I found a Togg buckling :) Baby goat questions.

[RockyToggRanch]

I've had a hard time finding a togg buck to breed my girls to. I always said I didn't want a buck, but what the heck. He's 10 days old and absolutely beautiful. I pick him up on Friday.



Now for the questions.
Can he live with the does or does he need his own room until he's bigger?
Can I feed him the milk I have in the freezer from last summer/fall?
Will he be old enough to breed my girls this fall?
Any helpful hints?
I know...Fiasco farms website.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I don't have the answer for you, but he is really cute. Got to love goats!!!!!!!!

 

[Chatychick]

Yes to all of the questions untill he is 3 mths old and then you will probably need a separate pen for him. Most that size take 20 oz feeding at least 2 to 3 times a day...Nice boy..

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Well the baby is home. He took his first bottle pretty well. His second was like a mad man and by the third bottle I was careful not to lose my whole arm. From what I read, he should be getting 12-15 oz 3 times a day. He's 21 days old. He got three bottles yesterday, 16 oz each. Today he got his 7am bottle and by 11am acted starved again, so I gave him another 16 oz. I think I need to go to 4 times a day. He doesn't have much interest in grain, eats teeny bits of hay and loves tasting everything in the yard. I have not seen him drink water yet.

Should I do 16 oz 4 times a day or increase the amount and stick to 3 times a day?

And he's awsome

 

[cassie]

When I had my dairy, the kids got two 20 oz bottles of milk a day. Period. I offered good alfalfa hay and calf starter grain free choice. Make SURE he has his CD/T shots.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Yes, he did get the cd/t shots on Wednesday when he was disbudded.

So is the caprine mix not a good grain to offer him?

Can he get too much milk? He's only 3 weeks old.

 

[username taken]

Yes he can get too much milk, it can cause scours and will delay him eating solids. Basically to tell if he's getting enough milk, you need to watch how his flanks fill out. If they are still hollow after a feed he needs more, if they are round and bulging he is getting too much. You want them to be flat or just a tiny bit round after a feed. Bottle kids will ALWAYS act like they are starving and want more.

You need a grain mix that is 18 - 20% protein. If the caprine mix is that, then it is fine to use (but I suspect its protein level will be much much lower)

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Oh..thank you. Okay at the risk of sounding stupid....what's a flank?
Remember, I'm new at this.

sorry..feeling dumb

 

[username taken]

not stupid at all ... the flank is the soft part of his side behind his ribs ... you feel along the ribs which are hard then keep feeling backwards and you will feel kindof a 'hole' where all his intestines are inside. Basically, when you feed him, you want to look from the top of the goat and see those soft sides behind the ribs go flat and about equal to the ribs, not bulging out or sunken in.

I'd go out and get a photo now but mum just left with the camera ... I'll see what I have in my old photos to see if I can show you what I mean.

 

[username taken]

This isnt exactly what I had in mind, but the flank is where the lambs tail is pointing, basically, where the tip of the tail is

These lambs are nicely filled in the flank, neither hungry nor too full

This is a bit extreme and obviously something else wrong with this lamb, but see the hollow in front of his hind leg? He's hungry