Raising a blind goat

[Vumani]

I have found myself with a blind doeling. She is 6 weeks old and growing fine. She is healthy and well in every other way. She finds the nurse bucket by listening to the other kids. She jumps and plays in the pen with the other kids but tends to also get spooked easily. If someone bumps her she just stops, listens, and then keeps playing. She seemed slow at first until she learned where things are in the pen. The vet took a look at her and confirmed she is blind. He said sometimes it just happens for no apparent reason.
I was wondering what experience anyone has had out there with blind goats. Until this happened I never even considered the possibility. I am particularly interested in ideas how to begin weaning her from milk to hay and grain over the next several weeks.
I will post some pictures of her tonight or tomorrow. She really is a sweet little doeling.

 

[Queen Mum]

I wouldn't wean her until she is 12 weeks old. First of all, I normally bottle feed till 12 weeks, but in her case, she will need the extra time because she is going to be strong to get by. She will adapt the way any blind animal adapts. She will use her other 4 senses to get around. Goats have a very acute sense of smell and hearing. She will need help with getting around places that are unfamiliar but other than that, I would just manage her like any other goat.

And obviously, she should be a pet. She would probably make a good packer or work goat as she can be guided easily and will probably be very compliant and loyal.

Good luck with your special girl.

Oh and PICS? We love pictures!

 

[nuts4goats]

I don't have a blind goat, but i do have a blind dog. She lost her sight last year due to a sudden onset of glaucoma and we actually had to have her eyes removed because it was very painful. It took her awhile to adjust but now, a year later, she is getting along beautifully. She can find me anywhere by smell ( and no- I don't stink! Lol) She follows me around the yard and gets around the house just fine. She does "bump" around some and has fallen in my pool before, but honestly- I really feel her quality of life is just as good. She still plays and does all the normal dog things- just a little slower and more cautiously. I think you will be amazed how well she does. Most important things will be to always keep food bucket, etc in the same place so she'll always find it and make sure there are no sharp objects she can bump into. And always watch where you step! I do tend to trip over my dog alot because she can't see to get out of the way. Bless you for taking her on- glad she has you!!

 

[RareBreedFancier]

I've got one! My wether is blind and he's about 16mo now. He comes when called, loves a smooch and happily follows me around. He does quite well out in the paddock and can follow his companions around. He lives with the does and kids and is sort of a baby sitter for them. The does are quite happy to leave the kids with him and he plays with them and calls them if they stray away from him. He stayed with the kids when I weaned them and they were all happy with that arrangement.

One important thing he did have a problem with, I wanted to use portable electric fence to divide up the big paddock so they could graze patches at a time. Obviously because he can't see the fence it is unfair to have him out in a moving boundary. He is fine in the small paddocks that have permanent fencing and knows where everything is in those so I make sure not to move things around in those.

 

[Mzyla]

Ohh... bless your heart for wanting to take care of this special goat!

 

[mkeawsh]

I had a rabbit that became blind when he got older. He ran our big fenced backyard with our coonhound, who had been his playing buddy for years. He used to still chase the dog after he was blind and knew where every tree, bush, chair (we always put the patio chair back exactly where they were) were and would run to the fence to "bark" along with the dog at a passer bys.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

God bless ya because that does sound like a challenge. Does she eat hay or grain yet? Or drink water from a pan? Ours usually start out very young nibbling at the stuff because they see the older ones doing it so I am thinking it might end up being something where you try to get her to taste it several times to get her going on it if she doesn't already eat it. I think you might need to try putting milk in a pan to start getting her to drink from something other than the bottle so you can work her over to drinking water from a pan. Best of luck and please keep us posted on the progress you make so we can all learn too

 

[Vumani]

I took pictures last night but have not pulled them off the camera yet. Hopefully I will get it done tonight.
I have seen her nibbling at the hay I set out for them and two days ago I started offering them grain. The first day she kept bumping into the grain bucket and smelling it but did nothing. Last night while I was taking the pictures she was going at the grain like a pig.
She is 2 to 4 weeks older than the other doeling I keep her with so she is a bit larger than the rest which is good. It is hard for and of them to bully her much at all. If I put her alone though she panics and starts running around frantic making all manner of racket. Having her with the others also seem to allow her to take verbal and physical ques from them. If she hears them all run to one side of the pen, she goes too. When she hears sucking sounds she goes for the milk, etc.
I think I will keep her on the milk longer and maybe leave her with the babies. I have some more kids due in the middle of April, maybe she can help "mentor" them.
Thanks for all the advice, input, and support.

 

[goodhors]

Not sure what kind of fencing you have or I missed it in the post. A friend had an old horse that went blind
over time. They had electric wire and purchased a number of those little windchimes at the Dollar Store. They
hung the little chimes on the fence sides, to warn the horse where the fence was. Can't seem to smell metal
wire. Horse seemed to use the noise for getting around, no more touching the fence by accident.

Seems like they had several chime sets on each long side of the large paddock, so they would ring in all parts
of the paddock.

Anyway, an idea for your goat containment as it grows up.

 

[Vumani]

Not sure what kind of fencing you have or I missed it in the post. A friend had an old horse that went blind
over time. They had electric wire and purchased a number of those little windchimes at the Dollar Store. They
hung the little chimes on the fence sides, to warn the horse where the fence was. Can't seem to smell metal
wire. Horse seemed to use the noise for getting around, no more touching the fence by accident.

Seems like they had several chime sets on each long side of the large paddock, so they would ring in all parts
of the paddock.

Anyway, an idea for your goat containment as it grows up.

Interesting idea. I was wondering if I would ever be able to pasture her. I do have an electric fence around the pasture. It seemed unfair if not inhumane to put her in the pasture just to keep getting shocked. I figured I would have to always keep her in the loafing pen. Windchimes might make a good solution, not to mention my wife has a thing for windchimes. I will have to try it out, probably in a smaller area at first, maybe only on one side of the loafing pen at to see if she adapts well or if it just freaks her out. The only problem I see is if there is no wind ... then what?