Goats AT Auctions!!!:)

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

Agree 100% with - username taken!

That lastest posting by 'username taken' - just saved the lives of untold goat kids AND prevented heartache for the owners/keepers. Read it, print it off - heck, MEMORIZE IT! Great information. Great Advice to Muscovy.

Muscovy - good luck in your search...you'll find them! If they turn out to be a boy and girl. "Band"(casterate) the boy so he can live out the rest of his life with his twin sister. If both turn out to be bucklings...band them both. You won't regret it! Have fun with the twins!

 

[Scout]

It'd be best to buy from a local farm. One of my friends around here just give's the bummers away IF ya let him know ahead of time ya want one, if ya dont act fast he'll put 'em down, he says he's to old to deal with 'em like he used to. So the point is, put an ad in the paper your interested in a PAIR of bummers (dont get just one, they really dont do well on there own, and if ya only get one and it does live, it'll be a down right PEST!!! Trust me...) Get out to the farm and look at how they care for there stock, make sure ya ask how old the babie's are (very important, if they dont get colostrum within a half hour or sooner after birth they will die, no way around it, and that powdered colostrum's a huge joke, its absolutely worthless. It'd be best to get one that's about 5 days old, if they wouldn't have got enough colostrum they usually wouldn't have made it to that old, from then on its smooth sailin... Oh, and also that powdered milk usually aint no good either, I've had some luck with it, but unpasterized goat's millk's the best, if not, just get the whole cow's milk from the store, it aint the best but it sure beats that powdered nightmare... and it's a lot easier on the wallet.

That bein said, I'll tell ya what I'd do if I was you... I'd purchase a TAME (very important, not only would it be so much easier to catch her and milk her, but the kids'll watch how she acts around you, they'll pick up on fear awful quick) preggy doe, wait til she kids, pull the kids off her, milk her, and bottle feed 'em that way, that way they'd have the colostrum they need and you'd know exactly how much they got, and then the good milk after that, and you can drink the extra milk, aint nothin wrong with that LOL. Now when the kids are weaned, you could either keep the nanny, sale her or butcher her, dependin.

So much misinformation here I had to register and post.

Colostrum DOESNT need to be within half an hour or they die

It is best to get it into them within 6 hrs, during this period there is 100% absorption of antibodies; within 6 - 12 hrs there is about 50% absorption; 12 - 24 hrs about 25% absorption and this tails off to 0% absorption at 48hrs.

Now, if they dont get colostrum, they DONT immediately die, I have raised many many animals that are still alive and thriving and I KNOW they didnt get ANY colostrum.

If they dont get colostrum, the danger period is actually 5 weeks, that is when they will succumb to infection, if you can get them through 5 weeks you are home free.

Now if they dont get colostrum from their mum, next best thing is colostrum from another doe or even a cow (lots of people keep some in the freezer). After that the next best thing is the powdered colostrum - it is fine and does work, no problems. Next best thing after that is a mixture of milk (or replacer), cod liver oil, sugar and egg, this mimics all the other protein, fat, vit/min etc in colostrum but doesnt have the antibodies.

If you dont get antibodies into them within 24 hrs either by fresh, frozen or powdered colostrum, best to go to a vet, they can give you injectable antibodies.

If you choose to use milk replacer get one that is ALL MILK, no soy, and at the very least 20% protein, 20% fat. If I was in the US this is the one I would use:

http://www.mannapro.com/nurseall.htm

I personally use a 28% protein 21% fat replacer, and have raised hundreds of babies of all species on it with no problems.

This post wouldn't have bugged me at all if it wouldn't have been directed totally at me, but since it was, I'm gonna tell ya somethin...
I'm just doin what I grew up doin, never had a problem with it. I dont know why you think your so high and mighty as to act like your way is the only way and rule out everyone elses stuff, heck, there's a lot of people who I dont fully agree with on some things, but I dont say "this person's full of bull, listen to me cuz I know all," if it works for you, by all means dont fix what aint broke. But I also expect the same out of others, dont call people out and act like there the biggest idiots on the face of the planet to promote yourself, everyone has a differant way of doin things and a differant understandin of how things work. I was always taught by my parents, grandparents, local farmers, etc certain things and it aint never failed me yet. I peronally think the powdered stuff's junk, and in my experience (and that's a whole heck of a lot) bummers usually are alright after the first 5 days, I've also noticed they tend to do best if they've had colostrum in the first half hour, after that some seem to go downhill pretty fast. All the farmers around my place agree with me on that. So in the future, kindly state what works for you, and dont act like folks who do things or believe things differant than you are morons not wothy of the bullet it would take to kill them, if you would please.

 

[username taken]

Scout, apologies as I didnt mean to offend but reading my post back now I can see why it did offend you.

I just wanted to post the correct information, which has arisen because of scientific research. Like you, I was brought up thinking that if they didnt get colostrum they would fade and die in the first few days, but research has proven that isnt the case, and they are more likely to show colostrum deficiency and illness at the 5 week mark.

About getting colostrum in the first half hour, it is not so much that they need COLOSTRUM in the first half hour or they will die, it is plain and simple that they've had a feed, they've got something in their bellies to keep them warm and give them energy, without that yes they will start to fade, but I've had plenty of babies that havent had a drink for 12 - 24 hrs, they havent had colostrum till then, and it is a lot more difficult to raise them, but I raised them successfully. I've also had babies that have only had normal milk to start them off for the first 12 hrs, after that I've given them colostrum, they have been fine.

Likewise I have raised countless lambs that I KNOW have never received colostrum and they are doing just fine. Having babies of their own, some of them.

Colostrum is important, but its not the end of the world if they dont get it.

 

[Scout]

Oh ok! Sorry if I was rude in that last post, aint had a very good day (not that thats an excuse for my behavior...) I enjoy learnin new things, really, I just get my underbritches in a bunch sometimes, and sometimes over dumb things LOL. So thanks for apoligizing and I hope you'll accept mine.

P.S. I'll remember about the colostrum, it got to the point I'd just give up on them, but if there's a chance they'll live and do well I'll try it next time.

 

[username taken]

we all get our underbritches in a bunch sometimes lol I've done it plenty of times and ended up redfaced

sorry I just realised I accidently put some of your post in my last post (thats a bit confusing lol) without quoting, I'll go edit it. didnt mean for it to be there

definitely dont give up on them while there is still a chance; I've saved lambs that were so weak they couldnt stand, kids that hadnt got a drink 24 hrs and longer after birth. its a lot of work but the majority can be saved.

 

[ksalvagno]

As far as the goat kids getting weak, is it due to hypoglycemia? We have that problem in alpacas. If they don't nurse within about 4 hours (and sometimes less or more), they can get hypoglycemic and then get too weak to nurse.

I keep frozen goat colostrum on hand. It is good for one year. Also, as far as keeping something else on hand, why not the canned goat milk from the store? That would keep longer than some of the powders.

If the kids are really weak, do you use karo syrup to give them some sugar and energy? I also keep karo syrup on hand for crias that are hypoglycemic.

 

[username taken]

I have US friends that use a mix of karo syrup, coffee and alcohol

I myself use 3 ml glycerine and 5ml whisky/brandy/rum for a chilled and/or hypoglycaemic kid or lamb, they then get wrapped on heat pads and/or hot water bottles, in front of a heater, bout 2 hrs after that they usually take some warm milk and are good to go back out with mum