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Feed
My sheep or goat is bloating. What can I do?
by Joel Lanier August 20, 2025 2 min read
Feeding ruminants is inherently a challenge and if you have very many on feed, the likelihood that you’ll have one that bloats periodically or even chronologically (all the time) is normal. Thankfully there are some treatment options and preventative steps you can take to reduce bloating episodes and manage chronic bloaters as well.
Treatment: My preferred treatment protocol is to first drench with baking soda (1 tablespoon to 60 cc - 120 cc of water). Then follow up 15 to 30 minutes later with drenching of mineral oil (30 cc for kids and 60 cc for lambs). Walk or move them around for several minutes following the administration of the mineral oil. This will get the oil dispersed through out the rumen and should begin reducing frothy bloat.
Prevention measures: Get a small cup feeder and hang it permanently on your pen, out of the weather, but easily accessible to all the animals in that pen. Keep baking soda out free choice 24/7 in your cup feeders.
Hay Management: First of all, it needs to be daily, an ample amount once to twice daily. There’s no better choice than hay-grazer for this time of year (the dog days of summer). Other hay options, with bloat prevention in mind, are wheat and oat hay. Both are great choices, and tifton bermuda or prairie hay are great choices for gut integrity and good scratch value. Many feeders lack access to these hays locally, but making an effort to attaining some better hay options can certainly be worth the extra travel time. Coastal bermuda grass is a safe hay for sheep and goats, but its finer texture does not offer the scratch value of better options mentioned previously. Alfalfa is not recommended for hot weather feeding.
Other Preventive Measures: Monthly injections of B complex vitamins along with weekly oral administrations of a quality probiotic. A big advantage to feeders of the Jacoby Alpha and Omega line of sheep and goat feeds, is our second to none probiotic pack with pre, pro, and post biotics. These feed options are built for gut integrity for the long haul.
Treatment: My preferred treatment protocol is to first drench with baking soda (1 tablespoon to 60 cc - 120 cc of water). Then follow up 15 to 30 minutes later with drenching of mineral oil (30 cc for kids and 60 cc for lambs). Walk or move them around for several minutes following the administration of the mineral oil. This will get the oil dispersed through out the rumen and should begin reducing frothy bloat.
Prevention measures: Get a small cup feeder and hang it permanently on your pen, out of the weather, but easily accessible to all the animals in that pen. Keep baking soda out free choice 24/7 in your cup feeders.
Hay Management: First of all, it needs to be daily, an ample amount once to twice daily. There’s no better choice than hay-grazer for this time of year (the dog days of summer). Other hay options, with bloat prevention in mind, are wheat and oat hay. Both are great choices, and tifton bermuda or prairie hay are great choices for gut integrity and good scratch value. Many feeders lack access to these hays locally, but making an effort to attaining some better hay options can certainly be worth the extra travel time. Coastal bermuda grass is a safe hay for sheep and goats, but its finer texture does not offer the scratch value of better options mentioned previously. Alfalfa is not recommended for hot weather feeding.
Other Preventive Measures: Monthly injections of B complex vitamins along with weekly oral administrations of a quality probiotic. A big advantage to feeders of the Jacoby Alpha and Omega line of sheep and goat feeds, is our second to none probiotic pack with pre, pro, and post biotics. These feed options are built for gut integrity for the long haul.
Finally, in the sheep barn, consider wet feeding, especially on chronic bloaters. I am a big fan of this management hack. Wet feeding softens and moisturizes your feed reducing frothy bloat and digestive upset. Wet feeding is advantageous on the road, where stress and gastric upset is common. Put these preventative measures to work in your sheep and eliminate headaches in the future.
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