New to Goats need advice

[countrygirl911]

I know your daughter will love the goats, having 2 or 3 would be very easy on 4 acres, they would enjoy each other and your families company as well.

Make sure if you are getting a dam raised baby(raised by mother) it has been weaned for atleast 2 or 3 weeks and is used to grain and hay/pasture. find out exactly what kind of hay/grain/milk they are feeding the babies, and offer to buy a months worth to help the baby goats with the transition. Goats get very home-sick for their herd, and do not switch over too new feeds very easily. If you live close to the people and they are getting the feed from the local store, then you can just continue using that or switch to what you feel is best over the month time period.

Get a complete record of what they have vaccinated the goats with and wormed with. Ask what kind of worms/parasites they are having the most problems with.


find a good goat vet in your area. And take the goats in for a check-up.


Learn about coccidiosis.

they live over 2 hours from us the one little boy lives an hour and a half away from us. i just would like to know would the little boy be ok alone for a few months until we can find him a companion he is 4 weeks old has papers and is on a bottle so i would be able to ween him off and place him on the feed i want him to eat and he has been disbudded he would be around us most of the day if not all day except for at night. the people that are over 2 hrs away from us has 2 pygmy goats that are 10 weeks old not sure if they have papers or not not sure if they have been debudded and they are females. my concern on them is that at 10 weeks old they will be to big for my daughter to hold and love on she is 9 years old i can get both for 100 together th elittle boy is 100 dollars by himself. i just wish i could find someone that has little ones that are small and to where i could get 2 right now all i can find is older ones and can get two of them no problem i really want a small one that can grow up with my daughter. i would love to get the little boy for her but i would hate for him to get lonley and cry when we are not there with him until we can find a companion another boy we do not want babies. i appreciate all the help guess it will be up to me on what to do just wish that the little boy would not get lonley. and the 2 females were younger.

As far as the little boy being okay for a few months until you can find him a friend, I would guess it would work out in the end, but let me put it this way, I never buy a goat from a farm with out buying two, I never keep doelings from my own herd unless I keep two around the same age. You get the point. But have I heard of people just having one goat, yes, I have. Have I heard people say their goat seemed fine, yes I have.
I would say if you have looked and just can't find another one the right size to match up to the little boy, just get the little boy for know, set up a nice place for him to stay in, when you can't be with him. make sure it is really secure, comfortable, because when they get attached to you, they will try really hard to get out to be with you and find you.
Set a routine for the little boy and your daughter. that may help a lot, until you can find a companion, feed at the same time every day, have play time at the same time, ect..... This may help him get used to the time when he needs to be by himself, he may also bond with one of your chickens or one of the dogs, but goats and dogs are tricky, since goats are prey and dogs are preditors. And then just keep looking for another one the same age.



Where are you located?

i am in mississippi i have found so far from one person a 4 year old boy and from another person a 1 week old boy i found the little 1 week last night but is is hard to get ahold of anyone the 4 week is dissbullbed and the 1 week is polled but not sure if they are castrated but my vet can do it would this be a good match up

 

[20kidsonhill]

The 4 week and 1 week would be a great match. That difference in age wont matter in a few months. Since some people keep babies on the bottle for 12 to 16 weeks and some wean at 8 weeks you could just split the difference and take them both off the bottle at the same time.


Since you are dealing with more heat than snow, some good shade, and plenty of cool fresh water will be important for the boys. Fresh water is very important for preventing stones in their urinary tract, called urinary calculi.

this will be something you will need to learn about and research having whethers, long term for you daugther. It is a horrible and very painful death, and very very expensive to fix it with surgery.

Not castrating them too soon, will be important also, giving them time to grow so their urinary tract is bigger.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I had edited the one message, while you were reading it and replying, You may need to go back and read what I added at the end of my message.

 

[countrygirl911]

how much do i need to feed them in the bottle and how much

 

[20kidsonhill]

how much do i need to feed them in the bottle and how much

Certainly talk to the breeder and write down the information. Some people feed 3 times a day and some 4. I know one person on her only feeds 3 times a day, no matter how old the baby. I was doing 4 times a day for the first week to 10 days and then going to 3 times a day. But I can't tell you the exact amounts off the top of my head, since I rarely bottle feed. I avoid bottle feeding when ever possible, preferring to dam raise my kids.


I know it is on several past threads on hear. and Rolls would know for sure, since she bottle feeds different breeds.

Whole milk is preferred by many on this forum, I have had good luck with Land o' Lakes kid milk replacer.

There is also a little fancier recipee with a gallon of whole milk, pour out 2 cups of it and add a can of evaporated milk and a cup of buttler milk.

You can also add some plain or vanilla yogurt to it now and then for the bacteria, NOT the light yogurt.

Talk to the person selling the kid, about what position they are holding the bottle, ect.... Make sure it is on a bottle, and they aren't just pulling it off the mom and telling you it takes a bottle. This may be very frustrating situation for you.

don't forget to find out if they had been vaccinated. Write down what they tell you.

Water should be offered right away
Hay or grass can, also be offered right away.