In Need of Information about Goats

[helmstead]

Not to be nasty, but you've just proven my point.

Quoted from the second link you posted:
"No, you do not have to milk a doe after she kids. Please read The Milking Cycle. If you do not want to milk the doe, then just leave the kids with her, and don't milk. It's very simple. There is absolutely no reason you have to milk unless you take the kids away from their mothers. The mother will naturally wean the kids when she feels the time is right (or she is just plain sick of them). The mother's will usually totally wean the kids once she gets rebred in the fall."

If you'll refer back, I did underscore that you would not have to milk barring complications - which is the very same thing stated in the links you've provided.

Again, don't take me as being nasty or confrontational, but misinformation is a dangerous thing.

 

[Arklady]

It all depends on the kind of brush your talking about. Pygmys eat the shorter weeds more than brush. They also like tree leaves and other large leafed plants but will leave the sticks behind so you have to go in eventually and either make them eat them... by denying fresh forage or have a larger goat who will eat pretty much anything. I have pygmys and I have boers.

My boer billy is wonderful brush eater and will not eat grass per se. He will denude a tree as far as he can stand and will topple the smaller trees. I have to take care how long he eats in one area and never put them around the bushes. There won't be anything left but stems on that. But... They are great goats I just love mine. I can't deal with the female as well as the male because she was never messed with much as she grew up. So it depends on how much they were handled.

Most vets as far as I have learned don't know much about goats. So getting an opinion from a vet on goats is tough and thats being nice. Feeding grains to a goat is also hard... be sure they get goat feed as nothing else is truely what they need. I use Show Goat feed and only feed the recommended rations, be ware of feeding your goat TOO much processed foods like breads and not too many fruits. Goats spoil easily, very easily, so take care what you feed them.

I always have on hand some ProBios, it can be a life saver when your goat eats anything that causes rumen collapse. I lost a goat to that and it took a week for her to die and all I needed was ProBios. Give only the recommended amount. I practice prevenative and feed them some every three months. I have had no issues with them since that episode. But she was a great goat I really had tried every thing the vet said and all I needed was Probios. It isn't a cure all for goats but I have seen my goats looking disinterested in food and I gave them some probios and they were fine after wards. So it should be in the medicine box.

Treats are ok but just not too many and not every day. Just petting them is good. Always remember goats will try to eat everything and its that one thing they shouldn't have eaten that can cause rumen failure.

If you have a barbed wire fenced enclosure, the best way to keep them in is to run electric fencing. I haven't done that yet due to monetary issues but I plan to as soon as is possible. Tethering is also a good way but you MUST keep a close eye on them and it is best to put them up at night. Teaching them to tether is easy just be sure the collar is snugish on the neck and be sure they can't get tangled up in anything, till they learn the tricks of the tether. I would pasture them if I had the choice. If you get young ones they are easier to make pets but are very susceptible to stomach problems from wrongly fed foods. So take care if you get young ones. I didn't feed my young goats any feed at all till they were about 6 months old.

I am not an expert but I have learned many lessons the hard way. Don't ignore all the oldtimers out there just check with two or three for back up and good luck.

Arklady

(edited to add: Practice a good worming program and rotate your worming meds with alternatives *different brands* so as not to make them immune to the meds.)

 

[1acrefarm]

Quote:
I don't think you are being nasty or confrontational. I hope you don't think I am either. We just have had different experiences. I think fiasco farms has had a huge variety of experiences. I have learned something in all this fiasco farms claims they had a goat that would not dry off. I did not realize that could happen. That is what discussion is all about so you can get different peoples experiences. It makes it easier to get the whole picture.

 

[Arklady]

Nubians I have heard can be milked for 20 months with out freshening but I haven't read any backup on this information so I don't know for sure. I do know that you must slowly stop milking if you have already started to milk the goat, so they don't get mastitus(sp) which is no fun curing. The most palitable goat milk I heard of was Alpines, being higher in cream but does not give the quanity of milk as Nubians, and needs freshening once a year or so. Still there are other goats out there that are for meat. I don't really know what pygmys are for but they sure eat the weeds lol...

Arklady

 

[hsm5grls]

I have heard this and not sure how true it is. I'll ask you all because you seem to have experience. I have heard that garlic given weekly is a good worm preventative for goats. Not sure I would only rely on garlic but was wondering what your opinion was.

 

[helmstead]

I don't 'do' natural dewormers in my goats. We use Ivermec regularly. I believe Fiasco Farms sells a natural deworming preparation, but I do not know what the ingredients are. Far as I'm concerned, better safe than sorry. If you do use a natural dewormer I highly recommend quarterly fecal egg counts.

 

[mom'sfolly]

If you are doing goats for milk, a garlic dewormer would be highly undesireable, unless you like garlic cheese and are prepared to make it.

 

[hsm5grls]

We use Ivermec regularly

I have heard of that but haven't seen any labeled for goats. Do you use cattle Ivermec or is it all the same and I am missing something? Also what company do you order supplies from or do you get it at the feed store? Sorry for the questions. I am starting to prepare everything and want all the things I need on hand before the goats get here. I want the best stuff I can get so I am asking everyone who I know who have well cared for goats what they use and where they get it.
Thank you

Sorry for taking over the post I'll stop now!​

 

[Arklady]

Quote:
You have valid questions that could very well help the poster so you shouldn't be sorry.

Arklady

 

[helmstead]

We use an Ivermec intended for cattle (you have to do a lot of off label things for goats). I'll have to quiz my DH for dosage and brand. It's a topical Ivermec - not a drench. Much easier to administer.

I prefer to order supplies from Jeffers. We have a LFS that carries some things but at a considerable markup.