Question for Goat people out there.....

[Brandi*]

I have never owned a goat (except for about 3 weeks until I took it back) and so I am not experienced in the slightest with goats. When I bought Peatrie 2 weeks ago the guy said she was 3 weeks. She was already eating hay and grass and when I tried to bottle feed her it didn't go well. I have since done some research and understand that it can be very hard to show them how to bottle feed. But my question is, if she has been eating grass and hay just fine, should I be concerned with bottle feeding her. I am concerned because her stool has not been little pellets. It is like cat poop or dog poop. You can kinda see where the pellets would be but they are too mushy to form into pellets. Advice would be appreciated. I plan on taking her to the vet to see about getting her dehorned, (if that's still possible) and at that time I will have him give her vaccinations. Any advice would be appreciated

Does she look around 5 weeks of age? There was a language barrier so I may have misunderstood the man when he said 3 weeks. He could have meant 3 months for all I know. OH! She certainly looks older than 5 weeks to me but what do I know lol

 

[AnnaC]

Hi Brandi

I'm no expert on goats, but did have a couple years ago. If your little one was only 3 weeks when you got her, then dont think it possible that she would have been even weaned by then.

Also looking at her horns, I would have said she was at least 3 months! This might mean that you could be a bit late to safely de-horn. Also dont try to give her milk again as she is obviously now weaned and shouldn't be taking 'backward' steps.

With all that lovely grass to eat, and perhaps with a vit/mineral goat lick, she should be perfectly happy.

Loved that calf by the way!

Good luck - goats are such fun!

Anna

 

[Jill]

Brandi --

We have goats but I am no expert on them! But, just how filled out and muscled your goat looks, I think she is way more mature than 3wks.

Here's some pics of one of our goats when I think he was a couple weeks old. See how "baby-ish" he looks?

Jill

 

[Marnie]

But she could be a different kind of goat than Jills too. I think she looks very young and I must be blind, I don't see any horns on her. I see what looks like buds starting to come through and that happens about 2 to 4 wks old on my fainting goats. If her poop isn't right, then something is not good. Also, it is almost impossible to get a baby goat to take a bottle after a week. Another thing, goats don't want pasture like horses and cattle, they are browsers, not grazers. Here's the best website that I've seen on goats, it has about anything on it that a person would need to know. http://www.fiascofarm.com. Good luck with her.

 

[Miniv]

She does look older than you say she is supposed to be........Perhaps your vet can tell?

I don't have a bunch of experience with goats as we've only had a few pygmies and have a pygmy mix right now. But I am assuming that you can get some sort of goat milk pellet product? Perhaps you could mix that into her grain?

 

[Brandi*]

Here are two more pics so that you can see her horns/buds. I did see a few pellets in her pen this morning. I am thinking maybe her body has been trying to adjust to eating alfalfa. I'm not sure what the guy was feeding but I think it might have been a grassy hay. She doesn't seem to mind eating the grass in our pasture. She finds the weeds and the big stalks of grass. I believe she is a nubian/boar cross. Her dad was white with the brown head and he was about 2 times as big as a miniature horse

He also had spiraled horns. The mom was def. a nubian.

Jill,

Those are cute babies

I guess I won't worry about the bottle then since she is eating just fine. Her poo stunk REALLY BAD for the first few days but now it doesn't so maybe it is getting better. She does have a runny nose again. We had given her a shot of antibiotics when she got here because she was sick. And that took care of her runny nose for about a week.

Thanks for all the info and I will def. go check out that website!

 

[Jill]

Awww

She looks way younger to me in those pictures!!!!

She is SO cute

 

[lil_miss_sunshine]

I have sent you a PM.

 

[JourneysEnd]

She's a baby and it's still early enough to get her de-budded (horns removed)

I have a pigmy that does the same thing. She does okay as long as I have her on Purina goat minerals. I Seen mine one go into liquid poop when she's having a spell. My goat was rejected by her mother and bottle raised. I got her at 6 months when the nice boy who rescued her discovered you can't house break a goat.

Is yours a Boer ?

 

[Brandi*]

What does Boar mean??? I know there is a Boar breed and yes she is part boar but do you mean something else by that? Sorry, I am not very familiar with goat terms OH!

Thanks for all the info everyone! I always know I can come to the forum with any questions I can think of