Hello,
I'm new here, but i joined beacuse i am getting my first Goat!
I'm getting him from freedomstarfarm, he'll be a weather and he's not born yet.
So, the reason i'm getting him is beacuse i lost my minuture horse, and my other Mini horse is in need of a companion. My vet and farrier though that it was good idea and i've always loved goats so it was going to happen one way or another in time.
So while i wait for him to be born and weaned (not going to bottle feed him) what do you guys think i should do to get ready? I know what i'm doing to make my horse pasture goat safe, and the feed and hay are all worked out. But any tips would really be great.
So here are some questions. Uh, i know most of these are going to sound really silly, but i'm new to goats.
What is your take on feeding them treats, and if you do feed treats, what kind?
How often do you recomend cleaning their stalls. I do clean my pony's stall frenquently but i've read that goats need it specialy cleaned. Is this true?
I'm going to put a Coller or harness of my goat as i've seen many people do. Should i use one that's for a big dog? And is a harness or coller better for the goat?
Thanks for your time. :) oh and sorry for misspelling, I"m on a laptop and i'm used to having they keys a bit diffrint. Sorry :P
Replies
Thanks for sharing, i live near Lambertville, a good forty Mins. from my house
Logan has told us to feed the vinegar, but it's good to hear it from other people to, makes me feel better. thanks!
Hi, we must live near each other. I got my girl from Freedom Star, Logan helped me out when my boy died. I can tell you after losing my wether, I would ask to wait to castrate until he is 3-4 months. No grain, a diet of timothy or nice grass mix, no alfalfa and plenty of water, I put apple cider vinegar now, he seems to enjoy the taste and some say it helps with UC, others say no, but t does make him drink more water, which is good.
Just so you guys know i was planning on getting a anouther goat in the fall or next spring, i just relized i forgot to mention that. I'll get one earlier if need be.
Thanks!
thanks for the concern. The horse being great with other animals is good beacuse he won't go after the goat, he's cool with other animals. The vet said to start with one and see if it works, beacuse if it did then maybe it would be more interested in the horse, instead of going of and doing "goaty things" . But if it doesn't work out, were getting another.
By the time our boy is ready to come home, the pasture will be safe for the goat.
Thanks for the help
Forgot to mention that if your horse pasture has electric fencing, that won't work for a goat. You would need strands about six inches apart to keep a goat in.
I'm extremely surprised that any vet would suggest getting one goat. Perhaps you misunderstood. I personally will not sell a goat without a companion because I've known too many people over the years that have stories like Patty's. And I've had plenty of people call me desperately seeking a second goat because someone else sold them a single and now they have problems. There is simply NO reason to have a single goat. Your horse's personality is irrelevant. He is not a goat. Two goats will actually be less work than one, and wethers don't cost much to feed because they only need grass hay and zero grain.
Thanks so very much!
I understand about needing two goats. Our vet says to try one first, beacuse my Mini horse is very good with other animals. He's great with most dogs , cats, even rabbit's and about everything, he's chill. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If the goat needs another goat we will get him one. Thanks for the concern.
I didn't think about the break-away coller thing. But i will defenitly get that kind.
Thanks for the advice everyone!
First of all, are you planning to get just one goat? I think it would be wise to follow the advice of so many on this forum and get two. I can say from experience that one goat is a very lonely little goat. When I got my first goat, I never meant to get just one goat. I went to pick up two, but at the last minute we discovered that the second goat I was going to get had a tooth problem that needed fixing. I decided to bring home the other one and get a second as soon as I found what I was looking for. Our little girl was so sad. She cried non stop and wouldn't eat unless we were right there picking through the hay with her. By day three she wouldn't eat at all. I had to make a fast trip to get a second doe on day four. Thankfully, the breeder had just decided to sell the doe I really wanted and it worked out well in the end.
Oh...I just reread and saw that you have a mini horse you hope to be a companion for your goat. I hope that works out for you. One thing I can say is that the body language is actually quite different for horses and goats. A young ND goat may be only about 15 lbs. at a couple of months old. I'm guessing on the weight. I haven't ever weighed a 2 month old kid, but I've seen quite a few and they're quite tiny compared to a mini horse. I am concerned that he could be injured.
Feeding treats is fine, and you can look through this forum to find lots of information on the types of things that are safely enjoyed by the goats. Especially pay attention to whatever you can find about feeding a wether. A bit of bread crust, a few corn chips, a pine branch, some raspberry canes, leafy tree branches like aspen or willow would be great. Something from the garden or house, like chopped apple, cellery, broccoli stem. Just remember to give a little at a time. Also, if you don't want to be mauled by your goat every time you go in with him, don't always give treats. Make it something you do only some of the time so he doesn't expect to always get treats.
I really don't think that the cleaning of the stall should be any different for the goat. Perhaps what you were reading was emphasizing the cleanliness needed for milking does, which is needed to keep the milk clean and tasty.
If you intend to keep a collar on your goat(s) all the time, a breakaway collar is probably the best choice. They have plastic links designed to break with enough pressure, but allow you a handle to grab for easy catching and controll.
Of course, there are as many opinions about these things as there are goat owners. This is just what I would do. I wish you the best with your new friend! :)