verloncox
Junior Member
Quality over quantity.
Posts: 129
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Post by verloncox on May 25, 2010 13:48:31 GMT -6
I am pretty new to goats so I have a lot of questions. My primary concern right now is keeping their hooves in really good shape. I put them on a sort of hilly terrain so that they wouldn't have their feet in water a lot. Every time that I trim their hooves I put a copper solution on their feet to help keep them healthy. Is this common? Also some of their hooves are pretty soft on the inner portion of the hoof and I have been trimming that all the way down to the meaty portion and filing it off flush. I do that because dirt is getting impacted in there. These goats are pets and I am trying to take care of them as much as possible. Also, people are telling me that they are at the right age to give them each a shot (vaccine is what they call it) of La-200. I read up on it and even went and bought some but its just an antibiotic and all of them are in really good health. I dont like to use antibiotics unless I absolutely have to (near death or possible death) so it doesn't make sense to me. Should I dose them up for no apparent reason?
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oldaker
Junior Member
With Led Zeppelin, all things are possible!!
Posts: 110
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Post by oldaker on May 25, 2010 14:07:17 GMT -6
I'm not sure what everyone else does, I'm pretty new to goats also, but we had a pet goat a long time ago and we just let her be. She was pretty much easy to keep. She took care of herself. My goats now are very hardy and pretty much self sufficient. But inwould also like to know if there is certain things I should absolutely be doing for them.
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8bells
Junior Member
Chickens are Revolting
Posts: 137
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Post by 8bells on May 25, 2010 21:25:01 GMT -6
I always thought of goats as being like guinea fowl: just let 'em loose, and they'll pretty much take care of themselves. They will thrive where most other stock will starve!
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Post by Timbo on May 26, 2010 0:47:25 GMT -6
Verlon I don't do anything but worm mine. I put concret blocks and stuff for them to climb on to keep their hooves worn down, but i do keep an eye on there feet. Our horse steps on them occasionally so i'm always checking them when they jump in my lap. They dont realize how big they are.
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verloncox
Junior Member
Quality over quantity.
Posts: 129
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Post by verloncox on May 26, 2010 11:29:52 GMT -6
Guys, thanks for all of the input and Timbo I really appreciate the concrete block idea. That is smart as it can be! I am definitely going to get me some concrete blocks this week. Sometimes, the most simple things are used ingeniously and I get a kick out of that!
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Post by leora2010 on Nov 12, 2010 0:17:54 GMT -6
you dont really have to trim them unless they are long. most people only trim ever 4=6 months. unless you have a problem goat who grows out a foot or two more often. We usually only worm and maybe give a CD& T shot. THats proably what they were refering too.
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Nov 12, 2010 17:06:23 GMT -6
We bought a little billy goat about 3 weeks ago and right off the bad he bloated up and was pooping tape worms like mad. So I bought this stuff in pellet form to worm him and was told that safeguard is best for worms and to do it 3 days in a row then again in 2 weeks. So I did. I haven't seen anymore worms. Then on to the bloat. I was told that chicken feed will give a goat bloat among other things that are more lethal. To cure the bloat just put a dish of baking soda in his pen and he will eat it at will. I did that. He still looks a bit bloated but there are also a few oegb's in his pen with him for company and I caught him up on the nesting shelf helping himself to their feed.
I was also told that if he eats anything that is lower than his knees it makes him more likely to get worms. And to provide goat minerals especially copper.
What is best to give when they aren't "free ranging. He is in the coop that has a run. Only safe place we have besides on a chain. I was also told not to put him on a chain because he can become depressed to the point he will die.
I thought goats where pretty much self sufficient.
Sorry to hijack your thread.
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allie
Junior Member
Posts: 206
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Post by allie on Nov 12, 2010 20:13:32 GMT -6
I have read that goats will look like they are really fat or bloated because of the gases in their stomach that they produce when they digest. Our goats always look fat, but you can't judge if they are overweight by how far their stomach sticks out, you have to feel the underside of their belly-at least with Pygmy's which is what we have. They also start to get really puffy when it's cold. Not sure if that helps or not, but we have never really had issues with our goats, except for right after they gave birth. Ours eat chicken feed all the time. And chicken poo. They love it. We have never really given them anything special and they have never had worms. Oh, we have also never done anything to their hooves.
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Post by leora2010 on Nov 12, 2010 23:40:57 GMT -6
do what you are doing. You can let a goat loose during the day and give him corn he will follow you to the pen.give him baking soda at free will and go to tractor supply and get the billy goat mineral block is all he needs. They love them. And chickens eat what goats eat for the most part. you can give him corn and them too and they will be happy. You dont have to give them other stuff.
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Nov 13, 2010 18:14:15 GMT -6
Thanks for the help. But one more thing, what about hay or some kind of roughage. We can't let him out to roam here. Thats why we had him on a chain at first. We live on a very busy road and our yard isn't fenced in and I coubt it will get fenced either. I know he won't eat straw because there is plenty in his pen and he hasn't eaten any of it. He has goat feed, a blueberry mineral block and a dish of baking soda and of course water. He gets up on the nesting shelf and eats the chicken feed too. It's like a treat to him. ;D
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Post by leora2010 on Nov 13, 2010 20:08:38 GMT -6
give him hay too. he will be a happy guy. Your best bet is get him a Girlfriend. Cause they really like company.
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Nov 14, 2010 17:37:29 GMT -6
We where going to get him a girl friend and even went to the auction but figured it was best to get rid of the worms first instead of infesting another goat. We have another week before the followup worming then it should be safe. He's getting less skiddish around us now. At least around me. I'm the one that feeds everybody so i'm more popular plus I always talk to them all while feeding or while around them at all. I would rather they wheren't afraid of me since i'm the one that has to do what ever has to be done. DH helps with catching ones I can't and building pens. But the main everyday care is what I do. The goat actually came to the door today at feeding time and didn't run out into the run area when I entered the pen. And he finally got the yellow sticky tag off his forehead today. It's like he was showing me. lol
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