immune systems and parasites or some other sick less took hold. 

Were there a lot of goats at their previous home? They might be lonely, and that is the cause of the crying.

ETA - 

As for the cough. Are they in a dusty area?

Might be a good idea to give ivermectin for lungworms. 1cc per 33 lbs orally, 3 doses 10 days apart.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

The seller should have given you several day's supply of her familiar food! I would never sell a goat without at least sending a few pounds of their goat chow & the label from the sack. I would keep offering them as much browse (branches) as you can while you figure this out. It's their natural diet. Have you tried things like sweet potatoes or carrots?

What do you think about not milking her just for now, & leaving them together at night till they're both eating & feeling better? It takes a lot of energy to produce milk, & it sounds like the baby could benefit from more time to eat. They can also keep each other warm & save a few calories.


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm wondering if you should treat both for tape worm?You can use dog worming tablets that treat tape worm and some horse wormers will have tape worm treatments. I've used both on my kids with great success, teejae


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

It sounds to me like she's stressed from the move. Standing by the door and hollering for you is tell-tale. She's probably hollering for companionship, not food. She is also demanding that you, "Take me home this instant!" 

Before medicating for anything, give your goats time to settle in. I like Catharina's suggestion of leaving mama and baby together for now. You can still milk the doe. She just won't be quite as full in the morning. Make sure your hay is good. It should be leafy, green, and sweet-smelling. When you shake it apart, there should be minimal dust and it should smell nice. Poor quality, dusty hay can cause coughing, and she's also not going to eat much of it. If there's nothing wrong with the hay, then she probably just needs more time to get used to her new home. Leaving her with baby will help. Spend time walking around the yard with them, and if there's not much fresh browse in the goat pen, take her out on a leash with baby tagging along behind and let her explore the area and nibble on green stuff to stimulate her appetite. It takes time for them to adjust to a new home. Best of luck to you!


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## arunek (Mar 30, 2017)

Thank you everyone!!! I think what Damfido said is probably most correct... she honestly doesn't look sick to me (not that I've ever seen a sick goat  but yesterday I got some organic wheat grain from a local food stop and fed her that and she LOVED IT! So much less baaaaahing and hasn't been choking past few days either. She still doesn't eat the alfalfa hay or pellets but at least with the greens around the garden and the grains she should be okay I guess. 

Also I have no idea how much grain to give her... a cup? a pound? Seems when I read online it varies by a lot. But a pound seems right, let me know if that is too much or too little? She seems to want to eat a lot of it and I'm sure would eat the whole 10 pounds if I gave it to her! 

The doeling seems to eat very little, but is jumping around like mad so I assume she is feeling well.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Most goats do not have an "off" switch when it comes to grain. They can eat themselves to death. I would start with at least a half cup twice a day of grain and go from there. Maybe someone with the mini Nubians will give a more definitive answer.


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## BoerSaanenmother12 (May 21, 2014)

Arunek: sorry to hear you had so much trouble with your goats can be temperamental when they want to be especially if they are not use to there surroundings they Make the new owners worry so much they almost have a heart attack about what am i doing wrong. But it sounds like you did an amazing job figuring out what was wrong with her and her doeling.

I Recently bought 2 Nigerian dwarf doe's here the 15th of March Although they are not sister's they have been together for a year so that was good for me less stress on them to go together. But I am still having to teach one of them that i am a friend she is a little more skiddish around people which is okay. Luckily my doe's will eat pretty much anything i put in front of them. 


If you could get the Alfalfa/Grass hay maybe that would not be so dusty and may be they would eat it. MY hay store trucks most of there hay in from out of city or state and sometimes there straight alfalfa is really dusty and some times not so i get either the orchard grass or the Alfalfa/grass hay blend. 

But hope you are doing well on your first try at raising goats.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Be careful feeding wheat grain. There was something bad about feeding it and I can't remember right now.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All great advice.


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