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Barnyard Buddies:  uh-oh i have aquired a goat!  |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 24 2009 : 3:45:10 PM
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as things work here i got a pregnant goat on little notice. i posted some under "all things goats..." i havent had a goat in year and then for just a short time. all she would eat was sweet feed and alfalfa which i can guarentee she wont get since alfalfa is about $30 a bale here in alaska! we have no idea when she was bred but she has a belly on her *grin* she is half nubien/ half kiko and hopefully is bred to an angora? but may be another daddy. we have some very special timothy hay and all breed sweet feed but not sure if she needs anything special with being pg. the last goat i had was still milking a quart twice a day when she gave birth since noone knew she was pg!!she was skinny as a rail all over and her belly was actually concave when she surprised us with 3 babies! i have no clue what i am doing lol. she is used to being outside year round with little or no shlter and eating just the browse (moss, willow, labrador tea, loganberries etc) found here in interior alaska. i do not know how much feed to give her but i do know that when i gave her a little hay and grain she acted like she hadnt eaten in a month of sundays! so ladies any help will be greatly apprciated! this is her second pregnancy.
peace connie in alaska |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2009 : 4:00:15 PM
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I don't know too much about goats except that the ones I have been around were FAT and they ALWAYS acted like they were half starved the 3 times a day that I fed them! You might want to see if there is a pregnancy safe wormer to give her. If you are having to pay for feed you want it going to your animals not to parasites! I would also make sure she has a house she can get into during wet weather or super cold spells. The farm that I worked at had about 10 goats in a pen and we would feed them about 1/2 to 3/4 of a bale of hay 3 to 4x a day.
One thing I do know is most goats won't eat anything they have walked on, so a raised manger is important. Good luck!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2009 : 7:01:42 PM
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Connie, she needs a shelter before she kids, I don't know if you've ever seen a foal, calf or kid frozen to the ground before, it is a very pitaful sight, and most of the time they must be euthanized, cause their legs have severe frostbite. Most goats do not need special fancy food, I have never fed alfalfa to a goat, too rich, and never have had any need to feed sweet feed.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2009 : 03:19:58 AM
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thanks ladies.
teresa i guess i forgotto mention here that she would hae shelter with plenty of dry bedding. we will use one of those big packing crates like shippers use for her home which is what my chickens winter in without problems. it wont be heated unless she has her kid(s) during extreme cold then i can minimallly heat it. most of the browse she has available here is labrador tea (which i do not know if its good for her or not) willow and black spruce. she will have a few berry brambles alsos. from what i ahve been reading she should do well on the last 2 but i will supplement with timothy hay.
today she didnt even eat half the flake of hay i gave her tho she was donstantly eating *grin*. i am so excited! i just hope she has good milk! my dad had 2 nubiens (twins) and one had great milk the other we fed the milk to the pigs cuz it wasnt drinkable!weird huh?
is there any way to tell how far along she is before she gets really close to birthing?? they arent sure when she was bred. how long does a goat cryher kid(s)?
peace connie in alaska |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2009 : 03:21:40 AM
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sorry missed a mojor typo in that last post lol. how long does a goat carry her kid(s)?
peace connie in alaska |
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shepherdgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1008 Posts
Tracy
California
USA
1008 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2009 : 9:11:08 PM
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First off, God Bless you Connie for taking in such a needy soul. I send you a great big hug for that!!!!
Secondly, goat gestation is about 5 mos (give or take a week or so from breeding date). Since you don't know EXACTLY when she was bred (most goat breeders will "Hand breed" their goats, so they can pin-point more precise dates), it's hard to say when she'll kid. It'll probably be even HARDER to tell with her because she's not in the best of health. Just watch her closely.
Some does will get really restless when their time comes. They'll pace, paw the ground, build a "nest," and call to their unborn babies. Some does will lay in their chosen spot and chew their cud, showing no signs of labor at all. You could go out there and check on her every hour on the hour and not think she's anywhere NEAR giving birth, then go back out a half hour or so later and she's presented you with a whole litter of kids! I can't tell you how many times that's happend to ME! Some does won't eat, some gobble their food like hogs. One thing they ALL do is get a little saggy near their hip-bones (sorry, can't remember the "Technical" term for that area), their bellies will "drop," and a discharge may be seen coming from their nether regions. It might be light, it might be heavy. They also might look just plain miserable. (if you've ever had babies of your own, you can relate, I'm sure!) All the signs and symptoms are different with each goat.
One thing I've noticed with My goats is-- the other females in each "Family group" will rally 'round the does approaching their time and keep the other goats away. I saw that behavior for the first time this year in one family group I have (4 generations worth!). It was quite an amazing thing to see. Very touching.
Anyway, the only thing you can really do at this point is just keep a close watch on her and give her a nice warm place to stay. If she's done this before, she should remember what to do again. You also want to watch her feed intake. If she starts getting less enthusiastic about her food and she seems lethargic, stares off into space, etc... she might be going into Ketosis (aka "Pregnancy Toximia"). You really don't want THAT to happen. It means her body is not absorbing enough protien to feed herself AND her babies, and the fetus(s) are feeding off her muscle tissues. A doe can die pretty quickly from that.
There is a supplemental drench you can buy in liquid or paste form that you can give her that will help. "Nutri-drench" for goats is a good one. An 8 oz bottle from Hoegger's Supply Co. (order on line) has it for only $11.60 + shipping. Also, check your local feed stores. They might have it in stock as well, or another comparable product. It might even be a good idea to give her a dose of something now, just for a little boost. Sounds like she doesn't have any body tissues to spare, poor thing.
Oh, and a safe wormer for pregnant does is called "Safeguard." I know here in Ca all the feed stores carry it. If you can't find it locally through one of those, try on line. You might also want to have her checked out by a vet. If money is tight and that's not an option, if you DO have a regular vet, he/she may be willing to offer suggestions over the phone. If not, well, I'd find another VET!!! (LOL!!)
Hope all goes well with you and your new friend. Keep us posted ok? I know I'D like to hear how she's doing, and I'm sure the other ladies here would to. Hugs~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2009 : 1:07:44 PM
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hi tracy, thank you so much for all the info!! i am not too sure she would need worming as even dogs here rarely get worms for some odd reason. sadly these folks that i got her from just kinda let their goats do whatever. they are kept out in the woods. the people actually live in a tent, a dug out and a hogan all with dirt floors!! i thought i lived "rustic" without running water and ver little space!lol. rachel (the goat) had the option last night of a lean to or the snow and she chose the snow! weird lol. we are buthering the steer this omrning so hopefully tomorrow will have time to build her a fenced area so she wonthave to be tied all the time. do you think a 5 ft fence built of small logs or 2X4"s with 6 inch spacing will keep her in? should it be taller? she is about 3 1/2 ft at the shoulder. it is believed by the people that she should drop her babies in november or december but with the belly she has i think she is further along. guess only time will tell *grin* i will see if i can locate some nutri drench locally. it cant hurt to give her an extra boost. i am really hoping she has babies soon so that they will be a bit bigger and stronger for the coldest part of the winter. thankfully she has long thick hair and hopefully her baby(s) will have the same. how in the world do i get myself into these things? lol.
i had to remove a hen from a nest yesterday because the stupid critters have decided to sit now instead of spring or summer! she was a very unhappy camper to say the least. i had hoped that i found her sooon enough to use the eggs but sadly i didnt. thankfully they werent very far along.
gotta go help hubby with the steer. will keep you posted on rachel. thanks again!
peace connie in alaska |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Barnyard Buddies: uh-oh i have aquired a goat! |
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uh-oh i have aquired a goat!
