# Pregnant doe not eating grain



## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

Hey everybody, 
You were such a huge help when our other doe was sick with pregnancy toxemia, and we have no goat vet closeby, so I'm here for more input. I'm probably really paranoid now after our other doe got sick. Our second doe was purchased at the same time from the same disreputable person (we didn't realize she was disreputable til later, unfortunately), and while she was healthier she was thin and copper deficient. Well, some copper bolus and tlc later she conditioned up and was bred in January. She's due, I think, in the next couple of weeks, but with no vet I'm going on my own observations about that.

She's been healthy, but two days ago she stopped vacuuming up corn and oats like they were candy. She nibbles at them now and that's all. She still eats hay and some fresh forage but she doesn't look full and round like she did. I wouldn't say she's lethargic, but maybe she isn't as active as she was. What on earth am I doing wrong? I feel like the worst newbie goat keeper and my poor goats are suffering for it!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

She is full of kids so less room for food. Is she drinking water? Eating hay well? Have you tested her ketones?


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

ksalvagno said:


> She is full of kids so less room for food. Is she drinking water? Eating hay well? Have you tested her ketones?


I was wondering if she just had limited room in there but it seemed sudden. I will get ketone strips soon. Is toxemia so common both of my goats could have it? A goat mentor led me to believe it was rare!


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

Oh! And yes, she is drinking water and eating hay.


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

Here she is:


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

Its not "rare" but its not always common. If that makes sense


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

I just feel like this goat doesn't fit the criteria: she was and remains at what I'd call bcs 2.5.


Goatzrule said:


> Its not "rare" but its not always common. If that makes sense


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

What is she getting for calcium?


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

Goatzrule said:


> What is she getting for calcium?


Until yesterday she was getting a few cups of alfalfa pellets twice daily (she now declines to eat those as well).


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

Could you give her a tums?


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Just go ahead and drench her with 30cc of Karo or Molasses twice a day until you get the ketone strips. It won't hurt her. 

It would be very unusual to have two does with toxemia. I've had one case in 10 or so years with averaging ten bred does a year. It's not common.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If you can get really leafy alfalfa hay.
I would feed the preggo's that. 
Especially late term.
It is a richer alfalfa hay, you feed less of it than you would the normal alfalfa hay, so they can eat less and get better calcium. 

The pellets don't seem to have as good as calcium in it as does the hay itself does IMO.


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

Ketone strips say "trace." What do you advise?


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Dulcy said:


> Ketone strips say "trace." What do you advise?


Drench her with 30cc Karo or Molasses. Offer her a "buffet" all to herself. Leafy branches, pine boughs, a handful of cracked corn, alfalfa pellets, even a slice of bread. Really anything to keep her eating without completing ruining her digestive track.

Retest ketones in 12 hours and drench again.


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

Any theories as to why this has happened with these two does? I feel like I've been following all the mentorship advice I've been given. They eat grass hay, have access to minerals and salt (and I copper bolus every few months, give selenium oral gel monthly), get a few cups of alfalfa pellets and corn/oats twice daily, fresh water twice daily. My theory with doe one was that she was getting pushed away from the feed without me noticing till it had gone on for a little while. But doe two literally went from eating heartily to picking at food in a single day. Both were in rough shape with questionable history when I got them, but over a few months they spruced up pretty well. I am wondering if it's some mistake I'm making that is leading to this.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I think it's just bad luck. I'm sorry, I know you're frustrated and have been working and learning hard. There are users here with does that have had toxemia and carry normal pregnancies for years after. This is likely just a fluke.


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

You might want to think about putting out a protein tub for the pregnant does. We did that this year to make sure no one was lacking. They took to it well and it didn’t cause any problems. We used the Vitalyx tub since it doesn’t have urea added for protein.


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

SalteyLove said:


> I think it's just bad luck. I'm sorry, I know you're frustrated and have been working and learning hard. There are users here with does that have had toxemia and carry normal pregnancies for years after. This is likely just a fluke.


Thank you! We've only had the goats for not quite a year, so having this happen as a newbie makes me question all my husbandry!


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## CCCSAW (Jul 11, 2019)

Alfalfa hay I believe is higher in calcium and protein. Most of what I have read on here and in books indicates alfalfa is more ideal for pregnant does and grain or not is usually preferred during pregnancy especially in the last months. I know you said your feeding alfalfa pellets, and while I have seen that recommended and it might be helpful year around. I suspect they are not getting enough. Now I haven't actually had a pregnancy here persay (early miss carriage last year with only 1 bred). But my understanding and my todo list included switching to or increasing alfalfa hay after breeding and adding or increasing grain at 3 months bred/2 months till due. I haven't used alfalfa pellets myself yet. I might be way off, but definitely try adding alfalfa hay to their rations if she's eating hay but not pellets at least she will be getting some of what she needs from the hay.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Feed good alfalfa hay and the last month, I feed a sweet feed, which has molasses in it, just a little bit 1 x a day.


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## Noahsoak (Sep 16, 2013)

Great info all around. I know with my goats, when their system is off, they don't want grain. She looks under the weather. If that were my goat, I'd give her a high complex B injection (that's the one that has high thiamine) as much as I hate shots, it helps their appetite. I have used alfalfa pellets on the milk stand to keep them from eating grain so fast, but the last couple months of pregnancy I feed alfalfa. I only give grain the last couple weeks, gradually. I give mine orchard grass freely thru the day. Speaking of pellets, my vet mentioned to me, pregnant does need the rougher stems, etc. you'll get with alfalfa hay. His comment, you don't think they use the best alfalfa for pellets.......

Speaking of calcium, I bought a bottle of CMPK just in case. I have read you should consider and know their heart rate before you give. 

The other thing i use is Rapid Rumen, for emergencies. The product is powder you can mix with water or Gatorade and drench with it couple times a day. It keeps their rumen going when they're completely off feed. Doubt I've helped much, but that's some of my experiences.

Don't forget the baking soda. Hope your doe is much better by now.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

@Dulcy - how is your doe doing? Looking any closer to delivery? Eating?


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

SalteyLove said:


> @Dulcy - how is your doe doing? Looking any closer to delivery? Eating?


Update: She seems back to normal! She loves the molasses drench and it doesn't seem to mess up her digestion (poops normal) so I'm continuing to give it to stave off trouble. She's picky (doesn't care much for alfalfa pellets, which she liked before) but will eat hay, corn and a little sweet feed, and is foraging on green stuff outside a lot. Her condition remains good. Thanks for all your help, everyone.
Unfortunately where I am, alfalfa hay isn't easy to get, so pellets will continue to be my go to for now.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

(thumbup)


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

Follow up question: can this be a problem if a goat is not pregnant or is ketosis something that strictly happens to pregnant goats?


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Dulcy said:


> Follow up question: can this be a problem if a goat is not pregnant or is ketosis something that strictly happens to pregnant goats?


There are two conditions: Pregnancy Toxemia and Ketosis. The names are sometimes used interchangeably but technically one occurs during late pregnancy and one occurs just after birthing kids. But neither occurs in goats that aren't not pregnant or just birthed.


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## Dulcy (Jun 15, 2019)

SalteyLove said:


> There are two conditions: Pregnancy Toxemia and Ketosis. The names are sometimes used interchangeably but technically one occurs during late pregnancy and one occurs just after birthing kids. But neither occurs in goats that aren't not pregnant or just birthed.


Thank you!


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