The new babies have arrived!!! Pictures/Questions.

[Missy]

We went over to a dairy farm today and got our two little buckling pets. There was lots to choose from, But in the end I chose these two:

Worf is the brown one. He is Toggenburg x Oberhasli. Yoda is the black and white one. He is Toggenburg x Nubian(I didn't know they had Nubian crosses until I got there.) Well those are the alleged crosses if anyone thinks other wise let me know Also maybe I am crazy, or just don't remember the size of the kids when I worked on a goat farm over 10 years ago, but do these look skinny to you?

 

[freemotion]

They look very, very young....if so, that is normal for dairy kids.

Very cute!

 

[Missy]

They are young, about 3-3/1/2 weeks. I am thinking Yoda is a bit younger than Worf. He is much less equipt and his little horns are not as big, he is also a bit shorter.


I don't want to do it too early, when is a good time to band them? I see no point of keeping two bucks with no does. They would probably go mad. So off will come the jewels.

Thank you. Most off the others were just plain colors(black/brown). Warf was the only one with waffles which I adore and Yoda was the only one any flop to their ears(except a few doelings that were 3-4 days old), I am currious to see if they stay like that.

 

[Goatmasta]

I personally would not band them until they are at least 8 wks old.. Have they been disbudded? If not I would be getting it done.

 

[20kidsonhill]

You are better to wait 12 weeks to 4 or 5 months for castration. If you don't mind taking them to the vet to be castrated. they can be surgically done closer to the 4 or 5 months, if you are planning on banding them, then you would need to be closer to the 12 weeks.

Since you are planning on keeping them as long term pets. Research Urinary Calculi and learn about the do's and dont's of raising whethers to prevent UC.

They are so cute.

Congratulations.

 

[Missy]

They have not been debudded yet. I have been going back and forth on that one. Trying to decide yes or no. As for neutering, I plan to band them. I have been reading up on UC, I never realized it was a problem before reading here.

 

[Goatmasta]

It isn't a big deal if you are aware of it and feed properly. You will get a dozen and one opinions on what "proper feeding" is, You can read my blog for my ideas on the matter(UC and proper feeding).

 

[DonnaBelle]

They are a little old to try to disbud them now. It should be done at 5-7 days old for bucklings.

It can be done, and if you know a good goat vet, someone who is familar with disbudding, I'd call him out to do it.

They can be banded at 8 weeks of age. Pretty simple and easy procedure. You do need a pair of banding grips and the bands, you can order those or pick them up at a TSC or local feed store.

They look a little thin to me too. Put them out some feed, a little goat developer, but most of all some hay. Are you bottle feeding them? They should be on some milk. Most people on here use whole milk. If you can get some goat milk, use that. You need a pop bottle and a small nipple for lambs or goats. Look at Hoegger's Supply online. I order from them a lot. If you need to switch them over from goat milk to whole cow's milk, do it slowly. Start with l/4 cow's milk, 3/4 goat milk for a couple of days and then increase it in increments over about a week's time. If you switch them cold turkey, they will get scours, (runny poop)

DonnaBelle

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

They are young, about 3-3/1/2 weeks. I am thinking Yoda is a bit younger than Worf. He is much less equipt and his little horns are not as big, he is also a bit shorter.


I don't want to do it too early, when is a good time to band them? I see no point of keeping two bucks with no does. They would probably go mad. So off will come the jewels.

Thank you. Most off the others were just plain colors(black/brown). Warf was the only one with waffles which I adore and Yoda was the only one any flop to their ears(except a few doelings that were 3-4 days old), I am currious to see if they stay like that.

Congrats!! Very cute babies. Are you bottle feeding them??? I dont recomend wethering them til they are at least 11-12 wks either. And for Urinary Calculi protection you should get a grain that has Amonium Chloride in it. Very Very important for bucklings and bucks. If you are keeping these guys as pets...I HIGHLY recomend you wether them and disbuded them. It is very hard for some expirenced herdmans to keep bucks on the property. They are dairy bucks and will go into a seasonal rutt..which is their breeding season and can really be obnoxious. Believe me..I own breeding bucks. They can be unruling and very hard to deal with. Sometimes Im pouring grain from the fenceline into grain buckets. Just an FYI...they will not be the warm cuddley goats they are now...they will be insane lunatics but if you wether them they will be fine and dandy pets!!!

I always recomend disbudding them. All my herd is disbudded for saftey purposes. I would consider it for sure. If you do want to disbudd...I would do ASAP. They should be done in the 1st week of birth. And bucks are always harder to do.

Good luck with your new boys!! They are very pretty boys!!

 

[fmizula]

i feel that disbudding is kind of cruel, not in nessesarily the hurting way (althought im sure it hurts) But because i feel it takes away the natural instincts that goats have. goats use their horns as a natural way to cool off in summers heats and myn also contantly use the horms to pull down small trees to eat the leaves and also to scrape and eat the bark off as well. although, one of my does constantly gets her head stuck in the fencing and i have to get her out, also, my buck loves to ram things (walls of barn, fencing, trees, salt lick etc) i feel the positive outweighs the negetive. i also have seen some gruesome pictures of banded horns.

please do your reserch at least and weight the possitives and negitives for your situation before deciding.