Help, new to goats and have lots of questions

[CELESTE21]

Ive been wanting goats for a long time, i have researched some and know they need a good diet, shelter and STRONG fence and love, Sunday we came across a goat and brought him home seems to be doing good. i went to feed store hopeing they could tell me what all i needed i thought feed, some kind of hay minerals and dewormer but they sent me home with sweet feed only. so first question is sweat feed enough?
also i think he his 3-4 months old i want him neutered is he too old for banding?
i thougjt i wanted him dehorned but after internet search im scared to do that, what do yall think?
im also planing on getting another goat asap for company. my goat follows my chickens around and when he gets up where they roost they run away like he has the plege its so sad. If he is neutered does it matter if i get another male or would a female be better?

Thanks celeste

 

[gatorshark75]

Ive been wanting goats for a long time, i have researched some and know they need a good diet, shelter and STRONG fence and love, Sunday we came across a goat and brought him home seems to be doing good. i went to feed store hopeing they could tell me what all i needed i thought feed, some kind of hay minerals and dewormer but they sent me home with sweet feed only. so first question is sweat feed enough?
also i think he his 3-4 months old i want him neutered is he too old for banding?
i thougjt i wanted him dehorned but after internet search im scared to do that, what do yall think?
im also planing on getting another goat asap for company. my goat follows my chickens around and when he gets up where they roost they run away like he has the plege its so sad. If he is neutered does it matter if i get another male or would a female be better?

Thanks celeste

only get him fixed if you plan to have him his entire life a fixed goat is no good for resale later unless they want to eat him and ive never had any of my goats dehorned i think its cruel i do currently own a dehorned doe but thats how she was when we rescued her and id get a female goat if he is fixed or not males sometimes dont get along but females are usually more tame and docile as far as feed goes i feed mine sweet feed and let them free range during the day and pen them up at night they fertilize the yard and eat alot of the stuff you dont want growing on your property and they love poison ivy and poison oak

 

[gatorshark75]

only get him fixed if you plan to have him his entire life a fixed goat is no good for resale later unless they want to eat him and ive never had any of my goats dehorned i think its cruel i do currently own a dehorned doe but thats how she was when we rescued her and id get a female goat if he is fixed or not males sometimes dont get along but females are usually more tame and docile as far as feed goes i feed mine sweet feed and let them free range during the day and pen them up at night they fertilize the yard and eat alot of the stuff you dont want growing on your property and they love poison ivy and poison oak

i for got to tell ya DONT LAT HIM EAT THE CHIOCKEN FEED its makes them constipated and a sopped up goat is not fun

 

[CELESTE21]

Thanks im glad you brought up chicken feed i forgot to ask that question lol. i have been feeding him and chickens in the same fenced yard he doesnt seem to want the chicken feed but i will start feeding them separate. Afer researching dehorning im with you, he will be keeping his horns. thanks

 

[gatorshark75]

Thanks im glad you brought up chicken feed i forgot to ask that question lol. i have been feeding him and chickens in the same fenced yard he doesnt seem to want the chicken feed but i will start feeding them separate. Afer researching dehorning im with you, he will be keeping his horns. thanks

they like being social with humans more then other goats ive found this out as a matter of fact im looking at a three week old goat right now hes in a dog cage next to my bed hes adorable but hes still on the bottle but its worth it

 

[Stacykins]

I'd really suggest heading over to backyard herds. At BYH, you will find a lot of folks who can help you out. There are some goat keepers here (like me), but I personally don't have the time to type up a very thorough answer to all your questions, but I will do some quick ones.

Ive been wanting goats for a long time, i have researched some and know they need a good diet, shelter and STRONG fence and love, Sunday we came across a goat and brought him home seems to be doing good. i went to feed store hopeing they could tell me what all i needed i thought feed, some kind of hay minerals and dewormer but they sent me home with sweet feed only. so first question is sweat feed enough?
also i think he his 3-4 months old i want him neutered is he too old for banding?
i thougjt i wanted him dehorned but after internet search im scared to do that, what do yall think?
im also planing on getting another goat asap for company. my goat follows my chickens around and when he gets up where they roost they run away like he has the plege its so sad. If he is neutered does it matter if i get another male or would a female be better?

Thanks celeste

He isn't too old to be wethered (this is the term for neutering a goat). You'd just need a larger sized bander, one that fit around his nards. And I DO recommend wethering him if he is to be a pet. Bucks are smelly, noisy, and only have one thing on their brains: breeding. Not something you want in a pet. I'd know, I keep two bucks. I love them, but they can get very annoying when they smell a girl in heat. If I wanted a pet, I wouldn't want an animal I can smell from 500 feet away, that rank buck stank.

Sweet feed is OK if he is used to it, and even then, only feed it sparingly. But he needs hay. Hay is essential for a healthy rumen, and it needs to be the bulk of his diet. Mineral, any general goat mineral is fine. If the mineral says it is for goats and sheep, don't use it, it won't have enough copper for a goat to be healthy. Goats needs copper at a level that kills sheep, so it is left out of the combo minerals. Feed a loose mineral, not a block. The blocks are almost all table salt (it holds the block together) and does not have enough of the other trace minerals. I keep the loose mineral in a pan attached to my barn/stall walls, where they can lick it up as needed.

He is too old for most dehorning techniques, most are done when they are less than a week old, two weeks tops. You could just stick some tennis balls on his horns to blunt the edges. Disbudding (removing a tiny kid's horn buds) isn't a fun process, but all dairy goat breeds cannot be shown in the US if they have horns. Also, if you've nearly been speared in the eye with a horn (like me), then you will think the 5-10 seconds of pain is worth it. My kids all get painkillers before I cauterize their horn buds, and they're back to Mom in a couple of minutes, acting like nothing happened. If you truly want his horns gone, you can band his horns. Google horn banding. I did it to the boer who nearly stabbed me in the eye (he hit my cheek because I flinched in time), and it was a long, terrible process that caused him a lot of pain.

Yes, do get another goat. If you want to him him intact (again, I do not recommend it for a pet), then do not get a female. Get another male. Keeping an intact buck with a female will lead to disaster for the female. He will breed her as soon as he can. Then when she gives birth, breed her immediately following birth. What you'll have is back to back cycles of pregnancy in which she cannot have time to recover (pregnancy is taxing on them). If you wether him, then feel free to get a female. Some breeders offer buck service, so you can have a female bred without needing to own an intact buck.

 

[CELESTE21]

Thanks everyone, I feel so releived to finally get good answers. YALL ARE GREAT

 

[H Diamond]

Stacykins gave you sound advice!
Some things to add to it... a goat with horns can be a dangerous thing. I am having a problem right now with a horned buck. The bucks get to fighting (like all bucks do... they like to be top dog) and the one with horns catches the leg of another buck between his horns. He's ended up with a swollen leg several times and I have no doubt almost broken it. They also get their heads stuck in the fence... ALOT. I also had a buck with horns not intentionally try, but caught me in the back of the leg... I was bruised for weeks. As you were told, yes it's too late for copnvetional methods, but their is the banding option. You could also take him to a GOOD vet. They can go in and scoop the horn out. It takes several weeks for the skin and everything to grow back, and changing the bandages is a bit of a process so consider that.
If I were you, I would just keep them trimmed back (you can trim a little off the tips with hoof trimmer) and yes tennis balls work great but on the ends of them.

As for multiple goats... yes they love people. But goats are herd animals, and if you only have one goat and socialize it completely with you.. when you have to leave for even a few hours (let alone all day) it's going to cause that goat undue stress. Just get your goat a friend. Wether (neuter him.. either by banding or have a vet do it) your guy, and either get another wether or a doe for him. Keeping an intact buck and doe together is very unresponsible.

A little sweet feed is ok, but he doesn't need much. He needs hay. I've never met a wether who didn't get along on just good hay alone. They have little calorie needs since they aren't doing anything, lol. My bucks don't even get grain except for a little during breeding season. Too much grain for your guy can cause urinary calculi (kidney stones). These get stuck in the their urinary tract (usually at the end) and can eventually lead to death if not treated. So... go get hay! Good quality grass hay is the best for him.

If you have any questions, please feel free to message me !

 

[cassie]

only get him fixed if you plan to have him his entire life a fixed goat is no good for resale later unless they want to eat him and ive never had any of my goats dehorned i think its cruel i do currently own a dehorned doe but thats how she was when we rescued her and id get a female goat if he is fixed or not males sometimes dont get along but females are usually more tame and docile as far as feed goes i feed mine sweet feed and let them free range during the day and pen them up at night they fertilize the yard and eat alot of the stuff you dont want growing on your property and they love poison ivy and poison oak

You are advising someone to keep an intact buck as a pet? Good grief!! Adult bucks smell, they pee on their heads, they blubber, and they have other not so nice habits. The only thing an intact buck is good for is a breeding animal. Unless he has superior genetics he should be castrated. A wether can be used for a number of things. He can be a pack goat, a pet, a companion for a horse, or a brush eater. He can even end up as someone's dinner and that is not a bad thing. I disbudded and dehorned all my goats. Why? Because in my situation horns were difficult to manage. Horned heads would not fit in my feeders or stanchions. Horned heads would also get caught in woven wire fences, and in the hot the hot summer days if the goat is not found quickly and released it will die. Plus I showed my dairy goats, and horns in the show ring are a disqualification.

 

[Crazyland]

Not all bucks are nasty smelly boys. Mine actually are very pleasant even in rut! I have so many compliments on how they don't smell! I have a wether, bucks and does plus their kids.
I would discourage anyone to feed their herd a sweet feed. A good quality hay or forage, and loose minerals. Mine rarely get grain, I buy Bartlett goat. They also get black oil sunflower seeds and shredded beet pulp in the winter. Alfalfa pellets in the winter as well.
We need extra selenium. I have to copper bolus twice a year. I have never needed probios or baking soda but I know some who have to in their herd.