# Dairy goat with large bulges on sides of belly



## Judy7 (Mar 23, 2012)

I have a 2 year old Nubian dairy goat...I am milking her...I am a newbie...

Question...she has what appears to be bloat on both side of her belly...I mean she really sticks out. Doesn't seem to bother her or her milk production. 

She eats grass hay twice a day, oats/sunflower seeds/barley at milking time. She has access to salt/minerals and baking soda in a dish. 

Judy in Indiana


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## ifuzzymonkey (Jul 13, 2010)

Looks like you are giving the the right stuff. The bloat is normal, I have 2 Kinders that I milk. I think it has something to do with their having more than one stomach. Sorry I don't have better information. I've had my girls for about 6 years now and I haven't tried to learn more about them. I love them and they are my pets with benefits.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Is she pregnant?

Also the rumen does stick out. Some goats just have loose ligaments from pregnancies or from genetics that will not hold their rumen and uterus (if pregnant) in so they have that watermelon look around their middle. She may not be bloated at all.

Also does she look like this continually or just after she has eaten a lot? Goats can look different at different times of the day. Again, it is her rumen.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Agreed Karen, I have my buck and boer doe who do the same thing. It looks bad but they are totally healthy.


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## Brooks-of-Judah (Oct 1, 2012)

Well, it's not _bloat_, or she would be in obvious agony! The bulge is normal; it means she's digesting lots of good, edible stuff.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I have several goats that have that Prego bellies. it just means she is not starving and has a healthy rumen.

I tell people, "well we all have that baby belly fat that we adults want to get rid of, well they have the same thing"


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