what i do i need to know now that i got 3 goats

[dragon86]

i got 3 goats this weekend that are staying down the road at a friends house. I'm tring to find out all i can on raising them. All 3 are bucks and im wanting to band them this week some time and have found some info on it but not sure if i ready to take on the job just yet. i got tetnuis antitoxion shot to give them but not sure on the dosage to give and was told they would need another shot soon to (witch is slipping my mind right now). but im getting ahead of myself as i really need to remeber the age and get there wieghts before i ask more on that .

My real questions right now are more on what i should becarefull on. i know i need to watch there feed consumption when giving them grain. and that they need lots of fresh water, plenty of room, a shelter from rain, and lots of love. but is there any thing esle to help me keep these goats health, happy , and friendly. since they are going to be pets and around young kids.

im not sure on there breed i think there mixed and a smaller size i need to call the person i got them from and ask since i seem to be spacing out lately.

 

[Goatherd]

The information you provided is somewhat vague as to the details of these goats, one very important one, being their age.

If the vaccine that you are forgetting is CDT, and I going to assume that it is, you would not need to add any of the Tetanus vaccines. Tetanus antitoxin is different than Tetanus toxoid and used when you are dealing with the actual issue. The CDT vaccine would have all the Tetanus antibodies you would need, which is what the "T" in CDT stands for.

As far as banding is concerned, it may appear to be complicated, but it is very easy to do providing the goat is at an appropriate age. You want their urethra to have time to develop, since your plans are to keep them as pets and not for meat. IF they are too old, banding might be more stressful than having them surgically castrated.

Parasite management is important (worming or preventative) and that can be determined by a fecal testing done by a vet or you, if you have the equipment to do the testing.

You don't mention if these goats have been disbudded (horn preventative) or have their horns intact. If they are older and not already disbudded, that ship has sailed as far as using an iron. I have horned goats by choice so can't offer you help in that area.

What you choose to feed will be of concern. There are options of grain, hay, supplements, etc. This is also a personal choice and needs to be explored. Minerals are another, and very important concern.

If they are young and have not been preventative treated for coccidiosis (parasite), you will want to check your options. This can be a serious concern for your goats and can have physically debilitating effects.

More information will follow from others. In the meantime, I hope everything works out the way you would like and best of luck. Enjoy your goats.

 

[elevan]

x2 on what goatherd has already said

You want to make sure that the feed you give them has ammonium chloride (A.C.) in it or you'll need to add it to their feed or mineral.

Find a good loose goat mineral to provide free choice (available all the time)...make sure the Cah ratio is 2:1 at least...do not get Purina minerals as they do not have the proper ratio.

Take the tetnus antitoxin back...you need the toxoid. You can save yourself from having to give 2 shots by getting the CDT toxoid which will cover tetnus and overeating disease.

Check out the parasite management thread (link in my signature)...go to page 10 and read notes on break out session #3 for some health information.

Banding shouldn't be done before 8 weeks of age. If you have dwarf breeds and you won't have any does, then I would recommend waiting until 12 weeks to band. Banding is very easy to do.

Keeping certain medicines and supplies on hand is important. Here is what I keep on my farm.

Coccidia prevention / treatment is important too...here's a discussion for you along with treatment options.

Record keeping is necessary in some form or another.

There are many options to feed your goats. Check out the feeding discussion link in my signature to hear what members have said about how they feed their goats.

Keep reading and keep asking questions!

 

[dragon86]

i got more info on the goats. two of them are 3 months old and one is 4 months old they do have horns but i dont mind that. the vaccine is CDT that i was thinking of. i was told if i want to band them soon (in a day or 2) i should give them the tetnus antitoxin before i band them then the CDT shot in about 2 weeks. right now i have some medcatied goat feed mixed with sweet feed im giving them. and they have plenty of grass and stuff on the fence line to munch on.

 

[SheepGirl]

Usually when you band and you do not know the vaccination history of the animal (for example, when they got their CDT shot), you will give them the tetanus antitoxin at banding. The dosage information is on the label.

Remember: tetanus toxoid and tetanus antitoxin do not always work. We had a lamb whose mother was vaccinated during pregnancy and he was vaccinated at 30 days, yet he still came down with tetanus, we gave him an antitoxin and he did die. While our case was pretty much one-in-a-million, it is still something to think about...vaccines are not always 100% effective and you should not rely on them completely for your sole source of disease protection.

Just my two cents worth.