Don't know what for sure, last week she was giving 10# a day, then when I allowed her in with the other girls, she began to decline... down to about 6# now. Is the socialization procedure that stressful?
How long has it been since she freshened? Is this a new goat? Some really take moves hard and others don't seem to mind, it really depends on the goat. Is she eating/acting ok? What is her temperature? How long has she been at 6#/day? Is it steadying out or still dropping? I would expect some decrease with stress but 4# is a lot.
She freshened on Easter and I purchased her immediately afterward. She was in isolation with another doe I purchased with her. I released them to the general herd last Saturday and she's been very timid around everybody though the other doe fit right in. She has dropped off on the amount of grain she was originally eating (they came to me as free feed on grain and hay) though the other doe is still running at the same 2-2.5# per day (also freshened at Easter). I allow free-feed while in the milking stand then free-feed 24/7 on alfalfa pellets and hay. She does not appear to be sick, but is quite vocal... I'm going to worm them both I think! The previous owner wormed in January but not since kidding. Any other suggestions or considerations?
I would be leaning towards stress as you say she is timid. I'd give her a couple days and see how it goes, my guess is she'll probably go up once she gets used to being in a strange herd. Deworming is also a good idea.
And is she getting to eat anything if she is timid? I can't have young does or new does in with the main herd 24/7 for months. The older girls simply would never let them have a mouthful of alfalfa pellets, they wouldn't be in the barn proper at night, they would be ousted to the hay area, it's under cover but certainly not the bedded with shavings barn area...less time to browse from fighting their way into the pecking order...it's not only stressfull but with less time eating and then ruminating and relaxing it's alot less milk. Vicki
Vicki, You've definitely hit on the problem... spent some serious time watching the goin's on out there today, My biggest producer is being molested by two of the senior does. All I saw was constant harassment and suddenly they've taken up a whole new liking to the free choice alfalfa. I've got some barn cleaning to do tomorrow and then I'll separate again until the pasture is lush and that should give me some time to figure this out!
Thanks Sondra, I mixed two alfalfa to one grain for her milk stand ration this evening. Tomorrow she'll have the paddock area while everyone else gets separated out to the pasture.
