[Luv goats]

hello all
I Am new to goats. We rather abruptly got 2 new young goats ( prob 2-3 months old) they are not related to each other-unfortunately we have had many animals just not goats. So it’s a fast and furious learning curve. One was bottlefed and loves people and being petted. The other is smaller and not bottlefed and is standoffish. She runs away but will finally eat out of my hand . Still skittish tho. How do you do it if you need to go away for a few days? Can you put the food out or are they like swine, and they will eat it all. Almost the entire time one or the other has had scours. The feed I got is like a sweet feed. Is pellets or sweet feed preferred? They seem to be getting dependent and waiting for the grain. I’m giving about a cup each plus some minerals. I also gave probiotics and prairie pride dewormer due to the scours-but trying to make sure they eat only theirs is near impossible nd if I separate them the little one stops,eating. I’m just putting it in and hoping for the best. They are wasting a lot of hay so I’m trying to figure it out. I wouldn’t worry but I’m not sure how good my grazing is. It is a mixture of grass and weeds. They seem to get bored with grazing and just lay down near the hay and nibble. They graze but are more interested in the grain. Is that normal? Thanks so much!

 

[ksalvagno]

No they can't be left alone. You will have to get a farm sitter. Get a fecal done to include coccidia.

 

[Noahsoak]

Scours needs to be dealt wth quickly. It will kill your goats. What sort of goats are they? They will kill themselves with grain if allowed, bloat. It is a horrible death, just sayin.

Being new to your place, they should be Getting little grain.
They need hay (roughage) fresh water, even warm (they'll drink more). Loose minerals for goats, you have to give just enough for a day. If it's damp or wet, they won't eat it. Probios (tube paste it's metered). Baking soda as well free choice. They will lick what they need.

Ditto on fecal for worms and coccidia. It's not too spendy. Coccidia will cause diarrhea and is easily treated if caught early.

goats have to be cared for each day, usu. 2x morning and evening.

You need a goat sitter, for sure. Can't leave food out like for a cat.

Good luck!

 

[ksalvagno]

No baking soda free choice. They make their own bicarbonate and it deactivates ammonium chloride.

 

[mariarose]

I do suggest a few things.

It is good you have gotten 2. They don't do well alone.

Don't allow yourselves time away until you have a lot more of your learning curve under your belt.

Spend lots and lots of time here, reading and learning.

While it is very true that when minerals get wet the goats won't like them, it is unnecessary to put it out every day. Put it under cover, or if you must leave it outside, then bring it in when it rains.

They don't need a sweet feed or grain right now save that for treats, like the candy it is. A cup is way too much for that age, not being used to it. They need hay. Do you have good hay? Feed it up off the ground (look on pinterest for ideas on goat hay feeders) and be certain it is of good quality, don't give "goat" hay, that is junk.

You said "She" for one of them. If the other one is a buckling, they need separated, as "She" can get pregnant, and she is too young. If these are pets and you have no purpose for a breeding buck, then band him, then they can live together again.

As mentioned, get a fecal test, and request that it includes a check for coccidia. Don't just give wormer willy-nilly. You don't know what is wrong, and you don't know if that will fix it. Many things cause scours, including sweet feed when they aren't used to it, worms, coccidia (those aren't worms) E Coli, poisonous plant, Harsh weather exposure, bad water....

Please tell us what mineral mix you are using. Some are good, some are excellent, some are horrible.

Welcome to TGS. We'll help you through this.

 

[Goats Rock]

Goats will eat themselves to death if you leave grain out.
You will get good advice from caring, knowledgable and non judgmental folks here at TGS.

 

[WhiteFeatherFarms]

I’m newish also, one thing I know is if/when you see scours, get temp ASAP to see if there’s anything going on there! I’ve finally got the cocci under control, feeding Purina Noble Goat as a preventative has been a big help & only use the sweet feed as encouragement to eat if needed!

 

[Luv goats]

Thanks so much for all your help! They are both female. One is white (about 35 lbs maybe)I think like a saneen and the other is black and white (about like 20lbs) smaller I think like a Nubian. I looked at pictures of the different breeds -one person said the white one may be a Kiko. So I don’t know. But they are young. The white one definitely still wants a bottle and will suck your fingers if u let her. Or if while bending over to pick up poop she will climb on your back and doesn’t want to get off. They are grazing but I see them out there laying near a hay pile nibbling. I am getting worried sometimes I can’t tell who has the scours and who doesn’t. They both had reg poo at first. Then the little one had scours and now I can’t tell who has it. I can just see it when I go to clean out there little sleeping hut. They are drinking and eating and seem fine otherwise so far. I live pretty far out and haven’t found a vet yet that does goats or will do a fecal. So I am giving manna pro goat mineral, vets plus probiotic plus paste, grain is a trActor supply brand, prairie pride goat dewormer and pet ag goat snap rice and berry flavor. The hay is coastal it’s actually hay for horses. I tried to give peanut hay cuz it is higher in protein but the little one got scours after so I stopped it thinking that might be it it. She did have normal poo a few days after but giving her anything is not easy she doesn’t want to be caught. We are in north Florida so generally have something green on the ground some weeds and some grass. But there was more diarrhea in their hut this morning than I have seen so far so it’s getting worse or they are both having it. I feed and water and check on them twice a day. Actually they are within eye site very close to my house so I see them many times a day to watch out over them and I lock them in their pen at night just in case of a predator otherwise they wander in an enclosed area and I have electric fence covering about a quarter acre maybe less. Any suggestions? I’m trying to find a place to get a fecal. Thanks again!

 

[Luv goats]

Sorry forgot something I have 2 slow hay feeders like for horses in their pen. They have a 10x10 pen with a sleeping hut up off the ground that I lock them in at night and an attached grazing area that they wonder in during the day. But they don’t seem interested in the slow feeders. I was trying to get the hay off the ground since I read that they wont eat it once it has been trampled or slept on or whatever. So other than the obvious like weight loss how do I know they are eating enough roughage- there is certainly enough poop!

 

[Luv goats]

Oh and I do notice the white one walking by the chain link pen and rubbing as she walks by but not excessively and she doesn’t have any itch spots or hair loss as far as I can see. Is it good or bad to bathe them? Just make sure it isn’t cold out? And can you use people soap or no soap or only goat shampoo which I haven’t found yet.Thanks!

 

[mariarose]

Don't worry about the rubbing, unless it is excessive. That is normal, feels good to them to be brushed. That may help you make friends with the skittish one, put it on the milk stand and brush every day.

 

[mariarose]

Call your local nearest vet and ask if they will do a fecal for you. If they say no, then ask who will. If they say, I don't know, then say,

"I'll keep looking for a vet, but while I'm looking, will you please do a fecal? After all, Looking at goat poop can not be much more difficult than looking at dog poop, and the animals are suffering."

Stay polite, but calmly confident that all you want is not a permanent vet, just someone to look at a poop sample for a few minutes. Be willing to pay his/her prices for poop ogling.

Stop giving that dewormer, start up the bottle feeding, but put electrolytes in instead. Even Gatorade if you can't get electrolytes at TSC. Stop the grain.

When the vet tells you what parasites, if any, they have, let us know and we can help from there.

 

[WhiteFeatherFarms]

Agreed, from my experience you don’t want to use any dewormer until you know what you’ve got! & one more thing from the original post, definitely get someone to goat-sit while you’re gone, a teenager or college student can easily handle it & will like the extra cash!

 

[Serenity Woods]

This is a link to a place you can send the fecal samples to by mail, and they will email you the results. Obviously, it's best to get the testing done asap, but if you use Priority Mail, it gets there pretty quickly, and they do a great job of getting the results back out to you quickly.
http://www.midamericaagresearch.net/instructions.php

 

[Luv goats]

Thanks for that link how fresh does the sample need to be. Can I get it from their daily stuff or do I need to run around after them with a poop jar? Lol
My local vet was like no we don’t do goats. More discussion. Absolutely not we don’t do farm animals. Period. Okay........
So how do u catch a baby goat that doesn’t want to be caught? They are like greased up piglets!
She is finally taking stuff from my hand I’m worried if I snatch her she will not come to me anymore. She will take stuff from my hand but with the neck extended and ready to bolt. If I try to touch her she spooks. Eventually most of my animals love me and are like big dogs but I haven’t had enough time yet. These are pets at least for now so I don’t milk them plus they are too young and I don’t have their mommas just 2 babies. Thanks again!

 

[Luv goats]

Sorry I always think of things AFTER I post! So to do the Gatorade is it full strength or diluted? The white one(bunny) loves a bottle the black and white (Betty) is not interested at all so I’m not sure how to get electrolytes to her. Can I replace their water for a day with it? Or provide both maybe? The white does fine on a neck pinch I don’t think she’s dehydrated but I can’t get near enough to Betty to tell.

 

[Serenity Woods]

Thanks for that link how fresh does the sample need to be. Can I get it from their daily stuff or do I need to run around after them with a poop jar? Lol

Fresher is better, but it's not like you have to catch it before it hits the ground or anything Just look for the freshest you can find, and not some that's old and dried up.

 

[Goat_Scout]

As for taming them, I find it best to catch the crazy ones 1-3x everyday and hold them on your lap (for at least a few minutes at a time) while gently stroking or talking to them. It is scary being caught, but then they realize you aren’t going to hurt them.

Also - we’d love to see pictures of your cuties....

 

[toth boer goats]

All really good advice.

 

[fivemoremiles]

You are going to be a great goat mom! you are doing so much right just a little to fast. mariarose gave great advice. goats are ruminates and it takes time to get the enzymes working in your goats stomach. it is best to start with just hay then in a wile slowly introduce then to grain and other goodies.