# NEW TO RAISING GOATS! Please help with a few simple questions?!



## balluba03 (Sep 9, 2011)

So my hubby and I recently bought a pair of neutered male pygmy goats. They're 6 months old. We have NEVER had goats before and we have a few questions about them.
   * Do they need to have their hoofs trimmed? They're terrain is mostly dirt and grass with some pavement when we let them out. 
   * We bought them some alfalfa cubes and they dont eat them, will they eat regular flake alfalfa?
  * They have a tag on their ear, what does that mean? it says "MIC5486"
  *  any other little tidbits would be helpful!
We have them in a pen with our 12 chickens. The pen is about 20' x 60', and it allows them to go freely in and out of the barn. They have fresh water to drink an we also placed a few pallets in the pen for them to climb on , which they do all the time! We are currently feeding them crack corn, goat pellets (which they really dont eat), and all the grass/greens they can eat. We let them out with us when we're in the yard and they just follow us around happily munching on everything. They're very friendly, and love to be petted! I just want to make sure they're going to live a happy life here at our farm. Thanks for all the help!


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 9, 2011)

Okay, let's hear 'em.


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## freemotion (Sep 9, 2011)

Yes, they do need to have their hooves trimmed regularly....how often depends on the goat.  There is a great tutorial with pictures on www.fiascofarm.com

Baled alfalfa is the best choice over cubes or pellets or alfalfa meal. 

Don't know about the tags....scrapies tags, maybe?


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## freemotion (Sep 9, 2011)

Oh, and nix the grain unless they are skinny and don't gain well on hay/greens.  Boy goats are vulnerable to deadly urinary calculi, the risk increases with grain.  Are you 100% positive that they cannot get into the chicken's grain?  That is also a huge no-no for goats.  It is more difficult with the little breeds if kept with chickens.


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## elevan (Sep 9, 2011)

balluba03 said:
			
		

> So my hubby and I recently bought a pair of neutered male pygmy goats. They're 6 months old. We have NEVER had goats before and we have a few questions about them.
> * Do they need to have their hoofs trimmed? They're terrain is mostly dirt and grass with some pavement when we let them out.
> * We bought them some alfalfa cubes and they dont eat them, will they eat regular flake alfalfa?
> * They have a tag on their ear, what does that mean? it says "MIC5486"
> ...


 and Congratulations!

Freemotion gave you a very good link for hoof trimming and there are tons of videos on YouTube too.

Alfalfa hay and pellets are best when giving alfalfa...seems a lot of goats won't eat the cubes  :/

Tag...maybe scrapies?

I have several links in my signature that you may find useful in researching information.  There are tons of threads on this forum that should be read  

I also agree with Freemotion about nixing the grain.  They really don't need it. And make sure that they cannot get to the chicken feed.


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## balluba03 (Sep 9, 2011)

they may be eatting the chicken grain, so I'll have to move that tomorrow! eek  And since they dont eat the goat pellets we got them, we havent been giving it to them. So they're ok just to eat the greens right now until winter? and the alfalfa? should I be giving them alfalfa now? And is the corn good for them? they absolutly love it - should it just be a treat? Thank for the help guys!


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## Roll farms (Sep 9, 2011)

I wouldn't give corn to wethers at all.  Ever.  Period.  Yes, they love it...we all tend to love to eat what we shouldn't, the most. 

What brand of goat pellets are you feeding?  They shouldn't need much feed at all, but if you're going to offer some, Purina Noble Goat (available at TSC) is a good one for boys, the CA ratio is good and it has Ammonium Chloride added.  

Grass / Alfalfa mix hay is best for boys if you need to feed hay, but woody browse / pasture are all they should really 'need'.

Keep an eye on their condition / a hand on their bodies and you should be able to tell quickly if they get too fat or too thin.

Get the chicken feed away from them ASAP.  Bad, bad stuff for goats, esp. in excess.

The tag sounds like a Michigan scrapie tag.  Ours start out IN for Indiana.


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## freemotion (Sep 9, 2011)

No corn for the boys, either,  and no cookies, bread, poptarts, pretzels, biscuits, cake, etc.  Any kind of grain.  A freshly picked leaf from a tree that you know is not poisonous to goats is the best treat you can give them.  In winter, you can thinly slice a few bits of carrot or rutabaga or apple for them.  Just a little, though, if they are not used to it.  The best treat is attention from you.

You probably won't be able to keep the little guys with the chickens.  I keep my full-size dairy gals with mine as they can't get into the small chicken door.  You really-really-really don't want these boys eating free-choice grain of any kind, and if they are skinny (they are pygmies, so I seriously doubt they will ever be thin!  My pygmies were obese on air!  ) they can get a SMALL amount of grain for boy goats with ammonium chloride in it to help prevent urinary calculi.

Personally, I'd move the chicken grain right now.


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 9, 2011)

balluba03 said:
			
		

> So my hubby and I recently bought a pair of neutered male pygmy goats. They're 6 months old. We have NEVER had goats before and we have a few questions about them.
> * Do they need to have their hoofs trimmed? They're terrain is mostly dirt and grass with some pavement when we let them out.
> * We bought them some alfalfa cubes and they dont eat them, will they eat regular flake alfalfa?
> * They have a tag on their ear, what does that mean? it says "MIC5486"
> ...


Yes, goat hooves need trimming, just like horses.  It is quite simple once you know how to do it. I don't reccomend using a rasp until you know and are comfortable with using the sheers.  Rasps, when used by those just starting out, can end up going too far and cause bleeding. 

Most goats won't touch the alfalfa cubes because they are very hard to break apart(just try to pull/shred them apart with your fingers... it hurts after the firts one)... alfalfa pellets are okay, but I agree, as long as it is dry, it is better to go with the bales of alfalfa.

Ear tags are a way of knowing where the animal came from(auction, 4-h farm, etc).  I personnally don't care for tags, as they usually end up getting torn out of the ear.  Tattoos are much better.

I would reconsider having them cohabitate with the chickens... the only reason I say that, is  that you run a much higher risk of your goats getting cocci, worms, parasites by having them cohabitate.  If you have a way of splitting the barn so that the chickens can't get into the goats' area and vice versa, it's okay... but the dust that chickens scratch up can cause respiratory issues in goat kids.... just something to think about.  If you decide to keep them in the same area, you can make sure they don't have access to the chickens' feed by making the top of the stalls a platform for your chickens' food and water containers.

Another thing to consider, is what direction you want your little farm to go in terms of feeding and treatment. Does your family want to go the natural/herbal route, or do you prefer to go with chemical additives and treatments?  Do you prefer organic, or is that not something you're into?  Do you want goats for dairy, meat, land clearing, or a combination of the catagories?


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 9, 2011)

as far as treats go, If you slowly get them used to produce items, you can give them easily an apple a day without them suffering any ill effects. My herd constanly gets produce trimmings from the grocery stores including trash bags full of corn husks.


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## balluba03 (Sep 9, 2011)

Thanks for all the feed back. After reading, I think the Hubbs and I are going to seperate them from the chickens. Our barn is big enough that we can build another enclosure for them, which will also allow them more field for grazing. Now another question: the area we are going to build the new pen at has some pine trees that border it.....can they eat pine trees? Blue spruce, norway spruce are the only types I believe they are, would the pine trees be alright for them to graze on, or should we exclude them  from the new pen? what types of trees/grasses are bad for them? is there a list somewhere? lol     As far as keeping the goats, these are the only 2 we plan on having. They're just pets, not for meat/milk. And the less I have to buy for them the better, we are a young couple ..... bad economy....blah blah blah!   I would like to get them a mineral block/salt block. What kind? We have a TSC store in town, which would you guys recomend? So as of now, We're going to stop the corn, and the goat pellets. (it was the kind they had at TSC, Dumor I believe was the brand). So they will be grazing, and also getting alfalfa. Anything else you guy can think of?? you have been SO much help!


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 9, 2011)

balluba03 said:
			
		

> Thanks for all the feed back. After reading, I think the Hubbs and I are going to seperate them from the chickens. Our barn is big enough that we can build another enclosure for them, which will also allow them more field for grazing. Now another question: the area we are going to build the new pen at has some pine trees that border it.....can they eat pine trees? Blue spruce, norway spruce are the only types I believe they are, would the pine trees be alright for them to graze on, or should we exclude them  from the new pen? what types of trees/grasses are bad for them? is there a list somewhere? lol     As far as keeping the goats, these are the only 2 we plan on having. They're just pets, not for meat/milk. And the less I have to buy for them the better, we are a young couple ..... bad economy....blah blah blah!   I would like to get them a mineral block/salt block. What kind? We have a TSC store in town, which would you guys recomend? So as of now, We're going to stop the corn, and the goat pellets. (it was the kind they had at TSC, Dumor I believe was the brand). So they will be grazing, and also getting alfalfa. Anything else you guy can think of?? you have been SO much help!


Pine, spruce, hemlock trees are all actually just fine for them, they will go over to them occassionally and eat only as much as they feel they need... they are all natural dewormers!  

I have white salt blocks and mineral blocks... in my opinion, the "billy blocks" are a waste of money if you have a mineral feeder with the loose Goat Mineral in it.


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## freemotion (Sep 10, 2011)

The best to get is a goat-specific loose mineral and a plastic mineral feeder....TSC will have a little black one that has two compartments and you screw it right into the wall.  Just put an ounce or two of the loose minerals in it and put more in as they eat it up.  Since they haven't had access to minerals in a while, they'll probably gobble it up for 2-3 days, then slow down.  They won't eat it after it has been in the feeder for a few days, so you don't want to put too much in there.  Every 3 days or so, scoop out what is left and replace it with fresh minerals.

I no longer use salt blocks or free choice baking soda.  The loose minerals have salt in them to attract the goats to them, and other sources of salt will cause them to NOT get enough minerals and could lead to copper deficiency.  I learned this one the hard way.


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## fortheloveofgoats (Sep 10, 2011)

balluba03 said:
			
		

> So my hubby and I recently bought a pair of neutered male pygmy goats. They're 6 months old. We have NEVER had goats before and we have a few questions about them.
> * Do they need to have their hoofs trimmed? They're terrain is mostly dirt and grass with some pavement when we let them out.
> * We bought them some alfalfa cubes and they dont eat them, will they eat regular flake alfalfa?
> * They have a tag on their ear, what does that mean? it says "MIC5486"
> ...


Yes, they will need their hoofs trimmed. They probably will. I bought the cubed too, and they are a pain, I have to make the cubes smaller, other wise they won't eat them. The tag is the number that the people used who had them before. To know which animal is which. Do you have loose minerals for them? Do you have a salt lick for them? I give mine Timothy hay as a choice, all day long. They need different types of thing's to est, to stay happy and healthy.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Sep 10, 2011)

Yup, still need hooves trimmed.  Maybe less often if the terrain is rocky, but they still need them done.

Goats can't eat the alfalfa cubes unless they're a) broken into smaller pieces, or b) soaked before feeding.  Some goats will eat them soaked, some will not.  We prefer the pellets for convenience sake when alfalfa hay is unavailable.

Congrats on your new goats!


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## balluba03 (Sep 10, 2011)

so we built the new goat pen today. and we also got some of the loose goat mineral from TSC, and they do like it. So we'll follow the directions on that for them!


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## Island Creek Farm (Sep 12, 2011)

Was told that the pine needles (fresh) have vitamin C in them...not sure if it's true or not.  Mine get a couple Vit C chewable tabs once a day.  We break up our cubes by putting them in a muck bucket and dropping a maul on them as we can't get good baled alfalfa here.  Did find perennial peanut hay, which they LOVE though!


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