Guess I better get another one....

SDjulieinSC · #1 07/27/06, 09:37 AM

So when will all of us new people learn to listen to you and do as you say?
I hate to jinx it but with your help my little bottle baby pygmy Trixie is doing great!!! Who knew (besides all of you) how much fun and how much of a pain a 3 lb goat could be!!!???
One thing I neglected was to purchase 2. Now the guilt is begining....I have made sure that she is never left alone but I KNOW she must have another caprine companion, and SOON!
She will be 4 weeks tomorrow and is starting to pick at the grass and hay in the yard, ignores her little bowl of calf manna though.
Todays question for you, my heros, is....if I get her a buddy can I start leaving them outside together? I know that I will need to keep feeding her at least 3x a day from the bottle for another month or so. At what point should I start making minerals available?
Most importantly how old should her pal be? I REALLY don't want another one as young as she was when I got her, I know I can't start a 4 week old on a bottle so I guess that leaves me needing one that is recently weaned?
Do I want another doe or a weather? Does it really matter?
I have a very large chain link pen with a strand of hot wire (run from a "dog fence charger") around the bottom. There is an x-large dogloo on a platform that is covered by an elevated tarp to give protection from rain and provide shade. I have not yet put any "toys" in the pen, but I'm looking! I put her out there for a few hours every evening and plan to make this their home base when they are not in another area doing their brush control duties. Sound OK?
For now she comes to work with me during the day and sleeps in a dog crate in the living room at night.
Work your advice magic for me now please!!!!!!!

mamakl · #2 07/27/06, 11:15 AM

I'm new to goats too, but also started out with one kid... and realized quickly that I needed to find her a friend sooner, rather than later. I bought a young pregnant doe (also a nubian) to be her "friend". "Betty" (our kid) obviously feels much more secure when "Rose" (the older doe) is around. Although... Betty still much prefers the company of people to goats.

During the day when I can watch them, we let "the girls" out to graze in the big pasture, but when we aren't home, and during the night, we keep them either in their little fenced pen or in the barn for safety. Rose has already shown that she will protect Betty, unfortunately she thought she needed to protect her from the family dog who wasn't quite quick enough to get out of the way before getting butted! (no harm done, no horns...

Anyway, for what it's worth, that's been our experience...(and we are soooo enjoying our two girls, they are so much fun!)

Maura

comehomesoon · #3 07/27/06, 12:01 PM

I am some what new as well but there is always something to learn so I am addicted to this site. I ended up getting twins from a breeder and bottle feeding them so for me I started with two, well they were temporarily moved to my parents and in with their goats who were last years and so they were kinda bullies to them but I would think at her age and if you get one that has been weaned recently the size/age should be ok for yours. I would say once you have two you could leave them out togather unless its super cold or something but right now I dont think you have to worry to much about that and the sooner you make the outside pen their home the easier time they will have adjusting, mine still want to come in the house to play! Hope that helps some.

goat^farmer · #4 07/27/06, 04:17 PM

First off never get just one goat because they can get lonely an die on you very quickly. Always have a buddy for your goat.

Next for the baby goat you need to have a baby goat her age because you can not put a baby goat in with bigger goats or it the bigger goat will kill it in not time. So to answer that question in a heart beat get your goat a buddy the same age. Mixing goats different ages is not a good idea at all.

When a goat has a buddy they are more happier an you do not need to worry as much about the goat being alone.

goat^farmer · #5 07/27/06, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDjulieinSC

So when will all of us new people learn to listen to you and do as you say?
I hate to jinx it but with your help my little bottle baby pygmy Trixie is doing great!!! Who knew (besides all of you) how much fun and how much of a pain a 3 lb goat could be!!!???
One thing I neglected was to purchase 2. Now the guilt is begining....I have made sure that she is never left alone but I KNOW she must have another caprine companion, and SOON!
She will be 4 weeks tomorrow and is starting to pick at the grass and hay in the yard, ignores her little bowl of calf manna though.
Todays question for you, my heros, is....if I get her a buddy can I start leaving them outside together? I know that I will need to keep feeding her at least 3x a day from the bottle for another month or so. At what point should I start making minerals available?
Most importantly how old should her pal be? I REALLY don't want another one as young as she was when I got her, I know I can't start a 4 week old on a bottle so I guess that leaves me needing one that is recently weaned?

Do I want another doe or a weather? Does it really matter?
For your goats buddy you will ither need a doe or wether not a buck because buck will breed at a very young age.

I have a very large chain link pen with a strand of hot wire (run from a "dog fence charger") around the bottom. There is an x-large dogloo on a platform that is covered by an elevated tarp to give protection from rain and provide shade. I have not yet put any "toys" in the pen, but I'm looking! I put her out there for a few hours every evening and plan to make this their home base when they are not in another area doing their brush control duties. Sound OK?
For now she comes to work with me during the day and sleeps in a dog crate in the living room at night.
Work your advice magic for me now please!!!!!!!

Next how big is the dog lot?
For goats you need to have them a space for running, playing and eatting not be caged up like a small dog. Goats love to play, run, jump and other things so you need a nice big pen for the goats because they needs lots of room. If your goats are big goats like a Nubian they need lots of room to run around in . Nigeran are smaller and do not need all the space as the bigger goats do. If I made any mistakes on understanding what you said on pen I sorry. Just giving you tips and info of what I know.

Queen Bee · #6 07/27/06, 04:41 PM

If you are not willing to get another bottle baby wait until she is weaned and then purchase/get another weaned baby... I agree, they need to be very close to the same age. IF you do not have lots of room be sure to get the same sex or a wether.. Enjoy.

SDjulieinSC · #7 07/28/06, 07:13 AM

Thanks.

The "dog lot" I am using right now is is more like a run, 100x20 or so. When they (I am actively searching for a pal as we speak) are a bit older and larger I will move them into a much larger hog wire enclosure. The lot that I am using now is much more secure for little pygmys, the last thing I want is one to get hurt. Please also know that I take her EVERYWHERE with me! During the week I am lucky enough to be able to bring her to work where the guys next door let her play with them all day, she has the run of the warehouse and office. She has a crate and bed of her own ther if she wants to use them but most often she is on somebodys lap or sleeping in an office chair. I think she has become their mascott, when I told them I was looking to get her a friend so she could stay at home they were not happy.
She has been to the grocery store, tractor supply and the local tavern. She is a hit everywhere we go!
I'm sure that this is not the best way to raise a goat but it has to be better than her being lonely. I know I made a terrible mistake by getting only one and I am trying to remedy it. I don't want to compound the problem by making a poor choice in her companion. Please be easy on me, I know ignorance is no excuse and I hate it when people use it as one, so I won't.
I jumped the gun and did not follow all of the advice I was given by all of you.
Thanks again for your help and please continue to keep me on the right track.

susieM · #8 07/28/06, 08:03 AM

You will suffer, when you make her grow up and sleep outside.....oh, the crying and the bleating and the wailing that will be going on...all night and day long!