I have a nubian, third time to freshen. she is a large doe. her first year she kidded 2 weeks early and both died. last year she had two healthy bucks. this year she had trips. every year she refuses to eat very much for the first 3-4 weeks, and does not milk to her potential-her bag does not fill up firm like the other goats. her mother took about 3 years to come into her full production, but i am wondering why she isn't interested in feed. we pull the babies and bottle, and she doesn't cry for them or look for them. she just isn't much interested in feed until much later 6-8 weeks. she's been wormed, has minerals and baking soda free choice, and i've given her a bcomplex shot the vet advised before to boost appetite. any hints or tips for me??? my mom doesn't know what else to do either, and she's been raising dairy goats for about 16 years now. thanks.

-- laura (okgoatgal@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002

Answers

Sounds like milk fever to me.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 19, 2002.

Rebakah,

Yes, but tell her how this is avoided.

Dennis

-- Dennis Enyart (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.

To be honest, I haven't ever treated milk fever. Vicki has made a lot of posts here about it. I do know that it involves getting calcium into the doe quickly. I had a doe like this once, the vet insisted she couldn't have milk fever because she wasn't producing much milk. Goats are different from cows when it comes to milk fever, I guess. I'll try to link to Vicki's (much more intelligible) answers.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 21, 2002.

OK, here is a link to a great site that will tell you everything you need to know about milk fever and how to treat it. hypocalcemia, click here

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 21, 2002.

it's not milk fever. i do know that. she's just not very interested in eating-she does eat while dd milks her, but only as she's being milked, and she's not finishing it up. the bcomplex helped some, her appetite is a little better. didn't change feeds or hay on her, thanks anyway.

-- laura (okgoatgal@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.