Topic 3 Goats

When a doe finally begins to show signs of labor, (nesting , unsociable,laying down , standing up , looking at her butt) it is time to keep a close eye on her. If you have a seperate area to birth set up then move her early in this process. At this point the kidding area should be clean and fresh water and feed available for the momma to be. Within a short period of time you will see her actually having contractions. During her contractions she may bleat a bit or make grunting type noises.
The first visual sign of impending birth is the water bag or bubble . This should be filled with a fairly clear fluid. Once the water bag breaks(she may lick the area where her water broke ), the first kid should be in a thirty to 45 minute range. Keep a careful eye on her during this time. You can sit by and watch , I have never had a goat kick me out and often times they like mama there with them during the process. I do not interefere, other than to look at the bubble and place a flashlight below to get a glimpse of what should be the front two feet of a kid. If she seems to be progressing , allow her to do her thing.



Once the water breaks you should soon see the appearance of the front feet. The kid's head should lay above and between the front legs in a normal presentation. The feet should also be pointing downward . Some kids can be born in the breech position, but you will want to be sure to have the birth progress rapidly. As soon as a breech-positioned kid is born, hold him up by his back legs and rub down his sides to help remove any fluid from his lungs. There are some positions that you may have to intervene with the birth process and help the kid out into the world.
The next step in the process is the appearance of the head. Often times a thin membrane will still cover the kid. This membrane should break as the kid is born. However, you may want to be nearby in the event that the kid needs assistance. If the birth is progressing, allow nature to take its course.




Allow the doe to continue pushing until the kid is completely born. When the doe stands up, the umbilical cord will break on its own. Do not cut the cord as this is likely to cause excessive bleeding. Allow the cord to tear on its own.
Once the kid is born, check to make sure that it is breathing. Wipe the head and nose off well to make it easier for the kid to breath. If the kid is not breathing, try inserting a piece of straw a short way into a nostril to encourage the kid to sneeze. You may also need to lift the kid up by the rear legs and vigorously rub its sides.

In cold weather it is also a good idea to dry off the ears and tail as best as possible. This helps to prevent freezing. Allow the mother to lick the kid to clean off the rest. She should be "talking" to her kid now that he is born. If she does not stand and begin to take care of the kid or kids, move it to her head area and point it out to her. If she has had only one, then she may have another in the following minutes and kind of ignore the first one until she has the second. If she is doing this i generally will wipe the first one off while she is birthing the second or third or fourth . If things look to be as though they are going well at this point i leave momand kid alone in order for them to bond and get to know one another. I do check back frequently and ensure that they are all doing ok and that the babies are trying to stand and nurse.... cont'd

 

Sorry i have ignored this for a couple few weeks. I have been suffering from cabin fever so was busy plotting and planning gardens and ordering seeds.We have switched to all heirloom seeds finallyso should be last year i had to spend crazy time trying to figure out what we wanted to grow in mass amounts.Last week i had a abcess on a tooth and was not into anything other than pain meds in massive amounts.



Some new mothers will paw and paw at her new kids. She is doing this to get them up, moving and nursing. She is not attacking her kid, or intentionally trying to hurt them. Some new moms are worse than others about this and it's frustrating because you don't want the mom to accidentally kill her kid. We never have even the most enthusiastic of mothers kill their kid. Pawing is not a sign of a mother refusing her kid. If she refuses a kid, she will ignore it, or butt at it with her head in an effort to get it to leave her alone Smashing the kid around and throwing it on the other hand is rejection so watch carefully..


other normal things that may seem odd

• The bottoms of the baby's hooves will "shed" their protective white coating right after birth.
• The kid may poop and pee right after birth, even before he has his first meal.
• The kid's first few poops will be soft sticky "black tar".
• The kid will poop "yellow mustard poops" for at least a week after birth until he begins to eat solid food.
• Some mothers are better than others at cleaning their babies butts off and keeping them clean. You may need to clean the kids butts off on occasion. Make sure no hardened poop plugs up their butt holes, because this can happen and the kid will not be able to poop.
• Sometimes it takes a couple days for the babies legs to straighten out completely and/or work properly (you may want to give them a Selenium Supplement, depending on your local ).
• There is usually one afterbirth per kid, but sometimes there is only one per kidding even if there are two kids. If you don't find the afterbirth, the mother probably ate it (gross, but not a problem)
• Starting about a week AFTER the kidding, the mother will begin to "leak" blood and goo for about a week or more. This is normal.

 

To make this much easier on us all and keep things simple for us all to understand i am just sending us all to a little origami kidding presentation. I found it quite amusing yet very well detailed as a teaching tool.
http://fiascofarm.com/galleries/Goat_Care_and_Information/Kidding_Positions/index.html

for a detailed description of each presentation just click on the paper figure for all info ...

Always remember before " reaching in" or entering a doe, be sure to take off your watch, rings, and other jewelry. Wash your hands in warm, soapy water. Wash the backside of the ewe/doe. It is a good idea to use gloves for the examination. Coat your hand up to your elbow with a non-irritating lubricant. The liberal use of a lubricant cannot be overemphasized.

You should not keep pulling your hand in and out of the doe and should not change hands without washing again. Getting the ewe to stand up or elevating her hindquarters will allow more room for repositioning and result in less vigorous straining. If you have worked for a half hour with no progress, it is a good idea to call a veterinarian.

Following are a few other scenarios you may find in delivery.
The completely backwards kid. For those types of presentations you have no choice but to deliver the kid in that position. To deliver, you have to bring the rear legs forward by cupping the fetlocks in your palm. Once the rear legs are forward, the lamb needs to be delivered quickly because once the umbilical cord breaks, the lamb/kid will begin breathing and could drown in its own fluids.
Oversized babies is also a common problem . Many kidding difficulties are due to the disproportionate size of the fetus and doe. This can be the result of a large kid or a small pelvic opening. Either the head or the shoulders of the baby may be too wide to be delivered by the ewe or doe on her own. Mild soap around the head and in the birth canal may help to deliver a baby whose head is caught in the skin and tissue of the vagina and vulva. Gradually, try to force the skin of the vulva over the baby’s eyebrows. If the baby is stuck at the shoulders, sometimes you can deliver it by pulling on one leg, then the other, and rotating the baby as you pull it out.
Swollen head. If the head is outside of the uterus for a very long time, it will become very swollen. The tongue may be sticking out. While thekid may look cold and dead, it can survive for a long time in this position. However, the head will need to be pushed back into the uterus for delivery. If it is covered with straw and manure, make sure you clean it first. Use plenty of lubricant. If the kid is dead, it may be easier to cut off the head. (gross i know)
Tangled twins. Sometimes,kids are presented with the legs intertwined. To correct these situations, first you need to determine which legs belong to which babies. Sometimes, one kid will be presented normal and the other will be coming backwards. In this case, you need to determine not only which legs belong to which baby, but whether you are feeling front legs or back legs. It may be necessary to push one kid back into the birth canal to allow easy delivery of another.
Ringwomb. One of the most difficult problems to deal with is failure of the cervix to dilate (ringwomb). While the exact cause is unknown, a selenium deficiency is believed to be a contributing factor. While hormonal injections may result in further dilation of the cervix and manual manipulation of the cervix is also possible, a c-section is often the only recourse to save the doe and or kids.
Dead or deformed. If dead or deformed kids cannot be extracted from the doe in a timely fashion, veterinary assistance should be sought. kids that have been dead for a long period of time often need to be removed in pieces.

 

doe raised kids

At this point in time all of our goat kids are raised by there mother.I personally believe the kids should be raised in the most natural way possible and without the interference of a human unless it is needed. That being said i still end up with the occassional kid in the house or in seperate quarters.
CAE is a concern among some members of the goat world. This is a disease that is passed on thru the milk and body fluids to kids. If this is a concern of yours and do not want this passed down in your goat herd (meat producers) then bottle or hand raising is the option you must choose. There is no known evidence of this disease passing through to humans in milk or meat form..

Colostrum
Colostrum is the name for the first milk a mother (any mammalian mother) produces right when she delivers her baby. This special milk is low in fat, and high in carbohydrates, protein, nutrients and antibodies that help keep the new baby healthy All babies needs these antibodies because when they are first born, they have no antibodies in their systems yet and this leaves them open to any disease, illness or even death caused by viruses and bacteria. Colostrum actually works as a natural and 100% safe vaccine. The best colostrum is from the baby's mother because this contains "custom" antibodies for the particular environment the baby is born into. A baby goat slowly looses the ability to absorb antibodies from colostrum and after 24 hours can no longer absorb antibodies at all, this is why you need to make sure they get their colostrum ASAP after birth.


It is imperative that within the first hour or less a baby is suckling and getting colostrum into its system. Sometimes help will be needed in finding a nipple or in the standing process but it is rare. It is quite amazing how fast new born critters are up n around and fending for them self. I do try and keep a little bit of colostrum froze in the freezer in case of emergencies. It keeps for up to a year and sometimes a weak kid that cant nurse or a rejected kid will need it. There are also a couple of commercial products available but they are costlyand sometimes i wonder about how good they are.


Normally once i know that a kid is getting colostrum, has found the teat and is suckling my part is done. The kid will nurse when it is hungry and within a very short time begin nibbling at grasses hay and feed on its own. I do keep an eye on the does udder to see that she is making appropriate amounts of milk and for signs of infection etc but rare is it that i need do anything further. The mother will naturally wean the kid as she sees fit, generally around 7 months or when she is bred again.





Hand raised kids
Hand or bottle raised kids are time consuming , can have issues integrating into the herd at a later point and often have issues learning to eat regular food .They are however generally very friendly and loving creatures . There are several hand raising methods out and about and finding the way that suits your needs is a trial and error process. I will run through a few different ones i have done in the past and then you can decide from there what best suits your homestead.


The first way of handraising is to completely take the kid or kids from the mother immediately after birth. Allowing no colostrum and feeding either a replacer of some sorts in both colostrum and milk. This will require heat lamps and they should also be with other small animals, they are herd animals . This can also be expensive especially if you are buying the replacers. There are several ways of making your own replacers etc that i will post on later. This is also very time consuming since it also leaves you with a doe that has to be milked twice a day every day and all the time you will need playing momma.
Another variation of this method is to allow the mother to clean the baby and allow it to stay with the mother inorder to get colostrum etc and tehn steal the kid. Personally this method to me is rather heartwrenching. Why let the mom bond at all with the kids if you plan on kidnapping them.

suggested feeding of dairy/ meat breed bottle babies
1-3 days -6 ounces of colostrum/milk four times per day
4-14 days - 8 ounces 4 times per day
2 weeks - 1 month- 10-12 ounces milk 3 times per day
1 month - two months- 12-14 ounces 3 times per day
2 months and older -12-14 ounces 2 times per day and the last week or so before weaning i drop it to one feeding per day. Once a kid is eatting a half pound of grain and some forage per day they can be weaned. I would not recommend weaning before 8 weeks of age under any circumstances . Keep in mind this is just how i do it , you will come across many differing ideas on feeding of kids. Basically it is up to you to find what is right for you and your kids and go from there.

For pygmy or nigerian dwarf kids
Birth to 2 weeks-3 ounces, 4 times/day
2 to 6 weeks- four ounces , four times per day
6 to 12 weeks five ounces four times a day
A kid should get 15% of its body weight per day, divided into 3-4 feedings timed about equally apart.

Do not over feed your bottle kids.!! It will make them ill or kill them.Just because they are cute n make alot of noise does not mean they are in need of more milk.
The method i like the best and to me is the nicest way of bottle raising and or milking is to only allow the kids certain times to nurse off mom.In a nutshell what you do is allow the mom to kid in birthing stall or pen. This leaves the kids with teat access 24/7 and requires no human intervention at this time. After the first day or two begin to let momma out with the herd for a couple hours a day and keeping the kids seperate. They may all be a little bit noisy but none is being hurt in doing this. If you wish you can integrate the kids slowly into the visitation or allow them to play with other kids there size. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they are all getting along. Some butting n head slinging may go on here but it is normal,,, just make sure it doesnt get too rough. With in a couple weeks the kids should be spending all day with the herd with only a nighttime kid pen away from the momma and herd.


At this point you can begin milking the mother. When i have done this in the past, the easiest way i found was to milk the doe in the am hours and in the beginnig leaving a little bit of milk in the udder . This ensures that the kids have milk when i allow them to be with momma for the day. This method only requires milking one time per day and no need for any type of replacement feeding. It supplies me with enough milk and keeps the familial caprine unit in one piece.


I have also seen people supplementally feed replacer by bottle in the same way in fear that the kids were not getting enough milk. If this makes you feel better then by all means go ahead. To do this simply feed the kid or kids a bottle once a day in addition to allowing momma to nurse part time. One must take care in doing this to ensure not overfeeding the kids.

 

If you are planning on milking your does the first thing that you will need is some sort of milk stand . Even if you do not intend on milking , these stands come in handy for other things such as worming, trimming hooves etc.. There are several varieties out on the market, but to be quite honest the best ones i have ever used have been homemade and simple.
Here is a basic yet fully functional milk stand along with the link to the plans for building your own.



http://www.motherearthnews.com/Livestock-and-Farming/1980-01-01/A-Goat-Milking-Stand.aspx

For a stool, the old time milking stools work well or a five gallon bucket flipped upside down with a small cushion works well. Some people find squatting works for them while yet others sit on the edge of the milkstand itself. Some people would rather milk from behind the doe and some prefer from the side. Most important thing is finding a position that is both comfortable for you and for the doe and being able to milk her easily from what ever position you choose.


Although you do not need a completely seperate building for your milking stand it should be out of and away from where your goats live there day to day lives. Again the key to good tasting milk is cleanliness. Of course if you plan to sell milk to the general public, there are certain state laws that need to be abided by and is a completly different thing altogetheras it requires flooring , wash stations coolers etc etc...

There are many machines available on the market to do the chore for you , for the average homesteader they are not practical and expensive. Most of us will not have 40 goats to milk each day twice aday. I personally would have to be milking over 8 does to make purchasing a machine of any sort a viable option. There are some cute compact units available, i however kind of enjoy milking time and make it my time so i dont mind spending an hour each morning and evening with the girls.

Milking itself is not that difficult. With a little bit of practice anyone can do it, they have been milking goats for thousands of years , so can you. For anyone that has absolutely no experience in milking an animal the easiest wat to get an idea of how to go about it is by using a surgical glove.

Fill the glove with water and tie it closed . When you practice, you will hold the glove in one hand and manipulate with the other. The glove is now the udder and the fingers become the teats.

Hold the glove in one hand and place the other hand up against the udder. Right where the teat meets the udder, place your thumb and index finger, and use them to close off the teat from the udder.

When you squeeze the teat, you wan the milk to go toward the orifice of the teat and not back into the udder.

First tighten your index finger and as that tightens, start tightening your middle finger.

You are moving the milk down the teat. With the real teat that has an orifice, the milk will start coming out. In the case on the glove udder, the water is moving into the tip of the "teat" and causing pressure. Since you are holding the glove with your other hand, you will be able to feel if the water is "back washing" into the glove. If you can feel water "back washing"... moving back into the glove... you are not closing the top of the teat off enough.

You can see the tip to the "teat" enlarging as the pressure increasing. If you were milking a real goat, you would be getting a nice strong stream of milk and then you would repeat this process until the udder was milk free.


This isnt the greatest of videos on milking goats however it gives a good basic idea on how it is done.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-183078867604090831&q=how+to+milk+a+goat&total=365&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Milking equipment

The most important item is a stainlesss steel pail and lid. You must make sure it is seamless because it is impossible to get a seamed bucket clean. You'll also want a strip cup(cheap alternative- an old black travel coffee mug top) to check the milk before you start milking. paperTowels and some sorta of cleanser are also needed. You can buy all kinds of products to do this with, but I have found it's cheaper and easier to use bleach (Clorox). Yes, not only can you use bleach to sanitize your milking utensils, but you can also use it to wash your doe's udder and dip her teats. Bleach is very effective in controlling and preventing mastitis (an inflammation of the mammary gland caused by bacteria). Sanitize all milking utensils and equipment after each use!!!

procedure

get your doe up on the milkstand and give her a ration of grain. Most goes do very well after the inital time or two of getting her up on the stand. They are gluttons and anytime they have more food they are generally fairly content. The first few times they may jump or hop around a bit but patience is key here. Remember the calmer you are, the calmer she will be.I always talk to the girls and i firmly believe touch is very important. i generally will begin by placing my hand on her shoulder and slowly going down her back to the side of one of her hind legs until i can touch her udder and then milk. I rarely have had to employ any other technique with the goats in milking. Some people do use hobbles on the legs of jittery does , i personally have never seen the need for them in any case, i rarely had to hobble a cow that was 15 times the size of a goat.

The next step is to thoroughly wash the udder with your cleaning solution and dry with a paper towel. Never reuse the paper towels. Next take your strip cup and " strip " the first two or three squirts of milk from each teat onto your strip cup. This is done to look for abnormalities in the milk. Anything other than normal looking milks should not be used for consumption by humans. This means she may have mastitis or other illnesses that may require further care with her..

Milk her then dip her teats in the cleaning solution one more time and allow to air dry before allowing her to rejoin the herd.
Immediatelyafter you need to chill the milk as quickly as possible, so get yourself back to the kitchen ASAP. Once you get the milk back to the kitchen, you can do one of two things. You can either pasteurize your milk or you can keep it in its raw state. You should have your milk storage with lids sterilized and waiting for you at the house. Glass jars work the best. Place your sterilized milk strainer over your storage jars and pour in the milk. Then put the lids on the jars and place them in the freezer to chill them as quickly as possible. Don't forget to remove the jars in a couple of hours. Goat milk does freeze well for up to a year. In the fridge, it will keep easily for up to a week or so. Always keep milk covered. It will pick up the smells and tastes of other food .
Clean and sterilize all equipment...

 

Hoof trimming is not a hard chore to do, sure it takes a bit of getting used to HOW it is done as with anything else but the actual task of doing them is not difficult. The hardest part in hoof trimming is actually taking the time to do it.. The trimming of a goats hoof is different from that of a horse or other larger animals. with a goat the purpose is to simply flatten the hoof out so that it is comfortable for them to walk on and for preventing future problems.

Many places suggest trimming hooves every four to six weeks. I however would say that is a very short growing span and if conditions in the pasture and / or housing are proper this is more a 2 - 3 time a year task. The rougher rockier area you live in the less often this will need to be done as the rocks naturally wear there feet down.

Supplies
trimmers(available at any feed/seed store or supply warehouse) NOT garden sheers sheers or a knife. I prefer the knife but they are very dangerous if you have not used them before so would recommend beginners using sheers
carpenters plane (small)
hoof pick (cheap, easy alternative is a nut pick)
I also carry a small wash bucket and a scrubber brush which i use to scrub the foot with,it clears a lot of dirt n yuck away rather than picking at it
iodine solution(in case i make an oops)
gloves (to prevent injury to self )


How to

Easiest way to trim hooves is by using the milk stand to hold the goat while you work. Give them a bit of grain and they should be fairly happy. Sit next to the goat either on the side of the stand or the five gallon bucket stool and lift her foot and her leg will bend into the position you need to work with her in.



Take the water and scrub brush and give her foot a good bath. This is not a necessary step, however i like to see what i am working on and it does remove a lot of what you will otherwise pick out.

Pick out any dirty pockets you see on the bottom portion of the hoof. Gently picking usually work well.



The outside part of the hoof will be longer than the inside part. Trim that away using the trimmers. It doesnt have to be equal at this point just trim away as much excess as you can .

Once this is done , I generally take a small plane and gently plane the surface flat and level. This doesnt take much and doesnt require pushing down on the hoof. It is just enough to flatten out the hoof . The first few times this is tried , you may see the little pin pricks of blood appearing. Dont worry too much , just before you release her back into the pen dip her feet into the iodine solution and try not to do such a good job next time



When you begin seeing a pink shade at the front tips of the hoof you do not want to go any further. If you do you will begin to see blood.

Before putting the hoof down, I always just do a quick look at the entire hoof area and making sure it is over all healthy in looks .

repeat with other feet.

If the hooves are extremely overgrown and in bad shape. Simply do a little bit at a time over several sessions.(once a week) If they are that overgrown the goat may even walk a bit funny or lame afterwards. She is just getting used to walking all over again since she has had to adapt to such deplorable conditions to begin with .

Goats feet should not smell funny. If they do , good bet is they have either the beginning of hoof rot or has full blown rot. This has a distinct smell and once you smell it , you will know it. Hoof rot is a soft black "rotten" area that can spread up the goat's hoof wall. You need to treat this as soon as you notice it so it does not get worse.

Trim all the "rot" away that you can. Dig out any pockets. If you have to trim away part of the side wall, then do so. You must try to remove all the rot. The hoof might bleed. It will take patience on the part of all involved. It might have to take a few "sittings" to complete the job. If this must be done be sure to use some sort of hoof and heal or some other sort of antiseptic(tea tree/ lavender) on the hoof.

Again prevention is key in preventing hoof rot. Keep things clean and dry as possible and you should not have any problems with this. I have personally only ever seen a few mild cases with goats. Cows on the other hand , I have seen some really horrible cases . Most animals would long have been very lame and limping if they have anything more than a mild case.

I do not generally trim kid goat hooves either. Some may do this but over the years i rarely find any kid that needs trimming before 6 months old. I do always keep an eye on all there feet and walking etc so that i can catch a case before it becomes a walking or health issue for them.

Happy trimming!

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, the horn issue. I have personally raised goats with horns and without horns. In my younger years I would have recommended anyone to disbud or dehorn all there animals that had horns.As i have gotten older, call it laziness or call it wisdom, hell call it what ya wish, I cant say that i disbud any longer or agree with the principles behind it. I would recommend that if you have small children around think about disbudding your animals for safety sake. For anyone else, I suggest leaving them to grow. Of course safety is always a huge issue, but stupidity is the cause of most accidents and by taking a few precautions they can generally be omitted. Horns are basically the only defense mechanism a goat has . They also make "nice little god given natural handles" as a local so nicely put it.
For anyone that cant decide the issue i would suggest researching and learning and coming to your own conclusionand doing what you feel is best for your situation. *** any goat being raised for show or 4 h projects must be disbudded)***

Disbudding is generally done within the first few days of birth. When you can feel the nubs poking up then it is time. It is not recommended to take the horns off a grown goats head. It is an extremely painful procedure for the goat. If this needs to be done with a goat, alastration is the only way to humanely(if then) go about it.)

Supplies


1. Disbudding iron with a fireproof holder. (any farm animal supply store carries them)
2. Steel wool to clean tip of iron.
3. Board to test iron.4. Kid holding box. (these can be purchased from suppliers however it is a simple easy, cheap to make contraption)
5. Towel to adjust floor level of box to the size of kid.
6. Clippers(optional)
***always keep a bottle of epinephrine on hand, though rarely is it needed goats can be a lil bit weird when it comes to procedures and is best to be prepared

procedure
Let the disbudding iron heat up until it is glowing red

When you apply the iron to a wooden board, you get an immediate dark brown ring and smoke.(note the brown rings on the board in above photo)
​

To disbud, put the kid in a disbudding box. Put towels in the bottom of the box as needed to adjust for the size of the kid. (The towels raise the level of the box floor as needed for smaller kids. You don't want the kid choking himself because his feet don't reach the floor.)

Sit on the box, have someone sit on the ground in front of the box, facing the kid. The ground sitter hold the head andbox sitter shaves the "nub area". Find the "nub" by feel.

***the kid will probably scream just as much about having his head shaved as getting his head burnt. They do not like being restrained.***

hold the kid's head tightly against the head piece. The kids can be incredibly strong and you need to hold the head as still as possible.

Box sitter will apply the iron. The open circle of the tip of the iron going over the shaved "nub" on the kid's head. The bud goes right, dead center, in the middle of the hole in the iron tip and may not get touched by the iron (depending on it's size) The pressure of the iron is rotated (putting even pressure at 1 o'clock and slowly moving the even pressure to 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, etc.). The amount of pressure applied is pretty much just that of the weight of the iron. Each "go-'round" takes only a about 4-5 seconds
You are shooting for a nice solid copper ring.If you don't have the copper ring on the first go-'round (which you rarely ever do) you give it another go. Apply the red hot iron again and rotate the pressure.

Stop, look for the copper ring, repeat if necessary. At this point you may have a copper ring around most of the nub, but not completely. In this case, just apply the iron where needed to complete the ring.

The stopping to look at the kids head as you disbud serves a few purposes. First, you can see exactly how much burning you must do for each kid without frying there brain. If the kid seems to be "taking it hard", take a break and let him recover. This is not a race.


first go round

copper ring


Once you have the complete copper ring, take the edge of the iron tip and carefully burn/nudge the center, where the nub is. You are not trying to get the copper color here, you are just burning enough to a be able to "scrape" off the top of the nub (the skin covering the nub).
Once you are done do not apply anything to the burns. They are cauterized and "clean" wounds. Return the kid right a way to his mom, or give him a bottle if he is being bottle raised. He will be fine and will not hold the incident against you.

 

disbudding box plans



This is a picture of a simple, but adequate dehorning box. It can be made from a few pieces of plywood and 2 x 4’s. The lid is essential and should have fairly strong hinges because you quickly flop it closed and sit on it to do the work.

 

Rendering a male goat unfertileis called wethering. There are several reasons for doing this. If prevents the oderific smells a male makes when mature. It will stop most of his disgusting practices as a mature male. They generally have a friendlier disposition than bucks and if you are raising meat goats then it is a good way to make use of the males by growing them without risking him impregnating your does. If you are planning on selling male goats for meat or pets, this is also the best option to choose in there life, makes selling much easier.

There are several methods used in castration. All of which i have seen done on actual animals. By far the easiest on both you and the animal is the elastration method..

Elastrator method
An elastrator is used to place heavy rubber rings on the scrotum (the loose sac of skin that holds both of his testicles) - Place a special rubber ring on the elastator. Push the testicles down into the scrotum. Pass the testicles and the scrotum (but not the teats!) through the rubber ring. Make sure both testicles are descended through the ring and then remove the ring from the elastator so that the ring squeezes down on the scrotum. The scrotum will “die” or gangrene from lack of blood and fall off in about 2 weeks. An elastator is light weight , and easy for a person to use. This is best and most easily done with a person to hold the goat while you operate the elastrator. It does have a higher risk of tetanus than the other methods. It must be done while the scrotum is still very small, i.e. from 2 to 6 weeks.



burdizzo method
Use a burdizzo clamp to rupture the cords - Do one cord at a time. Push the cord to one side of the scrotum and clamp the burdizzo over it being careful to leave the teats above the crushing point. Close the burdizzo and count to 25. You should hear a crunch as you do it. You can also tug on the testicle to see if the cord feels ruptured. Open and shut the burdizzo one more time and then repeat the same procedure on the other side of the scrotum. Do not apply the burdizzo over the entire scrotum to attempt to break both cords at one time . You do not want this large a scrotum to gangrene. Instead, the testicles will gradually shrink and your wether will be left with a small empty scrotum sac. This method is the best to use during fly season because it leaves no big open wound. Goats must be between 4 weeks to 4 months of age with 8 to 12 weeks being ideal. Burdizzos are very heavy and may be difficult for a young person to use. It is not as reliable as the other methods because you can not tell for sure if the cords have been crushed.




Knife method


Using a disinfected knife , Push the testicles high up into the scrotum. Cut off the bottom third of the scrotum with a sharp knife. Use your hands or teeth to grasp the testicles and pull them down. Do not let them slip out of your hands and back into the scrotum as this can cause infections. Scrape the cords of the testicles with the flat of your knife to gradually cut them or stretch them between two hands until they break. You can also tie them off with fishing line or dental floss and then cut them below the tie off point. You want to avoid cutting the cords abruptly because this will cause more blood loss.

After castrating, spray the scrotum with an antibacterial spray that also repels or kills flies. The kid will be very unhappy or depressed for a few hours and then gradually recover. Exercise will help keep any swelling down so try to avoid confining him in a tiny area. Keep him out of the mud and rain though.

 

A few of our goats are terrified of people, but there are 2 specific ones that remind me of dogs. If you don't pet them, they will headbutt you until you do (gently).

 

So we have talked about getting goats eventually. What I want to know is which of these varieties will be best for all three uses? milk, wool and (once in a while) meat. Can all the breeds be milked productively?

 

for meat and milk products i would go with a boer and dairy cross . As far as wool and meat/ product i am not sure. I have never raised goats for the wool so i cant answer that in all honesty. If i had to suggest a wool making critter that you could also milk and eat, i would suggest a sheep. But i cant offer any suggestions on a breed for that either. I dont much care for sheep .. Most breeds of goat can be milked productively but again for milks/ meat i would cross boer with a dairy breed..

 

im fencing now for goats first the outher things in succsession my question is, will they eat the rhodies if they have plenty of outher things to eat? i understand they will make them sick if they eat them, how big of a problem would this be? and is mountain laural an issue also? if i need to are there outher things that should be removed that would make them sick? i live in east tn. so i got the same kind of fauna as you! any guidance will be mutch app.
thanks!

 

both rhodo and laurel are poisonous to goats (deadly). I am not certain if they will simply avoid them or not if planted in there pastured area so i cant honestly tell you the best answer . The best would be to remove them of course but some critters simply know what isnt good for them and dont eat them. Night shade type plants are also poisonousas is jimson, however i have not seen any jimson down here.

On another note, goats are destructive for such small creatures. So anything you dont want chewed, nawed , rubbed on etc protest or remove from there fenced area..

 

lol, i saw this and had to add it here.

anyone who has raised or raises goats can relate im sure..

Doe's Secret Code of Honor
The doe's secret code of honor is as old as goats themselves and is
ultimately the species best kept secret. No doe shall ever kid
before its time. (Its time being determined by the following
factors):

1- No kid shall be born until total chaos has been reached by all
involved. Your owner's house must be a wreck, their family hungry
and desperate for clean clothes, and their social life nonexistent.

2- "Midwives" must reach the babbling fool status before you kid
out.Bloodshot eyes, tangled hair and the inability to form a
sentence
mean the time is getting close.

3- For every bell, beeper, camera or whistle they attach to you,
kidding must be delayed by at least one day for each item. If they
use an audio monitor, one good yell per hour will keep things
interesting.

4- If you hear the words, "She's nowhere near ready. She'll be fine
while we're away for the weekend," Wait until they load the car,
then begin pushing!

5- Owner stress must be at an all time high! If you are in the care
of someone else, ten to fifteen phone calls a day is a sign you're
getting close.

6- When you hear the words "I can't take it anymore!" wait at least
three more days.

7 -You must keep this waiting game interesting. False alarms are
mandatory! Little teasers such as looking at your stomach, pushing
your food around in the bucket and then walking away from it, and
nesting, are always good for a rise. Be creative and find new things
to do to keep the adrenaline pumping in those who wait.

8- The honor of all goats is now in your hands. Use this time to
avenge all of your barn mates. Think about your friend who had to
wear that silly costume in front of those people. Hang onto that
baby for
another day. OH, they made him do tricks too! Three more days seems
fair. Late feedings, the dreaded diet, bad haircuts, those awful
wormings can also be avenged at this time.

9- If you have fulfilled all of the above and are still not sure
when to have the kids, listen to the weather forecast on the radio
that
has been so generously provided by those who wait. Severe storm
warning
is what you're waiting for. In the heart of the storm jump into
action!
The power could go out and you could have the last laugh. You have a
good chance of those who wait missing the whole thing while
searching for a flashlight that works!

10- Make the most of your interrupted nights. Beg for food each time
someone comes into the barn to check you. Your barn mates will love
you as the extra goodies fall their way too.

Remember, this code of honor was designed to remind man of how truly
special goats are. Do your best to reward those who wait with a
beautiful doeling to carry on the Doe Code of Honor for the next
generation of those who wait!

 

The Doe's Secret Code of Honor is cute... and true. I miss my babies so much I have Nubians and LaManchas back home... haven't seen them for almost a year now.