Need help! Baby goats.

[MuseRider]

Yesterday, while I was out of town at a meeting, my youngest and his girlfriend came home with a house warming gift. Two baby pygmy goats. While I am thrilled, my husband was beside himself, not at all happy and of course nobody knew what to do with them. (I am the only one remotely interested in the farm) So, they take them to the farm (the house is not done yet so we are not living there) and put them in a horse stall until I can get home. I get out there about 12:30 AM, the poor little things have not eaten but I do have mamas milk and a couple of bottles. I give them the bottles, put down some water and some brome and attempt to settle them down in the stall by sitting quietly with them. (Ha Ha) This morning I go get milk replacement and feed and find out they are only 5 weeks old. Any suggestions? I have some wormer but I need to call the people who bred them to find out when they were wormed, if they were wormed. Will baby goats stay close if you take them out? I have no idea what is the best enclosure for them, I need my horse stalls. We have coyotes and bobcats by the dozens through here and fox. I would die if something got them.

I will leave the story of my unlocked gate (thanks family) and the 7 horses lost at 3 AM and the wonderful sheriff who helped me locate them and stayed until I managed to get them all 1/2 mile home one at a time. What a night!

[Maraya1969]

1. Call your vet and make sure they are OK. After that I have no idea but you can get

a lot of information from the net.

There is a pasture around here with a bunch of little goats and they get out all the time. I suppose they need a special fence with little holes and they need to be inspected frequently to make sure there is no way for them to get out.

Personally I would keep the little things in my house with me until they were older and they could be supervised more closely. But then I am a little nuts. 5 week is really young. You don't adopt dogs or cats until they are about 8 weeks.

[MuseRider]

11. I am here on the farm

from about 6AM until dark every day and I have a very secure barn with stalls, I think I am going to have to convert one of them for the babies. I would never leave them alone at this age and I was told by the feed store guy that I needed to feed them about every 3 hours. I have a small office with everything you need for living in a rustic manner. I will live out here until they are able to go long enough without me feeding them. It is not a problem for me, I love love love my farm. My husband will just have to come visit me here :).

[zalinda]

2. The only knowledge I have of baby goats

is second hand. My sister had some baby goats and because it was still cold out she made them little coats out of sweatshirts to keep their core warm.

But, I suggest going to google and type in pygmy goats, I'm sure there is a website where you can ask all your questions.

zalinda

[MuseRider]

16. Sweet!

Little sweatshirts for the goats. That had to be cute. :hi:

[zalinda]

19. Oh, one other thing

You mentioned stud, so I'm guessing these are males. They will eventually smell quite a bit, as they become mature.

If they are males, that is the reason they were given away so young. Male goats are considered a necessary evil. Breeders get rid of them as soon as possible, as you only need a few males to continue the herd.

The males are usually sold for meat purposes. Which brings me back to my sister. Her goat had a male kid, which was so cute she decided to keep him. She named him Sandwich. She will have to get him neutered soon, so he doesn't get too feisty.

zalinda

[MuseRider]

20. I figured that

there was a reason my son could afford two papered goats! Yes, they will smell but I think by then it won't matter to me at all, they are so cute and sweet. I will most likely get them neutered but I won't rule out using them as stud yet. I have to research it and if nobody wants males then there may be enough need to make it a little profitable and goodness knows, with horses I need the income!

Meat, I could never do it. I am a lousy farmer as far as animals go. Can't do it. If they are on my land they live.

[OnionPatch]

23. Yes, get them neutered

I used to have two male goats. They were neutered and didn't smell at all.

[sasha031]

3. You sound like you have a charmed life

I am happy for you, horses and goats.....

In the UK they are kept as pets, I recommend you call your vet for advice and good luck. t sounds like you have a really nice life and now 2 baby goats to add to it.:)

[MuseRider]

12. It is an idyllic life.

Since my kids are grown and gone I am able to invest a good deal of my time here and will be able to do more once the house is done and I can live out here all the time.

They are adorable and they will be pets. I just found out that they have papers (I guess you can show them :)) so I might consider using them for stud if the lines prove good enough. I am just now learning. They will be mostly pets, everything out here is a pet. I may ride my horses and I may use the goats for stud but essentially they are my new children.

Edit for clarity

[Fridays Child]

4. Why are they away from their mother? Are they orphans?

It seems like they're too young to be taken away. :(

[MuseRider]

13. Not orphans

and I don't know why they were sold so young or if that is typical for goats. They were a gift but I can deal with all of that, I just have never had goats before. I have certainly raised everything else so it will be fine. I think the way they are acting now I am their new mother and I certainly feel like they are my babies :). I just need to get this all figured out and everyone here on this forum is very helpful.

[Bruce McAuley]

5. So you have to feed them twice a day to start...

Milk or replacer, whatever you have.
They will bond to you, since you feed them. Don't leave any feed bags out, they can overeat just like horses and they are more nimble about getting into feed storage areas.
If you get them used to your voice, you can call them in easily when it's feeding time.
If your farm is fenced good enough for horses, it will at least show them the perimeter range, but not likely keep them in, necessarily.
They will likely hang out with the horses when nobody else is there, but they like humans best. 4 foot field fencing will likely keep them contained if they have short legs, but they're good at sneaking under fences too.
Let them out when you're there to keep an eye on them.
They are very lovable, but very clever too.
Good luck.

Bruce

[MuseRider]

14. Thank you Bruce

that is all helpful. I did read something about them overeating and want to avoid that since it can't be any better for them than it is for horses (or me for that matter). My feed is all stored in large trash cans with a stretchable but tight bungee with bull snaps to hold it. I figure if the horses can't get it the goats won't, I can barely get them open but it is safer so I deal.

They are very lovable and I think I am their mother already. Everything I am wearing and my hair are damp from the little sucklers. They certainly are fun and very cute.

[goodhue]

6. I have no expertise, but your post reminds me of my early childhood

When I was a young child in the early 70s and my parents were in their living off the land phase, we had goats. I recall one baby goat whose mother suffered some sort of misfortune (maybe while giving birth?) and was orphaned. The baby goat ended up living with us in the farm house for awhile. My sister and I became pretty attached to that goat and were upset when it came time for it to leave the house and join the herd.

[MuseRider]

15. Ahhhh

everything I have out here feels like family, I can imagine how attached you got. They are very sweet.

[Maraya1969]

7. Some information. And the National Pigmy Goat Association!

http://www.npga-pygmy.com/resources/husbandry/about_thePygmy.asp

Shelter Requirements
Building - A large barn or shed makes a fine shelter for goats. Allow at least 25-square-feet per goat, and be sure the shelter has good ventilation and no direct drafts. Always provide your goats with plenty of clean, dry straw for bedding. Remove damp and soiled straw daily, replacing it with fresh straw.
Fencing - In addition to adequate shelter, you will need a fenced-in area. This is particularly important in areas where there are wandering dogs, as a dog can kill a goat in a matter of minutes. Goats can die due to stress, and the stress of being chased by a dog can be fatal to a goat. Goats are notorious for escaping, so some people only use a tight, five-foot high woven fence. This is costly but worth considering if you are not home most of the time. Do not use cattle fencing with larger square openings, since goats tend to stick their heads through and can easily get stuck. Barbed wire or electric fencing should never be used in goat enclosures, as goats become very easily entangled in it and it is not sufficient for keeping predators out.
Tethering - Tethering your goats (putting them on a long leash) is not recommended, as it can be stressful. Tethering can also be very dangerous, as goats can hang themselves on a tether.
Pasture - We recommend one acre of land for every two goats. This may vary, depending on the amount of pasture versus the amount of hay you want to utilize. For warm weather, the fenced area must have plenty of shade. Be sure to fence in any shade trees you want to keep, as goats are great landscapers and the trees will not last unless they are protected.

http://www.farmanimalshelters.org/care_goat.htm

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/47963/pygmy_goats.html

[MuseRider]

10. THANKS! I looked there

last night but that was when I was interrupted by the sounds of 7 galloping horses as they flew past the window so I never got back to it and had thought there was nothing there to read for beginners.

[rodeodance]

8. We have 2 p. goats. We let them wonder about--no gate--they stick

near. they go under the fences to be with the horses, a few cows. I kinda look at them like dogs. they stick close. they sleep with the barn cats.
and yes, we had to feed them with bottles when young.

[MuseRider]

17. Thanks.

I have no idea what my cats will think. They seem really curious with all the tiny bahhhs they are hearing. So they stay close like that? That is good to know. I think my horses will like them, they like the cats and lick them until they are sopping wet so I think that will be good. It will probably be a while before I feel like I can let them really roam. I have already become their over protective mother.

[Wickerman]

9. I did a lot of research on goats a few years back

and while others will give you feeding and care info, what I really recall was how much they enjoy climbing. Do some 'net searching, but afaicr they enjoy climbing on rocks, boxes, whatever. give them something to climb so they can survey the area and they will be very happy (after, of course, plenty to eat and drink).

[MuseRider]

18. Like my head?

I just came in from sitting with them and one of them took a huge (I almost spelled that hugh :eyes:) leap and ended up on my head. I will set something up for them, they seem bored right now and until I have someone else out here to help me keep track of them I am afraid to let them out in the pasture with just me. I would die if something got them and it would not be long before something did.

Edit for spelling

[LWolf]

21. I think you need to move into the farm, lol.

If I were going to keep goats, I'd go with pygmies. I've known some people who kept them around the ranch. They were friendly, easy to handle, and, of course, cute. If you keep them away from gardens, orchards, shrubs, etc.. I don't have any advice, other than making sure that they are debudded. I've never raised goats, although a good friend in my former state did. She kept them in a little pen, and fed them milk in a bucket with nipple stations attached. :shrug: When they were old enough to be weaned off of milk, they moved out onto pasture.

Thinking about my upcoming lambs (my first,) I'd say that if either of those kids is male and hasn't been castrated, do it now. If they haven't been vaccinated yet, now is also the time.

If you get tired of them, ship them out to the nw, and I'll turn them out with my handful of sheep, lol. I have 3 ewes set to lamb, a nasty-tempered ram (thankfully polled), and a wether I didn't eat so the ram would have company.

:hi:

[achtung_circus]

22. Neuter them.

If the breeding was anything special they would have not sold cheap. Until you've experienced it you really have NO idea just how bad a buck goat can smell.

They may pick at grass hay at that age, but milk replacer will probably form most of their diet initially. Rather than a bottle, you can buy pails with nipples that have a larger capacity. Just don't overfeed them on the milk.

Even better than hay, although not a complete replacement is a good creep feed. Get one formulated for goats and you'll be able to taper off on the milk quicker.

on edit: Yes, they like to climb- onto vehicles, by choice.