What does it mean when the little goat berries come out in a cluster and stick together instead of all separate as usual? We just wormed the 1st. It's just one of them and has happened before and usually goes away after a day or two, just wondering what it meant and should I do something different. Thanks

-- Carol (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), October 12, 2000

Answers

I am not 100% certain, but I asked a friend who said it is fine. I jus got goats a couple of weeks ago, and they are doing a fantastic job of clearing some brushy areas in the pen, and I noticed that one of them had that at first. He used to have an all hay and a little grain diet, and nowhe s on fresh stuff mostly-she thought that was the reason. whatever it was, it only lasted a day or so, andhe had been fine.

Hope that helps! Hope someone who knows for certain responds too. :)

-- Sarah (heartsong85@juno.com), October 12, 2000.

Hi Carol and Sarah, haven't you figured out that no one know anything for "certain" about our lovely girls!!

Usually minor problems with their poop is nutritional, more molassas in their grain than they are used to, a big limb fell from the tree and they ate more leaves than used to, change in grain, or this last rain freshened up the pasture. You really don't do anything at this point, but you do keep watching. With all the rain we just had we did need to reworm a group of our does. The worms and their eggs which were laying under the dirt in our hot Texas weather, were able to float up the rain puddles and lay in wait on the grass tips for the does to come by and graze them. Reinfestation, though they had clear fecals Sept. 1st. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 12, 2000.

Yes, I agree w/Vicki, clumpy poop isn't necessarily a big deal. Certain browse/foods will bring it on...I've found that if I give them too much beet pulp that they will all start clumping. Cut the beet pulp out and it returns to normal. Like Vicki said, keep an eye on it and if it persists or starts losing the "bunch of grapes" look and becomes mushy, it wouldn't hurt to get at fecal done. Sometimes a dose of Milk of Magnesia will get the gut back in sync and straighten the clumpies out.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), October 12, 2000.

Or does it mean they've got their s--t together!

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), October 13, 2000.

I know sometimes when my sheep have had a lot of bread, they are less like pellets. Also lambs tend to be more log-like, and males always seem to have them like that. I know when moose hunting, Bull s--- is distinquishable from that of the cows. Like moo-cows vs sheep. Puddles vs. pellets. That's year round, near as I can tell. I don't know about castrated males, but I think the only clumps from my sheep this year was from the ram lambs. Anyone else know that the opposite sex has different stool consistency? I think I can vouch for dogs and humans being the same........ Jill

-- Jill Schreiber (schreiber@alaska.com), October 14, 2000.