Not sure I belong

[Studmunchkins]

Hi! I am Christy. Late 50's wife grandmother, and mom of course. I started goating about 2 years ago when I brought home a couple of rabbits and found out I allergic to them. The people who took them asked if we wanted a Nigerian dwarf goat in trade. They were trying to purify their herd to only registered and she was not registered plus had horns and an attitude. WE had raised a couple of goats for show in the past. I figured she would be a good companion for my mini horse so why not.

Turns out she and our 11 year pyranese were made for each other. She became one of the dogs. The pyranese was diagnosed with bone cancer a year ago. I thought the one goat would need a friend like her so contacted the people we got her from- I purchased her year old daughter and a buck. Ready made family. The buck bred her the day we brought him home I think. So we had babies by Memorial Day - which was two weeks before we expected. We were gone and sadly they passed.

Soon after I was asked if I would help the goat people out and take another buck. I thought sure I could start a business ( bucks registered) I already had one stinky guy what is another?

Have I mentioned I do not really know what I don't know? And I don't know goats are sooooo different than any other animal I have raised.

Well not much longer I decided I needed another doe, the daughter doe was not getting pregnant and I want to milk and one goat is not enough. So I contact goat people. They are still in need of moving all their goats and have one girl and buck left. I will take the girl. Well when I get there I am begged to take her brother too, since I have room and can sell him once I get his papers straighten out.... I take him. SUCKER.

I get them home put them both with the mother daughter pair. Since he still young this is safe. Plus the girls are pregnant, mama in May too soon, by the 2nd buck who jumped into their pen, uninvited. We leave for a quick bite of dinner. Get a call from our son and he tells us within the 20 minutes we gone the stray dog that we allowed to stay for last 2 weeks has jumped in the pen and hurt the new goat real bad. We race home. The new 4 month doe is dead. So now I have 3 boys and 2 girls. I am so lopsided.

I am contemplating getting out of the business. Feel horrible for the poor girl. But I have to wait for my other does to kid.

Well one kidded 48 hours ago. The one who's babies died within 36 hours while we out of town. I found out this time it probably was not because we were gone, because it happened again within 35 hours. The vet found pus in the stomach. But just like the others this one was seemingly healthy and eating until he just died. So this morning I was out of the business again.

Maybe. At least some of , or one of the bucks. Or maybe ....
I love the goats but I do not know what the heck I am doing. I don't like being a failure at this, for their sake.
I hope you guys can help me know if I can ever know enough.

Christy

 

[Baymule]

Welcome to the forum. Sorry for all the trouble that you have had. We have sheep, don't know much about goats. There is a good goat forum here with lots of information in the posts. My suggestion is to pick a forum topic and start reading. As you have questions, ask them. This is a friendly place and people here are glad to help.

 

[Kusanar]

Welcome to the group. Sorry you are having so much trouble with the goats. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about them either but there are other members over on the goat side of this forum that do. Hope you get straightened out and can enjoy your goats soon.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Welcome!

I'm sure some people will be happy to try to give tips. My first advice would be to get your girls tested. Might be E. Coli but you would need a necropsy to be sure and I'm not sure if that would happen 2 times in a row.

 

[messybun]

Oh my goodness, you have had a rough start! First of all, that is a lot of bucks, and when it gets into rutting season you will have fighting, be forewarned. Next, I have a sneaking suspicion that something started wrong with those goats and the sellers were less than honest. Goats are pretty different than some animals, but once you get over the learning curve not so bad.
I hate to say it, but until they are tested please keep a closed flock. That means no goats in and no goats out.
For the boys, if they’re given the A OK by the vet, check local prices for bucks. Often bucks are a bit hard to sell because you only need one for about 20 does. And then you don’t want to keep dad and daughters together because goats have no sense of decency lol. If you’ve grown attached then whethering is technically a possibility, but much harder than if they were young.
Now, if the flock is fine, here are some common options for breeding goats.
Get a new buck every year.
Keep a few bucks and really good records to avoid inbreeding.
Sell the babies by your favorite buck so you don’t have to sell him.
If the flock isn’t healthy then you’ll have to treat them first. I would definitely tell the vet who you got them from btw.
I’m so sorry you’ve had such a hard time at this!
Oh, and dogs, as you found out, are killer. A lot of them have really bad hunting instincts. You couldn’t have known he would be a menace, but in the future keep all dogs away from the goats unless they have been tested around them. But it sounds like the stray forced his way into the pen, which is a really unfortunate accident.

 

[Finnie]

Hi, I’m late to welcome you. Sorry you are having so much trouble. It’s a hard way to start out, but I am confident you will be able to learn what you need to know, if you like goats and want to stick with them.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Welcome to the herd, so sorry for your losses

 

[NEWCOMER]

Sorry you feel like that..it will get better. I wish to welcome you

 

[Jesusfreak101]

So sorry that horrible and I agree something wrong with those goats to be causing that.