# UC and baking soda coonfusion



## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

To set WindSong Acres fears at bay when she sees this post. Jacob does NOT have UC problems.

I was looking up some information on another subject when I found this and was confused. 

http://www.boergoats.com/clean/articleads.php?art=906

I give my goats backing soda free choice, both the does and the buckling. They don't utilize much of it as it draws moisture and becomes a brick. Usually the pan gets flipped and the stuff feeds/kills the earthworms that may be living below the soil.
I had read it was good to leave this out free choice and that the goats would use it if they had a tummy ache. Now I read that baking soda can cause UC problems. 
Should we pull the baking soda out of the goats pen? I don't feed grain to anyone except the bred does and that's under strict control, the buckling does not have access to it. The buckling only gets hay and water with a couple cups of developer pellets thrown in, same as the unbred/newly bred yearling doe. The bred does get oats/BOSS(no corn) along with the developer pellets/alfalfa pellets and hay. I don't strive for fast growth but rather healthy growth. So far everyone is acting fine and healthy. The buckling and yearling doe are growing well although the doe was badly stunted BEFORE I got her. All the goats drink a lot of water and have free choice loose minerals at all times.


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## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

I've always made soda available to all my goats including the bucks. It hasn't caused any problems in my herd.


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## WindSongAcres (Aug 8, 2007)

Haha, Andi! That was my initial response when I saw the topic! Thanks for addressing me first!


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

I figured thats what would happen. Just wanted to let you know he was fine and that this did not pertain to him.


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Considering all really nice cured grass hay has natural sodium bicarb in it, I would be hard pressed to believe the article. Also the whole immature urethra makes no sense, in castrating to early, because UC is a management disease of intact bucks also. If it is as simple as delaying castration even helping, why do older intact bucks get UC? Please don't find one thing and believe it as gospel.....here a little, there a little, line upon line  Vicki


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

It just confused me so I asked. I didn't want to be doing something that could potentially compromise my bucks health.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I was actually going to post about the same question as dragonchick since there seems to be so many with UC problems sometimes it seems. Anyways, I just got my new HOEGGER Supply catalog & was as always reading the health tips in the back & in the paragraph's about UC. It says to give AC as one kind of preventative & then near the bottom of the last paragraph "Male goats of any age should never have access to sodium bicarbonate because it works contradictory to what you are trying to accomplish in your prevention program."
Now I was also confused since I have a buck that got UC a little over a year ago & he's all better & back to normal for along time & not had any more problems but my buck & wether as well as my doe's all get the same mineral with sodium bicarbonate in it that I mix in & leave out in there lean too's free choice all the time.
I understand everyone's goat management is alittle different but usually not too much and though some of you here that were so good at all the chemical imbalances, etc. with goats might have some insight into this.
I have not had any problems every with UC with any of my other males or buck's here other than the young buck last winter & he's fine now. I give him AC everyday mixed with a little alfafa pellets & molasses, the same for the wether.


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

99% of the UC problems are coming from the feeding of grain with no calcium (alfalfa). When folks talk 2 to 1 calcium to phos ratios you know they are talking out their behinds, because dairy animals actually need 5 to 1. The othr 1% of UC is caused by the overfeeding of protein and then sulfur in the water or no access to water.

Do you know how many dairy goats get rumen buffers in their grain or bicarb (which is the same thing) in every pen at every farm? I don't feed it anymore since I don't feed high protein and i don't feed molassas, I also don't feed alot of grain period. Vicki


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## Nancy_in_GA (Oct 20, 2004)

My goats are non-working goats (including 8 wethers) who only get browse and hay. I pulled all the baking soda last summer after providing it for 3.5 years. They ate it every day, but I think only because it has a salt-like taste. I'd rather they eat minerals for that.

I read an article in the NY Times Health Section that, for people, too much sodium bicarbonate is not good if you have a tendency for calcium phosphate kidney stones, because it screws up the balance of acids in your stomach and saliva and makes the urine too alkaline. 

Of course, that's people, not goats. If ammonium chloride is supposed to acidify the urine, then I decided to not take a chance that the BS will un-acidify it in goats. I should test their urine. 

No cases of UC either with, or without, BS so far. Now I've probably jinxed myself.


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Now I've probably jinxed myself.

................................

You sound like me...and that's the crazy part of goat management, we all sure hope we are doing the right thing  Vicki


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

My boys don't get grain anymore, but never got more than 1/2 cup a day before the UC & I learned & I didn't even start putting the sodium bicarbonate in there loose mineral until last summer.
The reason I use molasses on alfafa pellets is because the only way I can get the AC in my boys unless I drench them everyday so that's what I figure works here. Also I do get a grass mix hay from one place but we have alfalfa hay planted here by a dairy(cow) farmer that we let farm our land & then we also get hay from him so all our goats get both kinds of hay. 

So should we or shouldn't we give sodium Bicarbonate to male goats? I understand everyone's management is a little different & it's what works for each of us but like Vicki said, we all want to do what's best for our goats or that we think we are doing whats best?


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