# Bitter cold out, shivering goat



## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

Hi all, 

it's been cold for about a week, but last night it was bitter. I have all my goats in a barn, but 3 are in their own pens. One goat I noticed this morning is shivering and hardly ate her grain. I got her out of her pen and moving. I did get some hot water in her and she is now nibbling on her hay. I put alot more hay down and fluffed it up. I can't put another goat in with her since she is new to our herd and not accepted yet. I have yet to do a temp, just wanted some advice on what to give her. Vitamin B? Probiotics? Should I put a heat lamp on her? 

thanks!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

B Complex and Probios never hurt to give.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

I took her temp, it's 99.9

I put a hoodie on her and a heat lamp in her pen. I got her to eat a little grain and she is still picking a bit at her hay. What else can I do??


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

First get her temp up.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

is there anything else I can do for that?


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

I put my hoodie on her! I also doubled the hay around her (she is standing). you can see she is nibbling her hay. The heat lamp isn't in the picture


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

All that should help her. She needs her temp over 100 and preferably 101.5 for her rumen to work properly. Leave the heat lamp on.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

I just went out and she is laying down now, still shivering but not as much. I put hay all around her. Gave her grain and hay, she only ate the grain but it was a small amount. I have a heating pad, should I put that on her?


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

I am going to give her another hour then do another temp check. Thanks, I'm just so worried about her. She is new and her coat isn't nearly as full and thick as my other goats. She came from a semi heated barn. My other goats are used to the cold, luckily it's supposed to be 30 degrees Sunday/Monday, but today is supposed to be down right bitter. wind chills negative 10


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would wait on the heating pad.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

so I just went out and her temp is the same. I got her up and played with her out of her pen so she could get up and moving. I gave her a little more grain and she gobbled it up. She is now up and eating hay. I had to take the sweatshirt off since it was tripping her up. She is still shivering, but she is moving and eating. Will give her another hour and go do another check.


I am using a digital thermometer. I am not sure how accurate it is, found it in my med basket. Not sure how old it is either.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Just offer hay and warm water until her temp is stabilized. Moving around will help get the 
body temp up too.


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

okay will do. Thank you so much for hanging in there for me. I am really worried about her!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Shivering is a way that goats warm up, so that in itself isn't bad. But, you do need to get her core temp up. Good luck to you!


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

Good news, just went out and her temp is 100.7. She is now standing under the heat lamp and eating hay, where as before she was in the corner picking at the hay. A friend of mine is bringing over a coat just to get her through today/tonight. Tomorrow hopefully we can let them all out in the sun to enjoy some exercise.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is good. just keep that temp up and it sounds like she should be fine. I would still do B Complex and Probios.


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## eqstrnathlete (Mar 16, 2013)

Mine are shivering too. They are in the barn with a dog house stuffed full of straw. I don't use heat lamps. We got below zero the other night.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Don't give her grain if her temp is low. Lots and lots of hay, thay is what will bring the body heat up and keep her warm.

Shivering is not a bad thing, it's the bodies way of warming up. Our temps have been way below 0 (down to -40 on a couple of nights). Every morning my goats are shivering until they get their hay. They warm up very quickly after that.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

granted.... I wouldn't do this unless you have had the goat for at least 30 days... (isolation period) but have you tried penning her with another "less dominant" goat? In cold temps, they will frequently "forgive" herd dominance to keep each other warm.... and that often works much better than technology.... when they need each other... then work together.... just a suggestion....


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

btw.... It was -23 degrees overnight 2 days ago here... and I have "suited up" before in the wee hours of the morning to make sure an "outted goat" (lowest in the herd rung) wasn't left outside to suffer ..... just to find them ALL snug as a bug in a rug in the barn...... and I was the one feeling like an idiot for doubting.... but it never hurts to check...


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## smilesx4 (Jan 9, 2014)

Just wanted to update, she did great over night. I found her in the corner away from the heat lamp. Guess it was too warm. ;-) I let her out to move around while I made them breakfast and she was bee boppin around like usual, ate up her food and went right to the hay after. 

Letting the whole herd out today after it warms up a bit, will take a temp later to make sure.

thanks again everyone!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad she is fine now. I would still do a week of Probios since she is new and just had a problem.


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## littlegoatgirl (Jan 11, 2013)

Glad she is good. I agree with the previous posts, our most recent kid has always seemed to be an outsider... But I came to check on them and all the bigger goats were surrounding him so he would stay warm! Made my heart happy  Glad she's feeling better!!


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