New goat kids won't eat - Worried.

[ruth]

I bought two "Billys" on Sunday - Rocky and Ringo. Three months old, have horns, from a line of big "brush goats" (150-180 pound adult males). Owner didn't know the breed - just called them "Brush goats" and had them free ranging his property eating brush. Anyway, I bought two little bucks, brothers - they had never been handled - and have been keeping them together but separate from my herd of registered Nigerians. At three months old they are as large as my full grown Nigerians.

Problem is they have been so scared they won't eat. I'm feeling better about Rocky because I was finally able to get him to eat from my hand yesterday and to eat some sweetgum tree but his brother Ringo isn't looking too good. While Rocky will let me pet him, his brother cowers and shivers in the corner and hides under him. As far as I can tell, Ringo hasn't taken a bite since we got them Sunday.

At this point I don't know if I should try integrating them with my group of Nigerians (I worry about disease/parasites) - also worry about them hurting one another - or if I should force feed the little buck. I did try making up a bottle with goat milk replacer I have on hand but no such luck in getting them to take it.

Any suggestions??????

 

[katrinag]

Are you sure he has not eaten at all?
Forget the milk replacer, go to the store and try whole cows milk.
Have you tried to sit in the stall and let them come to you?
Have you tried some sweetgrain. I know it's not the best but if you can make up a mixture of grains and add sweetfeed to help intice them to eat it's better than nothing.

Are they drinking any water? That would be my biggest concern.

 

[ruth]

Good news - since I last posted, both are up and eating - I haven't seen them drink but I was most worried about them not getting up and eating. Maybe it was the fact they were on the fourth day or maybe taking them so many nice fresh choices today did the trick. In any event, I took them some pecan and oak branches that had fallen in the storm today and Rocky started eating and then so did Ringo. Ringo finally got up, from hiding in the corner, under his brother, and walked over and ate some feed from the tray and ate some branches. I think maybe he's past the hurdle now.

Yes, I've been spending hours in the barn stall with them, petting them, singing to them, cooing to them, laying down with them (I've gotten absolutely filthy) but I wanted them to get to know me and be comfortable around me. Seems like today was the breakthrough.

They still seem to get nervous that Scarlett, our GSD, keeps sticking her head in and walking around the stall and even going to the second floor and looking down into the stall but they'll get used to her and Rex. The guy I got them from also had two GSDs but they stayed chained, I think.

I guess it's just been a BIG transition for them and they needed a little time.

I'll post pics soon. They really are cute and we're hoping they will be a big asset with all of the overgrown brush around here.

 

[helmstead]

 

[beefy]

try ritz crackers or frosted mini wheats.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

If they are still having a difficult time getting used to their new home, you could always try putting one of your nubians in with them, insted of putting the two new boys into your entire flock. That way you run less of a risk of infecting the whole flock. I've had to do this with chickens before and then I just quarantined the whole bunch for so many days.

 

[Julie_A]

I'd definitely keep them separate. There's a pair of them, so it's not like you have a single goat suffering alone. Just be careful when you do let them out. We had a nubian that got away from us. Lived in the woods for more than a year. She broke into my parents' cow pasture and lives with the black angus cows. Been there about six months. Still can't touch her. They are totally set up for cows and don't have anything tight enough to hold her, so she comes and goes as she pleases. much to the dismay of my mother... the goat ate her blueberries and her satsuma tree.