How old have you had goats live? I have a wether working on 11 years old and would like to know what to expect
I just lost my oldest doe at 13+. I bought her 9 years ago and she had all her adult teeth so I can’t say if she was right at 4 or older. She was my first goat so just knew how to see if they were at least 4. She was also a mess when I first got her and I bred her for 5 years so I’m sure that probably played a part in how long she lived......maybe. I did spoil the heck out of her the last 4 years.
The old lady in my profile picture is working on 9/10. She kidded out triplets this spring and gave me a really nice doe kid.
They live longer, if you take good care of them and do not feed whole corn or anything that may break or wear down their teeth sooner. Mine still had her front teeth, warn down a bit, which is normal wear and tear. If a goat still has her teeth, she can graze and keep on weight cause she can eat. My 12 year old doe was at really good weight. I retired her at 12 years old, but she could of kept going.
Good to know. It's a little tougher keeping weight on him. Is that normal? I will check his teeth tonight
My 1st goat just turned ten this year, and I did notice that she had a harder time this past winter. I may end up getting her a coat this winter so that she can retain more body heat. This summer she’s blossomed. I think keeping up with good minerals, and keeping a close eye on wormloads are particularly important for senior goats. I hope this helps!
I agree, worm loads and cocci must be watched. If they have them, it does drain them. Cocci if left untreated will cause damage to the stomach lining, so nutrients cannot be absorbed. Do know, cocci doesn't always show scouring in adults, just weight loss. Getting a fecal for both cocci and worms occasionally will let you know how they are doing. If they don't have teeth, it is harder to keep weight on them as well. So a different diet may have to be used to help them.
I forgot to check his teeth, I will when I go back out. I did notice he isnt as intrested in hay like he used to be.
We have a 10 yo wether (Nubian/Alpine mix) who is the only surviving goat from his generation (due to us not knowing how to care for goats properly). I am still learning about goats so this is a helpful thread.
The vet came out and looked at him today. She said his back molars are pretty worn down and he shouldnt be getting hay.
My old wether lived to 15. He didn't have much in the way of teeth for the last five years of his life, but that didn't slow him down. I always fed him hay even though he couldn't chew it well. He liked having it available. But I also fed him soaked hay/alfalfa pellets sprinkled with sweet feed so he would eat it. Calf manna and shredded beet pulp pellets are also good to keep on weight.
I lost my oldest doe at 12, she had a broken femur and was fine for a while on pain meds but took a turn for the worst and had to be put down. At that point she wasn't really showing many signs of old age and had only been retired the year before.
