# bucklings with bloat



## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

Hello, I have two bucklings one is 4 months old, and the other is 6 months old. They seem to always have bloat, I have tried treating them for it but it does not help. :angry: After I treat and burp them they seem to look better, I go back out 2 hours later and they are all bloated up again. :hair: They are not on pasture, and all they do is lay around all day. They get cocci prevention and deworming every month. I even slowly cut out the grain and cut back on there hay trying to see if that would help with the bloat. They dont want to eat just baking soda like the girls so I have given them baking soda balls. I also gave them some vitamin and probio paste. I'm pretty sure it is bloat because the right side feels kinda hard. I am not sure what else to do to try and get rid of this bloat. :?


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## SandStoneStable Farm (Dec 8, 2010)

In my experiences with bloat, there was a big ball/ knot popping out of their left side- high. When I tapped it (open hand like burping a baby) it sounded like a drum and kinda bounced back at my hand (if that makes sense). 
Some things I found with my boys, too much grain/ treats can bloat them, the wrong stuff (ie. chicken food) and too much Orchard hay at one time. I have seen them eat free choice baking soda when they feel they need it, even the ones that wont eat it now matter how hard I try to make them!!
I've also just burped (pat and rub with front feet up) and walked mild bloat out of them... maybe a walk a day?

I don't know what else to offer... for extreme cases they get Thereabloat (or Gas release) I've nver had it continually return as your situation, so not sure what else...


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## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

It's not just the right side thats all bloated out, its the left side too, it looks like my bucklings are about to kid. I stopped all the grain to see if they around help and started giving them just 1 flake of grass hay aday. It hasnt helped so they are back to all you can eat hay. I did try walking and it didnt help, I wasnt thinking and put them in the girl's pasture thinking they would walk/play being as they are still young. All they did was browse and get bloat worse. I put them right over my shoulder and burp them that way, its the only way I can get King (the 6 month old) to burp for me. It looks they they have basket balls on each side of them. I know basket balls are not that big but for babies like these two its big enough I can see there sides sticking out from the kitchen window. Where would I find Thereabloat? Right about now I would try anything, i've been fighting this problem for alittle over a month now. It seems to get better then they swell right back up again.


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## SandStoneStable Farm (Dec 8, 2010)

Hoeggers supply has "Bloat treatment". It's for frothy bloat, I think the dose is 6oz per incident. Since this isn't that kind of bloat I would alter the dosing to start at like 2-3 ccs, or similar, I guess.
I've also just used a plain old Tums (2) on my girls after kidding (stuck in the birthing stall), when they don't get to move around much... seemed to help with all the gas gurgling around. I've also read Vegetable oil works. 
There's some other bloat options on this page: http://www.jackmauldin.com/diseases.htm

Is there molassas in the grain? Are they on a loose mineral? What kind?
Do they start the morning thin, then fill up daily? Are they regularly chewing through the day?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Have you tried giving them Probios daily? Something just doesn't sound right. They shouldn't be constantly bloating on just hay. I'm guessing their rumen is off somehow. Maybe daily probios for a couple of weeks would help.

Have they had a CD&T shot?


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## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

Thank you for all the info SandStoneStableFarm. They are on a sweet feed it has more molassas then I like but the girls refuse to eat unless its supper sweet. Once a week they also get AC topping and they have Golden Blend free choice minerals. The bucks also have free choice baking soda. (which they refuse to even look at) They are bloated from the time they wake up till the time they go to bed. The only time they will "slim down" is after a good burping. They still act normal, and there poo is normal, just huge sides. Actully come to think of it I havnt really seen them chew there cud, but 90% of the time they are either sleeping or bleating at the girls. I'll try some tums first and they dont seem to be better by tonight i'll try the vegetable oil, and if that fails then I'll have to overnight the bloat treatment. I like my boys looking healthy not like they are about to kid! lol.

Hmm, I havnt tried daily probio, I did give them some but didnt seems to help. As for there CD&T King (the 6 month old) is UTD on his shots, the little 4 month old on the other hand i've been bad. I cant seem to get a good grip on him in order to give him his shot, i've tried afew times but he is so tiny he just slips right away from me. I'll go out and get some pic's of them, they are slimmed down right now because they just got burped.


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## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

This is King, the 6 month old. He is usually bloated up the worst. 









This is Butterscotch the 4 month old.









Butterscotch is looking abit better today.


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## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

I just burped them again and tried walking them. King wasnt happy about it but he got a few good laps. Butterscotch on the other hand layed down, I put him back on his feet and got him walking then he bleated and whent down again. I currently dont have any tums so I gave them some pepto till tonight when I can get tums. Even while I was burping them they where trying to fall asleep in my arms.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Doesn't sound like Bloat...

It may be a hay belly.... 
Are their tummies down to normal... in the morning ...then ...as the day goes by... they get bigger? 

Also... that can mean healthy Rumen...

If it is true bloat their left side(Rumen) will be way distended above the ribs and they will be in pain....and in a lot of distress...the way you describe.. they are comfortable.....

Of course...molasses can cause a big belly.... to bloat... 

You say... they are on prevention ...not all prevention treatments work.... another thing... that can cause big bellies are worms and or cocci...I recommend getting a fecal on them anyway..... :wink:


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## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

They have big bellies all the time, it never go's down unless I burp them. I have been fighting this problem alittle over a month now, I cut out there grain (they havnt had grain in 2 weeks) and they only get alittle bit of hay now. I can start there cocci and worming early, but it will be about a week and a half early would that be ok? All they want to do is sleep. Even tho Sweetie is in heat. I put her in with them, they chase her around for about 2 minutes then go lay down and fall asleep. The only thing they want to get up and moving around for is hay or grain. I think Butterscotch has alittle bit of a upset tummy, my mom gave just him some grain lastnight.


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## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

After half a day of being in with the does walking around browseing, King looks better tonight. Butterscotch on the other hand looks worse.


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## SandStoneStable Farm (Dec 8, 2010)

What is their worming regimen? What did they get and when?
I'd probably get a fecal also at this point, as Toth suggested to make sure you're treating for the right worm... or see if it is a worm load... and skip the molassas feed.


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## Stardance (Dec 31, 2011)

The bucks havnt gotten grain in two weeks (exept for Butterscotch lastnight) Once a month till they are 6 months old, they just got cocci prevention and dewormed 2 and a half weeks ago. I do my own fecals when I cocci and deworm the kids to see if the does needs a deworming also. I find that pine needles takes care of the worms pretty well, only every once in awhile they have to be wormed with ivermec. (the babies 6 months and younger get safe guard) Butterscotch is looking much better tonight, I brought him in the house and watched a movie while burping him the whole time. I am starting to think they are just some lazy lazy boys and are all bloated up with gas. Only one my does can be bred at the moment (which im hoping King will figure out what he's doing, lol) so I am going to start putting them in with the girls so they will walk around and browse. If that helps I will have to get more fence and give them a bigger/diffrent area.


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