Question about raising baby goat...

BeaTX · #1 12/12/05, 01:48 PM

I have a question. The goat we got at a day old is now almost a week old. He is doing great...walking all over now. Seems to be a really healthy little guy. The only thing is he thinks my 10 year old daughter is his mom i swear. She pretty much took over the feeding and cleaning and all of that. She loves taking care of him. When she's close by or in the next room talking he just starts having a fit. She was trying to lay in the floor and pet him the other day, and he went over and started kneading around on her side like they do to their moms. Well, the problem is my Dad was a farmer/rancher all his life. He thinks we're doing some kind of harm to this goat. I'm thinking it's not like it's a wild animal that will have to fend for its self. I never would have thought there was any problem with taking care of him this way. We've had to keep him in the house in a crate because it was like 5* the day we got him and it's not been much above freezing. I just hope I haven't done something we shouldn't have.
Thanks,
Bridgett

Goat Freak · #2 12/12/05, 01:54 PM

I don't see how you are doing anything wrong, are you taking him outside every once in a while so he can get aquanted with the rest of your goats, and with the idea of being outside? Like i said, I don't see the harm as goats don't get to be with their moms all the time anyway, when they have to get weaned so that their mother can get pregnant again, or simply because they are too big to stay with them. Good Luck, bye.

GoldenWood Farm · #3 12/12/05, 01:56 PM

I don't see any harm in that. Heck I bottle raise all my kids just so that they DO think I am their mom (makes it MUCH easier when they get older to handle them....as I do dairy goats). But you do want to make sure as the kid grows up you teach him/her manners. Because sometimes if you let them run all over you as kids when they get older they don't know the difference.

I do think that if you have no other goats (you didn't say if you did or not) that you might want to get a friend for him/her when she/he gets older. Try not to keep the baby in the house for to long as the baby does need to adjust to being outside. But you can always put a heat lamp out there for the baby and stuff with deep straw to help keep the little one warm (but is much prefered that a baby like that would have a buddy...).

My kids when I raised them on the bottle I was their mommy. Still am even though my oldest are coming up on 3. I just make sure that as they get older they know that some of the things they did as kids they are no longer aloud to do. But to me it sounds as if the baby is off to a great start. Also why the baby might be so attached to your daughter like I said before is not only is she his/her mother but the only companion he/she has at this time.

Have fun with your little one!

MotherClucker

mary,tx · #4 12/12/05, 01:58 PM

Is he a wether, intended to be a pet, or a buck, intended to breed?
If he is a buck, you need to be careful in your handling, and not have him believing that you are one of the goats, or you will be sorry the first time he comes into rut. I've never raised wethers, and I don't believe there is much harm in babying a doe. But I have a little experience with bucks, and I know that you need to raise them like they are the larger animals they are growing up to be, and teach them a healthy distance between you and them.
mary

GoldenWood Farm · #5 12/12/05, 02:22 PM

Mary, tx I agree that with bucks you do need to teach them manners. I didn't think that it might be a buck.

Right now as the baby is so young I wouldn't worry about it but as the baby gets to be 2-3 months of age and older start setting boundrys and letting him know who is the head honcho (without being aggressive or making him think you are playing around). My bucks where bottle raised and are wonderful with me. BUT they also know who is the boss. When I come in I call the shots not them and they know it. Granted mine are only about 115 pounds right now and are 1 1/2 years of age but this is their second rut and they have been perfect gentlemen with me. If they do ANYTHING that I consider to be dominent to me I gently remind them that I am not going to put up with that.

I think it greatly depends on the buck also in how they are going to act. Even the best raising can't prevent a nasty buck or a dominant buck. I have been lucky with my boys as they are real sweet hearts. But even now I still watch my self JUST incase lol. I just pray that they stay this way.

I think the most dangerous thing people do with bucks sometimes if they don't know better is they "play" with them when they get older. Like the head butting stuff and what not. Most people don't but I have seen and heard of some people doing that with a young buck and then as the buck ages it doesn't respect them at all.

Sorry that was really long winded....yikes....

..sorry bout that...

MotherClucker

BeaTX · #6 12/12/05, 03:46 PM

We did start getting him outside to get some exercise and all that, and hubby has the day off tomorrow, so he's going to start getting the pen outside ready with a light and stuff. No we're not planning on breeding him or anything, just mostly a pet and lawnmower.

We don't have any other goats right now...just getting started, so I'll have to look into finding him a buddy. I did warn my daughter that although he's cute and small right now, he will be getting much bigger. Thanks for the help.
Bridgett