New to goats! (NDG)

[my spoiled chickens]

I have thought of so many names. If he was a she...it would've been Sundae.

That's soooo cute I like that better

 

[my spoiled chickens]

That's soooo cute I like that better

you could call him banana split if you whether him

 

[Egg Snatcher]

What? You can buy something to whether a goat on Amazon??? Isn’t that a surgical procedure (banding or something)?

oh, no. thought you were talking about the apron. The bander i use is $31 at Tractor Supply.

 

[tlcmurphy]

oh, no. thought you were talking about the apron. The bander i use is $31 at Tractor Supply.

Thanks, you can buy almost anything on Amazon so I wouldn’t be surprised!

 

[lomine]

The doeling is likely a bit more stressed because she was taken off her dam later. It's a bit unusual to take a dam raised kid off their dam at that age and switch to bottle. Many times they will refuse bottles at that age so it's good she is eating. I'm guessing she'll calm down after she gets more comfortable.

I would also recommend banding the buckling. I would say, in general, 90%+ of bucklings should be wethered. Only the very highest quality bucks should be allowed to pass on their genes in my opinion. Inbreeding is a bit different in animals, but I would only consider father/daughter or mother/son pairings if there are some crazy great genetics going on. I would never pair siblings or half siblings.

You'll find lots of people online that say you have to wait until the buckling is a minimum of 12 weeks before banding. They will say it's because if you don't your wether will develop urinary calculi. What my goat vet told me was that you can band them at whatever time works for you. She has done as young as 3 days. The two biggest factors in getting UC are genetics and diet. This is backed by research. You can't do anything about genetics and banding early won't make any difference. It's important for goats to have a balanced and animal appropriate diet.

The calciumhosphorus ratio is especially important for wethers. I'd say that probably the most common mistake with wether owners is that they give too much grain. A wether doesn't really need grain so it should only be a treat if given at all.

 

[ElfenLied89]

you could call him banana split if you whether him

 

[ElfenLied89]

The doeling is likely a bit more stressed because she was taken off her dam later. It's a bit unusual to take a dam raised kid off their dam at that age and switch to bottle. Many times they will refuse bottles at that age so it's good she is eating. I'm guessing she'll calm down after she gets more comfortable.

I would also recommend banding the buckling. I would say, in general, 90%+ of bucklings should be wethered. Only the very highest quality bucks should be allowed to pass on their genes in my opinion. Inbreeding is a bit different in animals, but I would only consider father/daughter or mother/son pairings if there are some crazy great genetics going on. I would never pair siblings or half siblings.

You'll find lots of people online that say you have to wait until the buckling is a minimum of 12 weeks before banding. They will say it's because if you don't your wether will develop urinary calculi. What my goat vet told me was that you can band them at whatever time works for you. She has done as young as 3 days. The two biggest factors in getting UC are genetics and diet. This is backed by research. You can't do anything about genetics and banding early won't make any difference. It's important for goats to have a balanced and animal appropriate diet.

The calciumhosphorus ratio is especially important for wethers. I'd say that probably the most common mistake with wether owners is that they give too much grain. A wether doesn't really need grain so it should only be a treat if given at all.

I will definitely look at having him banded. Can always get her some stud service later If we want to breed her. Idk our future plans. Maybe babies. Maybe no babies.

 

[cassie]

Oh my. The guy told me 7 months old at the minimum. This is why I like getting goat advice from others.

Should I take his manhood and let them be besties? Since they are half siblings? Idk how inbreeding works with goats.

Inbreeding works in goats the same way it works in everything else. By the way, the only reason to keep your buckling a buck would be if he was sire material. He isn't. Besides, bucks get, er, rather interesting, as they mature. They smell. They rub their scent on everything they can, including you. They pee on their heads. They spray. They try to mount and breed anything in sight. I once had a pygmy buck try to breed a Jersey cow. They are raunchy and they do not make good pets. Castrated bucks (wethers) are great.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Inbreeding works in goats the same way it works in everything else. By the way, the only reason to keep your buckling a buck would be if he was sire material. He isn't. Besides, bucks get, er, rather interesting, as they mature. They smell. They rub their scent on everything they can, including you. They pee on their heads. They spray. They try to mount and breed anything in sight. I once had a pygmy buck try to breed a Jersey cow. They are raunchy and they do not make good pets. Castrated bucks (wethers) are great.

I’ve had bucks try to breed our mini boar, and the mini boar try to breed the does

Though in birds it doesn’t mess things up like it can in mammals. I’m not saying it can’t produce good animals (we’ve even had accident kids that were inbred that where just fine but some have also had problems). The only reason you’d want to inbreed mammals is to express the recessive genes in the animals being produced.

 

[ElfenLied89]

Inbreeding works in goats the same way it works in everything else. By the way, the only reason to keep your buckling a buck would be if he was sire material. He isn't. Besides, bucks get, er, rather interesting, as they mature. They smell. They rub their scent on everything they can, including you. They pee on their heads. They spray. They try to mount and breed anything in sight. I once had a pygmy buck try to breed a Jersey cow. They are raunchy and they do not make good pets. Castrated bucks (wethers) are great.

We plan to band him in a couple weeks. I definitely don't want pee pee beards. Lol. Ew.