# Goats not drinking much water



## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

All my goats seemed to stop drinking as much water as they were. I used to have to refill every day (5 gallon rubber buckets) but now I am refilling every other day just to keep the water fresh. I have two yards, bucks and does and they both are doing it...or not doing it. There is a lot of fresh fruit falling in their yards from the apple (buck yard) and plum (doe yard) trees. They all look and act fine, eating normal, peeing and pooing normal. Could the fresh fruit be supplementing their need for water? I clean out the algae from their buckets every once in a while, does that matter? It's been like this for at least a week and a half. Someone mentioned putting apple cider vinegar in with the water so I did that and the bucks seemed to drink quite a bit the first day but not much after that. I haven't been too worried about it because they seem fine but it is so little water I had to finally ask. The buckets go down by maybe a couple pints a day. 4 Nigerian does and 1 nig. wether in one yard and a Nig. buck and Saanen wether in the other yard.

Thanks again


----------



## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

Mine aren't drinking as much water right now, but it has been a little cooler and lots of dew in the pastures so they are getting some water that way. My water buckets are cleaned every day and they are given fresh water daily.


----------



## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

Our goats aren't drinking much water, but everything else is fine, pee, poo, etc, 

Then again it has been 10 degrees or more cooler which I have been blaming that, plus they have fruit in the woods too.


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

That's funny, mine have been doing the same. Healthy otherwise.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

They can get the water from the fruits ect ....

when the weather is a bit cooler... they don't drink as much either...

If the goats where drinking with cleaning out the water buckets less frequent... try that method again and just see if they will drink from it... 

If they are doing great and not dehydrated then... they are good to go....and getting what their bodies need.... :thumbup:


----------



## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

Right on, with everyone else saying the same thing I'm not worried about it anymore. I guess it has been a little cooler but still very sunny here.

Thanks


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:thumbup:


----------



## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Plum pits might be an issue for goats, I thought all the stone fruits were not a good idea.

Jan


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

lissablack said:


> Plum pits might be an issue for goats, I thought all the stone fruits were not a good idea.
> 
> Jan


I agree here. They say that any fruit with a pit is no good for goats.


----------



## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

Well I wasn't worried as my goats are still their crazy selves. I still clean the water out daily. But then I thought it was odd that the two goats in the front pen were drinking A LOT of water, have to fill it twice a day. Then I got to thinking :chin: DUHHHH my GP is out with the 2 goats in the front pen lol....Dog is drinking most of the water lol.


----------



## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

I'll research it when I'm done here but might as well ask since it came up. What is the issure with plum pits? I watch them spit some out but it looks like they pass them too. I've never actually seen one getting passed out but I see very clean pits all over the ground.


----------

