[fivehorses]

I too have a pet goat I rescued. The farmer thought he was too sweet to go to market, and he is. He is an overhasli. He is a wether.

I just feed him hay, water, and no grain. I was told that feeding a wether grain could cause him to get a bladder infection(cystitis) and with goats they can die from them.

I have never given him baking powder...how much and how often?

He is a stall lounger. He has his own small stall, but during the day likes to hang out in a horse's stall, and rarely leaves the barn.
His feet need trimming monthly, since he does not get around very well. Severe arthritis. He was tested for cae, but is negative.
He also gets all the shots from the vet, and also gets a shot for deworming three times a year.

He has horns, and is very good about not butting. Although, the other day, my colt snuck under the fence and got in with the big horses, and the goat mock rammed him, as if to tell him, 'you do not belong with those horses'.
Goats are great, or at least I really like my one goat.

I think its nice that you give these goats hay, but I probably won't do much more unless the owners give you permission. Maybe ask them, can we put an opening in the fence and can I take care of them, and when you need them for browser patrol, we'll let them back in?

[PonyPile]

Ill agree that ivermactin is a safe drug. I accidently gave my kid a whole horse tube of the stuff. I was intending to give just a smildge on his tongue, he wiggled, I pressed and it went straight down his throat!

[CB/TB]

My dearly departed Toby was a wether. He was born here and lived here until he crossed the Bridge at age 19. His mother was a Nubian and his Dad???? . He never had to have his hooves touched. He was all over the place, jumping off of rocks, running and jumping until well into his twilight years. he wore his hooves down in a perfect trim. He also ate Caprine all his life with no problems, although I know he really didn't need any grain. He'd look at me with those pitiful eyes and I'd melt. He and his Mom and Aunties did get Rabies and Tetanus shots every year . He was a sweetie.

[aspenlucas]

My goat is 9 years old. I haven't fed her once during those nine years. She is so fat she waddles. Many people have told me I need to cut down on her food, not sure how I can give her less than zero though.

Haa haa, that is how my goat K-Ci was. She was 11 and I never fed her intentionally. For some reason last month, she decided not to stay with the horses. She began to wander around the farm, and that led to a fatal case of bloat. I wish I knew about the pan of baking soda two months ago.

[goatlady]

Check this site out... its great!

http://goat-link.com/

Thank you! I joined because someone told me somebody needed help with goats- I do own this website, own a couple of goat related yahoogroups as well as I am the goat expert at ALLExperts.com
My website (Goat-Link.com) is designed mainly to help new goat owners.

You can find information there on how to feed goats as well as how to deworm them, as well as many other health related articles.
Ivomec injectable is the best dewormer to use but the paste is better than safeguard or panacur for goats as they are not very effective on goats. Hay fed to goats should be the same quality it is for your horses and never ever any mold in it- starving goats will eat mold and then they are predisposed to getting goat polio or listeriosis which both can be fatal.

You are doing a wonderful thing here for them and it saddens me that they are so starved- they undersized pot bellied appearance may be due tapeworms as well as other wormload - which in THIS case Safeguard will help with the tapes, (it just does little for the other gastrointestinal worms) - dosage for Safeguard is 3 times the recommended amount as for horses or cattle - so the click for 500lbs on the tube will treat a 166lb goat. Goats do need copper (sheep cannot have added copper) - copper helps goats stay healthy and they are less apt to be wormy (once they have been dewormed ) if they have adequate copper in the diet. Most love baking soda - and oddly enough if they get a gut ache and it is available they know to go eat some.

Read through my website http://Goat-Link.com for some of the things you need to know and if I can help answer something I am available- I think you are great to help these goats! BTW adult dairy goats "Should" weigh in at around 100-150 lbs for does and 150-200lbs for bucks. Adult pygmies should be in the 50-80 lb range doe does and 100-110lb range for bucks. OH and that website ..
http://www.goat-trauma.org/victim.shtml
is a farce and meant to be funny - it is not a serious site- jut in case you wondered.. it's satirical- confuses many people I wish they'd put some sort of notice there- for newbies.

goatlady

[ChocoMare]

Well I finally got pictures....between the rain drops. http://community.webshots.com/myphot...ecurity=tlLdRr

I totally guessed on their breeds, so maybe ya'll can tell me which type they are. I could never get a shot of Barley alone since she was terrified of the flash. She's my favorite

I also took two shots of where they live to give you an idea of just how devoid of anything edible it is. It's about an acre in total...nothing but pine straw and twigs.

Should this horrible market ever shift and we sell our home/buy a farmette, I will offer to take those goats off the neighbor's hands. I loff them.

[JSwan]

CUTE!!!

The white one looks just like my Emma, except one of Emma's horns is crooked, and she's mean as a snake.


I think they're Nigerian Dwarf Goats but the real goat experts will correct me I'm sure.

[Just My Style]

Chocomare- I know how sweet and caring you are and that you have the best intentions, but... I would go talk to the neighbors before feeding their animals. Tossing a few friendly flakes of hay is one thing, but I wouldn't do more. You don't want the neighbors to become resentful. Are you sure they aren't feeding them up near the house? Are you sure they don't have vet care? Are you sure that the goats do not have some kind of special dietary/ medical needs that the owners are tending to? You don't want to give a supplement, worming, baking soda or anything else like that. If they have a reaction, if could be terrible. And I don't agree with the worming idea. Ivermectin isn't harmless. It is a mild poison. A very useful poison, but a poison nonetheless. What if you worm them and then a few hours later the people worm them. Double dose. Not good. Goats aren't like puppies- where a fat belly means worms. If that were the case, then every pygmy that I have ever seen is full of worms. Those little suckers are always round!

[ChocoMare]

Thanks JMS for the words of caution. The same things triggered in my brain and, consequently, all we've done (and will do) is chuck hay every now and then. That's one thing know for 100% sure: no hay has ever been offered those goats during the winter in the four 1/2 years we've boarded there. There would have been obvious evidence somewhere if that had been the case.

[Just My Style]

I know you and I am sure you would be smart about it.

My first concern would be if the people found out what you were doing, they would be resentful and take it out on your horses. You could always justify tossing hay by saying how cute and persuasive the goats are. That you just couldn't resist their sweet faces. I don't think they would get mad on that.

My second concern would be that if there was something you were unaware of that the owners were attending to, you could really throw them off. My senior hunter is in his 30's now and he is not having the best winter. He lives with my retired parents who give him excellent care. He has a very strict diet now and they just pulled a blood panel for an issue he is having. If someone just decided to feed him (if you didn't know any better you would just think he needs some groceries) they could really do some damage.

And goats are pretty tough. My parents have Sammy. He is a nubian/ alpineX. He is about 15 years old now. He is hilarious and has greatly lived past the normal life expectancy. Compared to the horses, he gets minimal care. For goats, he gets excessive care.

[HydroPHILE]

Tee hee - I love the goatie goat goats "you" have, ChocoMare....especially when they know they've been caught sneaking out of the fence. I won't forget them sliding underneath the gap in the fence when you asked, "Now HOW did you get out?"

While I have never met the neighbors that have the goatie goat goats.....since they don't really DO anything with them, I don't think they'd have an issue with someone feeding/haying them. Though, I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes either. Some people can be rather defensive and wonder if you're "saying" something about how they care for their goats.

I'm seconding, er, thirding, whatever the "hey do you mind if I throw your goats some feed or hay?" friendly "random" question.

[HydroPHILE]

I'm hoping to meet these people someday because, while I like all three, I prefer the little alpine, Barley. She's SOOOOOOOO cute and would be very happy in my back yard, eating all the weeds, brambles, etc. and torturing the dogs

Is Barley the one that gets picked on? If so.....we like her, too

[ChocoMare]

No, that would be Mocha Brownie... Barley and Snow take great delight in bullying her. I always make sure she has her own private pile of hay, so is left in peace to munch.

[Laurierace]

Thanks JMS for the words of caution. The same things triggered in my brain and, consequently, all we've done (and will do) is chuck hay every now and then. That's one thing know for 100% sure: no hay has ever been offered those goats during the winter in the four 1/2 years we've boarded there. There would have been obvious evidence somewhere if that had been the case.

They have obviously eaten something in 4 1/2 years though or they would be long dead. That alone would make me think they are being fed something that you don't know about. Or like in my goat's case where she eats whatever and whenever she wants to including a five gallon bucket of daily wormer and about 10 pounds of stress dex.....not all at once.

[HydroPHILE]

They have obviously eaten something in 4 1/2 years though or they would be long dead. That alone would make me think they are being fed something that you don't know about. Or like in my goat's case where she eats whatever and whenever she wants to including a five gallon bucket of daily wormer and about 10 pounds of stress dex.....not all at once.

Well....they can stick their heads through the fence (or escape under it).

[SLW]

The tan colored goat has some Nubian in her and the white one has Saanen in her. They look plump as ticks in the photo.....and like they hit the goat lottery.

[dacasodivine]

I agree with SLW. They look to be in good weight. They have you snookered. My suggestion would be to find a goat person to come see them in person and/or talk to the owners.

I know you have good intentions and want to help them. If they are in good weight or fat already, you could cause them health problems. A fat goat is not a healthy goat.

[ChocoMare]

They are in good weight NOW because we've given them hay. All three you could see ribs on.

Geez, can't do anything right.

[dacasodivine]

ChocoMare, I realize you are a tough position and I wasn't jumping on you and I don't think anyone else is either. To get these guys help you need to either talk to the owners or call animal control. Animal control can't do anything if the goats look healthy. Of course, that puts you in the position of watching them get thin again but might get them out of there and into a better home.

Have you talked to the owners? What about offering to buy them and finding a home for them?