New Goat Mom (me!)

[Celeste]

Okay, I may have done something horrible

After being her trampoline at 4:15 yesterday morning, I decided that she needed to be in the crate - for my own safety as well as hers since I tend to fling things that wake me up abruptly!

"She hated it" is the world's biggest understatement. Cried and cried and cried - but having raised 4 children, I went to that part of my brain that said, "she'll learn and it won't hurt her to cry a while".

MY GOAT IS HOARSE! Today her little goat noises are SO pitiful - she's squeaky and when she tries to make a long goat noise, it cracks like a boy with his voice changing. Please tell me it's just temporary from the crying last night and I didn't make her cry to the point that her vocal cords are damaged

This is just awful - I can't imagine what it's going to be like when she moves outside

 

[marlowmanor]

It should be temporary. Baby goats will get hoarse from crying for mom at weaning time if you separate them from mom. They can cry themselves hoarse but it's temporary and over time they get their voice back.

 

[Celeste]

Oh Thank God!

We're off to the feed store today to get her stocked up on pellets, minerals and hay. I have a call in to the recommended vet to discuss her shot needs & make arrangements for that.

We have decided that we are going to get her a buddy but not until I have her off the bottle. One is quite enough for me on that - don't need to get another goat and have THAT one decide she needs a bottle too! I think I am understanding she need to keep with the milk bottle until about 3 months so I have resigned myself to bottles & diapers for 6 more weeks - at least that will allow the weather to level off a bit, give us time to get the "goat zone" established then find her a yard mate, then wean & move her outside.......holy crap.

At least she's not mad at me today

 

[ragdollcatlady]

2 bottle babies might be less work in the end if they keep each other busy and wear each other out....baby goats will snuggle and chase each other forever. I would at least look for one right now....2 bottles to wash and fill and warm take about 39 seconds longer than one. I know it doesn't make sense that more= less work, but it is frequently true with high needs animals that would freely bond with another of their own kind.

 

[Roll farms]

Here's an info page I wrote about 'goat rearing' for newbs.

Have fun w/ her!

http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=586

 

[Celeste]

2 bottle babies might be less work in the end if they keep each other busy and wear each other out....baby goats will snuggle and chase each other forever. I would at least look for one right now....2 bottles to wash and fill and warm take about 39 seconds longer than one. I know it doesn't make sense that more= less work, but it is frequently true with high needs animals that would freely bond with another of their own kind.

You make a very excellent argument Still have to wait for the $$ to get the goat zone complete and would do vet for two but I can bottle feed them outside - think of all of the diaper money I'll save!!

 

[Celeste]

Here's an info page I wrote about 'goat rearing' for newbs.

Have fun w/ her!

http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=586

Printed!! This is very helpful

 

[OneFineAcre]

2 bottle babies might be less work in the end if they keep each other busy and wear each other out....baby goats will snuggle and chase each other forever. I would at least look for one right now....2 bottles to wash and fill and warm take about 39 seconds longer than one. I know it doesn't make sense that more= less work, but it is frequently true with high needs animals that would freely bond with another of their own kind.

You make a very excellent argument Still have to wait for the $$ to get the goat zone complete and would do vet for two but I can bottle feed them outside - think of all of the diaper money I'll save!!

Vet for two is not going to be much difference. Those shots are cheap. In fact, if you had two it would be cheaper per animal if you did two now as opposed to one now, one later.

If you had two, you could put them outside now, even though you would have to bottle feed. You may even be able to buy a weaned kid, then you'd still just have to feed one. If not, feeding two isn't going to be much more effort than feeding one.

They don't have to be the exact same age.

 

[rinksgi]

Andrew cried himself hoarse when he was crated outside. His cry is nice and strong now.

 

[Celeste]

Yay (I think)! Her voice is back to normal this morning

The farmer we got these from had quite a few kids. He told my husband they'd be ready the first week of March so that's probably where we will get her buddy. I'm not looking for a registered show goat - my pets are producers of whatever they produce but they're family - and his are affordable. The only thing that could change from that is - well, I spent a good part of yesterday looking at lamb threads. I kinda might want to get a lamb instead of another goat. Does that work?

So, yesterday she got her first nibble of goat pellets and it went over very well! She's still sort of spastic when she tries to get one. It was raining yesterday so we couldn't get her hay so she is still thieving the timothy hay from the rabbit. No rain today so will get a bale of hay.