Goat question

So, here is my concern with her ration. It seems fairly low in protein, and also has an unbalanced calciumhos ratio? Unless you happen to know the calcium content of your fodder?
Your grass is probably around. . 10% protein? COB around 10% So unless your fodder is like 20% protein, type going to be a bit short in the protein I think?
I'm not nitpicking, I hope you don't think that. Just throwing some food for thought out there.

H Diamond said:

So, here is my concern with her ration. It seems fairly low in protein, and also has an unbalanced calciumhos ratio? Unless you happen to know the calcium content of your fodder?
Your grass is probably around. . 10% protein? COB around 10% So unless your fodder is like 20% protein, type going to be a bit short in the protein I think?
I'm not nitpicking, I hope you don't think that. Just throwing some food for thought out there.

Click to expand...

No, I don't think that at all... Except for the fodder I didn't want to change what the previous owner was feeding her but I see your concern. What would you suggest..

AmericanMom said:

No, I don't think that at all... Except for the fodder I didn't want to change what the previous owner was feeding her but I see your concern. What would you suggest..

Click to expand...

Changes to food can happen slowly. Adding in something like alfalfa pellets will boost protein (it is 16%) and add a great deal of calcium. If she is pregnant she needs calcium more than ever. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus that a goat should be consuming is 2:1. Meaning they need twice the amount of calcium as phosphorus, or they start leaching it from their bones.

Calf manna can boost protein content, too. I have a goat who is a 'hard keeper'. She refuses to eat enough grain to sustain her when she is pregnant or lactating, and will eat hay instead (so basically, she'll eat salad all day when her body needs more). But she will eat some calf manna, it keeps her body condition in check. It is 25% protein and very energy dense. A little goes as long way, it is easy to overdo.

I wouldn't stress too much especially if they are already used to each other. Our girls are in most likely and based upon the bucks utter lack of interest and their last heat are due the first week of April. They are penned with the buck and they all at this point for the most part operate as a unit. The buck isn't interested in trying to breed them because they're already full up. They wouldn't hold still anyways. The three of them have a goat scape with platforms, barrels and ramps and balance beams and all three of them play king of the mountain and tallest goat in the afternoons.

They act like a herd of all girls aside from our boys habit of letting himself out in the morning.

There have been little to no behavior changes in the girls, which from what I have read is pretty normal. Goats are very practical and no fuss it seems about procreation. The girls were bred in July and I've turned them over and gone over their bellies up to the hip a few days ago and they're still at just over 2mo bred impossible to tell by girth or palpitation. They've always been super friendly though, so there was no behavior change or sudden neediness because my bunch has always been like that. If they got any more clingy they'd be on the couch with me.

Lots of information found out over the last couple days... Holy cow, can I just buy a goat without the drama??

Here is the story
Lady comes to buy rabbits, see's I have chickens, interested in chickens. I tell her I am selling lots of chickens to make room for a couple goats, would like milkers one day. She tells me she has a goat thats prego and would I consider a trade, laying hens for goat. I agree, we set a deal, 15 of my younger layers, many of them broody's, for one female goat, around four years old, unregistered, third freshening.. Deal struck, we shake on it she drives away ( she lives 2 hours from me) Gets home, sends me pic of goat, I am happy, all is well. A week and a half later, she brings goat, I have chickens loaded in 2-6 foot rabbit hutches, heavy duty, homemade. She wants cages, we strike another deal, I will get a doeling as soon as its weaned, she leaves with hutches and chickens, I stay with Gwen the prego goat.. we settle in, find her a friend (another doe, 1 1/2 years, never freshened). Everyone is happy... I am a member of a homesteader group in my area. I posted pics of gwen trying to decide if something I saw in her could be the first sign baby coming.. false alarm, what do I know, Im kinda a newbie.. Several people commented on my wonderful beautiful goat..... lady comments on post wanting to know if I was the lady that traded the chickens to her friend for the goat, I say yes.. She pm's me and tells me that's not a young goat but an 8 year old goat and the lady who I got it from had her only a month or so. She puts me in touch with the goats original owners who not only confirm the goats age but also disclose she is a registered goat who is prego with a valuable studs kid(s) ... the discussion goes on and they believe she passed off the older goat to me (who knows nothing about registration and such) and was keeping another less expensive and younger goat who was accidently bred by the same buck and was going to pass those kids off as my Gwens.. They contact lady I got goat from, tell her they know what she is doing and wont let her get away with it, she then contacts me telling me it was a mistake, she grabbed the wrong goat and she wants this goat back (after nearly a week?? riiight). I refuse, demand gwens papers and the sire card. I made this deal with a handshake and a photo.. Never again... I am so frustrated, I have bought and sold many an animal and to date this is the first time I have come across a shady deal.. Mind you, out of the three goats she bought a few months ago, only this one was registered and to our surprise.... tattooed ..

Anyways, I have sent pics of gwen to the Original owners who had her for several years, they let me know that just by looking at her this is her normal look before the kids are born, they did advise me to worm her as she would have been due by now, due for vaccination in April. She said it looks like the kids have dropped and we can expect our bundle within a month. Said she always has produced twins and always looks small carrying them. So as of today Our gwenny is dewormed and on a nice balance of Orchard Grass, free choice loose minerals and a 1/2 cup of wet cob mixed with alfalfa pellets in the morning ( to boost her protein without harming Miss Jenny who doesn't need the extra protein) , her and Miss Jenny have become friends and are discovering we have a wonderful patch of blackberrys in the back of the property that they need to deal with .

I'm confused, lol. How does this benefit the lady you traded with? Only in that she is keeping the younger goat?

Also, Jenny is.....? If she's a goat, she still needs an overall diet of at least 14% protein, regardless of age/preggo/lactation status.

H Diamond said:

I'm confused, lol. How does this benefit the lady you traded with? Only in that she is keeping the younger goat?

Also, Jenny is.....? If she's a goat, she still needs an overall diet of at least 14% protein, regardless of age/preggo/lactation status.

Click to expand...

Well now it doesnt lol.... The younger goat is a half sister to gwen but unregistered I cant remember what they called it, but basically she would pass off that goats kids as the registered goats kids?? I'll try and remember what its called. . I was told that the younger goat is getting the protein she needs but that Gwen being prego needs the boost while prego and nursing.

AmericanMom said:

Well now it doesnt lol.... The younger goat is a half sister to gwen but unregistered I cant remember what they called it, but basically she would pass off that goats kids as the registered goats kids?? I'll try and remember what its called. . I was told that the younger goat is getting the protein she needs but that Gwen being prego needs the boost while prego and nursing.

Click to expand...

I have heard of people doing that, passing off a less valuable goat's kids as a more valuable goat's kids. It is fraud to the highest degree.

Be very careful, the woman you got Gwen from knows where you live. She may be two hours away, but I can see her attempting to steal the goat. If someone is unscrupulous enough to use her as 'mother' to an unregistered goat's kids in order to falsely register the kids, I can see theft being a real possibility. I doubt you will ever see her papers, by the way. It is unfortunate, but that will be her way to control you.

I do hope you got some form of a bill of sale from her? Even if it was just something hand scrawled on a piece of paper confirming the sale? ....because another possible issue is that she could claim she still owns the goat if she has registration papers with her name on it to prove she owns the goat, and could say you stole her. I hope she isn't that smart, but it is something you need to keep in mind.

I am glad you were able to get in contact with the original owners. They provided you some valuable information.