Post by lovinglife on Dec 31, 2020 11:31:17 GMT -5
I have one large French Alpine who is one milking machine. This doe normally has triplets, large healthy kids but the runt usually shows signs of mineral deficiency that corrects quickly. Dolly, the doe will produce at least 2 gallons a day at peak, she will milk forever if I don't dry her off. My issue is, she is always thin, always. Even when dry I cannot get weight on her. We feed 2nd cut alfalfa along with good pasture in the summer. I keep quality minerals out all times. She shows signs of copper deficiency in that her black turns rust colored, also maybe a zinc deficiency with hair loss under her collar. I also keep a cobalt block out which she is often licking, I give her Copasure 2 or 3 times a year, no change. My other goats are all fat and healthy. She is not wormy, full rumen which seems to work well judging by her occasional burp when leaving the stand, she seems to have a bow in her back, I'm sure this indicates a deficiency but I can't figure out what it is. I have been giving her small doses of replamin plus to see if she absorbs it better than minerals with no change. She acts good, still herd queen, I have tried giving her the herbal wormer last year because I know it is good for them and it did wonders for one of my Nubians, was hoping for some change, that didn't do much though it was not fresh so may not have had as much potency.
We do have hard well water, would this cause her to have absorption issues but not the others? She has been like this for about 5 years, never really changes. She does look some better when I take her out in the summer for a walk letting her graze tall grass and tree branches and leaves. For some reason she won't eat grass much in the pasture but I take her out and she will eat it like there's no tomorrow.
This year I am trying the Diamond V yeast in her feed to see if that helps. When milking she gets 3/4 coffee can of just a rolled sweet mix plus BOSS, didn't seem to matter how much grain she got, no change, I have tried Calf Manna with no change. The gal I got her from fed her a LOT of grain and BOSS and Calf Manna and she did look good but dang it just seemed like so much!! She eats 2 times the grain of my Nubians, but to be fair she milks double what they milk. I have two milk stands, I load her first with her grain then the other side, I milk 2 Nubians then her, then who ever is left while leaving Dolly on her stand to eat more grain....
Any ideas? Healthy otherwise, milk was wonderful and plentiful, people who see her just say it's because she's working, but I don't like it, I need some meat on her bones. I know it isn't fair to compare her to my lessor producing Nubians but still.. She has been dry 6 months now.
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks