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Low milk production

3K views 37 replies 9 participants last post by  toth boer goats 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi everyone, I am fairly new to raising goats, looking for a little help. My nubian recently kidded but the babies were all dead by the time I found them, (not sure what happened there) i figured she should still have milk, and have been trying to milk her but bit getting much. She also looks very thin in the withers? I think I'm using that correctly. We dont have alfalfa hay unfortunately, but I have been giving her alfalfa pellets and grain in addition to the grass hay. I did give her a dose of wormer, was going to give another to make sure * suggestion from a goat friend). Not sure what else to tell you here without questions.
 
#22 ·
Welcome to the forum!
I'm so sorry about losing your kids. I'm sure others will be on soon to help.
Can you tell us about your shelter, minerals, weather and if she's a first freshener please. Does she have her CDT? did you give selenium before kidding.
The more information the better to help you with.
No on the selenium and had not given her CDT since getting her. Actually just bought it, was going to do them all this weekend. Not a first freshener, I have 2 of her kids that came with her when purchased . They are healthy good weight a little over a year old. Weather, its Ohio, cold and extremely wet. They are in a 4 sided shelter, just no door. Straw down, ground is not wet. No heat lamp but she piles up with the other 3 to sleep.
 
#4 ·
I agree with @GoofyGoat

It sounds like carrying the kids was too much for her for some reason. And she just couldn't make milk.

Normal Rectal temp that I'm comfortable with is 101.5 to 103 F. What is her exact temp? That will tell us much.

Ohio has had some really rough weather. What is her shelter like? Was she able to stay out of drafts? Was she in mud? Was the shelter small enough she could heat it with her body heat? If not did she have a heat lamp available?

Making milk and babies needs calcium and protein. My grass hay isn't good enough in that, so I supplement my protein with a protein tub or pail from TSC. Try this one
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/prairie-pride-goat-protein-pail-18-lb?rfk=1
Giving the alfalfa pellets is good.

Here is a mineral mix that is better than Manna Pro
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-wind-rain-storm-all-season-75-complete?cm_vc=-10005

When was the last time she had a fecal check for both worms and cocci? She probably needs wormed now, but you want to have a notion of what she has before giving her dewormers in her poor condition. Some don't work for everything, some don't work at all.

B-Vitamins would help right now. That's going to be a subcutaneous injection so you'll need syringe and needles when you buy the B vitamins.

A Rumen Bolus would be really good for her right now.
 
#5 ·
Hi everyone, I am fairly new to raising goats, looking for a little help. My nubian recently kidded but the babies were all dead by the time I found them, (not sure what happened there) i figured she should still have milk, and have been trying to milk her but bit getting much. She also looks very thin in the withers? I think I'm using that correctly. We dont have alfalfa hay unfortunately, but I have been giving her alfalfa pellets and grain in addition to the grass hay. I did hover a working dose, eas going to give another to make sure * suggestion from a goat friend). Not sure what else to tell you here without questions.
Welcome to the forum!
I'm so sorry about losing your kids. I'm sure others will be on soon to help.
Can you tell us about your shelter, minerals, weather and if she's a first freshener please. Does she have her CDT? did you give selenium before kidding.
The more information the better to help you with.
As far as minerals, the only thing they have been given is the manno pro, orange bag minerals, not sure if our area is deficient in anything. We are on county water, not heavy in iron or sulfur not sure about anything else.no to the selenium ( I did not know about that unfortunately)she did not have cdt last year( her first with me) I was actually getting ready to dose everyone fir this year. Not her first freshening, I should have gotten more information when I bought her, I dont know how many times but she had 2 kids with her when I bought her. They were raised by her and are healthy but she seemed thin and everything at that time, the lady I bought from said it was just because of nursing. Now that I have seen more of what a goat in milk looks like, I think she is not producing much, nor did she the first time.
 

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#8 ·
I'm pretty sure she'll need wormed and what @mariarose said about minerals and such is spot on as always!
I'd personally add in some calf manna to her feed with some good minerals after worming to help her get her body condition back up. The trick is slowly add it not too fast or it'll make her have clumpy stool. Beet pulp is a good add on too. Repemin weekly or selenium vitamin e paste monthly helps with deficiencies.

A lot of people know a lot more than I, so I hope they chime in.
 
#9 ·
@Mickey6769 sent me a message that says
"So now that someone has posted links in my thread, I am unable to reply ( something about spam)? I was trying to say that I gave a dose of wormer and was going to follow up in a couple days with another dose per a friends advice"

@ksalvagno can you or one of the other moderators help with this?

I regularly post links, but I can delete that post if necessary. Although I'm confused because he posted in this thread after I posted links...
 
#13 ·
I am a little new to these forums, maybe I was " quoting" everyone else instead of just replying? I tried deleting all the conversation or whatever will see if this works



r for some reason. And she just couldn't make milk.

Normal Rectal temp that I'm comfortable with is 101.5 to 103 F. What is her exact temp? That will tell us much.

Ohio has had some really rough weather. What is her shelter like? Was she able to stay out of drafts? Was she in mud? Was the shelter small enough she could heat it with her body heat? If not did she have a heat lamp available?

Making milk and babies needs calcium and protein. My grass hay isn't good enough in that, so I supplement my protein with a protein tub or pail from TSC. Try this one
Giving the alfalfa pellets is good.

Here is a mineral mix that is better than Manna Pro

When was the last time she had a fecal check for both worms and cocci? She probably needs wormed now, but you want to have a notion of what she has before giving her dewormers in her poor condition. Some don't work for everything, some don't work at all.

B-Vitamins would help right now. That's going to be a subcutaneous injection so you'll need syringe and needles when
 

Attachments

#21 ·
I am a little new to these forums, maybe I was " quoting" everyone else instead of just replying? I tried deleting all the conversation or whatever will see if this works

r for some reason. And she just couldn't make milk.

Normal Rectal temp that I'm comfortable with is 101.5 to 103 F. What is her exact temp? That will tell us much.

Ohio has had some really rough weather. What is her shelter like? Was she able to stay out of drafts? Was she in mud? Was the shelter small enough she could heat it with her body heat? If not did she have a heat lamp available?

Making milk and babies needs calcium and protein. My grass hay isn't good enough in that, so I supplement my protein with a protein tub or pail from TSC. Try this one
Giving the alfalfa pellets is good.

Here is a mineral mix that is better than Manna Pro

When was the last time she had a fecal check for both worms and cocci? She probably needs wormed now, but you want to have a notion of what she has before giving her dewormers in her poor condition. Some don't work for everything, some don't work at all.

B-Vitamins would help right now. That's going to be a subcutaneous injection so you'll need syringe and needles when
I dont know the temp ( at work now) had not done it as I did not think she was actually sick. Did you see my answer for the shelter? And yes I have syringes. What size needles? I asked at the animal supply (PBS animal health) and they sold me 20 gauge x 3/4
 
#14 ·
Looks like you sorted it out!

Quote means it all gets gathered together to put several quotes in another post. Reply means the whole thing is automatically deposited in your new post.

You also can just start typing in a new box and not be tied to what someone said at all.

Last tip, you can address someone directly by using the @ symbol followed immediately by the Username. While typing the user name a box will pop up with choices. You must choose who you want to talk to by clicking on that name. If you don't click, then that person won't be notified.

All that said, we have a few questions piled up on you, from post #4, onward. And we can start helping with your original concern as we start getting those answers.
 
#36 ·
So, thank you so much for all your advice, I will be adding some supplements and shots etc. UPDATE: Cinnabon looked much healthier today when I got home and gave WAY more milk! Maybe something I've been doing is starting to work. I'm going to keep giving her the extra grain/alfalfa and making sure she has the vitamins and minerals she needs and see what happens.
 
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