# skinny mama goat nursing-help!



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

I have a doe that had her 3rd freshening four weeks ago. She had 3 bucklings. She's successfully (?) nursing all three, as they're growing by leaps and by bounds. The mama goat, however, is losing weight rapidly. Her hipbones are sticking out and today I noticed you can see her ribs on her back. She was wormed with Valbazen the day after she kidded, and we followed up with a second dose of Valbazen about 2 weeks later. She gets 2 full bowls (one-lb. each) of grain and one bowl of alfalfa pellets twice a day and all the hay she can handle. She's not clumping, so we don't think it's coccidiosis. But she's still losing weight. Do you think it's because the 3 kids are 'sucking her dry'? Or is there another reason she may be losing weight? Should I take her away from her 3 babies for a few hours in the afternoon to give her a rest, and maybe encourage these youngsters to try some grain and water instead of a steady diet of mama's milk? When should I separate them, and for how long? We've always bottle-fed our kids in the past, but this year we had to dam-raise them due to family emergency (which is now better).
- Kathy


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

I'd be inclined to separate the kids from the doe at night. At four weeks old, they're certainly old enough to do so. After all, if you were wanting milk from the mother, that's what you'd be doing. The other option is to just bring the doe to the kids a few times a day, so they're not nursing constantly.

As for feeding her to bring her weight up - I really haven't had to do that with any of mine. I'd be hesitant to increase her grain, but will she eat more alfalfa pellets?


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## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

Pookshollow: Ahhh....that's a sigh of relief from me and a big thank you, too. I thought they should be eating grain and drinking water from a bucket by now. They munch on a few sprigs of hay, but I never really studied how much they consume. OK, starting tomorrow, the mama goat will go back with the herd. I'm sure it will be a noisy night, but they'll get over it. Mama loves alfalfa pellets too, but she's spoiled, and will hold out for "treats" which is a handful of calf-manna. It smells like licorice, so I can't say that I blame her! She's a good eater. I'll try more alfalfa pellets. Tonight I gave her extra sunflower (BOSS) seeds. I figured 'extra calories'. Thanks again for your advice.
- Kathy


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Mix some of the Calf Manna with her pellets and sunflower seeds.


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## Sondra Peterson (Dec 5, 2002)

she needs all the alfalfa pellets she can eat but don't expect to put any weight to speak of back on her. Only once dry can you really get weight on a milk producing doe.


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## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

Beet pulp might help. If she is producing a lot of milk 2 lbs of grain might not be enough. Mine get a min of 3 lbs of grain a day , they milk around 12 lbs of milk. They are not over weight by any means.


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## CountryHaven (Jul 17, 2005)

Agreed with suggestions of getting a little more into mom, those kids can really drag them down especially three fast growing babies. Like Sondra said, I wouldn't expect to get much weight back on her though until after weaning. I have a doe like that right now, only two on her, but big and fast growing. My focus is to attempt to keep her from losing more as much as possible. Make sure you give her time to 'bounce back' and recoup her energy and weight before re-breeding. She's a good mom obviously.


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## jBlaze (Dec 26, 2007)

We bought our 4 year old lamancha mama with her three twins. They were only feeding her a 12% grain and the kids were maybe 4 to 6 weeks. She was quite thin. We switched her to a 16% and increased the amount and she did gain weight. She was still thin, but she did put some flesh on. We gave her all the purina and alfalfa pellets she wanted. I would say she was eating at least a whole 3 quart silver scoop (not sure of the weight) of purina twice a day in full lactation. That was three years ago. we did not have a buck the next year and then last year she had twins and we were milking her and she wassupporting her two and a bottle baby we had boughten. Last year she still dropped weight durring her lactation, but much less so because we were feeding her pretty much all the grain she wanted from the start. Some does, espically dairy just require more grain than others. You will see that some breeders will keep those that do well on less grain, that is a breeding goal, others don't mind feeding lots. We love our munchie grandma goat, so we just pour the feed at her. But you do want to make the increase very gradual. Increase about 1/2 cup a day works for us. 
hth


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## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

I'll try to answer all the replies here. This mama goat that is so skinny now...this is what she gets to eat: I mix the different grains together in a big bucket then I feed her about 2 lbs. of it in the morning, 1 lb. at lunchtime, and 2 lbs. in the evening. This is what and how I mix: 4 lbs. of 16% grain, 3 lbs. sweet feed (17%), 2 lbs. BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds), 2 lbs. dry beet pulp, 1 lb. alfalfa pellets. After mixing, she gets hers measured out, plus she gets another 1 lb. of alfalfa pellets at each feeding. Sometimes, when she doesn't finish it, I've been giving her some calf manna, 'cause she loves it, and that encourages her to eat more of what's in her dish. Since getting all the good advice here, I've been only letting her 'visit' her babies when she eats 3xday, and that's when they get fed. They're looking GREAT. She's still looking skinny. I was planning on milking her after they're weaned, but not now. I'd rather she was healthy and meaty looking. I think we will give her the year off after the 3 boys are weaned.
Thanks, everyone for your input.
- Kathy


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## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

She may be down so much that she won't put on the weight until AFTER the kids are weaned. You could still milk her after weaning, just don't milk as much, maybe once daily. I have a doe that is like that. Big and healthy before kidding and then she produces so much milk that her kids grow huge and she looks like skin and bones. She gets plenty to eat and after weaning I will milk her once daily as she gives me a gallon in the morning and that is more than enough for my family. Last year she was feeding her twins and several orphan lambs and goats. She is a huge producer and does it happily. She gets plenty to eat, but when she begins gaining, she does it quickly. I even caught her feeding one of the other does twins. She is a natural Mama and feeds everybody because she can. I would say to expect it out of this doe. Just make sure she is in top condition before breeding (but not fat) and make sure she gets plenty to eat to produce all the milk she is obviously doing. Make sure she has the minerals, deworming and vaccinations all on schedule as this will help with her oveall health and condition. As thin as my doe was last year, I hated to have my son show her at the fair, but she won Grand Champion and the judge could tell she was healthy and a huge producer. He told my son she looked to be part milk cow and the good producers get thin like that it doesn't mean they are unhealthy.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Worm her with something besides a white wormer. Valbazen is probably only getting the tapes and its the bloodsucking worms that will kill them. Use Cydectin or Ivomec whichever one still works in your area. Use it ORALLY.


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

all the above advice is good. only thing to add is, have a fecal check done from your vet or a lab. this will tell you what kind of parasites you might dealing with and/or if the wormer you choose, is still effective.


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