newbie,&new goat owner question

17 years ago

Hi, I just found this site a few days ago,I hope you don't mind if I join in!

I should have asked this sooner, but I just thought of it.

I was wondering if there is anything I could do to make bringing my goats home easier on them! They are weaned and have been for almost 2 weeks now,(they are a little over 8 weeks) but after all I'm taken them from their home and Momma. I will be getting triplets, so they will have each other, but I can't help feeling a little sad to be taken them from their Mom! Don't laugh, I know it's all in a days life on a farm, but I'm new to this!

Any little hints I should know about their first night in their new barn? How about the ride home?

They are part Pygmy and Nigerian!

TIA, Brenda

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Comments (10)

GennyM
17 years ago
Just spend plenty of time with them and make them feel comfortable. I'm sure it will help a LOT since they have each other! Will you be keeping them as pets? We would love to see pictures of them!
ahbee01
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, Yes they will be pets! Their names are Tanya, Tucker, & Toby! We brought them home today. I have done so much reading that I'm so overwhelmed and scared I might harm them! They are grazing on the grass and some leaves that are in their pen, and we have cleared out as much brush as we could. I'm learning to identify the harmful stuff, but I just hope I didn't miss anything!
Should I let them browse till their hearts content or pen them in the barn and let them out only for short times till they are bigger! I was planning to give them sweet feed, the seller said 1 cup each a day, he said he fed them it all at once, but I was thinking 1/2 in the Am and 1/2 in the PM!
And hay at free will, is that a good plan?
I will send some pics soon! Thanks,Brenda
PS How do you not worry yourself's when they are browsing in thick brush?
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Hello everyone! Thanks for all the input! I am LOVING these goats! I love my dogs and my horses, but these creatures are so interesting. Poor Princess has been confined to babysitting the "little guy" (doesn't have a name yet), so she has not been out eating my plants and bushes for a few days. He nearly lost his voice after the first few days of hollering for his Mom.....it broke my heart. And yes, I do think that 5 weeks is pretty young to leave Mom. I almost let him stay another week, but Princess was needing a companion....not that she acts it now. She has changed so much....so much more affectionate. She is establishing her dominance over the little guy....butts him when I try to feed them. They are doing fine in the chain link pen, which we finally got secure so she couldn't break out. The little guy actually got out somehow, (we think he squeezed thru an opening close to the door, which we baracaded and seems to be holding him in) and he was right at the door wanting back in with Princess, which I thought was good. My husband got them both out and brought them up to the house yesterday morning, thinking he was doing a good thing. We were getting ready to put up hay in the afternoon and I told him, I didn't have time to watch them. We like to never caught the little guy. Finally, we put a leash on Princess and led her back to the pen, and he followed. We can't catch him at all. He is fast and hasn't been fooled with at all by the previous owner. Even though Princes was the escape artist, she would let us catch her. So, i have been working with him, trying to get him used to me. The only problem is when I try to feed him, to entice him to trust me, she butts him away. He will get close enough to eat out of my hand, but won't let me touch him otherwise. Tonight, I put her on the leash outside the pen and put a little crushed corn in a bowl. Eventually he let me touch him and I began to pet him....he froze! He liked it. He let me pet him a lot. I didn't try to pick him up....thought that was good enough for tonite. I've caught him before and held him and he didn't fight, but he wouldn't ever let himself be caught. I think we turned a corner tonite though. He is so sweet and so soft like a kitten. Princess' hair is much coarser. OK, so tell me.....how much grain can I feed him now, safely. I have read stuff, and the lady that i bought him from said not to feed him too much. How much is too much? Also, I posted on another web site and was told to start giving them wormer right away. He is a pygmy and I'm not sure what she is. (Can anyone tell me how to post pictures on the site?) They are both grazing. I'm trying to procure some mineral supplement. Do you put it out for them to eat as much as they want? HELP!
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cheribelle
17 years ago
Goats LOVE brush! I would leave them out if it's only them in the pen. Around here I have to take the mommy and babies out of the pasture with horses. Don't want any babies getting stepped on.
GennyM
17 years ago
I bought my pygmy some sweet feed, but he won't eat it. He loves hay though and I give him that and keep him some available all day. Your going to have so much fun with you goats! I love mine and he is so funny to watch! I only have one, so when I'm not with him he hangs out with my ducks. They peck at him sometimes, but he is so sweet and gentle with them. His name is Reese.
ahbee01
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, You guys are great!!!
I'm such a worry wart! I think I found lice on them, although I haven't actually seen the bugs, but it looks like the black ones have dandruff that doesn't come off! I heard of dusting them with seven, is that safe! What if they lick themselves? Is there a special way to put it on!
See I told you I was a worry wart! They are so cute and are starting to follow my little boy all around, he is 4 and in heaven!! I will post pics I promise!
Thanks, Brenda
GennyM
17 years ago
Reese follows me all over the place! Sometimes I let him come in the house. He really loves it.

About the lice, I thought Reese had it too. It was white flaky stuff. I was really worried, but then I gave him a bath and used shampoo--(that's ok isn't it (to use shampoo on a goat?) And the white stuff came off, so I guess it was dandruff!
zeke
17 years ago
Hi Brenda ,
its is safe to use seven/sevin on most farm animals they way i usually do it is put on latex gloves and sprinkle a little bit on the palms of the gloves and work it into the hair so it doesnt take a whole lot ( dont use a cannon to kill a mosquito ), and there are a number of other products on the market to deter lice and other parasites .
Zeke
acorn
17 years ago
How wonderful for you, you are going to love the goats more and more. We have five pigmeys, Caprice,Chloe,Daffny, are the ladies,Raja and Boots are the boys(sorta they are weathers). They have so much fun. Sounds like you are doing everything right.
ahbee01
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi again, just wanted to let you know my babies are adjusting well!
Thanks
Brenda
GennyM
17 years ago
That's great!

newbie,&new goat owner question

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newbie,&new goat owner question

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