Hi I just got a 3 week old mini goat to have as a pet. I'm don't know much about goats but have been doing tons of research but it gets confusing so I figured it best to ask actual goat owner's. Here are my questions :
1) what age should I get him vaccinated and which ones does he need?
2) when can I safely wean him from the bottle to feed?
3) ** most important ** he seems to have dry skin. He has little hard bumps and or scabs in his ears, head, neck and by his mouth. It seems to be getting worse. What is it and what do I do to cure it?
4) where and when do I get him nurtured?
I live in the city and none of the feed stores seem to know anything about goats. They even sold me the wrong nipples.
thank you for you help
If he is your only goat,
then you will need to get a second goat. Goats are herd animals, they do very poorly when kept alone. Being kept alone causes significant stress, which in turn, leads to illness. Two goats do not cost much more than one. And trust me, he will scream your ear off when he is lonely for a herdmate. You and all your neighbors will know, actually, because they can be very shrill when herd calling. You will not be providing proper care if you leave him alone. In fact, it was very irresponsible of the breeder to sell a single goat.
1) He can be vaccinated now. Especially because any passive immunity he inherited from his mother will wan the longer he is not on her milk. Most people just do the CDT vaccine. It is given to the goat, then followed up a few weeks later with a booster. It covers Clostridium perfringenstypes C and D, and tetanus. That is the most basic coverage for a goat. There are other vaccines out there, like Covexin 8, but most of those diseases are sheep based, they can affect goats, but do not do so often.
2) Do not wean before eight weeks. That is the earliest. Twelve weeks is best. It takes bottle kids a lot longer to learn how to eat hay, drink water, and nibble grain and loose minerals. Never put water in a bottle. That leads hemoglobinuria: blood in the urine due to water toxicity, and it can be fatal. Just make sure fresh water is available at all times, eventually he will learn to take sips.
3) Google "goat with sore mouth". Does it look like that?
Sore mouth usually just infects the area of the lips and mouth, but can also infect other parts of the goat. When in doubt, consult a livestock veterinarian.
4) Neutering a goat is called wethering. Since he is your first goat and you don't have that experience, a vet would be your best option. They can band, surgically remove the testes, or use a burdizzo which crushes the spermatic cord. As to when, most people recommend letting them go at least eight weeks before altering. The extra testosterone allows their urethra to develop better, leading to reduced problems with stones. That is not enough time for them to develop any permanent 'bucky' habits.
