Getting Goat kids

Duckfarmer1 · Feb 25, 2020

chickens really said:
My friend wanted to bring Tori and Bo this week but I can't because Fancy jumps out in two seconds. I'm hoping they can wait longer because I'm not bringing in two more to complicate my life!

So, does that mean you’re not getting them at all? Or are you just waiting until you get your fence built higher?

Duckfarmer1 · Feb 25, 2020

Yesterday we took the two new goats on a nice walk. We found a green patch of grass because Chris had moved some pallets that had been there for awhile. They were soooo excited! They chowed like crazy! We moved them along after 10 minutes since they need to get their rumens ready for spring grass. I think I’ll trie them over there today and let them eat about 30 minutes. We get snow tomorrow, so, it’ll be gone again.

. Boy those girls love their walks! We can drop the leashes now and they don’t go anywhere. The baby, can you believe we still don’t have any names for these, or the goat kids yet?! Ugh. Anyways, the baby likes to chase the bulldog...plus, she jumps on the back of my potbelly pig. It’s a riot to see that! :love

chickens really · Feb 25, 2020

Duckfarmer1 said:
So, does that mean you’re not getting them at all? Or are you just waiting until you get your fence built higher?

Just waiting till my fence is built up higher. I can't wait to get the other two though.

littledog · Feb 25, 2020

Hi everybody - I have a million questions about goats. We want to get some, but it probably won't be until next year since we have lots of projects to get squared away first...finish the bigger chicken pen and bigger coop, some gates and things for the garden, and then put up fencing and finish the shelter that will be for the goats.

Sorry this is going to be really long - thanks for bearing with me, because I need lots of help. Trying to do the right thing and find out all we can before we take the goat plunge!

First, what breed to get?
We don't want to milk or breed them to start with, though that might change when we both retire (6-12 years from now) we just want pets for now while we learn, goats who can help keep our blackberries under control - an ongoing issue in Western Washington. I was wanting a bigger breed like Alpines who could learn to carry packs or pull a cart, but my partner prefers small ones, so I'm willing to go along with that, especially after reading from you folks how even the small ones can be hard to contain. So I think we're going to go with Nigerians, unless some of you could suggest other smallish breeds that would work for us. I have a hankering for Angoras or small Angora crosses or some other small fiber goat. At this point, I know nothing about fiber arts, but I love DIY and crafting and would love to learn and eventually make it a retirement pastime. I know "Nigoras" and "Pygoras" exist, but where to find them?

Where to get them?
There are several reputable breeders around here who test their herds for CAE/CL/Johnes and whose herds are registered, but those tend to be expensive. Still, some of those breeders sell non-show-quality wether kids for hobbyist prices. I would definitely want to look at their vet records if we went that route. There are also goat rescues nearby who have apparently done all the vetting, their adoption fees are less expensive, but their goats tend to be older. There are also random sellers on Craigslist. I think we should avoid those, unless they link to a reputable breeder's site.

How old ?
My partner wants young goats who will bond with us, but he's also pretty cheap, LOL. How long do goats live, in general? I get a lot of conflicting information on different websites. Say we got a five-year-old goat, healthy and friendly, from a rescue, would you goat peeps consider that old, youngish or middle-aged? Do the different-sized breeds have different lifespans, like dogs? We definitely don't have time for bottle babies currently, they need to be weaned and eating hay.

How much space do they need?
Once again, different websites are telling me conflicting things. One says they need an inside shelter of 20 ft-sq per goat plus only 30 ft-sq per goat for outside pasture, which seems very small. Another site says they need outside pasture of one acre per goat?! Holy Toledo. The inside shelter seems legit, so an 8' x8' stall with a hay rack and water half-barrel seems a good size for 2-3 goats, which is our tentative plan for their shed. Our tentative plan for their pasture is about 60' x 100', fenced in by woven-wire 4' horse fence with wooden posts on the corners as well as every 32 feet, and metal T-posts every 8 feet in between the wooden ones. With an electric Hotwire above on the inside, and possibly another low down on the outside to deter predators. Which, one again, seems like overkill according to some websites, and an invitation to our goats escaping on to the road and getting run over, according to other websites.
Within this 60' by 100' field, we intend to divide it off in various ways so as to rotate the pasture, either with an electric netting fence that can be moved around, or getting creative with regular electric fencing and temporary T-posts.

My primary concern is keeping them contained. We live on two acres adjacent to a river, wilderness area and neighborhood trail, but part of our property is within the city limits of a small town. The town ordinances specify that any animal over 300 pounds needs at least 1 acre per individual animal. Animals under 300 lbs (like goats and chickens) are allowed, as long as their shelter is 10 feet from the neighbor's property line and any complaints from neighbors will be treated on an individual basis. So though we have a decent amount of land to keep goats and our city allows it, any goat who escapes, especially if they end up on the road or in some suburban neighbor's flower garden, will ruin it for us, as well as for our other neighbors who keep livestock on nearby small acreages.

What should they eat?
Wow, there's so much conflicting information between different websites, people at the feed store, people who care for goats. They need alfalfa, they should never eat alfalfa. Milking or pregnant does need alfalfa, wethers who eat alfalfa will get bladder stones due to too much calcium. They should all get free-choice local grass hay, 3-4 pounds each per day, plus free-choice loose goat minerals and baking soda. A goat-mineral salt-block is necessary, or maybe harmful. Different mixtures of grains are either necessary or harmful.

Our future plan at this point is to feed them local grass hay once per day, along with the browsing shrubs in their paddock, plus maybe a handful of grain or treats per day just to encourage them to like us, plus a feeder with goat mineral salt block mixed with baking soda.

Lots of other questions, but this is already too long.
Please, all of you goat folks, feel free with your opinions about fences, feeding, breeds, pretty much everything you can advise me about caring for goats. I need valuable, experienced advice from you before I get goats.

Any websites you recommend? Too many conflict with each other.
Love all of your posts, whether they're from experience or from learning - thank you.

chickens really · Feb 25, 2020

@littledog
How exciting..I just jumped into goats so I'm not experienced although I've been learning a lot daily about them.
I hope you find all the information you are seeking and enjoy your Goats as much as I do..

Duckfarmer1 · Feb 25, 2020

littledog said:
Hi everybody - I have a million questions about goats. We want to get some, but it probably won't be until next year since we have lots of projects to get squared away first...finish the bigger chicken pen and bigger coop, some gates and things for the garden, and then put up fencing and finish the shelter that will be for the goats.

Sorry this is going to be really long - thanks for bearing with me, because I need lots of help. Trying to do the right thing and find out all we can before we take the goat plunge!

First, what breed to get?
We don't want to milk or breed them to start with, though that might change when we both retire (6-12 years from now) we just want pets for now while we learn, goats who can help keep our blackberries under control - an ongoing issue in Western Washington. I was wanting a bigger breed like Alpines who could learn to carry packs or pull a cart, but my partner prefers small ones, so I'm willing to go along with that, especially after reading from you folks how even the small ones can be hard to contain. So I think we're going to go with Nigerians, unless some of you could suggest other smallish breeds that would work for us. I have a hankering for Angoras or small Angora crosses or some other small fiber goat. At this point, I know nothing about fiber arts, but I love DIY and crafting and would love to learn and eventually make it a retirement pastime. I know "Nigoras" and "Pygoras" exist, but where to find them?

Where to get them?
There are several reputable breeders around here who test their herds for CAE/CL/Johnes and whose herds are registered, but those tend to be expensive. Still, some of those breeders sell non-show-quality wether kids for hobbyist prices. I would definitely want to look at their vet records if we went that route. There are also goat rescues nearby who have apparently done all the vetting, their adoption fees are less expensive, but their goats tend to be older. There are also random sellers on Craigslist. I think we should avoid those, unless they link to a reputable breeder's site.

How old ?
My partner wants young goats who will bond with us, but he's also pretty cheap, LOL. How long do goats live, in general? I get a lot of conflicting information on different websites. Say we got a five-year-old goat, healthy and friendly, from a rescue, would you goat peeps consider that old, youngish or middle-aged? Do the different-sized breeds have different lifespans, like dogs? We definitely don't have time for bottle babies currently, they need to be weaned and eating hay.

How much space do they need?
Once again, different websites are telling me conflicting things. One says they need an inside shelter of 20 ft-sq per goat plus only 30 ft-sq per goat for outside pasture, which seems very small. Another site says they need outside pasture of one acre per goat?! Holy Toledo. The inside shelter seems legit, so an 8' x8' stall with a hay rack and water half-barrel seems a good size for 2-3 goats, which is our tentative plan for their shed. Our tentative plan for their pasture is about 60' x 100', fenced in by woven-wire 4' horse fence with wooden posts on the corners as well as every 32 feet, and metal T-posts every 8 feet in between the wooden ones. With an electric Hotwire above on the inside, and possibly another low down on the outside to deter predators. Which, one again, seems like overkill according to some websites, and an invitation to our goats escaping on to the road and getting run over, according to other websites.
Within this 60' by 100' field, we intend to divide it off in various ways so as to rotate the pasture, either with an electric netting fence that can be moved around, or getting creative with regular electric fencing and temporary T-posts.

My primary concern is keeping them contained. We live on two acres adjacent to a river, wilderness area and neighborhood trail, but part of our property is within the city limits of a small town. The town ordinances specify that any animal over 300 pounds needs at least 1 acre per individual animal. Animals under 300 lbs (like goats and chickens) are allowed, as long as their shelter is 10 feet from the neighbor's property line and any complaints from neighbors will be treated on an individual basis. So though we have a decent amount of land to keep goats and our city allows it, any goat who escapes, especially if they end up on the road or in some suburban neighbor's flower garden, will ruin it for us, as well as for our other neighbors who keep livestock on nearby small acreages.

What should they eat?
Wow, there's so much conflicting information between different websites, people at the feed store, people who care for goats. They need alfalfa, they should never eat alfalfa. Milking or pregnant does need alfalfa, wethers who eat alfalfa will get bladder stones due to too much calcium. They should all get free-choice local grass hay, 3-4 pounds each per day, plus free-choice loose goat minerals and baking soda. A goat-mineral salt-block is necessary, or maybe harmful. Different mixtures of grains are either necessary or harmful.

Our future plan at this point is to feed them local grass hay once per day, along with the browsing shrubs in their paddock, plus maybe a handful of grain or treats per day just to encourage them to like us, plus a feeder with goat mineral salt block mixed with baking soda.

Lots of other questions, but this is already too long.
Please, all of you goat folks, feel free with your opinions about fences, feeding, breeds, pretty much everything you can advise me about caring for goats. I need valuable, experienced advice from you before I get goats.

Any websites you recommend? Too many conflict with each other.
Love all of your posts, whether they're from experience or from learning - thank you.

Ok, lots of questions, that great! You can never be too educated about goats! They are very complex! Ok, they hay needs to be available at all times. Period. Alfalfa is not really availa around here, I buy it some, but they mostly get get mixed grasses and alfalfa pellets. Grain is what you need to be careful of for a wether. As for the anount of feed, each goat is different. I asked a million people when I first got goats, how much grain/feed to give...they all said each goat is different. Go off the body scale. You can google that and see the difference in sizes..3-4 is ideal body condition. They need more grain in the winter months to help them keep up with the temps. Goats very fast metabolisms. I mix my own grain...you can get into that once you have your feet wet with the goats, but they will love it and never go back to plain pellets! Sweet feed is a great way to get them to know you, or get them on the goat stand for hoove trimming, or shots. My goats liked alfalfa cubes at first, but I bought a 50 lb bag...put them in a tote, they still got stale. Now they won’t touch them! Goats are very picky and dramatic...but the best ever!!

.
I have Nigerian dwarfs, Pygmy and Nigerian mixed with plainer goat. A loner goat is also know as the Batman goat...ears that stick out like an airplane. She’s adorable and makes beautiful kids. But she’s much bigger than an ND and could definitely pull a cart for you. I do not have registered goats. In my opinion, if you’re not planning to breed, or show, you are paying a lot extra for papers. I have gorgeous goats that are fantastic pets. I breed them and get good money for them....but, I’m choosing not to sell, however, I’ve been offered money by two different farmers. A five year old goat is middle aged. They can breed until ten or so? Depending on the goat. I would recommend a younger goat for the bonding factor...however..I bought my first two goats from a bad farmer who gave them no human contact. They are now great pets! It just took a lot of work to get them there. Farming is now my life. The barn size sounds great. They don’t need to be penned up alone to sleep...that’s a personal choice. During kidding it’s a must. But my goats like to snuggle. Your pasture size sounds good too, and how you plan to rotate it is great! We do that to, although, now our goats are free range, but at night we pen them up, and the area is rotated. How many goats do you plan to get? As for minerals...I would recommend to stay away from a block. It can hurt their toungue and gums. TS sells an excellent mineral in the cattle section called Wind and Rain. Also, if you go on the internet, and google.....Average concentrations of elements in.....your county...it will show your county in your state. It will list your minerals and what you lack. This way you can get a better idea of what they might be deficient on. There is wayyyy more to minerals. I can explain more when you’re ready. Don’t ever deworm as a preventative. Test first.

i will tell you now...from months of hardcore....worrying and ridicule...thegoatspot is not a forum I’d recommend. They are harsh. I belong to BYH, this sister site. It’s excellent!! No judgement, and tons of goat farmers...professionals., and as pets.

you don’t necessarily need to buy a goat from a regular breeder to get a healthy, tested, good goat. I’ve bought goats off the net, from people who just started breeding...with clean health records.

once you get the goats, you can give the shots and do hoove trimming yourself. You can even take blood. It’s not hard, and there are a ton of great YouTube videos to walk you through blood work. As for shots...no problem. Hooves are only tricky the first few times, until you get to know your goats.

there are a ton of printable recor keeping documents on the internet. When you get closer, I’ll give you the sites. Hang a calendar in the barn, document everything.

goats are a very tricky animal..and i would not recommend them to someone that just wants them as a ‘weed eater’...that’s clearly not you!

They are sooo worth every bit of reading, and ounce of work that you put into them!!
keep us posted!

these are a bunch of my goats, and goat kids. The big one with the ears out to the side is my 1/2 ND 1/2 planer....she’s about 75lbs...and her kids have the big ears too...I just love those ears!

oh, the guy holding the Pygmy kids is my son!