# Weird behavior from a buckling



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Tonight when I went out to feed my little dreamer (he is sold) was not acting quite right. I watched him and he was eating under the feeders so I took a couple alfalfa/grass pellets and put them on the ground for him. I have seen him eat hay, but not pellets yet.

Anyway - dreamer was born to a FF on 14 March and was a triplet. He was the one that I thought for sure I was going to loose, but he lived and has been doing good. Acting like all the other babies.

After a little bit of eating pellets (I think he ate a few - not really sure) he started choking and white foamy stuff came out his nose and mouth. I picked him up started rubbing his chest real hard, and getting the foam out of his nose and mouth so he could breath. He has pink eye lids, chest sounds clear. After he started breathing normal and not choking I put him down to watch him. He went under the feeder and just stood there. I put some fresh hay next to him and he started eating it. Oh, he also is NOT bloated.

I did notice that momma is not really wanting to nurse either of the babies, but definately not him. I have not seen him drink water yet, but now that I think of it, I have not seen him nurse for a couple days, but his brother has been (the other triplet was sold as a bottle baby and gone at 3 days old).

What do you all think? Should I think about maybe giving him a bottle once or twice a day to make sure he is getting some milk? 

Thanks
Allison


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Allison, the foam came because he choked, good thing you were there to help him. I had 2 do that to me on grain...scared the ***** outta me! He would be old enough now that mom feels they don't need to nurse often, but as long as they will when given the opportunity I'd say they are getting what they need. Did you try and hold her while they nursed? Then you would know that he is able to nurse. At a month old, my babies were filling up on hay but would still nurse when mom called to them, which now my kids are 8 and 9 weeks old, and I saw them nurse maybe 2 times in the 6 hours I was with them today. Best thing to do with your lil' guy is to make sure he doesn't sound junky in the chest over the next day or so, as choking with foam evident can possibly lead to aspiration pneumonia.


----------



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks Liz - I thought maybe that is what it was. I am glad that he was sold, but at the same time, I have fallen in love with this little man. I so would have kept him as a wether, but oh well. I was worried in the beginning that he "wasn't right" but he seems to be doing ok!

Thanks for putting me at ease!

Al


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I would still check mom out and see if he will nurse , as far as him running under the trough, he was scared after he choked...I beat my kids backs and chests as well as stuck my finger down their throats to clear them..they ran too!


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I agree wtih Liz the foam was from the choking.

You can try the bottle - not sure how he will take it, or hold mom to let him nurse


----------



## Frozenloc2 (Jan 13, 2008)

That is why I never feed pellets. I have learned that from horses and its just not worth the risk to me. If not chewed properly and swallowed they stick in the throat and the salivia causes it to expand and get stuck. causing choke. I never heard it happening from grain but Liz said she has. I feed grain but I feed out of big pans for each goat so its scattered, not piled up in a little bowl. I would also hold the doe and see if kid will nurse


----------



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

well - he is happy - healthy - and running with all the rest of the goats again. He has eating real well and have seen him nurse a few times since then. 

I am really starting to wonder if he had a pellet or something in his mouth and then when he was "pitched" out of the way by my horned goat if it knocked the wind out of him. My pellets are green and the foam was white - so it makes me believe it was not from the pellets. But he is pushing his way right in to eat them and doing great.

Thanks everyone~~~


----------



## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Wouldn't he have to have chewed the pellet to make the foam green in his mouth?

I'm glad he's doing better!


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I feed a "grain" mix that has pellets and oats, cracked corn. I also feed the kids in shallow pans so it is "scattered" and not piled, the 2 I had choke were 3 and 4 weeks old so they weren't really "experienced" with eating feed. The feed mine get is a brown color and the foam they had when they choked was white....sometimes the babies try to get more into their mouths than they can chew, which is why I start letting them access grain individually at 3-4 weeks as opposed to "mass" feeding where they feel the need to grab all they can get. A sudden movement, such as getting shoved out of the way would have caused the little guy to choke too. I hope he is doing better and being a bouncy baby for ya


----------

