newbie goat owner

wintrrwolf · #1 09/28/09, 08:47 PM

I just got a Saanen doe (we named her Sugar). I have so many questions I am not sure where to start. First off I was told that she was running with a Boer buck so is probably bred(boy did she smell like it), she had never been hand milked so I have been doing a lot of body handling and after 4 days she let me milk a little. She is actually drying up from her last baby. It has been hard because right now she is my first and only goat and it seems that she is becoming VERY attached to me. Is this normal? When I try to put her in the back field to forage she wont eat unless I stand there if I walk away she follows and then stands and calls, I don't want her to stress to much if she is pregnant I have been feeding her goat feed and a little hay, oh and she ate the bush outside my window which is ok I didn't like it anyways, she is looking better weight wise so I don't think she is starving, I make sure she had fresh water all the time, her coat feels dry to me, what can I use safely for fly and mosquito control? Where we live mosquito's are very bad. Oh and a safe wormer for pregnant does. I have searched for as much info online but am still worried. She sometimes coughs, though has no fever or nasal discharge, normal? She ate some poison ivy is this bad for her baby? For her? I built her a house I think its big enough (i hope) but I am not sure she is sleeping in it should I shut her up in it at night? I'll stop at this any info would be helpful thanks!!

Alice In TX/MO · #2 09/28/09, 08:52 PM

She's lonely. Goats are herd animals. One goat alone is not happy. Get her a friend!

You do not have to shut her in at night.

Poison ivy is fine. Landscape plants in your yard can be toxic.

Take a sample of FRESH goat poo to a vet and get a fecal check done for worms. Then, you come back and ask us what to do next. You shouldn't de-worm her if she was recently bred, as it can cause her to lose the kid(s).

beccachow · #3 09/28/09, 08:56 PM

Agreed, one goat is an unhappy one. She needs a little friend! Did you get any records of shot histories and such? You will love goats, but they are like potato chips...you can't have just one!

Forgot to add, the cough *could* just be her hacking up her cud, yum yum.

Minelson · #4 09/28/09, 09:13 PM

www.fiascofarm.com helped me a lot with my first goat. And then I used this forum to "fine tune" my questions. Lots of help and support here

SO welcome to the forum and congrats on your first goat! One of my goats coughs once in a while to. I made sure to worm for lungworm since it can't be found on a fecal sample. She still coughs once in awhile anyway though.....

wintrrwolf · #5 09/28/09, 09:20 PM

Thanks! cud oh ok, she did look like my daughter chewing gum

Gotcha on the fecal will do. No shot history as of yet waiting on reply from previous owner. When I saw her it was love at first site, was I impulsive? Have been thinking of getting her a friend but then I will need a bigger goat house, would a goat get along with a horse? hmmm a really big house...
Previous owner said if Sugar got bred when she thinks she did (no actual visual) then she would be having the kid(s) in January, which is very cold here should I make extra preparations?
Would it be silly to make her a goat blanket? Like a horse blanket. Or would I be spoiling her? Can you spoil a goat?

Alice In TX/MO · #6 09/28/09, 09:27 PM

Our goats are totally spoiled.

They get corn chips and peanut butter crackers after being milked!

No coats necessary. Just a good shelter.

Tallabred · #7 09/28/09, 10:15 PM

My buck runs with 2 mares with foals. He is "in love" with our colt. They play all of the time.

RiverPines · #8 09/28/09, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wintrrwolf

Thanks! cud oh ok, she did look like my daughter chewing gum

Gotcha on the fecal will do. No shot history as of yet waiting on reply from previous owner. When I saw her it was love at first site, was I impulsive? Have been thinking of getting her a friend but then I will need a bigger goat house, would a goat get along with a horse? hmmm a really big house...
Previous owner said if Sugar got bred when she thinks she did (no actual visual) then she would be having the kid(s) in January, which is very cold here should I make extra preparations?
Would it be silly to make her a goat blanket? Like a horse blanket. Or would I be spoiling her? Can you spoil a goat?

If its very cold when she kids you will need a heat lamp most likely.
Learn all you can before that time comes.

Get another goat!!!
Goat are herd animals and alone they are constantly under stress.
A big horse thats not use to goats isnt a great idea for a new pg goat. You risk her getting hurt.
She also wont bond with it most likely if she wasnt with horses before. She may be more frightened. She is new and that alone is stress for her.
Get a wether or another doe yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You dont need a ton of space for a shelter for 2 goats.

She should have hay free choice too. Hay is the bulk of the diet or pasture.
Grain is in smaller quantity. She needs minerals too now. Her coat probably feels dry from mineral deficiencies.

Dont shut her up at night unless you have to because of predators.
Goats will roam around, eat and play during the night.

We live in the river bottoms/swamp land here and have mosquitoes in quantities you wouldnt believe and we dont do anything for the animals. They are not that bother by them like us humans. They manage fine on their own with their protective fur coats.

Blankets are useful for chilled kids and sick animals. They are not beneficial on adult healthy animals. They need to grow a winter coat of their own.
Also body heat is trapped in puffed up hair and that keeps them warm. A blanket holds the hair flat and they loose heat!

Spoiling can sometimes be harmful if over done.

wintrrwolf · #9 09/29/09, 06:36 AM

thanks will see if I can get a friend for her

and your probably right about the minerals I did get her a goat berry block, she does not use it right now maybe doesnt know what it is? But it is there for her. I had read somewhere not to give to much hay that she might overeat it, but again I have been watching her and she doesn't she eats it only when she wants. Thank you again for all the advise it has been a great help!!

Cliff · #10 09/29/09, 07:17 AM

The most important thing with kids is to make sure they eat shortly after birth. If they have a full belly they can tolerate cold. We don't use a heat lamp and have never had a problem except when a kid hasn't eaten.

Alice In TX/MO · #11 09/29/09, 07:27 AM

Mineral blocks, even if they say goat, are not useful for goats. Goats have smooth tongues and don't get much off a block.

You need a loose, high copper mineral. One of the easiest to locate is Cargill's Right Now "Onyx." The Onyx is the variety with high copper. That will help her coat, reduce her worm load, etc.

luvzmybabz · #12 09/29/09, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Mineral blocks, even if they say goat, are not useful for goats. Goats have smooth tongues and don't get much off a block.

You need a loose, high copper mineral. One of the easiest to locate is Cargill's Right Now "Onyx." The Onyx is the variety with high copper. That will help her coat, reduce her worm load, etc.

I am using sweetlix meat maker as that is one of the 2 loose minerals I have been able to find and the other has to be ordered in. Is there anyone here that knows the comparision between sweetlix and cargill and Is there an easy way to find someone that carries cargills? People looked at me crazy for 3 weeks just trying to find sweetlix I bet 10 people tried to sell me blocks no matter how many times I said LOOSE minerals.

DQ · #13 09/29/09, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wintrrwolf

I did get her a goat berry block,

congrats on your new goat!

mineral mixes/blocks 101! salt is what makes them eat it. if it has a really high salt content, such as the 'berry blocks' which I think are 99% salt, they satiate their appetite for salt before consuming nearly enough of the minerals. and as others have said, they can't really make good use of a block anyway and need a loose mineral. look for a loose mineral that is grey in color and has a lowish salt content (mine is 14% salt others have success with some that are a bit higher, it depends somewhat on your circumstances).

one of the first things you will learn is that alot of the products labeled "for goats" are almost useless for goats (safegaurd wormer is a big one)........

also if someone tries to sell you a mineral for "sheep and goats" turn it down. sheep can't have much copper and goats need lots of it.

have fun learning!

Freeholder · #14 09/29/09, 12:00 PM

Goats can't overeat on hay. They can overeat on grain/concentrates, so make sure they can't get to your stored grains, as they can kill themselves on too much grain just like horses can.

Now, if you want your goats to browse/graze, then you don't want to offer them much hay, if any, because often they'd rather eat hay than forage for themselves. But keep an eye on condition (always keep an eye on condition), especially at this time of the year. You don't want them going into the winter in thin condition. You don't want them too fat, either, though.

Kathleen

Backfourty,MI. · #15 09/30/09, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Mineral blocks, even if they say goat, are not useful for goats. Goats have smooth tongues and don't get much off a block.

You need a loose, high copper mineral. One of the easiest to locate is Cargill's Right Now "Onyx." The Onyx is the variety with high copper. That will help her coat, reduce her worm load, etc.

I agree with Alice, I started using the same mineral she is talking about months ago and see a big improvememnt in my goats coats & no more fish tails either.

You should make sure she has hay 24/7 as it keeps her rumen(stomachs) working good.
Also get her a friend if possible. I have sold a few goats to different people to put in with there horses & always hear good things when I talk to them later. Many folks around here keep a goat with ther horses. They are Great companion animals for them.

Luvzmybabz, I think if you go under cargil & sweetlix you can put up an ingredient list from the bags on your screen to read. You can proble get a toll free number for Cargill & call them to find out who they deliver to. If you can't get the number, etc. I'll check my bag for you.

wintrrwolf · #16 09/30/09, 12:52 PM

ahhh ok thanks

wintrrwolf · #17 10/05/09, 10:12 AM

Update: Well Sugar seems to be settling in, she has learned to knock on the door. She also knows what time I get up and meets me at the door for her breakfast. I had purchased specific goat food and she loves it. Her coat is getting better much softer and fuller now (we found out she loves to be brushed), she is filling out and doesn't look so skinny, and her baby belly is popping out. I did find out she most likely has not been vaccinated so should I wait until after the baby is born? I don't want to get a friend for her until she has been vaccinated.

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #18 10/05/09, 10:38 AM

I'd get her a friend anyway, since she'll have to wait till january-ish to "produce her own friends".

Sounds like Sugars found herself a good home.

Minelson · #19 10/05/09, 03:59 PM

I didn't know if my pregnant first goat was vaccinated either when I got her. I waited until she had the babies and then gave them all the cd/t shot. They are not like a dog or cat that they should be vaccinated for distemper/parvo/rabies before being around other goats. As long as she seems healthy...bright eyes/eating, drinking, pooping/ no skin issues or discharges I wouldn't worry about putting her with a friend. Mine had to wait for her babies but I wasn't working at the time and was able to spend tons of time with her and she made good friends with dog and horses so it worked out ok.

LaManchaPaul · #20 10/05/09, 05:06 PM

Congrats on entering the dairy-goat world. From your posts, it seems that Sugar already has entered you in her personal training program; and you are a fast learner. I'm almost trained.

Here is a site that might be useful for you :
http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php/topic,2077.0.html
It'll tell you what to do the day of birth.

I'd love to see a pix of Sugar (optional). You know that baby pix are a must (absolutely required).
Paul