A little background: Our first goat was a pygmy doe, a little older (not sure of exact age but over 5 less than 10) then we got another pygmy that was 3 months old, a wether, he is about a year and a half now. In May of this year we added two more wethers that were 8 weeks old, NGDs. They are all in a big pen with two separate hay feeders. They head butt each other all the time, mostly playing but at feeding time they can get even more rough so that's why we put up the second feeder. They have orchard hay all the time and then in the morning we give them a little bit of alfalfa pellets. They have goat mineral free choice.
My doe seems to feel a little thin to me. It was hard to tell because she has her furry winter coat going on but I can feel her back bone but her belly still seems really round like the rest of them. She does eat but I'm thinking maybe the boys are being boys and pushing her out so she's not getting what she needs. She has no problem butting them but they are all bigger than her - and stronger. She has splayed toes, I think the people that had her before us got her like that. Maybe her feet weren't trimmed by the people they got her from, I don't know what causes that. Anyway, so she doesn't move as nimbly as the rest of them either. And she's not playful, no hopping and bouncing from her like the rest of them.
Also, the boys still mount her even though they are all wethers - is this normal?? The worse is one of the NGDs that was the last one to be castrated (banding method). They have been wethers for many months now and my pygmy wether for over a year - do they just continue to mount anyway? One of the NGDs hangs out with her, while the other NGD (the one that likes to mount her the most) hangs out with the Pygmy wether. I was thinking of keeping her in an adjoining pen by herself most of the time so she is not constantly being mounted (she gets really mad when it happens) but I didn't know if that would be the best for her and cause her to be lonely. We have three acres so when they are out on the property they would all be together again. Can I get some opinions on this, please.
Replies
I haven't heard of many people that had good success with a single on the other side of the fence for more than a short while. They just don't seem to think being on the other side of the fence is fun. lol Being herd animals, they need more than just a visual on the rest of the herd.
Thanks for your quick response.
Okay, so just being right next to them (sharing the fence, which is chain link) would be too lonely. I will have to think about the pairing, I can't bear the thought of breaking up the boys, the one that hangs out with the doe is one of the NGD brothers. They are still pretty bonded and will look for each other if they are apart. Maybe I will just do a trial run.
Thanks for the body condition info. I have checked her tail before and will check that again this weekend when it's light out when I'm home. And for the ribs too.
I wouldn't separate her from everyone. If you need to separate, choose one of the more laid back boys to stay with her. Goats need at least one goat friend. :)
Mounting is normal, even for wethers. Even though they are not producing testosterone, they are still boys. Having so many of them might be adding to the competition.
It is normal to be able to feel a doe's spine. I use a combination of two things to check my doe's weight. I use the same scale that is used on dogs to check the RIBS. http://static.flickr.com/1/121980352_a34d978d9f.jpg?v=0
Then I check the underside of their tails. If you can see bone joints, the goat is too thin. If it looks plump, but has some loose skin, they are normal, and if it is tight and fat like a sausage, goat needs to go on a diet!
Hope that helps you!