Posted by Nat on February 11, 2002 at 20:18:39:
In Reply to: Cutting grain befor kidding? posted by Pam on February 11, 2002 at 16:30:06:
I dont know what other people do, but I always slowly start increasing grain close to kidding. I want to adjust the doe slowly to her milker ration w/o foundering her upon freshening. No sence to me to feed just a handful then boom, kids, now you get 2lbs+.
I was always under the impression that cutting grain towards kidding increased risk of ketosis as the doe is looking to fill energy needs (found in grain, or forages) but dosnt have them in her diet so she uses her body to fill needs, hence ketone bodies are formed when her body - liver usues stored fat ? Hmm.. need to review pathology notes again to get a better, more sound version, but I think that's on the right tract?
Just my 2 cents..
~nat~
if I get a chance, I'll check the goat medicine book. Awsome text if you can disect those lovely big vet words. :-D good thing my vet dosnt mind weird phone calls on how do you prounounce THAT? and WHAT on earth IS IT? Lol