**S**U**C**K**E**R** must be on my forehead!!! Pics added page 2
- Thread starter jeaucamom
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
Pentuner said pretty much what I was going to say about this guy...I'd have run him off when he showed up.
That said, you'll need to see if you can find a horseshoer to look at your goats' feet. Yes, they are bad right now and will give you problems if you don't get them trimmed. Goats have a poor constitution for pain and if they start to hurt them too much, they will start laying down a lot and this can really accelerate arthritis in the goats' knees. I have seen one goat that was so bad, its knees were frozen at almost a 90 degree angle because of the amount of time it spent laying down...this was an extreme case where the goat had foundered, but you get the drift of how bad it can get. You don't want to let that happen.
Tools-wise, you may be able to get away with goat hoof shears or you may have to get regular horse hoof nippers and a farrier's file. For these Nubians, I'd go whole hog and get the horse tools, but the goat snips are good for the fine tuning. But be sure you have a knowledgable farrier or goat person show you how before you attempt it, because you don't want the goats' feet to bleed or get sore from the trim. It's too hard and error prone to try and tell you in email how to do it without physically being there to show. These are big goats, so don't be afraid to lay them on their sides to do them...just be cautious about how you keep them there. Putting a knee into the goat's neck to hold them there is NOT a good idea, the blood supply to the brain can be easily choked off and kill the goat. You would be much better off to just have a second set of hands to help, or tie the goat to a post and do him with one leg up like a horse. Good luck!
That said, you'll need to see if you can find a horseshoer to look at your goats' feet. Yes, they are bad right now and will give you problems if you don't get them trimmed. Goats have a poor constitution for pain and if they start to hurt them too much, they will start laying down a lot and this can really accelerate arthritis in the goats' knees. I have seen one goat that was so bad, its knees were frozen at almost a 90 degree angle because of the amount of time it spent laying down...this was an extreme case where the goat had foundered, but you get the drift of how bad it can get. You don't want to let that happen.
Tools-wise, you may be able to get away with goat hoof shears or you may have to get regular horse hoof nippers and a farrier's file. For these Nubians, I'd go whole hog and get the horse tools, but the goat snips are good for the fine tuning. But be sure you have a knowledgable farrier or goat person show you how before you attempt it, because you don't want the goats' feet to bleed or get sore from the trim. It's too hard and error prone to try and tell you in email how to do it without physically being there to show. These are big goats, so don't be afraid to lay them on their sides to do them...just be cautious about how you keep them there. Putting a knee into the goat's neck to hold them there is NOT a good idea, the blood supply to the brain can be easily choked off and kill the goat. You would be much better off to just have a second set of hands to help, or tie the goat to a post and do him with one leg up like a horse. Good luck!
Quote:
The doggie-eared ones are Nubians or Nubian crosses, no doubt in my mind on that, I used to breed them. These look pretty purebred to me. The one without ears, I used to know that breed, but have forgotten the name.
The doggie-eared ones are Nubians or Nubian crosses, no doubt in my mind on that, I used to breed them. These look pretty purebred to me. The one without ears, I used to know that breed, but have forgotten the name.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #25
I have every intention of getting their hooves taken care of immediately and to learn how to care for them properly..... At least these girls will spend the rest of their lives being well cared for and loved. I am very dissappointed though, because in the daylight, neither looks pregnant.. Good on the one hand, as it was REALLY stessing me out, bad on the other, because the price I paid was even higher per goat then
Speaking of that... what is the average life span of a goat?
Speaking of that... what is the average life span of a goat?
The two females look like Boer goats, or boer crosses. If I remember correctly, they should have four nipples instead of the normal two. They are typically used as meat goats, but I have seen them milked as well. They don't produce quite as much milk, but it still tastes pretty much the same. It looks like they are too small to be Nubians, and they just don't have the right type.
The male looks like a la mancha cross...possibly with some smaller breed of goat like a pygmy or nigerian....or even a lamancha/boer cross would make sense. The head shape looks a little off for that cross though, but it could just be the lamancha showing through.
As for the hooves, I would first work on getting them used to letting you handle them a bit. Do you have a milking stand set up? That will make trimming fairly easy. My first suggestion is to call the livestock extension to find out if there are any 4-H groups/leaders/members who might be willing to help you out. You could also ask a large animal vet to help you out. They typically charge very little (Even the large animal vet we used in NJ charged very little to see our goats). However, clipping their hooves is not difficult at all. My dad used to use a sharp pair of shears or scissors and he'd take little bits off the sides until they were at a nice length. When they get that long, you have to start slow. Once you have them nice and trim, all you have to do is take the little fold off that develops on the sides of the hoof. Get someone to help you hold the goat and see if you might be able to do a bit. Then wait a few days and take a bit more off. I'm sure there are tutorials on youtube for you to look at!
Good luck with these guys! I hope they produce some nice kids for you!
The male looks like a la mancha cross...possibly with some smaller breed of goat like a pygmy or nigerian....or even a lamancha/boer cross would make sense. The head shape looks a little off for that cross though, but it could just be the lamancha showing through.
As for the hooves, I would first work on getting them used to letting you handle them a bit. Do you have a milking stand set up? That will make trimming fairly easy. My first suggestion is to call the livestock extension to find out if there are any 4-H groups/leaders/members who might be willing to help you out. You could also ask a large animal vet to help you out. They typically charge very little (Even the large animal vet we used in NJ charged very little to see our goats). However, clipping their hooves is not difficult at all. My dad used to use a sharp pair of shears or scissors and he'd take little bits off the sides until they were at a nice length. When they get that long, you have to start slow. Once you have them nice and trim, all you have to do is take the little fold off that develops on the sides of the hoof. Get someone to help you hold the goat and see if you might be able to do a bit. Then wait a few days and take a bit more off. I'm sure there are tutorials on youtube for you to look at!
Good luck with these guys! I hope they produce some nice kids for you!
Oh, the average lifespan of a goat is about the same as a dog, if not longer. Our boys were 11 years old before they got attacked by a bear. They can often live 15 years or more, but I would say average is probably between 10 and 15.
Every body is looking for unweathered bucks. Their the easiest to get rid of. I don't eat goat, but those seem to be what every one prefers. My buddy has 60 goats kid a year,and the billy kids are sold before they hit the ground. If you weather them, you'll get stuck with them. At least that's how it is around here. Most go to middle eastern people that are residing in the US....
Quote:
Really? I never knew this! Why do they prefer unwethered to wethered? Does it make the meat more tender? I always thought it was the other way around.
Really? I never knew this! Why do they prefer unwethered to wethered? Does it make the meat more tender? I always thought it was the other way around.
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
A Predator broke welded coop & killed two of my girls.- Started by Luckymy3
- Replies: 0
-
-
-
-
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
-
-
Over researched and made myself anxious about coccidiosis- Started by Echelontheory101
- Replies: 67
-
-
