# I need some goat advice



## sillystunt (May 26, 2009)

I hope this is in the right section!

I am picking up a female Nigerian dwarf goat on sunday. She has had one birth 7 months ago. They said that she was exsposed to a male shortly after birth. Time frame ???

(I have a notion that she is prego that's why they listed her and the son. They bought 2 females and didn't know they were prego, hence 2 goats tooo many)
Would i be able to tell if she is prego? Wouldn't she be due ASAP?

Also her 7 month old son is fixed but they didn't de horn him. Is it to late? I kinda am weiry about getting him since i only have one pen and his horns concern me.(kids, animals and mamma goat)

Thanks so much for any advice!

Heather


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## haviris (May 26, 2009)

Goats are pg for 5 months, when and how long was she w/ the buck?

I have horned and non horned goats, mostly non horned, but I still have one nubian and two boers w/ horns. It's never to late to dehorn, it's just a much bigger deal now! When I need to dehorn an older one, I band them.


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## sillystunt (May 26, 2009)

since  am new to the goat world... how do you band them?

I am not sure how long she was exposed and exectlly when..just told shortly after birth and ad reads (might be pregnant)

URGH.....

see i don't want to get her and she have kids plus get the 7 month old....tooooo many goats for the size pen we have!!!


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## Griffin's Ark (May 26, 2009)

If she was exposed and not in heat, she probably didn't get pregnant.  Find out if she was kept with a buck or not.  We exposed a nigerian doe a month after birthing so that we could get her on the same schedule as everyone else.  Ours were exposed the latter part of January to the early part of Feb.  They are all about ready to pop now.  5 months is 5 months give or take a few days.

Chris


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## Chirpy (May 26, 2009)

If there's any way to get a better time frame on when she was with the buck it would certainly help you determine possible due dates.   And, after the last possible due date you'd know for sure that she isn't preggers.     If she was exposed seven months ago for a few days or even a week or a month, then she's not pregnant... you need them to give you better answers to that.

As to the horns issue - that's a very personal issue that you need to educate yourself on and then make your decision.  If you chose to dehorn at this point I'd suggest banding and hoping that works (it doesn't always but many people have had great luck with it).   I highly encourage you NOT to go the surgical route (via a vet) as they have to literally open the skull to get the horns out and there is a good possibility of infection afterwards.  I do have friends with personal experience doing the surgical route and all of them have said they wish they hadn't have put their goats through it and would never do it again.

I'm on the side of not having horned goats at my house.  I also know several people personally who've had serious facial injuries (including almost loosing an eye) just because their horned goat tossed it's head or turned it's head at the wrong moment and it caught them in the face.   The goats were all very sweet - nothing mean - it was just the movement of the head at the wrong time.   Also - horned goats can easily get caught in certain fence types and can hurt their herdmates when butting -- even in play.   Thus, I disbud all my kids.     Other's won't have a goat without horns.... your choice.


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## taraann81 (May 27, 2009)

Not to high jack your thread, but chirpy could you go into more detail about how to band a goats horns?  I would rather not have horned goats, for safety reasons (people and goats).  But my 2 goats both have horns, they are still fairly young but not young enough to disbud them.   At what opoint do you band(certain age?  Or certain size of horn?)  Any info you could pass on would be great.


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## Farmer Kitty (May 27, 2009)

taraann81 said:
			
		

> Not to high jack your thread, but chirpy could you go into more detail about how to band a goats horns?  I would rather not have horned goats, for safety reasons (people and goats).  But my 2 goats both have horns, they are still fairly young but not young enough to disbud them.   At what opoint do you band(certain age?  Or certain size of horn?)  Any info you could pass on would be great.


His would make a great "My Page" entry into our contest, if someone wants to tackle it.


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## Chirpy (May 27, 2009)

I don't have personal experience banding horns as I disbud so someone who's done it needs to chime in here.

You use the same bands that you use to castrate a buckling.   Put them down around the horn right at the base where the horn attaches to the head.  Make sure there's no hair caught in the band.   It takes weeks for the horn to fall off.   Unfortunately that's my limited knowledge on this.


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## helmstead (May 27, 2009)

Banding is not a perfect answer, but it is the best solution when weighed agains surgical removal.  We are elastrator banding all of our horned goats (tired of repairing fences)...it's going fabulously but has not been without some significant work.  You will need pain meds, antibiotics on hand.  I HIGHLY suggest finding someone local with experience to walk you through it, as we had.  You will find some websites about it which make it sound like a walk in the park...which it is not.

All that said, we have had horned goats for years.  We have small children, a mixed herd.  The only issue we've had with the horns is property damage (fences, etc).  Don't be afraid of them...


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## pattyjean73 (May 28, 2009)

I think horns are a personal issue.  Some goat owners won't have a goat with horns, some won't have a goat without them for various reasons.  Personally, I tend to let nature be in most cases.  To my way of thinking... nature put them there for a reason.  Why mess with nature?

Many will disagree with me however.


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## sillystunt (May 31, 2009)

ok, so we picked them up today.We took the son also cause we split them and oh my god!!! Talk about seperation anxiety...lol We drove to the atmgot more$$$ and went back to get him. His horns are small and so are hers.I know males are larger soi am a little nervous. Gonna look into banning them. Surgery sounds aweful and $$$.

I willpost pi'c of lil mamma and billy later. Now the question is do we rename them.....lol


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## goat lady (May 31, 2009)

I live in Florida also. Near Orlando. We got two goats in March. We got the momma and her 5 month old billy. We just could not separate them.  She was exposed to the buck and we don't know if she is pregant of not. We keep watching her. She is big around, and jumping not like she used to, but her milk sack is not full and dropping yet. We have no clue when she was exposed and for how long. The lady we got them from just let the boys in with the girls when they wanted to.   I wish you all the luck on your goats. We love our two.  Where did you find yours?


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## sillystunt (Jun 1, 2009)

thanks goat lady! We got our goats from Myakka City. Super nice family and the had gotten 2 females, not knowing they were prego. They both kidded and sold us one mamma and sin (7m) They were sooo sad to be seperated so we just got them both. Probally better off so they can be together. And he's fixed which is REALLY good. 

Were are you located? We are in Winter Haven, Polk county FL.


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## dkluzier (Jun 3, 2009)

We did not take the horns off ours and only have problems with the one doe who likes to eat on the other side of the fence.  I'll cut the fence to get her out rather than risk infection, etc with dehorning her with the elastic bands. 

As for renaming? We did and they respond to whatever you yell at them if you give them enough attention.  Goats are very sociable with people and will adapt to new names.


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