Tips for beginner goat owners?

[The Moonshiner]

My goats eat stuff said to be poisonous too like lilac. If they're eating them and they are fine I would guess it's okay.

Ours ate a half box of rat poison once and somehow it didnt kill them.
They have eaten the strangest stuff. Love cigarette butts and paper the most. Just had the water company out the other day checking meter for leaks. Our billy eat half his paper he had on a clip board while it was in his hand. No big deal except it was his list of stops for the day.
I never realized just how hard they were on plants and trees though. First they will eat every flower, shrub or any plant life you dont want them to. Then they will eat every leaf in reach even evergreens. After the leaves run out theyll eat the bark off anything that has. Have had every small tree die and a couple huge ones.

Double then triple check your fencing. Get a bucket of water. Throw it against fence. If any water makes it through then so will a goat.
We have nigerians. They can all hop a 42" fence and one can easily jump a 4' fence. Go with no bigger than 4" goat fence. The 6" field fence will allow them to get their heads stuck if they have horns. Ive had to cut fence to get them out several times. Sometimes several times in a row. Get them loose and theyll walk over two feet and stick their head right back through. Then you have to patch the hole you made. Mine have walked through any 6" x 12" hole in fence. Theh will also pull fence up and crawl under it.
They love to climb especially when young. Their favorite thing will be your vehicle if they get the chance.
I like the goats but usually when anyone asked advice about getting goats my advice is to get sheep instead.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

That's what I thought they are extremely smart why would they eat something that would hurt them.

 

[EmeraldAcres]

I can't say for sure, because again, all my knowledge is research at this point, not experience... but after reading the EXTENSIVE list of things poisonous to goats, and feeling like I need to keep them in a bubble lol.. I read that generally starvation is what leads to poisoning. I assume the hungrier they are, the more likely they are to make a bad choice about what to eat.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There are different kinds of oaks. Mine won't touch the dry oak leaves that blow into their pen in fall but gobble up other leaves.

I know using goats for clearing weedy areas is a big thing now. If it's edible a goat will eat it, if not it will leave it, and amount of something can make a difference too. Eating some can be okay but too much might not.

I tend to let the goats decide. I personally haven't had one poisoned, but they also have plenty of correct food available, grass, and hay, so they are let likely to solely eat something bad.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Lol yeah he got plenty of coastal for sure between the flakes I provide and the coastal that's growing and all the bushes and feednajd everything

 

[1brock]

We just got a 4 week old Nigerian dwarf, can't get the poor thing to take a bottle, any suggestions

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Was it being bottle fed? Near impossible to get one that old to go from nursing to a bottle.

 

[1brock]

She only told us that he will need bottle so I assumed he was already using one, he is more interested in eating grass, i know he still needs milk maybe add it to his feed?

 

[Jesusfreak101]

It could be the nipple mine had a hard time with the first nipplww I got I got two other and tried them until I found one they liked.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

A goat at 4 weeks of age should have come with clear directions of what, and when it is being fed. Some are fed goats milk, some replacer, and some cows milk. Changing the diet quickly can be deadly. I would contact the person you got it from and find out more. It is too young to be weaned, but it's better than killing it with incorrect feedings. Goats have sensitive digestive tracts. All changes need to be made slowly or else they can die over night.