# My first two goats!



## Rilly10 (Nov 4, 2010)

These are my girls! I have had them almost two weeks and am in love! They have really warmed up and follow us everywhere! They live with my stallion and are all great friends already! I was so nervous to introduce them but couldn't be happier with how it all turned out!

Sorry for the clutter in the backround, we had just finished the goat addition to the shed!

The red one is Matilda and the paint is Clemintine!


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## ksalvagno (Nov 4, 2010)

Very cute! Congratulations!


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## TigerLilly (Nov 4, 2010)

There's not a whole lot of things more cuter than a goat face!


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## Emmetts Dairy (Nov 5, 2010)

Enjoy your new guys!!  Very sweet!!!!


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## lilhill (Nov 5, 2010)




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## peachick (Nov 5, 2010)

I got my first goats this summer.....
Welcome to your new addiction!


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## Rilly10 (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks guys! They are not registered or anything just grade boers! I love them though!


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## Roll farms (Nov 5, 2010)

Congrats....Papers are over-rated sometimes, you know....
They're beautiful.


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## Rilly10 (Nov 6, 2010)

Thanks everyone!

One more I took today with their pasturemate, Cass my retired stallion...


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## jross8897 (Nov 12, 2010)

very cute!!


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## warthog (Nov 12, 2010)

Lovely goaties, enjoy them.


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## CountryGirl (Nov 14, 2010)

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## CountryGirl (Nov 14, 2010)

TigerLilly said:
			
		

> There's not a whole lot of things more cuter than a goat face!


I think you stand corrected..........




Not sure which is cuter though!!! That is a colt from our barn.


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## Rilly10 (Dec 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone...and I must admit that foal is ADORABLE!!!

I have a question...how does their weight look to you guys? They have gained weight since I posted this pic and their bellies seem HUGE. They look like they are going to POP!

They are eating pretty much free choice hay since there is barely any grass left, and have salt and minerals. 

They also sneak sweet feed from the horse! Oh and I also just wormed them on Sunday with the labeld dose of Valbazen (I weighed them and gave 1cc/25lbs bw).
Matilda (red one) weighs 46, and Clemmy (the paint) weighs 84!!!!


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## KellyHM (Dec 21, 2010)

Did you get them after they were bred?  Tis the season...


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## Rilly10 (Dec 21, 2010)

I hope they are not preggo!!! LOL They are this years babies and the buck was out with the open does so I don't think he was ever in with them. They were with a bunch of does (some pregnant) and some nursing, also recently weaned babies, and one HUGE whether. 

I am gonna be in HUGE trouble if they ate pregnant!


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## jodief100 (Dec 22, 2010)

You wormed them with Valbazen so if they were pregnant, they aren't anymore.  

Boers can get fat really easily if they are not breeding or raising babies.   I have two that ALWAYS look ready to pop.  All I can suggest is keep them out of the sweet feed.


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## glenolam (Dec 22, 2010)

Jodie's right with the valbazen - that's an automatic abortion if they were pregnant.

Glad to hear they are doing well, though!


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## ()relics (Dec 22, 2010)

glenolam said:
			
		

> Jodie's right with the valbazen - that's an automatic abortion


...Not automatic....but not a good idea either.


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## jodief100 (Dec 22, 2010)

I will clarify. Probably not pregnant anymore.  

They are cuties .


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## Rilly10 (Dec 22, 2010)

Could they have been pregnant at about 6 month old? They were sold to me as this years babies, and were NOT supposed to be pregnant. 

They don't seem fat other than their bellies. They topline and hips still don't seem to have much covering, they just seem to be in poor condition which is why I wormed them. Thought it was either a hay belly but they are lacking muscle, or a worm belly.

The only sweet feed they have been getting is what the stallion drops. He is due to have his teeth floated in a few months so has been quidding a bit. 

We are going to be building them some platforms and trying to move a HUGE boulder into their feild this weekend so hopefully they will jump and climb and build some more muscle. 

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I will try to get updated pics on Friday (too dark when I get home).


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## jodief100 (Dec 22, 2010)

They could have been pregnant at 6 months.  Fat bellies and thin hips on  a boer usually means poor condition.  It can depend on what they are mixed with.  

What kind of hay do they have?  They may need some additional protien in thier diet.

I have a few that have difficulty keeping muscle on thier hips.  I give those girls some alfalfa pellets with a little BOSS along with thier grain ration.  This time of the year with snow, no browse and just hay, the 4 special girls get 8 oz of alfalfa pellets and 1 lb of grain with a handfull of BOSS between them.  I feed pelleted goat feed.  I do not like using the sweet feeds.


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## rebelINny (Dec 22, 2010)

OK WAIT! I just remembered Safeguard is NOT valbazen. It is fenbendozal........whew! I wormed a couple of my does yesterday that are bred with safeguard and for a minute I was thinking it was valbazen. What a relief!


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## Rilly10 (Dec 25, 2010)

jodief100 said:
			
		

> They could have been pregnant at 6 months.  Fat bellies and thin hips on  a boer usually means poor condition.  It can depend on what they are mixed with.
> 
> What kind of hay do they have?  They may need some additional protien in thier diet.
> 
> I have a few that have difficulty keeping muscle on thier hips.  I give those girls some alfalfa pellets with a little BOSS along with thier grain ration.  This time of the year with snow, no browse and just hay, the 4 special girls get 8 oz of alfalfa pellets and 1 lb of grain with a handfull of BOSS between them.  I feed pelleted goat feed.  I do not like using the sweet feeds.


Thanks! I work at an animal health company and one of our livestock vats just gave me almost this exact same advice. I am going to TSC to pick up some LOOSE minerals (I only had a block so far, they were out last time) and some goat grain with high protein. I will get some BOSS also and split that btw the chickens and goats. 

The hay is a orchard grass timothy mix and they are getting about a bale or so a day (between the 2 does and one horse). I took some pictures today which I will post. Please excuse the one's bum leg...I just posted about her in the Disease section hoping for some help/guidance. My vet is off for X-mas and it dosn't seem to be an emergency so I am keeping her stalled until tomorrow AM when I will have the vet come out.


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## Rilly10 (Dec 25, 2010)




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## jodief100 (Dec 26, 2010)

I would say not poor condition but it certainly could be better.  The timothy orchard grass hay is good but it could be a little low in protein.  You never really know unless you get it tested.  I would add some goat specific grain, not a lot since they are not pregnant or lactating. I use Noble Goat, it is the best my TS carries.   Alfalfa pellets woudl be good too and a little, not a  lot of BOSS.  For these two I would say split somewhere between 1/2 - 1 lb of grain with about 4-6 oz of alfalfa pellets and a handful of BOSS.  Watch condition and adjust as needed.  

I would take away the salt to encourage eating of the minerals.  Make sure the horse's salt is out of their reach.


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## Rilly10 (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks so much!I just got back from TSC and came home with loose minerals (in exchange for the Billy Block), a bag of Noble Goat, and a 50 lb bag of BOSS (the chickens love it too). I also tier the horses Himalayan Salt lick higher up so they can't reach it. I had the vet out this AM for Matilda's cut and he said that I should also do a second round of wormer on Weds (10 days from the first dose to get any immature worms it missed). Clemintine, the paint looks much better after the first worming, but they will both get it to be safe and thorough!

I will get some alfalfa later...they were out. If I can't get the pellets are cubes or chopped alfalfa ok? Or what if I just give them a flake a day?

THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN!!! I love this forum!


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## jodief100 (Dec 27, 2010)

I do not like using the cubes.  The goats cannot chew them so you either have to break them apart or soak them in water.  Neither of which I want to do.  Chopped will be fine.  You can get a high percentage alfalfa hay and give them some of that.  

Just keep watching condition and adjust feed as needed.  Boers can get fat very easily if you are not careful.


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## peachick (Jan 2, 2011)

^ reported!


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## poorboys (Jan 2, 2011)

I raise nubians, but if i had more space you can bettcha I'd have some boer's they are really nice looking!!!!!!!


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