# Drinking Water



## mliga (Nov 27, 2009)

Hi everyone,

Ok, here we go with another question....hope I'm not being a pest :hair: 

We have not seen the goats drink, but the have been here since Saturday and they have urinated. Are goats secretive drinkers or should I watch for dehydration :whatgoat: 

Also, I picked them up Purina Natural Goat Chow. I gave them 1/4 cup yesterday morning and this morning. But I'm not sure exactly how much they can have, because the feeding tag was missing.

Thanks!

From a newbie goat owner, who is afraid of doing something wrong,

Michelle in WV


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi! Welcome to the goat world. :greengrin: Mine drink anytime no matter who is around. As for feeding, how many goats and what kind? Full size, med or mini? How old are they? Bucks, does, kids or preggies? Almost forgot, wethers? The feed you have should have ammonium chloride in it. Very important for male goats. (they get stones without it and it is very painful and can kill them if left untreated)

Let me know what you've got and we can go from there as too how much. Don't forget to provide good hay as well. 

Gina


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## mliga (Nov 27, 2009)

Hi Mrs. Lam,

I have two alpine/saanen crosses. One is about 6 months old and the other is just 4 months old. 

On the water, I think they do not like the smell, we have city water and I have a feeling that they came from well water.

I have the hay, but they are on pasture most of the time. 

Michelle in WV


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Did they get grain at former home? You might want to get a bag of that. As for amounts, all I can say is to start them out slow, maybe a half cup at a time & adding extra 1/4 cup at a time till they're up to full ration, whatever that is someone else can help you better with that.
Not to imply anything, but make sure your water buckets are clean. Also you could add a glug of ACV to the water (apple cider vinegar) if they dont seem to like the taste of the city stuff.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with the others.... :wink: 

Also... if you mark or measure the waterline... you can see if any of them are drinking it... when you aren't looking.... :wink:


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## mliga (Nov 27, 2009)

Hi Nancy,

I didn't take offense! Their containers are clean, in fact the one is an automatic waterer and I also give them a bucket out in the pasture. 

When I change their water this afternoon I will add ACV to the water.

On the grain, they were only on pasture where they use to live.

Michelle in WV


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

i almost never see mine drink, only the milk goat. But when I'm filling up a 10 gallon water bucket three times a day I'm guessing they do use it


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

I think Liz puts unsweetened kool aid in her water sometimes. I tried but mine went for the water with acv water. I like to watch them drink. It's like a shop vac sucking up water. Hubby says they have a built in straw. :greengrin: 

Gina


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## DebMc (Dec 11, 2009)

mrs. lam said:


> I like to watch them drink. It's like a shop vac sucking up water. Hubby says they have a built in straw. :greengrin:


Same here. I think their tongues transform into straws when they go in drink mode. 

Deb Mc


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

Ok....some things to try.....first watch the water level like Pam said.....my well water is way to cold for my guys, so I get their water from my kitchen sink...room temp and in the winter they love it warm/hot.....believe me, I bleach my sink several times I day! My guys will not drink water with anything in it or drink water that has set too long. I use 2.5 gal buckets, they are easy to carry.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Water levels should tell you if they are drinking or not. 

You can flavor it or not, they need to get use to the new smell

1/4 cup is fine for them


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

What kind of things do people flavor it with? When my girls refused to drink out of the new pink buckets, i tried molasses, and they didn't touch it. I need something they like for after they deliver. 

Now i noticed they drink out of the pink bucket that is where the big bucket used to be. They won't drink out of the pink buckets in the smaller stalls (I had two large areas, and I divided one in half and put separate doors, so i have 3 separate sections now (the divider is moveable, so i can take it down later) I don't think it is the bucket, b/c i swap them around everyday on purpose just to check and they are all new so the odor is the same (I washed them all anyway)


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have goofy goats too...Boots will not drink from the purple bucket and my boys will not touch the yellow bucket, I have added a packet of unsweetened kool aid to the water...it smells good and of course, to a goat if it smells good enough to eat they'll try it, I have both the yellow bucket and a purple bucket in for the boys... a packet of the strawberry flavored kool aid in the yellow bucket and plain water in the purple one, Teddy sucked down the gallon that was in the yellow while Hank and Chief still would not touch it.
The girls have the blue, a pink and a white bucket...the white bucket is always empty even if I add the kool aid to the other 2.

Strawberry and Orange kool aid seem to be the most popular here. I've tried the other flavors and they didn't care for them as much.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

great, thanks i will try that - strawberry will look so pretty in their pink buckets


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Mine like the big orange Home Depot bucket. Second is a large bright green bucket or any white bucket. They don't like the blue horse bucket. :scratch: I have even switched the buckets around. They look for the HD bucket. They won't touch fruit punch kool aid but seem to like lime. (I also like lime anything) 
Hmm...maybe we should all experiment with colors. Move buckets around and see if they have a fav color or bucket. 
I thought I was the only one who had weird goats. My sheep Moose will not eat bread that has touched the ground. Murray the goat will only eat white bread. He won't touch wheat bread. Romeo the goat will eat egg rolls, pizza, (with meat) and has even taken away a cheese burger and ate the whole thing but won't touch a banana. He LOVES jellybeans and watermelon and will run off everyone to get it.
Anyone else who has weirdo's in the herd?

Gina


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

My mom gave me a couple black rubber buckets from when they had horses. Goats WILL NOT drink out of them even if they are the only things available. I decided there must be something that turns them off, (or maybe they feel blinded by the dark color?) I decided to use them for other things. 

I won't use any big deep buckets now that the babies are on the way. Too worried about a baby falling in. 

I was telling my daughter someone had done a bucket color test with goats as a science fair project and it sounded like a fun idea if she ever needed a good project.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Interesting! While in kidding stall they get blue, turquiose or purple bucket & dont care so long as they're clean. (clipped up high enough so kids cant get in)
Out in pasture it's black rubber. Again, so long as it's clean.
Smell your rubber tub. Could it possibly smell funky to them?
Maybe scrub it out with a little Dawn dishsoap & a splash of bleach or vinegar, rinse well & let the sun dry it out real good?


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## newtopygmies (May 26, 2010)

When I got my first three does I had the same problem. I never saw them drink and the water bucket never seemed to be any less full. I think it was because they were getting a lot of water from the food they were eating (blackberry bushes and assorted weeds). I was so relieved when I saw my first goat drink. Our water always smells from chlorine. It may have taken them a little time to get used to it. They drink a lot of water now, and we have two buckets that need to be filled two to three times a day.

Then we had the scours problem when we opened up a new pasture. I thought we were going to lose Mable and Star. They came through alright after giving them some generic Kaopectate and Pepto. 

Good luck with your goats...you may find they are pretty hardy creatures.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

It is so funny how some goats will not drink out of certain color of buckets. That just cracks me up and I have heard that from several people. I guess my goats are color blind because they don't care. Maybe it is because they are all dark color buckets, black, dark blue, gray :shrug: 

I also use Gatorade in my water if I need them to drink. But I will say that I do not always see my goats drink either. When we go to shows and I know the water is different I add something to the water. Now with your City water, I bet they put chloride in the water and that is enough for them. If I put ACV in my water they would not touch it, I have tried. 

Good luck. I bet they will be fine.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

I scrubbed both buckets very well when i got them (they were out in her barn for a LONG time, i had no idea what had been crawling inside them) and i don't have chlorinated water, so i'm thinking they are just picky. The chickens will drink out of them, and i just use them for feed now. 

Wasn't a big deal, since i had other buckets - now for the pink ones, they were the only small buckets I had and I just bought them, and they were a pretty pink color that I picked out especially for my pretty girls, so darn it, I decided they were going to drink out of them! :hair: 

And I am way more stubborn than a goat, just ask DH (or anyone that knows me for that matter :laugh: )


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