New Goatie!

[SourRoses]

Today some very nice people dropped off my moms new goat. He is so adorable!
I came here to post about him and saw the pygmy thread saying that you cant have just one goat... ooops we didn't know that!

He is half Nigerian dwarf and half pygmy mix.... hes 6 months old and they were bottle fed. The family we got them from had 6, basically rescues, all of them boys.

Well, besides being the only goat.. he has done so well today. He seems very well socialized as we were able to hold him for ages and he just cuddled in close. When we put him down in the fenced yard, he happily set about nibbling on grasses, got himself some parsley from the herbs (LOL) and very much wanted to meet our dogs.
He and his brothers apparently would sleep inside with the dogs at his previous home. We will definitely only allow supervised time with our dogs since he is so little, actually our dogs are small too and he is no bigger than them! We dont have a dog harness that will fit him tho LOL

So, I hope he will be okay for a while without a goat buddy. We really didn't know that. Maybe we will be able to find a girl for him this summer. He is not blehing hardly at all, and hes sleeping in a dog exercise pen in the kitchen (just for now).

So we are new at goats.... but we have the usual menagerie of 3 small dogs, 2 cats, 3 chickens, and my horse.
Now my horse is someone Im wondering about... because he is SUPER sweet, he loves the TB foals, as he is paddocked right next to them as their "Nurse" during weaning.... and he is fascinated by mini horses. So, while I would never just throw the little goat in there with him!! I am interested in setting up a "meeting" to see how they get along. Perhaps if they do, they can 'visit' with each other, though the goatie will need to be up close to the house most of the time and definitely at night for safety since he is so small. But I know Racehorses and weanlings have bonded with goats before, and my dear horse could certainly use a friend! (other horses pick on him dreadfully so he has to be seperate, but close)


We had a few questions that were the original point of my post....

When letting him graze the yard, and outskirts of the veggie/herb garden (most of it is fenced), what things are not safe that he might choose to eat? Today he confined himself to the fine type of grass and the parsley, but of course he might expand his palalte and we want him to be safe.

The family that we got him from gave us some food for him and discussed feed type with us.. however, I forgot to ask about feeding frequency. Should they have food always available, or intermittent feedings? Do they over-eat?
Sorry I know these are such basic questions we should know, my mom had goats many years ago but can hardly recall any specifics.

For people who know horses, dogs, and chickens.... what safety/health concerns might pop up specific for goats that we might not anticipate? We learned about worming schedules/type, hoof trimming, and fencing... is there anything else?

The family told us that they like Timothy hay a lot. Which is great, since my horse gets very nice straight timothy and he can share! He also has a bale of alfalfa always available.
So, if the goat likes alfalfa too, what kind of ratio would you use timothy to alfalfa?
If he is eating some hay and browsing grass, how much goat food do you feed? Do you provide the hay after he had eaten the goat food? I think I am subconsciously trying to put him on an identical schedule to my horse, hehehe.

Oh and he has a big round tummy which my mom says is a small goat thing.... but how do you know when they are getting fat when its already round? LOL.

Grooming, what kind of brush do you use?
Once we get a proper fitting harness, what is the basic way to walk a goat properly? We live on a big boarding farm, and my mom would love to take him on visits with our 'neighbor" boarders.

Thanks, I know thats a lot of questions!! I'll try to get a photo up of the wee little guy. We are thinking of names for him

 

[Stacykins]

Today some very nice people dropped off my moms new goat. He is so adorable!
I came here to post about him and saw the pygmy thread saying that you cant have just one goat... ooops we didn't know that!

He is half Nigerian dwarf and half pygmy mix.... hes 6 months old and they were bottle fed. The family we got them from had 6, basically rescues, all of them boys.

Well, besides being the only goat.. he has done so well today. He seems very well socialized as we were able to hold him for ages and he just cuddled in close. When we put him down in the fenced yard, he happily set about nibbling on grasses, got himself some parsley from the herbs (LOL) and very much wanted to meet our dogs.
He and his brothers apparently would sleep inside with the dogs at his previous home. We will definitely only allow supervised time with our dogs since he is so little, actually our dogs are small too and he is no bigger than them! We dont have a dog harness that will fit him tho LOL

So, I hope he will be okay for a while without a goat buddy. We really didn't know that. Maybe we will be able to find a girl for him this summer. He is not blehing hardly at all, and hes sleeping in a dog exercise pen in the kitchen (just for now).

You should really find him a buddy as soon as you can. Not months from now, but soon. Probably because he is bottle fed, he is doing well. But even my bottle feds kids desperately needed companionship with other goats.

Also, is he a wether? A castrated male? Or is he intact? If he's intact, you can't get him a girl to live with. He'll breed her the first chance he gets, and as soon as she girls birth, breed her again as soon as he can. Does and bucks need to be kept separate. If he is a wether, a doe for a friend is fine. But if he is a buck and you have no intention of removing his danglies, then only another buck or a wether will be appropriate.

So we are new at goats.... but we have the usual menagerie of 3 small dogs, 2 cats, 3 chickens, and my horse.
Now my horse is someone Im wondering about... because he is SUPER sweet, he loves the TB foals, as he is paddocked right next to them as their "Nurse" during weaning.... and he is fascinated by mini horses. So, while I would never just throw the little goat in there with him!! I am interested in setting up a "meeting" to see how they get along. Perhaps if they do, they can 'visit' with each other, though the goatie will need to be up close to the house most of the time and definitely at night for safety since he is so small. But I know Racehorses and weanlings have bonded with goats before, and my dear horse could certainly use a friend! (other horses pick on him dreadfully so he has to be seperate, but close)

Some horses are OK with goats. Other horses will kick the goat to death. My aunt got a few goats who were very attached to a horse she rescued from a terrible situation, and they were all a very happy herd. But it doesn't always work out like that.


We had a few questions that were the original point of my post....

When letting him graze the yard, and outskirts of the veggie/herb garden (most of it is fenced), what things are not safe that he might choose to eat? Today he confined himself to the fine type of grass and the parsley, but of course he might expand his palalte and we want him to be safe.

Goats prefer browse rather than grass. Basically shrubbery and tree-y stuff rather than grass. They'll eat grass alright, but if they've got a bush to eat, it'll go first. There are some toxic plants out there, like milkweeds, that can kill a goat.

The family that we got him from gave us some food for him and discussed feed type with us.. however, I forgot to ask about feeding frequency. Should they have food always available, or intermittent feedings? Do they over-eat?
Sorry I know these are such basic questions we should know, my mom had goats many years ago but can hardly recall any specifics.

Grain should never be available free choice. Hay can be. Hay is critical for healthy rumen function. I don't give my goats free choice hay, because most will end up on the ground, they are messy. I give them what I know they'll need for the day, makes them a little more careful since once it is gone and on the ground, they're out. I give my goats grain twice a day, morning and evening, with some timothy pellets too. My buck and wether get more hay pellet than grain, they don't really need it really.

For people who know horses, dogs, and chickens.... what safety/health concerns might pop up specific for goats that we might not anticipate? We learned about worming schedules/type, hoof trimming, and fencing... is there anything else?

Bloat can be deadly. If a goat stuffs themselves on wet grass, it can cause frothy bloat. I lost two goats to this last year, even with prompt veterinary intervention. In their case, they'd managed to get themselves out of their stalls and stuff themselves with grain and black oil sunflower seeds...

The family told us that they like Timothy hay a lot. Which is great, since my horse gets very nice straight timothy and he can share! He also has a bale of alfalfa always available.
So, if the goat likes alfalfa too, what kind of ratio would you use timothy to alfalfa?
If he is eating some hay and browsing grass, how much goat food do you feed? Do you provide the hay after he had eaten the goat food? I think I am subconsciously trying to put him on an identical schedule to my horse, hehehe.

I would personally use timothy. It already has a great calcium to phosphorus ratio. Alfalfa is great though for pregnant or lactating does.

Like I said, I feed what they need. They get hay in the morning and evening, I fill the hay when I feed them grain. They go right for it after they finish the grain.

I can't say how much grain he'll need. Younger goats have a lot of growing to do, so he'll need some. It depends on his needs.

Oh and he has a big round tummy which my mom says is a small goat thing.... but how do you know when they are getting fat when its already round? LOL.

His round tummy is likely just his rumen. It can be rather round when they've eaten well. You can tell the difference between a healthy working rumen and bloat though by the goat's behavior and whatnot.

To determine if a goat is overweight, you feel up the hips and ribs. If you can't really feel either through a layer of squish, they're overweight. If they are jutting, underweight. You can feel them through a little squish, then you're good.

Grooming, what kind of brush do you use?

I use a stiff brush to get bits of hay and big pieces of dirt. Then I use a smooth brush on them to get out finer particles. I use a hoof pick with the stiff brush part on their hooves before I clip. I pick out dirt, use the brush end to scour away any remaining dirt, then trim. It helps keeps trimmers sharper for longer, if you don't cut through a lot of dirt.

Once we get a proper fitting harness, what is the basic way to walk a goat properly? We live on a big boarding farm, and my mom would love to take him on visits with our 'neighbor" boarders.

I use a simple collar and lead, no harness, and walk them like a dog. I don't keep a collar on 24/7, too much of a hanging risk. I use clip the collar on their necks and go. They are pretty resistant when first learning how to lead. A lot of drama like dropping to the ground, flailing, or acting like you are strangling them.

Persistence and positive reinforcement is the key. When they act as they should, even for a brief instant, treats and praise must be given promptly.

But I also do a lot of goat walks with no leads. Yep, I just put some grain in my pocket, open up the gate, and let them out. They follow me where I walk, and eat goodies all along the way. They have 30 acres to roam with me.


Thanks, I know thats a lot of questions!! I'll try to get a photo up of the wee little guy. We are thinking of names for him

 

[SA Farm]

Today some very nice people dropped off my moms new goat. He is so adorable!
I came here to post about him and saw the pygmy thread saying that you cant have just one goat... ooops we didn't know that!

He is half Nigerian dwarf and half pygmy mix.... hes 6 months old and they were bottle fed. The family we got them from had 6, basically rescues, all of them boys.

Well, besides being the only goat.. he has done so well today. He seems very well socialized as we were able to hold him for ages and he just cuddled in close. When we put him down in the fenced yard, he happily set about nibbling on grasses, got himself some parsley from the herbs (LOL) and very much wanted to meet our dogs.
He and his brothers apparently would sleep inside with the dogs at his previous home. We will definitely only allow supervised time with our dogs since he is so little, actually our dogs are small too and he is no bigger than them! We dont have a dog harness that will fit him tho LOL

So, I hope he will be okay for a while without a goat buddy. We really didn't know that. Maybe we will be able to find a girl for him this summer. He is not blehing hardly at all, and hes sleeping in a dog exercise pen in the kitchen (just for now).

So we are new at goats.... but we have the usual menagerie of 3 small dogs, 2 cats, 3 chickens, and my horse.
Now my horse is someone Im wondering about... because he is SUPER sweet, he loves the TB foals, as he is paddocked right next to them as their "Nurse" during weaning.... and he is fascinated by mini horses. So, while I would never just throw the little goat in there with him!! I am interested in setting up a "meeting" to see how they get along. Perhaps if they do, they can 'visit' with each other, though the goatie will need to be up close to the house most of the time and definitely at night for safety since he is so small. But I know Racehorses and weanlings have bonded with goats before, and my dear horse could certainly use a friend! (other horses pick on him dreadfully so he has to be seperate, but close)

Congratulations first of all. Goaties are wonderful!

We had a few questions that were the original point of my post....

When letting him graze the yard, and outskirts of the veggie/herb garden (most of it is fenced), what things are not safe that he might choose to eat? Today he confined himself to the fine type of grass and the parsley, but of course he might expand his palalte and we want him to be safe.
The more common yard plants toxic to goats are: Olleander, Azalea, Castor bean, Buttercup, Rhododendron, Philodendron, English Icy, Chokecherry, Laurel, Daffodil, and many members of the Lily family. Garden plants that have toxic substances that can harm goats include the tomato, potato, cabbage, rhubarb, and avocado plants.

The family that we got him from gave us some food for him and discussed feed type with us.. however, I forgot to ask about feeding frequency. Should they have food always available, or intermittent feedings? Do they over-eat?
Sorry I know these are such basic questions we should know, my mom had goats many years ago but can hardly recall any specifics.
They can overeat, especially with food they aren't accustomed too, bloat is the main fear. If you're introducing grain or new pasture, etc, it's best to do it gradually.
Fresh Green Leafy Alfalfa, Timothy Hay or Grass, and plenty of fresh water, plus a mineral/salt block should be available at all times are the most important part of a balanced diet. A good basic diet for a pygmy is roughage in the form of hay with bark, brush and dry leaves where available and supplemented, when needed, with grain in the form of a commercial sweet feed.

For people who know horses, dogs, and chickens.... what safety/health concerns might pop up specific for goats that we might not anticipate? We learned about worming schedules/type, hoof trimming, and fencing... is there anything else?
Horses you have to watch for kicking and jealousy over food mostly. Dogs, chasing and nipping. Chickens, you don't want the goatie eating the chicken food. (A little bit won't hurt, but there are things in the chicken feed that the goat shouldn't have.)

The family told us that they like Timothy hay a lot. Which is great, since my horse gets very nice straight timothy and he can share! He also has a bale of alfalfa always available.
So, if the goat likes alfalfa too, what kind of ratio would you use timothy to alfalfa?
If he is eating some hay and browsing grass, how much goat food do you feed? Do you provide the hay after he had eaten the goat food? I think I am subconsciously trying to put him on an identical schedule to my horse, hehehe.
I would give more Timothy and use the alfalfa more as a treat. A large handful a day or so?
I give my goats 1/2 cup of feed a day (two feedings of 1/4 cup) in the summer. I had a horse and they were on pretty much the same schedule and it worked great.

Oh and he has a big round tummy which my mom says is a small goat thing.... but how do you know when they are getting fat when its already round? LOL.
Pygmys are known for their rotundness and Stacykins gave you the best methods for checking obesity.

Grooming, what kind of brush do you use?
Once we get a proper fitting harness, what is the basic way to walk a goat properly? We live on a big boarding farm, and my mom would love to take him on visits with our 'neighbor" boarders.
Same as Stacykins.
Same as Stacykins. Mostly just carry the grain bucket and I could lead them over a cliff they're so fixated on it LOL.

Thanks, I know thats a lot of questions!! I'll try to get a photo up of the wee little guy. We are thinking of names for him

My pony cross (rehomed now), my goat, and my rooster all hanging out together. I introduced them by having them within sight of each other for a few days, then I just watched while Granny sashayed under the fence and began partaking of my horse's feed. She put her ears back, but when Granny didn't react, they became buds.
I have heard and seen plenty of places (racehorse in particular) where it's just one goat with the horses and the goat was always happy and healthy. They are herd animals, yes, but in my opinion as long as they have a herd (in this case horses) that's enough.
I had a buck in another pen within sight of granny and dancer. Granny couldn't care less about him and hung out with the horse. When Dancer left, Granny cried for her. Granny didn't care when the buck left. Just saying.