# Buckling wont gain weight



## MandysBabies (May 17, 2015)

Hi my names mandy, I have owned goats for 6 years. When kidding season comes and I get cute babies everywhere I have always left them with their mom's. The only exception was if she wasn't producing enough milk that first couple days then I would bottle feed till mom could do it by herself. Well I bought a sannen nubian buckling back in February. He was born 2/3/16. I have never raised a buckling before let alone bottle fed that long. I weaned him at just over 3 months (he was eating hay,grain and drinking plenty of water). Its been about a month Sence I weaned him and he is growing. Just not packing on the weight I thought he would. He's about 30ish pounds (he won't stay on the scale long enough to get an accurate weight). He acts normal. He's very vocal to me. He's playfull and is eating normally. It just worries me that he's not really gaining weight. He looks skinny. Not like deathly skinny but not like the babies I have had that are fat on mammas milk. He has been wormed twice Sence I got him and my other 2 goats are nice healthy (one is a little fat). I don't know what I'm not doing right... Any thoughts?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Did you treat for coccidia?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

How much milk did you feed him?


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## MandysBabies (May 17, 2015)

So for coccidia I have been feeding them all Sun glow goat developer. Its medicated for coccidia. And for milk I was feeding him 4 times a day 6oz for about 3-4 weeks. Then 8-10oz 3-4times a day (depending if he was still hungry or cold out) for about 6 weeks then for the last 2 weeks I fed him 12-16oz 2 times a day then started to wean him off when he was drinking water regularly


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## MandysBabies (May 17, 2015)

Oh and I will say he has not once had any runny poo, or been constipated. His nose is clear, eyes are non goopy, and has no love or skin problems. He's just not gaining weight and I think looking at other pics of buckling he looks small


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Here he would have been moved from 12 ounces 4 times a day to 16 ounces 4 times a day to 20 ounces 4 times a day by the first 3 weeks of age. He would have been fed 80 ounces a day until 3 months old, then 60 ounces until 4 months old, 20 ounces until weaning. 

The kids I feed this way weigh 80 to 100 lbs at 4 months old. 

I don't care what anyone says, a milk goat can't grow on so much less than his mom would be giving him. Any halfway decent milk goat is giving twins at least a gallon a day and usually more.


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## MandysBabies (May 17, 2015)

Not going to lie as I said I have never really bottle fed a goat for that long. I have always believed mom can do better. He was a Valentine's day gift from my husband (i have wanted to grow my hered) and I looked all over the web to find how much to feed a kid. And that's what I found that made the most Sence. I know I may have messed up the amount. And I admit that. I just don't know what to do now. He seems healthy besides the no weight gain and being small


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Take away most of his hay. If you have browse for your goats don't give him any hay at all. Work him up to a good amount of grain/feed until he isn't quite eating it all. Give him free choice alfalfa pellets.

I would get some of this and give 1 cc per 5 lbs once and then again in 10 days. http://horseprerace.com/Baycox 200mL
Give some to the rest of kids as well and keep it in the fridge.

Don't worry about feeding the Sun glo, feed thru cocci prevention doesn't do anything for treatment. It's not harmful but not helpful in an active case. It won't make them over dose or anything.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Agree with all of the above, but I would also get a fecal to include coccidia to make sure this is not a problem for him. The feed just helps prevent cocci, not address an active case. You would have to drench to get rid of the problem, the feed itself won't take care of it.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The link to the Baycox should care for that :lol:


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## MandysBabies (May 17, 2015)

So then you guys defiantly think he has cocci? That sucks....I was hoping it wasn't that. Thank you, all of you. Now once I start treatment how quick should I see improvement?


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Why did I miss that???? The Can't Remember Anything Disease is catching up with me.........:::shock:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I'd say you should start seeing better growth with the higher protein diet plus the cocci meds in about 3 weeks...


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Well if he was weaned about a month ago, I personally would put him back on milk. Not sure if others would do the same, I've done it in a few cases like this though. It will help add more calcium, protein and fat into his diet. You need a lot of calcium for skeletal growth, protein for muscle development and fat for over all body conditioning and healthy development. 
In addition to that, definitely treat him for coccidia, and he most likely needs wormed. Find out what kind of worms you have or treat for all types. 
Next, get him on a good grain/pellet. The one I use is a foal developer pellet, it's 19% protein and 6% fat, does wonders and it's alfalfa based so it hasn't caused any upset rumen issues around here. 
The only hay I would offer is alfalfa, or give alfalfa pellets. He needs the protein and the calcium to grow. 
Minerals are also a big necessity, make sure you have a good one so all his nutritional needs are being met.

If he gets beat up by bigger kids, it would be a good idea to move him to another pen with one or two nice goats.


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