# Opinions:  What Breed/Preg or no?



## SusanRVT (Jun 15, 2012)

Hello, new to the forums here.  My husband and I just recently decided to get some goats.  I am a registered vet tech and bought them from a friend who is also a registered tech.  She has given me all the info on vax, de-worming, de-lousing, hoof trimming, mineral blocks, feed etc. that I have forgotten since school.  I worked in a small animal practice and did not get to work with goats.  My husband and I have always liked them and we have a spare 1/4 acre for them to live in with 6 ft. chain link fencing.  We initially bought a pygmy doe and her doeling and immediately fell in love.  My friend had a wether and a small doe of unknown breed that she also wanted to sell.  We have them now, too.  The doe was a stray from her neighborhood and looks like could be a mini nubian cross to me?  She is very small.  Supposedly a year old and smaller than my 3 year old pygmy doe.  She was in with my friends buck and from what I have read about determining pregnancy, she looks pregnant to me.  I am hoping to post some pictures to get some opinions on breed and whether people think she is pregnant or not.  I have uploaded some pictures to my account, but don't know how to post them.
Would love some help   Thanks!


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## redtailgal (Jun 15, 2012)

You'll need post a few more times before you can upload pics.  Once your account is fully activated you can go to the uploads link at the top of the page.  Upload your pic, and then copy and paste the image code into the text of your post.

and Welcome to the forums!  Pop into a few of the journals to say Hi and meet some of us.  

I look forward to getting to know you!


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## SusanRVT (Jun 16, 2012)

Thanks so much!  I can't wait to show of my little "herd" of new critters.


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## redtailgal (Jun 16, 2012)

Your quite welcome!


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## SusanRVT (Jun 16, 2012)

Okay, I'm attempting to upload pics:

Nellie







Vulva






Above






With our wether (Ricky) and our 10 week old doeling (Bunny)






Have to throw in one of Bunny and her Mom (Honey)  just to be fair


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## Roll farms (Jun 16, 2012)

Nellie is a Boer or Boer cross and yes, undersized for her age.  She may have been stunted by parasites as a kid.

What breed of buck was she bred to?

Here's a link to lots of pics of boer goats.  http://images.search.yahoo.com/sear...2cAhM9XNyoA?p=boer+goats&fr=crmas&fr2=piv-web

Boers and Nubians share common middle eastern breeds as ancestors, both have roman noses / long ears / heat tolerance / rich milk.

Also, goats shouldn't get mineral blocks, they need good loose mineral made for goats.  They'll break their teeth trying to 'eat' the blocks and can't lick them enough to get what they need.

Welcome to goats and


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## SusanRVT (Jun 16, 2012)

Nellie was in with a pygmy buck.  So, you think she is pregnant?  Do you think she will have any problems due to size?

The block I have is made for goats and they don't seem to be having any trouble chewing some off.  But if loose minerals would be better, I can look for those.


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## hcppam (Jun 16, 2012)

Are you in Cottonwood AZ ?


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## Roll farms (Jun 16, 2012)

Sorry, I have no clue if she's pregnant.   I can only tell when they get 4 mos. along or so, by udder development.  And I've been breeding goats for over 10 yrs.

If she is, being bred to a pygmy buck *should* make small kids, but large singles can still be a problem, esp. in a stunted doe.

Loose minerals are way better than blocks.  
If it's a block they can chew, is it a protein block?  Those are great, but they *need* mineral.  (mineral blocks are usually hard rocks).

If they're actively chewing at a hard mineral block, that would (to me) indicate they're needing more than they can 'lick' off....and risk broken teeth.

I like Manna Pro minerals (I dunno if you have a TSC close, but they sell it in small bags) or ADM minerals.  Golden Blend also makes a good goat mineral.  Not all minerals are created equal, they need copper and selenium and some minerals have more than others and in easier-to-absorb forms.  (Copper sulfate vs. copper oxide, for example.)


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## SusanRVT (Jun 16, 2012)

Yeah, I figure if she starts really developing her udder, I'll know then.  Maybe I'll have to have her checked out by a Vet to see if we can get an estimate on size of kid/kids if she is preg.

to hcppam:  I live in Cottonwood, California.  That is in the far north Sacramento River Valley about 2 hours from the Oregon border.

The block I have is from Tractor Supply.  It is this one:   http://www.tractorsupply.com/dumor-reg-goat-block-33-3-lb--2220957    Maybe it would be considered a protein block.  It has 18% protein.

I'll look into the Manna Pro next time I am at TSC.


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## Roll farms (Jun 16, 2012)

Yup, that's a protein block, meant for supplementing goats on forage.  A mineral is all trace mineral, no 'food' to it and rock hard.  BAD for goat teeth.  
The manna pro mineral you can put out in a feeder, a handful at a time, and see how much they use....typically they'll 'eat' more in the beginning, then slack off.  They tend to 'know' how much they need and eat accordingly.  If too much is left in the feeder it will be ignored after a few days until 'fresh' is put out.

Picky buggers.

Seriously, I have a genormous boer doe who's still got an udder from kidding a couple mos. ago....and who's wide as a barn....you'd SWEAR she's due any day...and she's not bred.  I gave up guessing on belly size alone and looking at their butt never tells me anything....unless there are teats hanging down when I look....


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## 20kidsonhill (Jun 16, 2012)

I am leaning more towards looking bred. But has a ways to go.


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## SusanRVT (Jun 18, 2012)

I guess we will find out sooner or later


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## GoatRancher11 (Jun 21, 2012)

Chiming in a little late here.  Haven't been on in a while.  I know where you are at though, been there, just started about 1 year ago.  This forum has been AWESOME with advice.  Ranchers who care, are sincere and take time out of their day to give good, sound advice.

I do use protein blocks myself from TSC and I use the one you have.  There is a "sheep and goat" one BUT I always get the "goats on pasture" and pay the extra $1 I think it is.  Has either more copper or selenium in it.  I cannot remember the kind of mineral I use but I get a $14.50 25 pound bag from a local feed store.  I always have loose minerals for the goats and as mentioned by an earlier poster, they sort of know when and when not to eat.  I'll go out sometimes after 2-3 weeks and there is still half the mineral in there.  Other times, after 4-5 days they have eaten it down.  I'm in North Carolina where there is a major selenium deficiency.  Loose mineral in particular for my goats is paramount.

Good luck to you.  I've only been in it for a year BUT I love having goats!  It is definitely a wild ride.


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## SusanRVT (Jun 22, 2012)

Thank you!  We love our critters all ready!


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## ksalvagno (Jun 22, 2012)

http://www.tractorsupply.com/manna-pro-reg-goat-mineral-trade-supplement-8-lb--5099436

If you look at the labels, you can see that this offers one heck of a lot more than the block. THat block may be ok to give them as a "treat" and some added protein but it will do nothing for minerals.

Don't worry, there is a huge learning curve and no matter how long you have been in goats, there is always more to learn.


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