Can't Catch Won't Eat Buckling HELP!

[CookingPam777]

Does anyone have suggestions for first catching a goat in a big pen faster than you are and doesn't seem to tire? I bought the little booger we call Prince yesterday. They claimed he was 2-3 months old. I think he is 1 month. He drinks like a 1 monther that hasn't got it yet. Like when my Rose was 1 month but worse. I can get him to suck but it goes all over me to. Like more out than in. So anyways I can't catch him to force feed him. He eats a little grass but not much. Not enough to keep him alive. They claimed he was weaned. What entered my head was 2-3 months? Well a 2 monther should not be weaned and a 3 monther should. But he acts so much more littler. He would be extremely small for his age as he is the size of a 1 monther. He was somehow not tiring out there but yesterday he slept all day maybe the stress of being taken away from his sister? He was shivering real bad to. So I cuddled him up and sang softly to him and talked softly. He would almost calm down a little bit and then get worked up. He looks healthy. But he needs to be on milk I feel and he attempts to eat the nipple most of the time rather than suck to which he gets milk. Also his teeth are tiny like he would not be all that old. She didn't seem to know a lot about goats. I think he is Saanen and I got him for $45. Well I traded her $45 worth of poultry. $45 for a Saanen buckling isn't bad. I let her know what I thought it was and she let the price be what it was. Is it possible she doesn't know what to look for in a goat? I bought it knowing I would put it back on milk. I didn't relize what a stinker ball I got. He hates the leash scared of people won't eat milk. Please help. Also from the description how old do you think he is? I think his weight would be about 18 lbs. Just a guess.

[Minelson]

How frustrating! I can't help you with the age thing but I would suggest you not chase him at all to get him. It's going to take a lot of patience but it sounds like he needs to come to you. Use raisins or a bit of molasses on your fingers. If you can't do that then you are going to have to trap him somehow. Then when you do get him, I wouldn't let him into such a big area until he gets more used to you and friendly. Chasing won't get you anywhere...breath deep and pray for patience

[susanne]

since you cached him once, you can do it again. only this time do not let him go out on pasture again. put him in a little pen where you have more control over him. he might not be sucking like he should because it is a different nipple you are using. or he might be deficient in selenium.
18# for a saanen buckling sound small if he is three month old. good size if he is a month old.
i would have a fecal check done and start cocci treatment and worming.
vit b shot will help with the stress level and probios a couple of times per day helps with feed change.
good luck

[Alice In TX/MO]

Use plywood or something to make a smaller pen in the big pen. Work him into it.

You bought yourself a challenge.

[CookingPam777]

Well the reason why he was in a big pen and I could beat myself up for not thinking of it we had 2 goats 1 dog house a small pen and a rain storm with lightening coming. So I let him in the big pen so he would have shelter. Yes I to thought big pens were bad. However I had to. Now I have been playing ring around the pen for hours. But if he would have gotten sick that would have done me no good either. Don't have molasses would corn syrup work. He won't eat from my hand though.

[CookingPam777]

Originally Posted by Rose

Use plywood or something to make a smaller pen in the big pen. Work him into it.

You bought yourself a challenge.

You bet hehehe! Must have been bored or somethin'.

[CookingPam777]

Originally Posted by susanne

since you cached him once, you can do it again. only this time do not let him go out on pasture again. put him in a little pen where you have more control over him. he might not be sucking like he should because it is a different nipple you are using. or he might be deficient in selenium.
18# for a saanen buckling sound small if he is three month old. good size if he is a month old.
i would have a fecal check done and start cocci treatment and worming.
vit b shot will help with the stress level and probios a couple of times per day helps with feed change.
good luck

I think he is way younger and the lady I bought him for just doesn't have a trained eye for anything goats. I have sold a ton of poultry to her and we are becoming friends so I don't think she would lie to me. She is Amish. But I don't think she was just trying to make a quick buck either. She listens when I tell her what breed I think something is she trys to remember and she'll ask why I think so. She didn't know rabbit breeds very well either. I asked her to sex a dutch and she didn't know which those were so I showed her she asked how do you know that I said for one the color patterns shape size is that of a dutch. I explained it better than that but to make it short you get the pic. So anyways I think he young which causes most of these issues. He is the most stubborn thing. Sweetest scared thing on the lap though. He is the sweetest most stubborn thing I have ever encountered.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Do you have a couple extra cattle panels laying around? If you can set those up so you have a catch area and then put some feed in a pan, or guide him towards it, you can at least cut down the angles he can get away in. And definitely make a smaller pen after you have him caught.

[CookingPam777]

He won't go toward a feed pan. He's to smart. We made progress in the small pen yesterday by him taking a leaf in his mouth. Ever since he refuses. When someone gets up I will have them help me carry the cattle wire and trap him. I hurt my back falling down slick steps on our porch so I can't do it alone(never walk on a porch where fish is always being flayed. The oils get all over and when it rains it's a death trap. I know I'm feelin' it.)

[Alice In TX/MO]

Flayed fish? You are beating up fish on your porch? The animal abuse folks are gonna getcha.

Oh, wait. I bet you mean that someone is filleting fish.

http://www.answers.com/topic/fillet

[CookingPam777]

Yeah that word hehehe! Trying to spell how it sounds.

[CookingPam777]

I will take pics hopefully later.

[CookingPam777]

I am using a baby bottle I have one with a little slice in it I am going to try that it should be slower than yesterday. He also coughs when he drinks water could he just not be use to it?

[Gailann Schrader]

I pen mine in a small area and use a lasso on the wild ones.

Seriously.

Ya gotta remember that (and I'm not going to be popular for saying this)
THEY ARE LIVESTOCK..

They aren't your child.

If you don't catch him? He will be catchable eventually when he's sick enough...

Give him a coffee/milk boost, probios, etc. Selenium shot, CD&T if he hasn't had it, etc. Put him (and his sister if you have her) in a SMALL pen and ONLY feed them by hand. With those obstinate types? You have to put the nipple in their mouths, close their mouths around it and GENTLY squirt (use a plastic pop bottle) the milk down his throat. You'll take a bath several times, guaranteed (just imagine you are an Egyptian Princess taking a milk bath). He'll figure it out pretty quick that people=food and comfort. They are prey animals and logically RUN when something bigger (people) approach.

The idea is to be proactive instead of reactive. (and I regularly have this lesson given to me...)

Good Luck!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Don't give him water. LOL He's not motivated to drink water.

I was going to suggest that you make a sling and carry him around like a baby for three days to get him to calm down, too.

Gailann probably won't like that suggestion.

[Minelson]

Originally Posted by Rose

Don't give him water. LOL He's not motivated to drink water.

I was going to suggest that you make a sling and carry him around like a baby for three days to get him to calm down, too.

Gailann probably won't like that suggestion.

LOL! I like the sling idea....sorry Gailann, My "livestock" are my babies
I do like the idea of the Egyptian Princess LOL!!!

Cookingpam, corn syrup would work too..just not too much though of anything including raisins. I had to squish the raisins at first so my babies would know they were sweet inside.

[CookingPam777]

Sling hmm that would work. I caught him by taking chicken wire fencing And blocking off from fence to fence and slowly worked in. Till we had him trapped in a tiny corner he was trying to get through the fence so easy catch except he was on mom side and would have to be backed out in order to get it. Moms not good at that stuff so we had to switch real fast then I got him. He kept trying to get out of my arms I went sat in the grass and sat him like a baby for some reason he liked this better than laying down on my lap. I held his head up close to my chest while he screamed on the top of his lungs put the bottle (of milk) in the side of his mouth he ate 4 ounces then I tried working it to the front. He wouldn't tolerate that. So I opened his mouth got it in he'd suck a little and spit it back out the bottle and on we went like that. Finally after much prying and getting soaked he ate 10 ounces. How much got in him and on me no telling. After that I pryed my finger in to see if he would like something more teat or lamb nipple like. I think he was teat raised. He liked sucking my finger but you could he was frustrated that no milk was coming. I raised 2 babies on baby bottles so I guess off to TSC we go again. I put him back with my other buck. He seemed happy. I guess I will try again tonight.

[fishhead]

Some goats will drink out of a bowl when they won't take a bottle.

[CookingPam777]

As promised here are pics!









So how old do you think he is? What breed? Does he look in good health to you?

[CookingPam777]

How much would you guess him to weigh? He doesn't exactly look like the stubborn little fellow he is in real life does he? hehehe! His horns are little also makes me think he's younger.