Posted: 9/11/2015 8:00:55 PM EDT
| We just got two pygmy goats for brush control and as pets. Just had the male castrated. The vet told us to never feed grain the the male as they are prone to kidney stones. First, is there a bagged feed for winter and as a treat that doesn't contain grain? How about rabbit/chinchilla alfalfa pellets? Is hay/orchard grass bales the only option? |
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We just got two pygmy goats for brush control and as pets. Just had the male castrated. The vet told us to never feed grain the the male as they are prone to kidney stones. First, is there a bagged feed for winter and as a treat that doesn't contain grain? How about rabbit/chinchilla alfalfa pellets? Is hay/orchard grass bales the only option? Yep, goats in general are prone to stones. We have had many and they graze but, when we sell them for meat we grain them and they are constantly eating grain ment for the cows, chicken feed and whatever. Make sure they have access to plenty of water and I think there is an Ammonium that you can add to their diet to prevent stones or helps them pass them when they piss if it becomes an issue. |
| Thanks, these guys have been on forage alone (doing their job keeping the undergrowth at bay), with the exception of a half cup of purina noble goat at lights out split between both of them. First ingredient of that feed is grain by-product. Apparently pre-castration, there's less of an issue with stones in males. BTW, sassafras is like crack to these guys, I guess it smells like root beer. |
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I only own does so had no idea this happened until I ran into a goat lady the other weekend, said she lost a good buck due to blockage even after the vet put a drain in. Apparently much more likely to happen to bucks vs does, makes me worry a little about mine though. |