# When do they stop eating?



## Smallfarmer (Jul 10, 2013)

I have two Pygmy wethers around 5 months old. I'm worried that they'll eat themselves to death. They don't stop eating even when their bellys are alarmingly distended. I don't leave them out to browse much longer than 2 hours or give them free choice hay. I do make sure they are fed three times a day. I know that if they get too bloated it would kill them. How old do they have to be before they stop trying to eat too much?


----------



## cteague (Aug 17, 2013)

My two pygmy wethers are 7 monthes old and they are still eating. Lol. They are worse than a vaccum. I started feeding them hedge when I weaned them and u should see the pile of brush from that. It is starting to get scares so I'm trying now to find other forms of forage for them. Bloat can be a problem so just watch them close. I thought one of mine had it and the folks on hear told me that it looked like his rumen was working good. I found a product at tractor supply called Bloat Ease. The breeder I got mine from said it would be good to keep it on hand in case and that the goats seemed to like it. But who knows when they stop cause I have not seen mine slow down. Lol


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

as long as what they are eating is browse and hay they will be fine..over eating feed is what can cause them to get sick..some grasses or wet graze do tend to cause more gas..but dont confuse a nice healthy rumen with bloat...here is a link with pix of bloat...http://goat-link.com/content/view/16/81/#.UoAJT5Rxte4 
there is very good bloat info here...

also if you have not already you can vaccinate with CD&T if you choose to...this is the only annual vaccine I give my goats..it protects again enteriotoxima ( over eating disease) and Tetanus..if they have neverhad this shot they will need two to start with about 21 days apart...


----------



## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

My pygmy doe eats hay and browse til she looks pregnant! This is normal for pygmies. Since they are so small bodied the only direction their full rumens can expand in is out to the sides.


----------



## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Axykatt said:


> My pygmy doe eats hay and browse til she looks pregnant! This is normal for pygmies. Since they are so small bodied the only direction their full rumens can expand in is out to the sides.


:slapfloor:

Well that explains one of the concerns I was beginning to have about my kinder (Nubian x Pygmy) Sammy!! I was told she was bred and have been watching her fill out and look like a very pregnant goatie. But she has been in full standing heat twice since getting her in August, so I don't think she is actually pregnant. I still haven't given up hope totally, she sure looks like she is about to explode, and would be due any day.

But with the heat cycles, and that she has not begun to develop an udder, I was starting to get worried she wasn't pregnant and that something was really wrong with her belly. Seems like she is just a chow hound!! :ROFL:


----------



## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

So long as her tummy isn't rock hard and you can hear her rumen functions and she's burping regularly it's just a nice big full rumen!


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

My wether is 5 and still eats until he looks pregnant!


----------



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I give all of my goats free-choice hay, that usually will not hurt them.


----------



## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

That doe looks like my sisters two doe pygmies used to look, and there was no way they were pregnant (only time they ever left the property was at a few days/couple weeks old, when dad had to take one to the vet because she was not eating). There were no available boys for MILES.


----------



## Chopsgoats (Aug 20, 2013)

I have actually had the vet out once because I thought one of my wethers had bloat. It was not the case just a healthy active rumen. He had UC when he was a year old, I was feeding him grain. He is turning 14 next month  I agree with the cd&t. The only thing I give. Just listen to the Rumen it tells the whole story.


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Smallfarmer said:


> I have two Pygmy wethers around 5 months old. I'm worried that they'll eat themselves to death. They don't stop eating even when their bellys are alarmingly distended. I don't leave them out to browse much longer than 2 hours or give them free choice hay. I do make sure they are fed three times a day. I know that if they get too bloated it would kill them. How old do they have to be before they stop trying to eat too much?


How long have you had them, what did they look like when you got them, and what are you feeding them? Not all hay is put up correctly, and how it was put up controls nutritional value. When I first started raising goats we did not have quantity of hay we do now, and were in the position of having to buy hay. Unfortunately, someone who knew little about hay was entrusted with that responsibility and we ended up with a bunch of rank hay that was subsequently fed to my goats. Couple that with the fact that I started out with a bunch of goats who had been half starved, and I was having to feed them 5 and 6 times a day in order for them to meet their nutritional needs. I'm wondering if that isn't what is going on with your goats. We did some reorganizing, Dad started deciding what hay was bought, the nutritional value increased exponentially, and my girls and guys no longer eat constantly - even the weaning kids are satisfied with what they are getting. Do you know about hay and how to tell good from bad?


----------



## Smallfarmer (Jul 10, 2013)

GoatCrazy said:


> How long have you had them, what did they look like when you got them, and what are you feeding them? Not all hay is put up correctly, and how it was put up controls nutritional value. When I first started raising goats we did not have quantity of hay we do now, and were in the position of having to buy hay. Unfortunately, someone who knew little about hay was entrusted with that responsibility and we ended up with a bunch of rank hay that was subsequently fed to my goats. Couple that with the fact that I started out with a bunch of goats who had been half starved, and I was having to feed them 5 and 6 times a day in order for them to meet their nutritional needs. I'm wondering if that isn't what is going on with your goats. We did some reorganizing, Dad started deciding what hay was bought, the nutritional value increased exponentially, and my girls and guys no longer eat constantly - even the weaning kids are satisfied with what they are getting. Do you know about hay and how to tell good from bad?


Thank you so much. The thing about nutrition explains a lot.
I've had them for a couple months and they were well fed but not as fat. I've been feeding them hay 2-3 times a day with forage time in between. They get minerals free choice and half a cob a corn once a day. 
I'm still learning about hay. The bales we got with my first goat were bad. Most went to the chickens and the good ones I kept for the goats. I trusted my dad on hay since he was a cattle farmer, he may be losing his touch. We got some good grass hay from my uncle that is nice and green. The hay I have been feeding looks similar to the straw I got.


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

You're welcome!  Always try to buy hay from a provider who tests their hay. Those tests will tell you exactly what is in the hay and what the relative food value is. I like a RFV of around 160 to 165. I also prefer grass/alfalfa to straight alfalfa except for nursing does and weaning kids. Straight alfalfa makes my does crazy. They fight more, they act out more, and they do stupid things like getting their heads caught in the fence. Grass/alfalfa also helps keep them warmer because grass is harder to digest and digestion is what keeps them warm on cold nights. I honestly don't think it is a matter of your Dad having lost his touch, I think it is more a matter of him not understanding a goats nutritional needs. I went through the same thing with my Dad. My Dad is also a long time cattle rancher, and it took me quite some time to get him to understand that goats aren't miniature cows. Goats require 2 times the nutritional value of cattle. If it's good enough for cows, it won't sustain goats because of their rapid metabolism. Everything goes through a goat faster than a cow - that is true of feed, as well as medications and deworming products. I wish you and your goats the very best, and remember to stop and just enjoy them! They are very cool creatures and will provide you with a lot of entertainment as well as a lot of frustration and pulling your hair out! :laugh:

PS Yeah, I know that last part was lame, I just couldn't figure out how to end my response without it sound abrupt.


----------



## Smallfarmer (Jul 10, 2013)

Thank you! I will definitely be getting much better hay. 
It's amazing that something so small can eat so much


----------



## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

If you're just feeding Pygmy wethers they should be fine on decent quality grass, they don't need anything too rich. I like to buy horse quality local grass and let them have free choice, then supplement the dairy does with alfalfa as needed.


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

For my wether I can get regular bales of coastal hay for $6-$10 by me. They like it and it's pretty cheap  and I only give them 1-2 flakes a day unless it's been raining so it will last a week or so


----------



## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

My herd of 6 goes through a bale in about that time free choice. Course now they have a round bale, that should last a while!


----------



## Smallfarmer (Jul 10, 2013)

My boys are starting to look very fat. My dad thinks they are too fat. 
Is there a good nutrient supplement that I can give them during the winter without worrying about UC.


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

You can get minerals with ac in it and leave it out for them


----------

