Goat Thread!

[mumagoat]

Hi, I'm new to owning goats so u need a basic 101 run down on caring for goats please. We have just received 3 miniature x pgymy does that needed to be rehomed. The goats seem to always be hungry. We have x 2, approx 12month old does (X1 is pregnant and due any day and X1 had a baby about 4 weeks ago) & 4 week old doe. How much should I be feeding them? Also the 4 week olds horns have started to grow. Is it too late to get her horns removed?

 

[waddles99]

Hi, I'm new to owning goats so u need a basic 101 run down on caring for goats please. We have just received 3 miniature x pgymy does that needed to be rehomed. The goats seem to always be hungry. We have x 2, approx 12month old does (X1 is pregnant and due any day and X1 had a baby about 4 weeks ago) & 4 week old doe. How much should I be feeding them? Also the 4 week olds horns have started to grow. Is it too late to get her horns removed?

Okay....well I'll try to make this short, someone else can add something if I missed something. Basically, goats always need forage avaliable 24/7, that could be why they seem hungry. Forage could be provided in hay or pasture. Feed grain 2x daily, make sure they each get their allotted amount and aren't eating others feed. If they are pregnant or lactating they will need a different ration than a dry doe or wether. Provide minerals and baking soda out 24/7 for them too. Minerals can be loose or in a block. Use secure fencing, 2x4 or 4x4 gaps in fence. Use strong posts.

Yes, they are too old to be dehorned.

 

[cassie]

Okay....well I'll try to make this short, someone else can add something if I missed something. Basically, goats always need forage avaliable 24/7, that could be why they seem hungry. Forage could be provided in hay or pasture. Feed grain 2x daily, make sure they each get their allotted amount and aren't eating others feed. If they are pregnant or lactating they will need a different ration than a dry doe or wether. Provide minerals and baking soda out 24/7 for them too. Minerals can be loose or in a block. Use secure fencing, 2x4 or 4x4 gaps in fence. Use strong posts.

Yes, they are too old to be dehorned.

No they are not too old to be dehorned. We have taken the horns off fully grown goats with minimal problems, but this is not a job for the faint of heart and you have to know what you are doing. They may or may not be too old to be disbudded. It depends on the size of the horns. If they are small enough they can be clipped off and then burned with an electric dehorner in the usual way. If you don't want horns, you will need to take the goat to the vet unless you can find a goat breeder nearby who can help you. This needs to be done sooner rather than later because the longer you wait the bigger the horns get and the harder it is to remove them and the harder it is on the goat. Your goats need to be vaccinated for entertoxemia and tetanus. Get a vial of CD/T from the feed store or livestock supply ans follow the directions on the label..

 

[waddles99]

No they are not too old to be dehorned. We have taken the horns off fully grown goats with minimal problems, but this is not a job for the faint of heart and you have to know what you are doing. They may or may not be too old to be disbudded. It depends on the size of the horns. If they are small enough they can be clipped off and then burned with an electric dehorner in the usual way. If you don't want horns, you will need to take the goat to the vet unless you can find a goat breeder nearby who can help you. This needs to be done sooner rather than later because the longer you wait the bigger the horns get and the harder it is to remove them and the harder it is on the goat. Your goats need to be vaccinated for entertoxemia and tetanus. Get a vial of CD/T from the feed store or livestock supply ans follow the directions on the label..

Oh...I have always heard of people losing goats to blood loss cutting the artery that runs up through the horn.

 

[mumagoat]

Thanks so much for all the info. What is CD/T?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oh...I have always heard of people losing goats to blood loss cutting the artery that runs up through the horn. 

We used to have our cows dehorned by a guy with a saw and a pliers. Cow have horns similar to goats in that there's a living center core and you can't just cut them off.

The guy would saw the horn close to the head taking a bit of skull tissue with it. It leaves a open hole that is drained through the sinus cavity. There's are arteries and veins that are than grasp with the pliers and pulled so they break off in the head, blood stop is applied and it takes weeks for the holes to heal up.

The same process can be used on goats but goats don't tolerate pain like cows do and can often die from the shock of it if they aren't anesthetized. So for goats a vet should always be involved.

We have successfully removed horn from adult goats using castration bands, but I don't think any dehorning is good on the goat no matter how it's done.

 

[waddles99]

We used to have our cows dehorned by a guy with a saw and a pliers. Cow have horns similar to goats in that there's a living center core and you can't just cut them off.

The guy would saw the horn close to the head taking a bit of skull tissue with it. It leaves a open hole that is drained through the sinus cavity. There's are arteries and veins that are than grasp with the pliers and pulled so they break off in the head, blood stop is applied and it takes weeks for the holes to heal up.

The same process can be used on goats but goats don't tolerate pain like cows do and can often die from the shock of it if they aren't anesthetized. So for goats a vet should always be involved.

We have successfully removed horn from adult goats using castration bands, but I don't think any dehorning is good on the goat no matter how it's done.

I dont know anything about dehorning. I have just heard horror stories about dehorning after the horns start growing. I used to have a couple goats dehorned as kids, that was it. Ever since that, I only want to own horned goats. I like the horns, they look good, besides, no matter what age its still a painful process.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I dont know anything about dehorning. I have just heard horror stories about dehorning after the horns start growing. I used to have a couple goats dehorned as kids, that was it. Ever since that, I only want to own horned goats. I like the horns, they look good, besides, no matter what age its still a painful process. 

I totally agree.

 

[cassie]

It depends on your fencing and your management. In my dairy horns were not acceptable. I showed a lot and horned dairy goats cannot be shown. In addition, horned goats could not easily get their heads in and out of the stanchions and feeders. Not infrequently they would get their horns caught in the fences. If those goats were not discovered promptly they would die. If you are set up for horns and like them, there is no reason to take them off. Just make sure your fencing is such that they can't get their heads caught. I don't know how many times when I was driving on back roads I would see horned pastured goats with their heads caught in the fence. I would always stop and free them.

 

[henny1129]

Hi, I'm new to owning goats so u need a basic 101 run down on caring for goats please. We have just received 3 miniature x pgymy does that needed to be rehomed. The goats seem to always be hungry. We have x 2, approx 12month old does (X1 is pregnant and due any day and X1 had a baby about 4 weeks ago) & 4 week old doe. How much should I be feeding them? Also the 4 week olds horns have started to grow. Is it too late to get her horns removed?

Hello! You've been given great advice so far, so there's no need for me to butt in and say something that's already been covered again.

As far as horns, it's really what you prefer. There's pros and cons whether you dehorn and whether you keep the horns, so that's something you have to think about....