Hello everyone! Thank you for the add! I am very new to the goat world, but I am eager to learn new things. I have recently brought home a ND doe that is bred and also a mini Lamancha doe who is also supposed to be pregnant. I will try to post a picture later of them, but for now, I am concerned that my "ND" is not really a ND, but rather a Pygmy goat, how can I tell for sure? I have read the differences in both, but I am second guessing myself too much! lol Part of the reason I am questioning it, is because the people I got her from: the wife kept calling her a Pygmy, but the husband kept insisting she was a ND. I consider my two does "rescue purchases". While they both seem to be very healthy (no runny butts, discharge, bald spots) the place I got them from was run down and SOOOOO many animals that things weren't very clean! I am glad that found them and brought them home, but I had so many questions for the past owners and they couldn't give me any answers! So here are some questions I have for all you seasoned goat owners:
1) The last time they were supposedly vaccinated was last summer. What can I safely give them since I don't know what they were given before? I plan to take them to the vet for an overall check up also.
2) Do I wait to worm them until after they kid? Since I don't know exactly how far along they are? (that was one of the questions I asked, "How far along are they?".....got the "I don't know" answer.
3) Both does have been together since babies (according to the last owners). Can I leave them together when they each start to kid? Or should I separate them when that time comes? I just don't want to add stress to an already stressful situation by keeping them apart, but I also don't want anything happening to the babies by leaving them together.
Thanks for letting me ramble about questions and concerns! I am open to any and all comments and advise! Thanks everyone!!
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They might be pygmy and ND crosses. The colors are ND, but the body type is more pygmy. They are more cobby than dairy.
Anyone have any thoughts on what breed the goats are?
Another couple of photos to see if these would be Nigerian Dwarf goats? These belong to a family member (that we didn't know that they had goats until just a week ago), but they look VERY similar to my NG doe. They were told they were Pygmy goats, and they don't know much about goats, so I thought I would ask here! :) Thanks for everyones help and input!
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Thanks Deborah! :) I think for now, I'll just keep them the way they are. Since I live in Kansas...its really hot BUT you never know when a sudden change in the weather will come. Heck...the other morning it got down to 50! It felt great! :) OH AND BY THE WAY!!! I just ordered your book! I am eager to start reading it! I opted to go with the paperback version so I can always have it. My Kindle isn't always charged up :)
Deborah: Does it really matter if a goat is shaved or not if it is just a farm/pet? I do have the ability to shave my girls, but if it is not necessary, then I'll just leave them be. I have clippers and a 10 blade, so I can do it, just never had to shave a goat :)
Rachel: That makes me feel better! After checking them over and not finding any creepy crawlys...I felt better, but glad I don't have the only goats that rub on the fence! :)
And my goats lay into the fence and rub themselves down it too. Totally normal. They like to scratch that way.
People shave goats for shows, but shaving is also a great, all natural way to get rid of lice. I will also shave goats to get pictures for my website. It is pretty much impossible to get pictures that show anything about conformation unless the goat is shaved -- which is also why they are shaved for shows.
Awesome! Thank you so much Rachel! I have done a bunch of reading on the differences, but since the wife was calling her a pygmy....I had that doubt in my mind. Funny how when you hear something that contradicts what you think, you have that doubt! She does have a longer coat, but I seen/read where people shave their goats? Mainly for show purposes?? Not sure or they do it because of lice or mites? I was concerned about these girls having lice/mites because they were constantly laying against the chainlink and scratching themselves when I first got them. Since having them just shy of 2 weeks, I only catch them doing it occasionally.....and I have checked them both over for any bugs, which I have not found anything on them. Thanks again for all the comments and advise!
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