I have a new goat, we have had her about a week now. She refuses to drink water. I have made her stand by the water pan holding her leash tight until she finally got a drink. Her urine is getting dark and I am afraid she is dehydrating. I mixed up some salt and sugar water,she really, really went for that. She is one year old and was kept with chickens and fed the same...could this have something to do with it? I put her in with the chickens here and it was there that I was able to get her to drink from the pail. I have not gotten her a salt block, could that be the problem? She only makes 3 cups of milk a day, will it increase if I can get her to drink more water? I am wondering if she was only fed sugar water... Ok, I am done with my "20 questions" for now. :-)

Cindy Cluck Have a good day!

-- Cindy Cluck (ldsmomof6@yahoo.com), June 10, 2000

Answers

Sometimes when animals come to new homes,, it can be a simple as they don`t like the smell of the new water.

Might try a can of 7-up in her water bucket,, slowly decrissing it every 3 days. Or instead,, put powdered Eletrolites in the water.

This should mask the taste,, if that is the problem. Hope it helps.

-- Bergere (autumnhaus@aol.com), June 10, 2000.

How clean is the bucket and what was in the bucket before. Most feeding and water problems ie. refusal to drink or eat the hay or grain, always comes down to the doe being much smarter than we give her credit for. Moldy feed that we didn't notice, moldy or wet hay, and a bucket of water that smells. If you wouldn't drink out of the container she won't. We had a show out by us in LaGrange, the water was so full of sulfur we had to haul water to this 2 day show for our goats to drink, and we would literally hold our breath to take showers! I wouldn't drink the water either! If it is your water, then masking it with Koolaid or vinegar should work. And yes when she calms down from the stress of the move, and gets used to you and her new place and starts drinking more she will make more milk. Maybe :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 10, 2000.

Clean bucket, black treacle or molasses, about 2 tablespoons , hot water to dissolve , then top up with good fresh water. This is what we always do with a newly kidded goat. Some goats drink more than others anyway.

-- Sue Cuthbert (fareacre@btinternet.com), June 11, 2000.

Hi Cindy, I hope your goat is doing better. The vet advised me to keep my goats away from the chickens (their pens were side by side) as they were having a lot of worm problems. A friend was told the same thing by a different vet when her goats got hook worms. As far as feed goes, don't know what your chickens are eating but the chicken feed I get has the warning "not to be fed to ruminants" Get her some good goat feed (16 or 17% protein)and make the change gradualy over 4 or 5 days. I'd get her one of those red salt/mineral blocks too. And hay of course. I'd take her temperature too just incase something else is going on. It should be 102 (+/- 1 deg.) I do hope she comes around for you. Let us know. All best wishes, Pauline

-- Pauline Adderley (tworoosters_farm@AltaVista.com), June 12, 2000.

My goat seems to be doing better. She is drinking well and eating well now. She is very picky I have learned. If a leaf falls in her water, she will not drink it. Plus, she thinks the little pygmy goat I bought at the same time as her is her baby. She holds her milk and won't let down when that little one is around. The pygmy has no desire to nurse from her, yet I know she is holding out . When I can get her relaxed I get twice as much milk as I do otherwise. sigh..she is a sweety though. She follows me around like a puppy dog. I think she is going to work out, just takes a bit of getting used to. I bought some more baby pygmies for my children to learn to work with, I don't know how this is going to work. She is very protective of her "baby" that is for sure!!! It is cute, though it bothers the little pygmy a bit. After all, here she is trying to show us how "big " she is by jumping and all, and here this other goat is bleating at her and checking on her everytime she falls. It is cute. I guess it will all work out.

Cindy Cluck

-- Cindy Cluck (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), June 16, 2000.