getting my goats on saturday, what do i need to have?

[NewChickenMom]

i'm getting two nannies on saturday. one is due to kid very soon and the other not till spring. i already have an outside temp. pen built and i have a pen inside for nighttime.

what else do i need to get? (i have good quality hay)

want to have everything ready for my girls. also, any advice on kidding? and milking?

 

[helmstead]

Congrats

I know you're going to have a blast with those babies!

I suggest:

good quality medicated (Decoxx, Rumensin) goat pelleted feed like Purina Noble Goat, 16% or greater

alfalfa pellets (I feed free choice to preggers and nursing does)

loose goat minerals (again, free choice)

Check out www.fiascofarm.com for what you'll need to have on hand for kiddings, and some crash courses on birthing.

 

[NewChickenMom]

there are tons of supplements available at tsc:

calcium drench, nutri-drench, colostrum, milk replacer, probiotics, goat wormer pellets, mineral blocks, mineral licks...

what should i buy?? i am planning on getting the dumor goat feed, it says 1/2 pound for a normal goat, adjust for kids and lactating does. i'm guessing creep feed the babies? and maybe a pound for nannies?

they also have alfalfa cubes, but not pellets. will those work?

 

[PeeperKeeper]

Years ago I had a herd of twenty. My reccomendation of things you need? A GOOD FENCE!

 

[helmstead]

Quote:
The medicine cabinet list is too long to get into...check fiasco's site for a list of things needed.

Don't bother with mineral blocks/licks. They are useless to goats. Get LOOSE minerals, they come in a bag labeled "Goat Minerals".

I dislike dumor feeds very, very much...but if you must buy it be SURE it isn't the one labeled for sheep and goats.

You're getting Pygmies or Nigerians, right? If so, mine get 1 cup twice a day of the goat pellets. Pregnant and nursing does get all the alfalfa pellets they can eat (and, no, cubes won't work - they're too big for a goat to eat). Yup, we creep feed the babies (actually we add 1/2 cup of feed to the doe's bowl per kid, they share out of the bowl.

 

[Blondie]

Ity is easy to overdose on goat feed/pellets. MORE IS NOT BETTER! (I learned the hard way.)

Have fun with your goats. Mine have always kidded very early in the morning. I go out there and cute little kids are snuggled in the barn, or nursing their nannies.

Please keep baking soda out free-choice. It acts like tums or rolaids and they lick it when they need it.

 

[ksacres]

Peeperkeeper is right-a good fence is your primary goal!

We have free choice loose minerals, baking soda, grass hay, and a salt block-the girls LOVE their salt block and will lay by it licking-but you also need to have loose minerals or what I call a "crumbly" block that is easy to chew pieces off of.

We do not feed medicated anything-you will find there are many schools of thought on that- but we feel, unless they are actually sick, they don't need medication. You don't take penicillin unless you have an infection-right?

We start graining the girls about a month before they kid. GRADUALLY increase the amount of grain starting with just a taste and working up to about a pound to a pound and a half per goat per day until kidding. Then you adjust up or down by the goats body condition. This is for full size goats, I don't know exactly what size your girls are.

We use a custom goat grain from the mill- 15% protein. Most "goat" feeds are 14-16% protein, you will want to stay in that range. We feed alfalfa hay twice daily to lactating animals and kids.

ETA:
I have a LOT of stuff in my medicine bag. The only things I have ever used are iodine and nutri-drench.

 

[Chatychick]

I would try to get the type of feed the previous ower has. Its so much easier than trying to swotch them. Ask what they use and try to get it, if not ask if they would let you ahve some and mix it or change the feed slowly to what you can get for them. I feed mine goat chow, alfalfa pellets, and whole oats. the only corn is in the goats chow. I dont give mine mineral block they get loose minerals. Mine do get a slat block and they love it. thats the only block I have for mine. I feed once a day right now but will be moving to 2 feedings when kidding starts. Mine love alfalfa pellets and its less waste than hay. Pregnant goats need the extra calcium especially if you plan on milking...A draft free shed or barn and a separate stall for the doe that will kid soon for her to bond with the babies but where they can see each other...the larger does as they dont like being alone.
I have pens for when mine start kidding to give them time with their babies for about 2 days and it does help if you plan on milking also. Good luck and I love babies...mine start up in Feb...I cant wait...

 

[NewChickenMom]

well, went to tsc today to get my supplies ready. i bought goat feed, probios for ruminants and goat dewormer pellets. i tried to find loose goat minerals, but they dont have them!! they have loose sheep minerals, loose range minerals and loose horse mineral. they had goat mineral licks, goat mineral crumble blocks and hard goat mineral blocks, which should i get??

also, i finished my inside pen for the girls. i have two buckets, one for grain, one for water. i plan on using a hay bag for their hay. i have the baby monitor all set up as well. i'm hoping i get everything set up well.

its supposed to be really cold after i get my girls, like highs of 10-20 degrees and lows of 0-5 degrees. should i just leave them in their stall all day? what temps can they go out in?

 

[helmstead]

Those dewormer pellets are practically useless - their active ingredient is now ineffective in our area. You might want to check with a local vet to see if it still works in your area.

I guess the crumble block - you can probably crush it up for them.

With two goats, I would do two feed pans. This way they won't fight, and when there are babies, they can share with mom.

With it that cold, I highly recommend a heat lamp or two in your barn. The adults will be fine given the choice to go out or stay in. You don't want them kidding outside in that cold though. Lock them up when they're close...