| Author | Message | ||
     Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1445 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.230.109  Rating: N/A |
I wet them and let them fall apart and fluff them up. There is no standing water after this. I also mix a bit of their pelleted feed in with the fluffed up alfalfa. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Theresa Chandler New member Username: tchandler6 Post Number: 90 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 207.69.136.204 Rating: N/A |
Maggie, I picked up the alfalfa cubes today. Do you feed them to your girls while they are still wet from the soaking, or do you let them dry out before feeding? I tried giving them to her while wet, and she picked at them for a minute, then was uninterested, so I thought maybe I'd soak them then lay them inside overnight to dry for tomorrow morning's feeding, and see how that works. She is out on pasture, so I don't know how it will work even with giving her the cubes, for her not to keep picking the grass and being unable to chew it up good. The only way to keep her off pasture would be to stable her. | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1439 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.230.109 Rating: N/A |
I haven't had it done but I have a friend that has. ANd the Dairy Goat Journal has an article this month about just htis very thing! If you go to alfalfa cubes you have to soak them, they take quite a bit of water and will fall apart into very lovely chopped hay. I have some old ladies and one old wether that LOVE them this way and they do very well. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Theresa Chandler New member Username: tchandler6 Post Number: 89 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 207.69.137.13 Rating: N/A |
Maggie, I had to go to the vet's office to get some back-up medicines for my medicine chest. One of which is Naxcell. I have always used excenel, which is premixed. What is the dosage for the naxcell? Anyways, I asked him about what is going on with Summer. and he says that her teeth are bad, and having raised horses, I asked him if her teeth could be filed. He said no. And to try some of the alfalfa cubes. This is not my (goat) vet, and I will call my other vet to see what he says. Have you ever had to have any of your goats' teeth filed, and if so, did it help? Don't know if it would be worth putting additional money into with her age. Thanks for your help. Theresa | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1437 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.230.109 Rating: N/A |
Yes! Many goats have lost a tooth or two and they can have unevenwear creating sharp points that jab into the cheek or opposite gum. So they swallow the mouthful nearly whole and choke. Have a vet sedate her lightly and look at her teeth. He can file off or pull any bad ones. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Theresa Chandler New member Username: tchandler6 Post Number: 88 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 207.69.137.23 Rating: N/A |
Is it common for older goats, say 14, to have trouble chewing their cud properly? I have a 14 year old nanny that I feed morning and evening. When I go to feed her, she is slinging her head somewhat, and unable to chew her grain (pellets), because there is unchewed grass, leaves, and so forth hanging from her mouth. When I go to pull it out, it is halfway stuck in her mouth and down into her throat. Could it be that she is trying to cud, and cannot get it to come up correctly? I don't know what the cud should actually look like, but the stuff in her mouth is whole leaves, grass, ect. unchewed. (Stuck in her throat) I first thought possibly she didn't have teeth anymore, but after feeling the effects of the teeth, Yes, she does still have her teeth!! Ha. I am wondering if at her age, her digestion is starting to not work correctly to enable her to chew her cud properly? Once the stuff is out of her throat, she can eat her grain alright. Any ideas? She is a family pet, had her since she was a young kid. |