Hello,
I just bought two ND goats 2 days ago. 1 is a pregnant calico doe and the other is a little buck about 6 months old with blue eyes. They have their horns and are not all that tame. The doe will eat out of our hands but will not let us pet her. The buck is a little more skidish. I;m hoping they will come around and let us pet them and maybe it will just take time. Any suggestions to win their trust? I don't know much about them as I wasn't there when they were picked up, but I will be contacting the previous owner and hopefully they can tell me more about them. I don't even know when the doe was bred!
Also, because I have a pregnant doe and a young buck, do they require different types of feed? Is there any other food needs besides goat chow, a mineral block and hay that they require (and treats of course)?Well, I'm sure I'll have more questions as time goes on. I look forward to any advice. Thanks
Replies
Welcome, sure you will enjoy it here and get lots of help don't worry. They will come around soon with lots of tlc. They are very easy to tame.
Welcome to the group and the wonderful world of goat ownership!
Bucks and does do have different feed needs, although if the doe is not in milk, the two can be fed a grass hay. During the last couple weeks of the doe's pregnancy, you can start feeding her some grain, but bucks really shouldn't have grain unless they are having trouble maintaining body condition, which doesn't normally happen unless you're in a super cold climate and/or you have very poor quality hay. Grain, however, can cause urinary stones in bucks.
Be sure your mineral is for "goats," not "sheep and goats," because the latter would not have any copper in it.