Goat question

[AmericanMom]

I went yesterday and got a brush and clippers (yay for second hand stores!) . The lady told me she would trim her hooves before she brings her, but I have been watching video's and will check her over really good. Went in and priced feed and minerals for her, will pick those up Tuesday.. She should be bringing her over by Thursday (next week) I am going to talk to her again and see if there is possibly another goat (wether or doeling) she can bring instead, if not I might be looking for a wether I can purchase?? Your thoughts on a goat not of her herd meeting her here??

When I first saw her pictures (she is a couple hours away) I thought she looked alittle rough compared to what I have seen goats look like. Told hubs right away she would need a trimming and cleaning up, good feed/hay and minerals.. I take pride in my animals and although I don't know this womens situation from the way she talked it sounds like she has more than she is handling efficiently. .

Oh and my brother raises goats too, his daughter does 4-H and wanted a rabbit, I have one she can learn on, young female that I am saving for her, in trade if this doe has any bucks my bro will band them for me I was at his farm last summer and my husband and I helped him band a few of his..

 

[Tumbling K]

He definitely will need to be separated before she gives birth. He can endanger her and the kids, and impregnate her when she rapidly comes back into heat after her pregnancy is over. She must not be immediately bred again while nursing newborn kids, it is very detrimental for her health. Back to back kiddings will wear down a doe very quickly.

She needs some TLC. Her coat is rough, I would suspect she isn't getting her mineral needs met. And her hooves look like they needed a good trim weeks ago.




Hopefully she will be a good girl for you. If she has any buckling kids, I'd recommend wethering them.

just a thought, do you think that perhaps the bearded goats tend to have rougher coats? I agree on her feet tho.

I would also suggest, not feeding where they sleep, and not feeding directly on the ground, and always clean any pan or bowl you feed in.

 

[AmericanMom]

Ok, I just talked to her, although she said the Buck would do ok, I told her my concerns and she agreed she wont bring him. Either she will come by herself or she will try and wean a wether she has before she comes and bring him and I would just buy him to keep her company... She said she thought with a lot of attention the doe would be ok by herself as I have geese and chickens... If she doesn't get the wether weaned would me buying another goat from someone else work if they are both new to the property?

just a thought, do you think that perhaps the bearded goats tend to have rougher coats? I agree on her feet tho.

I would also suggest, not feeding where they sleep, and not feeding directly on the ground, and always clean any pan or bowl you feed in.

Were setting up her feeding station on the outside (protected from rain etc) of her sleeping area. Hubs is building a hay feeder because I knew feeding on the ground wasn't good for them and a lot of hay would get wasted.

 

[Tumbling K]

yes, still protected from rain.

wasted hay aside, the main reason I suggest not giving feed on the ground, is because that is where they will pick up parasites. also why I suggested, if you use feed trays, or bowls, or a trough, to ensure they are swept clean before feeding.

 

[Stacykins]

just a thought, do you think that perhaps the bearded goats tend to have rougher coats? I agree on her feet tho.

I would also suggest, not feeding where they sleep, and not feeding directly on the ground, and always clean any pan or bowl you feed in.

Beards do not mean rougher coats. There is no correlation. It is a matter of nutrition. Plenty of goats with beards have silky smooth coats because their nutritional needs are being met.

 

[AmericanMom]

I have a hydroponics system set up, growing Barley and wheat.. I know my chickens, geese and rabbits love it, hoping it adds to the nutritional value of the Goats also.

 

[AmericanMom]

Got our Gwenny Tuesday... As the lady was helping bring her out back I noticed her hooves looked horrible, One in particular was bad, I had her trim that one while she was here and questioned her about why it wasn't done as she had told me it would be, she had an excuse about being busy. I decided to wait until after she kids to fix the others as she is pretty skittish , she follows me around and is so sweet and quiet and has just started walking up to me and allowing me to pet and scratch her. Other than never looking like she has been groomed she is healthy and active. Got her on good hay, and minerals. She gets a cup of Wet Cob Mix in the mornings while I am feeding the other animals. I have started to see some changes in her in just the last day or so and believe we are getting closer to her kidding..


At 7 am yesterday I took the above photo..


At 4 pm I took this one




Her udder is more noticeable and her hips look more sunken


She has a lot of personality and in time I think will become more trusting of me and our little farm. I was due to pick up another doe yesterday but decided to hold off until she kids, I don't want to add more stress to her at this time. her last kidding over a year ago, I was told she only had one kid. She doesn't seem big enough to me to have more than that this time, but being a complete newbie here I have little to compare her too. Another change she has went thru, when she came she looked wide, yesterday she looked rounder in the belly and not as wide.. I hope this all signals she will have her kid(s) soon and can settle in completely.

 

[AmericanMom]

No changes as of this morning.. She does seem to have a better appetite, she ate all her morning ration of Sweet Cob mix and then a large square of fresh barley and Wheat fodder.. It made me feel much better seeing her eat like that, I had been a bit worried about her not seeming to be interested in food (other than her cob mix) Went for our morning walk about and she found some pine branches that had fallen...ate those too

Seeing her eat like that I am less convinced she is close to kidding and the changes I am seeing are just her body getting ready. Looking into bringing her a friend after all, I don't want her to spend the next weeks or month alone.

 

[H Diamond]

More likely the "changes" you saw were just from the transport etc. Her udder isn't any bigger, and the lighting difference in the pics I think are making things look different.
If you trimmed one hoof, you really need to trim them all IMO. It's kinda like putting a lift in one of your shoes but not the other when you don't actually need one. It would throw your gait off, cause more pressure on the other foot etc.
Aside from the fodder, what are you feeding for dry roughage? Some type of hay?
Also, be prepared with all these feed changes for her (especially the richness of the fodder) to see some diarrhea and watch for other signs of digestive upset.
Unless she was on all this good food at her old home, which I doubt due to coat condition, lol.
I forgot if I read. ... Do you have a loose mineral out for her?

 

[AmericanMom]

More likely the "changes" you saw were just from the transport etc. Her udder isn't any bigger, and the lighting difference in the pics I think are making things look different.
If you trimmed one hoof, you really need to trim them all IMO. It's kinda like putting a lift in one of your shoes but not the other when you don't actually need one. It would throw your gait off, cause more pressure on the other foot etc.
Aside from the fodder, what are you feeding for dry roughage? Some type of hay?
Also, be prepared with all these feed changes for her (especially the richness of the fodder) to see some diarrhea and watch for other signs of digestive upset.
Unless she was on all this good food at her old home, which I doubt due to coat condition, lol.
I forgot if I read. ... Do you have a loose mineral out for her?

What she took off was loose hoof but yes, were setting up a stand for her today and am going to get all her hooves plus some clipping. She gets free choice hay ( its called orchard grass here) and the same Cob mix her previous owner fed her. She also get loose minerals.