Pregnant goat questions

[Sherry]

I have 2 pygmy goats due to kid around/after July 21. I've had them about a year now, and tried to get them to let me pet them, no luck. They won't come near me unless I have a handful of Teddy Grahams or some other goody. Any other time they run from me. I've sat very patiently and quietly in the pen sometimes for hours, nothing. So when the babies come, if I continue trying do you think they will become friendlier to me?

This is my first time for goats and I'm going to be nervous come "labor day". Heck, I'm nervous now. Is there anything special I need to do, or like cows, let nature do all the work? I'm torn between wanting to be there and wanting to walk out one morning, or come home from work one evening, and just finding baby goats.

 

[helmstead]

Having kids isn't going to make them any tamer - and the fact that they're wild will make it very likely that their kids will be wild, too.

The best way we've found to tame the does we bought wild is to confine them to a very small area (no larger than 10x10) and hand feed them, groom them, etc. They can't run away, and eventually come around when they associate you with food and massages.

IMO You need to be there for the births. If something goes wrong (and things oft go wrong with minis) and you're not around, you'll have dead goats.

 

[MissPrissy]

I agree with Kate. Lock them in a stall area with a small paddock if possible. Since you can't really handle them now as their birthing time approaches you might want to keep them in the stall or pen and not let them out. Hand feed them. Handle them. Brush them, scratch them, talk to them. They may never be super friendly.

If I were you when they kid I would let the babies suck for 1 day to get the colostrum. After that take the babies and bottle feed them. They will be tame as they grow up.

The lamb ewes we bought are very similar to your goats. They were never hand raised as much as we were told they were. Once they lamb I will take the lambs, bottle feed them and find a new home for the ewes. I don't like skittish, wild, animals here. As my sheep are dairy sheep I was advise by the local sheep dairy to proceed in that plan for the best small farm results.

You might consider that for your goats.

 

[Chatychick]

I agree the smaller the area the closer you are to them and if you want tame babies you will have to remove them from their mommas as the mommas will tell them to run from you. I have a doe that was kinda on the wild side and after she kidded I was there when she did she got better and realized I wasnt going to hurt her. The babies stayed with her and now they are on the wild side and its taking a while to tame them down. Next time I will pull them and feed either goats milk or cows milk. I dont use replacer as it causes lots and lots of problems. Good luck

 

[Davaroo]

I thought this said "preganant coat questions!"

My bad. I'll get my coat now....

 

[FarmerMack]

Mamma goat, she's got knocked up the week before we got her (around the first week of Apr.) Seems in her 8 yrs she's been pregnant for every heat. Havent done the math yet but it would seem she should be ready to pop or drop the kid(s) soon. Any wider and I'll need to get her a wide load sign

she's almost as wide as she is tall

Farmer Mack

 

[helmstead]

Oh, my! According to my calculator, she won't be due until 8/29 (based on a 4/1 breeding date).

I'm guessing trips or quads, and she'll go early by a couple weeks...

 

[FarmerMack]

Quote:

yowzer trips or quads!!! should I be concerned if she goes earlier than the end of August? I have felt a head or a butt on her left side lately. She's doesnt usually let me touch her there much, but in the last few days she has been a bit less wary of me lightly stroking her sides. She is a sweetie but last night allowed me to pet her a lot longer than usual. It almost seemed like she craved my touch and affections more than normal. When our 6 yr old Nubian/Saanen mix female tried to horn in on my attention she shoved her aside, normally she would just walk away from me as if to say fine I've had enough of his attention your turn LOL. She is the oldest in the small herd of 3 goats and has asserted her position as herd boss/queen since we got the younger Nubian mix female, dispite her lack of size. She is after all Mamma goat LOL.
Thanks for the calculations on the birthing date.

Farmer Mack

 

[Chatychick]

I agree with helmstead as she looks like maybe triplets or quads. I had both this year and my girl that had quads looked like a bus...I would be giving her alfafa hay or pellets to help her with her calcium intake and has she had her Bo-se shot? Yep I have some that they closer they get the more friendlier they get. Good luck

 

[FarmerMack]

Quote:
She gets both alpha and hay pellets already. I would rather find a natural source of bo-se than give her shots, as I've read both good and bad about the shots

Farmer MacK