sorry, yet another goat question!!

[agnes_day]

so do you think then it will get attached to me?
i hope so!!
i was also going to keep them inside at night until they are bigger, but she said to keep them outside..will they be ok?

 

[davidb]

I never sell any of my babies before 3 months old and know for sure they are eating feed and grass-hay, but lots of people do ween them at 2 months. you can go to www.goatspot and get lots of info. But the best info I can give you is never start out with young Goats as your first, and if you do, go to the book store and buy you some books about keeping and raising goats and read them before you bring the goats home. I'm not trying to scare you but young baby goats can get sick and die very easily and its heart breaking to watch.

 

[jason britton]

i raise about 50 babies a year and at that age if they are eating hay and feed you can give a little sav-a-kid dry in their feed and that will insure thier getting all nutrients they need

 

[Chirpy]

so do you think then it will get attached to me?

Oh yah! Some day you will be bending over to pick up something and he will jump on your back and you'll kinda wish he wasn't so attached to you... literally and figuratively!

Just pet him and hold him every day and he'll be on your lap all the time.

i was also going to keep them inside at night until they are bigger, but she said to keep them outside..will they be ok?

I don't know how cold it gets there but here, even with the temps in the teens, my ND breeder says that he just keeps his babies in the barn and they are fine. It must be dry and draft free for them with plenty of bedding (I like straw the best) for them to nestle down into. They will also snuggle together to keep each other warm which is a huge benefit to having two close to the same age.

If it gets really cold there and you are worried about them, you can put a dog house (those igloo ones work great - that's what I use) inside the barn/shed and that will give them even more protection from the cold. Or just use anything that's small like that to help contain their own body heat.

You are going to love these two! Can't wait to see pictures.

 

[FarmerChick]

OH YES they are going to bond with you I am sure. Goats are truly like little dogs if they are handled alot and you keep at it and they will just follow you around like a dog, and play and all.

It seems your goats will be finding a great home!

And yes, keep them outside.

Always remember one thing---goats are not dogs, cats or anything else. They are truly livestock and need to be treated as such. Being rumens, they must be treated with their type of care......no bread etc. Bread bloats the stomachs.

So have a blast with them but treat a goat from the stomach out literally.......you will definitely enjoy them!

 

[agnes_day]

thanks for all the information everyone!
i just want to make sure i do everything right...now, as for housing...we have made them a solid wood house out of a computer crate, just like our chicken coop..its raised off the ground, made of really heavy boards..its about 4 feet by 4 feet..will that work ok? we didnt make it big since she said they wont get all that large.

 

[FarmerChick]

they just need adequate shelter out of the weather like any critter...but you might have to have 2 of them.

you would be surprised how one dominant goat will not let the other into the shelter.

so if you notice one standing outside in the cold and rain, it is because the other will not let it in.

and goats fight each other. they ram. they can be very nasty to each other so don't be surprised when eating one comes over and pops the other real hard in the gut.

they are friendly as heck and nasty as heck to each other.

 

[Chirpy]

FarmerChick is right about them being bullies to each other, however, from what I've seen of other people and my own goats - when raised together from kids... they almost always become best buddies.

 

[FarmerChick]

I never had just 2.....LOL
you are probably right on that one.

I started with about 50 in one sale. Up to 120 real fast. The alpha dominance and all that in the herd...UGH....they sure can be rough.

 

[Chirpy]

FarmerChick wrote:

I started with about 50 in one sale. Up to 120 real fast

Oh my goodness.. I can't even imagine! You are a far better woman than I!