# Preventing hypocalcemia



## RedLotusNigerians (Dec 13, 2011)

It's looking like Pocky is contemplating kidding soon...... Her bag is just a tiny bit fuller (not filled up entirely yet) and her ligaments are gummy. She's lost that defined 'V' on her rear. She's picking at her food.

She could also be pouting that I put her in a kidding pen too, but that's beside the point  She REALLY did not want to walk on a leash yesterday, the stinker. We about had to roll her to the pen *SIGH!*

I lost my very favorite doe some years back to hypocalcemia. It happened suddenly and she died shortly after. I do keep calcium drench on hand and propylene glycol. I was curious if, in attempt to stave off any form of hypocalcemia, I could drench my girl a little with the calcium? Thoughts? Advice?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Sure you could give her some. Do you have alfalfa hay? That helps too.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm sorry you had to deal with losing a doe to this :sad:

Thankfully, I haven't had any issues... I do feed an alfalfa hay and I've also given my does 3-4 TUMS a day during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy... I sometimes forget the daily TUMS but I've not had any problems.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I've also recently read of one farm that lost does to touch kiddings due to them living in a copper deficient area. Breeding goats is such a journey and learning experience isn't it?


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## RedLotusNigerians (Dec 13, 2011)

Oooh, the TUMS is a good idea. And she'd probably appreciate that more than a drenching gun  I'll give her some TUMS. I feed alfalfa/bermuda blend pellets, hay is ghastly expensive right now and I've found that they just waste _so much_ of it in flake form. They all have been looking FABULOUS on pellets. I coppered her earlier this year and she got her shot of BoSe recently (got it at the same time as her CD/T).

The girl I lost had come from a very tough life (neglect/abuse) and I tally it up to it all just catching up with her. She'd kidded perfectly the second year I had her, then all of a sudden when her next kidding rolled around down she went  Goat breeding is definitely a learning experience!! Seems like right when I think I'll get away with having a good streak of kiddings, something pops up that catches me right off guard. At least I learn from those things.

I gave Pocky a kidding clip tonight. Somehow I just did not get around to shaving her for summer, so she looks a little hilarious with a naked butt, but it makes post-kidding mess easier to clean  I'm getting so anxious to see the babies!!


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

I try to give my girls a dose of calcium drench when I see they will kid soon. I've heard it helps with the kidding process - well defined strong contractions .....

I also give VitB and NutriDrench a few times weeks leading up to kidding.

HTH,


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I don't know the prices around you but buying my hay by the ton and in cash I can get hay for $12 a #1 quality bale from G Farms in El Mirage. They shave $1.00 off if you pay in cash. Their hay is sometimes up to 22% protein. Really great stuff my goats don't waist much of it if I get a late cutting since I think they said they get up to ten cuttings a year if everything is perfect. I know its kind of far away but just an option.


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