I got Goats!! **Updated with pics!!**

[Chatychick]

I mix mine feed ...I give a mix of goat feed and oats and alfalfa pellets. The cubes you will have to bust up as they are too big for them. also if you feed your chickens layer feed they goats will get sick from it...I dont feed mine corn as its very fattening and not good for them. Some people just feed corn and oats but its not very good to feed them. I use whole oats and mine love it and it does help. Rolled or crimped oats dont seem to impress mine. My goats love to go for walks and browse for weeds and leaves.
They go out for a walk in the mornings and then after their nap they like to hang in the yard and some stroll down to eat some more.
The grandkids left this afternoon so will try to get pictures tomorrow.

 

[silverfilly]

Here are some pics, The first 3 pics are of the one that someone at the auction said was a boar/pygmie cross, he was there buying a bunch of goats, I took 3 of her becouse I was woundering if you could tell if she is pg or if she is just stocky the last pic is the mini mancha, the same guy said she was a boar/LaMancha but she is barly bigger then the other one so she has some pygmie or nigirian there somewhere, what do you all think?

I love the ears on this doe, how the tips point up, its soo cute

 

[PotterWatch]

I don't know enough about goat breeds to say, but they sure are cute! They look like they have boer color pattern, but I really don't know.

 

[zatsdeb]

goats need hay, roughage, sticks, weeds, etc..
alfalfa cubes are really not for goats, we feed a goat feed, you have to be careful on the all stock, or horse feed, some has too much copper for goats, the goat feed is really best.
this is a site I get alot of info from
http://fiascofarm.com
and also
http://thegoatspot.net

your goats are adorable!!
I have boers and sanaan milk goats myself!!
miss prissy loves goats too! She has lots of cutie pies!

 

[Chatychick]

I disagree Deb as goats do need copper and sheep are the ones that dont need copper...Not enough copper and you will have breeding problems and lose color in the hair and babies that are not thriving. Goats have a totally different mineral than sheep and its because of the copper content.
Yes they need roughage and love to eat weeds and grass...mine do they go to graze everyday. I use a good cattle loose mineral for my goats as they dont have many choices here. They need the alfalfa hay or pellets for the calcium,
Silver they look like pyg/boer and lm/boer cross to me and they do look to be in good shape. The LM cross will tend to run on the thin side...you dont want to get them to fat as you will have breeding problems when kidding time comes.
Nice goats you got there...Have you wormed them yet? Use a horse paste for tapeworms. Get a good white paste and worm them then do it again in 10 days. Then again in 10 to break the worm cycle.
Sorry didnt get any pictures today as it was cloudy and rainy all day here...just yucky .

 

[Skyesrocket]

Awwww...pretty gals!

The first gal sure looks like she has boer in her. Her body looks like that of a meat goat. I love those ears too! I had a boer doe with similar ears. I love her nice rich color.
The second gal has a milk goat body. She has the lamancha ears. Have you checked her teeth to see how old she is? She could be small because she is still growing.

My goats get good quality hay, fresh water and have a lot of pasture and brush to browse. Right now they are getting apples and pumpkins too. I like to bulk everyone up a little in the fall with fruit and veggies because our winters are so cold here. During the winter I add a pelleted goat food.
I only feed pelleted feed once the pastures have died back or if I have pregnant or milking does or growing kids.
You did good! They are cute!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Just remember, when you are administering shots, have one or two other people there with you to help. We gave shots today and since their skin is so tough, it took 3 of us on our billy.

No, he is not wild or anything but I didn't feel like eating goat horns for supper. 1 held the horns, I held him over his back around his front feet and then the 3rd person gave the shot.

Safety first!!!!!

 

[zatsdeb]

Quote:
I know that I did read somewhere that goats need copper but some all stock feed has either too much or not enough copper, I know there was something about that.
Alfalfa pellets are what is in our feed, it is the cubes that are not good cause they are hard to eat unless you break them up or soak in water, I know that my neighbor down the road feeds nothing but cubes and his goats are so skinny that it seems they are starving, and he feed them that instead of hay.
I only suggest that people do alot of research on any animal they are keeping, heck, we are always learning new things everyday.

 

[Chatychick]

I agree there on the cubes Deb as I have tried them and like I said in my earlier post they would have to be crushed up as they are so hard my horses and cattle have problems with them. I either feed pellets or hay to mine. I dont mess with the cubes anymore either. My girls and bucks are fat and sassy...yep cut them back some here.
A good balanced diet and lots of hay as hay keeps them warm during the winter and keeps the rumen moving is best for goats and they cant live on weeds alone.

 

[helmstead]

They are adorable! I would say Boer mothers - the first one being a Nigi cross maybe and the second (obviously LOL) LM. I agree, the LM cross doesn't look that bad. A doe I purchased bred (Nigerian) turned out to be bred to a Boer buck, and the kid was purchased bya good friend - she looks JUST like your first goat, but a little less Boer-y...adorable!

(that's not corn in the feeder is it?)

Chaty has given great advice, not much to add.