New Goats *PICS!*

[helmstead]

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So far, the goats I've had come here for pen breeding have come into heat the very next day after arriving. Seems being around the bucks forces them to cycle (this is with NDs). So, perhaps you won't have to board terribly long

I only wish my girls weren't so accustomed to the buck musk and would act the same way when they're introduced to the boys!

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If you're leasing a goat from or into a quality, tested herd...I disagree. You can get the bloodlines you want, etc...through a lease, without the hassle & expense of full time ownership.

 

[Chirpy]

First ... Congrats on the new girls! They look great, I love ND's, I have two.

I highly suggest you don't keep a buck. As you are already aware they are generally more 'trouble' (even if they are sweeties) than they are worth unless you have ten or more does to breed them to. For just your three, find a buck a few months before you are ready to breed them and take them there. Here it costs between $35 and $50 to breed diary goats. I have yet to look into ND breeding fees as my girls aren't old enough until next fall.

I have an Alpine buck here right now as I have a doe in milk, (and the breeder didn't want to milk twice a day; understandably), that has silent heats. So, it was actually easier to bring him here. I must say, I don't want a buck here permanently. Because I am running him with my girls (to get the one bred) my milk has been 'goatie'. Plus, my barn smells... yes, my whole barn! I don't know about Pygmy bucks but dairy bucks do stink to high heaven... I've been around multiples of them and you can smell them when you walk into the barn. And then, if you touch them... gag, you can hardly get the stink off you.

thegoatspot has several great threads on medical supplies to have on hand. A great way to keep them is in a 5 gln. bucket with a lid.

I also wanted to suggest that you find a goat vet now, if you haven't already. Most vets don't know much, if anything, about goats. You want to have one readily available if needed.

 

[cluckychick]

Beautiful Baby Girls!!! I am soooo jealous. Congratulations

 

[cyanne]

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Unfortunately, they had already sold their buck and the only males they had left were a couple of wethers.

I have been emailing to a few breeders in the area and did find one with a blue-eyed billy that they were willing to rent to me to breed my girls. He is black and white, too, though so I guess that means I would only get black and white kids? Sorry if that is a dumb question, I am still struggling to figure out chicken color genetics, never mind goats!

I really want to get some brown in the mix...I LOVE the gorgeous tri-colored babies I see online, so fancy! What should I look for in a billy to get those colors? Or is it even possible with the three girls I have?

And as for the teat size, well I do have really little hands so maybe it won't be a problem, but I guess I would be best looking for a buck with excellent milking genes in his background so I'd be improving on what I have for the next generation.

Thanks for all the feedback so far, I am just so thrilled to have my first goats!

 

[StacyV]

What beautiful girls! I am a new goat owner myself. I happened across a 10 day old Nigerian dwarf baby and now we are bottle feeding him in our house. I have never had goats before so this is all so new to me!
Good luck with everything!

 

[ametauss]

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Sorry but I have never smelled a male except pygmies and I go to sale twice a month if not more and spend all day in and out of sale pens with large amounts of male goats. The pygmy males are the only ones that ever stink. lol

My Pygmy Billy doesn't stink any more than the does.... And that's not at all bad....

 

[agnes_day]

well my question is...

is it "tits" or "teats" ???

 

[cyanne]

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Yeah, I'm not sure which is the 'proper' term, but to me, it just feels weird to say 'tits' when referring to animal parts!

 

[agnes_day]

me too...but its so funny!

"look at the tits on that goat!"

 

[cyanne]

Now, that is just UDDER nonsense!