Baking soda can be a useful addition to goat’s diet. It can aid in digestion issues and help to prevent bloat; a sometimes deadly condition caused by overeating, or eating the wrong food.
The domestic goat diet and baking soda
Why would a goat need baking soda?
To understand how baking soda helps, it’s good to have a refresher on the goat’s digestive system.
Goats are ruminants which means they have a multi -chambered stomach that works like a fermentation vat. Bacteria in the stomach break down the goat’s food, making nutrients available to the animal. Acids in the true stomach chamber, digest these smaller, fermented food particles so the goat can absorb nutrients.
The goat is also a grazer by nature, meaning as the herd moves over the countryside/mountains it nibbles here and there, eating small amounts of food throughout the day. Contrary to popular belief, goats are in fact not pasture animals. They can be successfully raised on pasture, however, a true goat diet consists of shrubs, leaves, weeds and brambles, not grass.
For the modern goat keeper, this bramble-type of setting can be difficult to provide to a herd, while still keeping your animals in fenced areas. Once a goat has cleared a pasture of its brambles, it’s difficult to add more to the area.
So when put on pasture, a goat will resort to eating grass. However, if too much is consumed at once, it can overwhelm the bacteria in the rumen. Rich foods like too much grain or alfalfa can have the same effect. The fermentation gasses will build up and in severe cases, can cause bloat.
How does baking soda help?
Offering your goat baking soda on a daily basis can help to balance the Ph levels in the rumen.
How should baking soda be fed?
Baking soda should have its own designated food dish. It should be offered free choice to goats. Goats are clever in that they will consume it when they need it, and leave it be if they don’t.
Do not mix it into their feed or minerals. Also be sure to replace it if it gets soiled.
Be sure to always offer clean fresh water whenever offering salts, minerals or baking soda to goats.
Baking soda is an inexpensive, easy way to ensure your goats are healthy and happy.
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