New to GOATS!!!!

[crazypoultrychx]

I got a free Goat and Paint horse on tuesday and I am tickled pink!!!! I have had horses all my life and LOVE them.....I am SOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!

So I have added them to my constantly growing animal collection and she is the companion to the horse.....when we trailered them home I have a 3 horse trailer and left the middle bay open......... horse in first goat in last....as she is a dwarf part nubian named Betty.....anyway....when we went to unload....she was under the horse!!!!!

.......after the first night (new place and all and she was in my driveway)

she spent that night in the large dog pen in the back yard.....since then she has not gotten out of the electric fence and does not go too far from the horse...named Tattoo!!......I LOVE THEM.....they are so amazing.....the horse needs a lot of training as she was left to pasture with reg vet and ferrier care for 7 yrs....but never ridden and barely ever washed and never rode.....but I am up for it and the excitement is overwhelming......

but being a new goat momma I have a lot of questions.....they have plenty of grass but should I still give hay.....or sweet feed....?

the goat seems to have some sort of tumor (per prev owner) on her breast and it seems to harden and swell at times..?

She seems to be pregnant as she is rather wide....or puffy as my hubby calls it....?

do goats need specific bedding or area in which to have their kid...?

how do you find a goat vet...?

can I add other nubian nanny goats or is it like dogs I need to take them to meet the goat.....(crazy I know)

I have a source in the next state that raises Nubian dairy goats and that will be the next thing we want to get as I am looking forward to goat milk and cheese.....but does this goat need to be tested for anything before adding the other goat...?

can you eat Nubian dairy goats....and that is the ulitmate purpose here is only raise animal that we can consume....(other then the dogs and cats!)

can goats and chickens and ducks go together....?

is there a goats for dummies book......?

do goats need annual vaccinations like horses.....?

do you have to trim goats feet like horses>.....?

see I wasnt kidding....bout the questions!!....baaaaaaahhhhhhhh...........

any and all help would be wonderful!!!

 

[jorey]

Lets see if I can get them all. Goats need hay. They need the roughage as they don't graze, they browse. You can add other goats might have a little adjustment time but you don't need to take her to meet them. Yes you can eat them. Your horse vet should be able to take care of your goat also. Her hooves do need to be trimmed but simple to do by yourself. Not as hard as horse hooves. There are great goat books but you can also go on back yard herds.com and learn so much. That is my goto site for my goats. They can go with chickens and ducks but they CAN NOT eat their feed or they will bloat and if you don't catch it die. I give mine annual vaccs. Cheap at tsc. Did I.miss anything? Oh yeah, enjoy them. They r like a 4 yr old in fur. Clowns and very curious. Love them.

 

[Stacykins]

I got a free Goat and Paint horse on tuesday and I am tickled pink!!!! I have had horses all my life and LOVE them.....I am SOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!

So I have added them to my constantly growing animal collection and she is the companion to the horse.....when we trailered them home I have a 3 horse trailer and left the middle bay open......... horse in first goat in last....as she is a dwarf part nubian named Betty.....anyway....when we went to unload....she was under the horse!!!!!

.......after the first night (new place and all and she was in my driveway)

she spent that night in the large dog pen in the back yard.....since then she has not gotten out of the electric fence and does not go too far from the horse...named Tattoo!!......I LOVE THEM.....they are so amazing.....the horse needs a lot of training as she was left to pasture with reg vet and ferrier care for 7 yrs....but never ridden and barely ever washed and never rode.....but I am up for it and the excitement is overwhelming......

but being a new goat momma I have a lot of questions.....they have plenty of grass but should I still give hay.....or sweet feed....? Yes, give free access to hay at all times. Grain is often given to growing kids, pregnant does, and lactating does. Don't give a horse sweet feed. Get a goat feed.

the goat seems to have some sort of tumor (per prev owner) on her breast and it seems to harden and swell at times..? A veterinarian needs to check this out. It can be anything from an abscess, an actual tumor (cancerous or benign), scar tissue, etc. There is NO way we can tell you what it is. It could also be Caseous Lymphadenitis, a serious and contagious disease, also called CL.

She seems to be pregnant as she is rather wide....or puffy as my hubby calls it....? Goats have a rumen, it is their first stomach, which is basically a big fermentation vat. A goat with a healthy rumen will often be wide. As long as the goat is still burping and acting normal, I'd just say it is the rumen. Now, a goat can get a fatal disease called Bloat. It is when that gas cannot escape from the goat, and pressure builds up. No, the goat won't pop, but it can cause severe pain, and eventually put enough pressure on the lungs and heart to kill the goat.

do goats need specific bedding or area in which to have their kid...? I separate does at kidding time, yes. Fresh straw or shavings, clean water, all the hay they can eat. I have small stalls for this purpose. Make sure it is kid safe, nothing sharp or things they can get stuck in.

how do you find a goat vet...? Any livestock veterinarian can be a goat veterinarian. They studied goats along with other livestock when they went to veterinary school.

can I add other nubian nanny goats or is it like dogs I need to take them to meet the goat.....(crazy I know) Yes you can add other goats, and you should. A goat should not be alone. They do need to be introduced under supervision. There will be posturing, headbutting, etc. but rarely anything harmful. All goats posture when meeting new goats. But they're herd animals, so they quickly establish their pecking order and the herd is formed.

I have a source in the next state that raises Nubian dairy goats and that will be the next thing we want to get as I am looking forward to goat milk and cheese.....but does this goat need to be tested for anything before adding the other goat...? Yes, I'd suggest testing for CAE first and foremost. It is a viral disease spread through milk. Kids get it from their dam by drinking their infected milk. Also, it would be testing them for Johne's disease. And before you bring any goat home, check them over very closely for any lumps, bumps, abscesses, etc. Caseous Lymphadenitis, previously mentioned, is a disease that forms abscessed lumps, and when these break open, infect other goats and contaminate the soil for YEARS.

can you eat Nubian dairy goats....and that is the ulitmate purpose here is only raise animal that we can consume....(other then the dogs and cats!) Yes but there is a much lower ratio of meat on a nubian (or any dairy goat) carcass. If you breed the nubian does to boer bucks, then the kids will have much more meaty carcasses.

can goats and chickens and ducks go together....? Keep them separate. My chickens do fly into my goat pasture, but they don't cause problems. The ducks DO cause problems. If you keep ducks, you know how filthy they make their water. My free ranging ducks dump mud in every bit of water they can. In the evening, when I let my does 'free range' under supervision, if the ducks get in their area, they mess up the water in an instant. And goats will not drink muddy, nasty water.

is there a goats for dummies book......? Yes. But the Storey's Guide to Goats is a good one to read.

do goats need annual vaccinations like horses.....? Yes. Most people give CDT vaccines, some use others like against CL, soremouth, ect.

do you have to trim goats feet like horses>.....? Yes and no. They need regular hoof care, but it is different than a horse. You can do it yourself easily. A pair of hoof trimmers and some patience. You trim the hoof wall, even out the toe with the heel, and make it flat. Simple. There are youtube videos out there.

see I wasnt kidding....bout the questions!!....baaaaaaahhhhhhhh...........

any and all help would be wonderful!!!