New to the Goat Game. Anyone with Nigerian Dwarf/Pygmies advice?

[lhutch78]

Tackling chickens & goats as a 1st time owner. Everything going well so far. Looking for any advice from any experienced owners for any thing I should look out for.


We are the proud owners of a set of twins Emma & Pedro born 07/06/12. They are a Nigerian/ Pygmy mix.





Dixie a/k/a "Big Mama" will be leaving us next week & returning to her owner.


and our blue eyed pretty boy Nigerian named Taz.

 

[Nathan Sampson]

I am going to say this they are really cute. Your fence looks to be good right now but I wil tell you that they will lay into it and rub there sides down it and stretch it out and make it sage down. Mine turned into the shape of an S with the goats working the bottom on one side and the horses working the top of the other side.

 

[Stacykins]

Are Taz and Pedro wethered (castrated)? If not, that would be a good thing to do, asap. They can get a young doeling pregnant, way before she really should be. That would be my only piece of advise at the moment.

 

[MiniatureCochin]

Things I would note/read up on:
1) Worms. Make sure you check the eyelids (search ''famacha chart'') to see if they are pale, and need to be de-wormed. Also rotate dewormer types.
2) Check hooves every month; trim as necessary. It is really easy to forget this.
3) If your bucks are not wethered, make sure they are asap. If you do plan to breed the doeling, make sure she is away from any bucks, and do not breed her until she's at least 10months old. Although it is possible to have them be bred and kid younger (safely), I would wait as long as possible (to 16months) for breeding her.
4) For the bucks, read up on urinary calculi, a painful, but preventable condition, that I unfortunately did not know much of, and lost a buck to.
5) Provide loose minerals, and try to get them specifically for goats (most are for sheep).

That's all I can think of now....

Hope it helps,

MC

 

[lhutch78]

Thanks everyone!

Nathan- Yes the fence is a surprise to us how they would rub against. This pen however is also enclosed on about 2.3 acres previously fenced for horses. We let them out to graze each day.

Stacykins- We have an appt to have Taz & Pedro to be castrated already this week.

Miniture-I have read a little about that. I will keep an eye out. We have an appt with a vet on Wed to have the boys castrated. I will make sure to ask him lots!

 

[Nathan Sampson]

On the minerals I had a man who raised horses tell me about loose minerals and he would pour them in a tub and then fill it up with water. He said because it could get in the animal faster. Just a suggestion.

 

[LydiaB]

You don't want to mix water with your minerals. It will neutralize the copper, which is very important for goats. You want to keep them dry. Make sure you get a goat mineral, not one for sheep. Copper kills sheep but goats need a lot of it to be healthy.

 

[Stacykins]

On the minerals I had a man who raised horses tell me about loose minerals and he would pour them in a tub and then fill it up with water. He said because it could get in the animal faster. Just a suggestion.

Since a goat should eat loose minerals as needed, I don't think it is the best suggestion. A goat can self regulate their mineral intake. They know when to go lick up some of their loose minerals. I know some new goats I got recently, at first they devoured the mineral as soon as I put it out. Now, after a few weeks, they only lick up a bit as needed like the others. They didn't have loose minerals where they were, so they were making up for a deficiency (not one bad enough to see, yet, though).

You don't want to mix water with your minerals. It will neutralize the copper, which is very important for goats. You want to keep them dry. Make sure you get a goat mineral, not one for sheep. Copper kills sheep but goats need a lot of it to be healthy.

I believe if the water is high in iron, it can impede copper absorption. Not everywhere in the country does water have a high level of Fe. Most hard water is caused by an excess of calcium and magnesium cations. But yea, I agree with keeping the minerals dry.