Loud Goats!

[First Time Goat.Mum]

So here in Seattle the temp has been around 25-35 degrees on a daily basis. The boys get cold and I just can’t bare to leave them outside so on the colder days I have brought them inside for a few hours. As it has gotten colder I have had to do this more often and it is getting exhausting and painstaking to sit in my kitchen with them to keep them from jumping out or bleating. I have started trying to keep them in their pen outside but as I have no other goats they seem to get lonely and will start bleating and almost screaming. The only way I can get them to shush is shutting them in their shed but obviously I won’t be able to do this forevor. I do have reasonably close neighbors and I am becoming concerned they can hear them. My worst fear is getting a noise complaint and being asked to no longer have them. Does anyone have experience with bleating bottle babies? Is it possible to keep them quieter or urge them to be more independent?

 

[Farmer Connie]

So here in Seattle the temp has been around 25-35 degrees on a daily basis. The boys get cold and I just can’t bare to leave them outside so on the colder days I have brought them inside for a few hours. As it has gotten colder I have had to do this more often and it is getting exhausting and painstaking to sit in my kitchen with them to keep them from jumping out or bleating. I have started trying to keep them in their pen outside but as I have no other goats they seem to get lonely and will start bleating and almost screaming. The only way I can get them to shush is shutting them in their shed but obviously I won’t be able to do this forevor. I do have reasonably close neighbors and I am becoming concerned they can hear them. My worst fear is getting a noise complaint and being asked to no longer have them. Does anyone have experience with bleating bottle babies? Is it possible to keep them quieter or urge them to be more independent?

All of my experiences with bottle babies have spring time season weather. We plan our kids to be dropped in warm weather. I can't relate to your cold conditions.
Goats are very social. They are a herd animal. The young are calling out for Kin or companionship. Hopefully spring will come around faster for you.
Hang in there. Post a couple of pix.. I would love to see them..

 

[First Time Goat.Mum]

All of my experiences with bottle babies have spring time season weather. We plan our kids to be dropped in warm weather. I can't relate to your cold conditions.
Goats are very social. They are a herd animal. The young are calling out for Kin or companionship. Hopefully spring will come around faster for you.
Hang in there. Post a couple of pix.. I would love to see them..

Most weeks here are pretty okay, mid 30’s to high 40’s but we are having a cold snap this week. Unfortunately that is kind of the regular for here, WA doesn’t have the greatest climate. I am considering adopting a senior doe to live with them in hope that she could provide them company, is that too crazy of an idea? I definitely will upload more pictures! Honestly I am not sure how to add a picture to my profile/bio (is that even possible?) but here is a picture of the kiddos.

 

[Southern by choice]

First I would try to really look at why they are screaming. Getting chilly doesn't cause that.
How big is their pen?
Do they have things to jump on and play with?
If they are Bottle babies are they getting enough to eat? Do they have hay? What about some chopped alfalfa and a little goat feed.
How old are they?
Are you "spoiling" them. We all use that term in a way that means we dote and love on them to pieces but spoiling really means to make rotten. Some goats can be very demanding and learn how to misbehave, scream, etc to get their way and what they want. Some people's human kids do the same. You're right- not fun for you, neighbors or anyone.
They are also very young and babies. Sometimes it is good to let the neighbors know that they are babies and still learning to entertain themselves.

If you are having cold spells that you need to provide some extra warmth the link below is the only safe heat "lamp" I know of. Theregular can catch a building on fire. These we have used for several years now and LOVE them. Someone shared this with me so we share with others... it is a great lamp!

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/prima-heat-lamp

Nigerians are not particularly quiet either.
I would NOT recommend getting an older doe to keep them company. They aren't her kids and more than likely will butt them to no end and that third one out thing doesn't go well usually.

 

[First Time Goat.Mum]

The only reason they will start screaming is when people leave, other than that they re super quiet kids. If anyone is even sitting in the pen (doesn’t have to be paying attention) they will go on playing around and jumping on things. They have tons of logs, chairs, benches and such to play around with but will just stand on them yelling if no one is there to watch them. Per vets orders they are getting 4 ounces of milk 4 times a day, two tablespoons of a goat feed twice a day and access to orchard grass at all times. When we adopted them we were told to feed them 8 ounces 4 times a day without grain or hay until they were a month old so their diet has changed within the past week. Could this cause their yelling? The kids were born on Jan 28th and 29th so they are almost a month old (3 weeks 2 days) and last time they were weighed they were 7 pounds each. I do believe at first I did spoil them a teensy bit but I am trying to cut down on it and trying to leave them to be goats for longer periods of time. The kids do have a heat lamp from the brand we use in our coops for our chickens as well. It is on a very low temp though and I am not sure if it is making the biggest difference for the temp so I will check out that link. Thank you for the input on the doe, I am honestly just desperate on ideas because I hate locking them up since I feel like they should be running all around and having fun.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Why did the vet tell you to decrease the milk?

Is this an actual goat vet?

 

[First Time Goat.Mum]

Why did the vet tell you to decrease the milk?

Is this an actual goat vet?

Both boys became bloated, had the scours and Dilbert had become dreary. After a fecal/blood exam and a physical exam showed nothing she told us that the 8 oz feeding was far too much. Since cutting the milk and introducing hay/pellets all of that has stopped and they have less fat but aren’t skinny persay. The vet we visited specializes in sheep and goats particularly so I trust her.

 

[Southern by choice]

My opinion is that the 8oz 4x a day for what they were probably weighing at the time was too much.

7lbs should have 22.4 oz per day = I would have them at that rate 3x a day. IOW 7-8 oz feeding 3x day.



At this age hay and some pellets are great. Weaning at 8 weeks-12 weeks

@Goat Whisperer can tell you more about how we do bottle feeding.

I think cutting their milk in half at 3 weeks old is causing some distress. That is the age we are increasing not decreasing.

 

[First Time Goat.Mum]

Why did the vet tell you to decrease the milk?

Is this an actual goat vet?

My opinion is that the 8oz 4x a day for what they were probably weighing at the time was too much.

7lbs should have 22.4 oz per day = I would have them at that rate 3x a day. IOW 7-8 oz feeding 3x day.

At this age hay and some pellets are great. Weaning at 8 weeks-12 weeks

@Goat Whisperer can tell you more about how we do bottle feeding.

I think cutting their milk in half at 3 weeks old is causing some distress. That is the age we are increasing not decreasing.

I completely agree. They are going to get 5 ounces 4 times a day for another week and then they will be going down to 3 times a day after that. I do think the feedings were too little. I just can’t seem to find that happy medium. I hope this works out!

 

[babsbag]

If you think they are getting cold you can get them little doggie coats to wear. Or make some goat coats out of old sweatshirts. Your little guys are adorable.