# New Goat Owner



## bushes1172

Hi everyone, I am new to this sight and also new to having goats. I got three female Nubians that I absolutely love. They are so friendly and loving. As a newbie at having goats, I have so many questions. I have watched many videos, read books, looked on the internet but nothing compares to the conversations that you have with goat owners. I really got my sweet goats for my grandchildren to teach them responsibility in how to care for these lovely pets, I would like them to join 4H and maybe even show them at our county fair. This is a little bit about me and my goats..


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## bushes1172

How much grain to feed each goat?? Everyone has different ways of doing this?


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## mariarose

My go-to members for showing (and if you show, it all comes back to that, ime) are @HoosierShadow and @IHEARTGOATS

IME they have the best responses to how to raise goats in order to show well.


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## SalteyLove

Welcome and congratulations on your new goats! How old are the does?


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## Dwarf Dad

Welcome to the forum!:cowboy: And to goats.
Who would have thought that those creatures that everyone makes fun of would be so lovable? LOL
I do not show, just have pets. If you don't want to, don't feed grain. They will need a quality loose mineral and a salt block with different nutrients in it. Lots of ... I will "leave" that for @Trollmor .
Enjoy!


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## goatblessings

Do realize that if you have a doe 2 years old or older they will have to freshen - give birth in order to be shown. They will be judged heavily on udders. Welcome - have fun with your goats!


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## bushes1172

SalteyLove said:


> Welcome and congratulations on your new goats! How old are the does?


Thank you! They are 2 and 3. Bare with me on this sight not sure how everything works yet.!


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## bushes1172

goatblessings said:


> Do realize that if you have a doe 2 years old or older they will have to freshen - give birth in order to be shown. They will be judged heavily on udders. Welcome - have fun with your goats!


Thank you so much! Yes we will be breeding them, I guess they have to be milking to show them.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

To determine how much to feed your does, we need their weight, we need to know if they are pregnant, if they are lactating, or if they are just dry and not lactating. What minerals do you give them any hay, alfalfa? We need to know all of this before we can tell you what to feed them


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## mariarose

bushes1172 said:


> Bare with me on this sight not sure how everything works yet.!


This site is very forgiving of newbies not knowing ALL the ropes...


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## bushes1172

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> To determine how much to feed your does, we need their weight, we need to know if they are pregnant, if they are lactating, or if they are just dry and not lactating. What minerals do you give them any hay, alfalfa? We need to know all of this before we can tell you what to feed them


Thank you, one is lactating and they all weight approx 130, the other 2 are not. I give them hay, alfalfa and sweetened grain I guess that's what you call it. It's a mixture of a little of everything with molasses also I add the black oil seeds.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

bushes1172 said:


> Thank you, one is lactating and they all weight approx 130, the other 2 are not. I give them hay, alfalfa and sweetened grain I guess that's what you call it. It's a mixture of a little of everything with molasses also I add the black oil seeds.


The lactating doe is going to need more protein than the does that arent providing. Are you milking her, or are you trying to dry her up?

I am going to leave the rest of the feeding advice up to @goathiker and @mariarose

I encourage you to read this thread
https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/mixing-your-own-feed-grain-blend.207355/


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## bushes1172

Yes we are just starting to dry her up..


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## bushes1172

Thank you so much!!


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## IHEARTGOATS

I don't know that there is really a right or wrong way as far as feeding. As long as they look and act healthy and if in milk producing well. Welcome and enjoy the new goats.


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## bushes1172

We are trying to dry our one goat up. Our goats look great at this point.. I just want to make sure I am doing the right things


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## bushes1172

Thank you so much


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## toth boer goats

Good advice by all.

Welcome.


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## Trollmor

I wonder what you "leaf" to me, @Dwarf Dad ... 

@bushes1172 Welcome! Hope you will soon join in to our jokes! Dwarf Dad is referring to my weakness for rural breeds and natural goat keeping. Goats are naturally bush eaters, and thrive best if their rumens are full with roughage, not mainly concentrated food.

Only be careful when you dry up at this time of the year, when most pastures are rich. You do not want a mastitis hiding in the udder when your goat delivers next time.


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## bushes1172

Thank you! And yes I will join in on the jokes, I like jokes myself. I have a question how accurate it that California Mastitis test kit for goats? She is not red or hot anywhere, her teats look good, but the test show she has some Mastitis?? Also she is milking both but we are trying to dry her up so we are not doing it everyday we are at every 3 days now. The milk look good in the bucket no lumps or stringy stuff. Thanks for your help!!


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## Trollmor

The CMT is for cows, who have a bigger udder. The test really shows amount of cells, also from the udder tissue. This has more contact with the milk in a smaller udder. Therefore you might get false positive results, but it is a handy way of getting alerted, if used regularly.

To make sure, always have a culture done!


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## bushes1172

Does a culture have to come from a Vet?? Or is there something I can buy?? Thanks so much for your help


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## ksalvagno

You have to send in the milk to a lab to have a culture done. You can do that yourself.


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## bushes1172

Thanks so much!!


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## Trollmor

You must know what you are doing to cultivate yourself, but the principle is easy: Trick the microbes to start growing, and see what antibiotics hinder them!

The difficult thing is to keep the sample clean, to keep your culture at right temperature, not to drop antibiotics where you don't want it, and another couple of things. It is clearly easier to get a correct answer if it is done in a real lab.


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## bushes1172

Yes I agree the lab is the correct way, but was just curious if this was something that might work.thank you


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## Trollmor

Curiosity is the mother of much learning! :bookgoat:


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## bushes1172

Yes forsure


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## mariarose

A dairy goat's udder is often much larger than a beef cow's udder, especially the rear quarters which aren't large at all. I find my CMT quite accurate.


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## bushes1172

So you have used it on your goats? When I did it with mine, I am trying to dry her up which has been a challenge to, this was the 3rd day of milking that I used the CMT test. From what I could see it looked a little thick showing possible Mastitis, but my husband doesn’t think she has it. I am probably gonna call the vet to come check. She doesn’t seem sick, sore, red or anything.


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## mariarose

I've never used it when actively trying to dry a goat up. That milk naturally starts to get thick because the liquid starts to be reabsorbed, leaving the solids behind. If that is what is happening, then you probably don't have mastitis.


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## bushes1172

Oh that is great!! I don’t think she does either. She isn’t red or hot, the milk it white but a little more like cream thickness with no lumps or stringy signs.. I did the soap test and that showed nothing, but some say it works and some say it’s not accurate. When I did the CMT test it showed positive sign but someone said that could be a false positive because the test is really for cows and maybe due to not milking for 3 days out. That’s another thing trying to dry her up has been horrible, this is all new to me, we had a male goat for along time, but no milking female goats lol.. But I love them and my grandkids do to..


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## bushes1172

Thanks for your help and your time on this..


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## Trollmor

Be very welcome!


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## mariarose

As I said, all that liquid has to go somewhere, leaving the solids behind. It can be a slow process. I wouldn't be thinking mastitis in this.

Why are you trying to dry her up? There are many good reasons. I'm just curious...


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## bushes1172

Well we would like to breed her in November possibly because we want to show them next year at the fair and they have to be milking I guess, I want to get my grandchildren into 4H. We were told by someone we should dry her up from this first, is this the right thing to do?


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## mariarose

Oh, No @bushes1172. You can certainly breed her while she is in milk. It's best to dry her up a month or 2 before she KIDS... but you can milk her up to then with no problems. Feed her well, that's all!

So, if you breed her in November, she should kid some time in April. Dry her up in February.

Since that's when Dairy goats want to dry up anyway, to prepare for birth, you'll find it much easier if you wait until then.

When a doe is struggling with a health problem, and breeding is coming up, then I can see drying her up so that she can put all her energy into healing before getting pregnant. But as a general rule, she should be lactating WELL into her pregnancy.


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## Trollmor

mariarose said:


> Oh, No. You can certainly breed her while she is in milk. It's best to dry her up a month or 2 before she KIDS but, you can milk her up to then with no problems. Feed her well, that's all!
> 
> So, if you breed her in November, she should kid some time in April. Dry her up in February.
> 
> Since that's when Dairy goats want to dry up anyway, to prepare for birth, you'll find it much easier if you wait until then.


:nod::up:


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## bushes1172

bushes1172 said:


> Well we would like to breed her in November possibly because we want to show them next year at the fair and they have to be milking I guess, I want to get my grandchildren into 4H. We were told by someone we should dry her up from this first, is this the right thing to do?





mariarose said:


> Oh, No @bushes1172. You can certainly breed her while she is in milk. It's best to dry her up a month or 2 before she KIDS... but you can milk her up to then with no problems. Feed her well, that's all!
> 
> So, if you breed her in November, she should kid some time in April. Dry her up in February.
> 
> Since that's when Dairy goats want to dry up anyway, to prepare for birth, you'll find it much easier if you wait until then.
> 
> When a doe is struggling with a health problem, and breeding is coming up, then I can see drying her up so that she can put all her energy into healing before getting pregnant. But as a general rule, she should be lactating WELL into her pregnancy.


So it is best to keep her milking then dry her up 2 months before she has the little one? But the little one will need to feed off her correct? I guess I am a little confused sorry. And that's the plan, breed her in Nov and have the little one in April then we can show her at the fair. If I dry her up in February then she will re-lactate after the baby in April for a new start? Is this correct..Again sorry


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## Trollmor

After each delivery there is a period called _lactation_. This means that the goat/cow/mother produces milk for her young. A lactation begins with the life-giving _colostrum_, which contents lots of goodies for the newborn. Then the milk gets gradually thinner, until it is time for the mother to prepare for the next litter - she dries up. Usually around 2 months before next delivery.

Did it get more clear?

And don't be sorry for asking! There are no dumb questions, maybe questions that have been asked before.


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## mariarose

Yes. Kidding and Freshening is the same event. Kidding focuses on the birth, and freshening focuses on the lactation. 

The goat makes new colostrum during labor. We mainly dry her up so that she can put all her energy to growing the kids. The dry time is for her sake, not because the milk is no good.

But now I'm confused... 

If you did not know the pregnancy and birth causes colostrum and then milk, and you were going to dry her up now, what was the baby going to eat when born, in your plan? She'd still be dry, yes?

I'm not being mean, just learning what your plan was.


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## bushes1172

Trollmor said:


> After each delivery there is a period called _lactation_. This means that the goat/cow/mother produces milk for her young. A lactation begins with the life-giving _colostrum_, which contents lots of goodies for the newborn. Then the milk gets gradually thinner, until it is time for the mother to prepare for the next litter - she dries up. Usually around 2 months before next delivery.
> 
> Did it get more clear?
> 
> And don't be sorry for asking! There are no dumb questions, maybe questions that have been asked before.


 Yes this is much clearer to me now, thank you so much for your help. I have another question if we decide to continue milking her is this going to be a problem since we have been trying to dry her up, then we can just wait till February??


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## mariarose

No, there is no problem. Just start milking again. It sounds like she really doesn't want to dry up yet.

Enjoy some more fresh milk!!!!


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## bushes1172

I haven’t been able to drink it, that is my hope though..because we started drying her up I didn’t like that thick taste.. lol. Not really use to it yet but I want to forsure.. you have been a great help thank you..


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## mariarose

Yes, it'll be just fine. Once you get that thicker stuff out of there, and she's filling up with new milk, you should be happier with it.

Nubians are known for fattier (creamier) milk than some other breeds. If you've been used to the lower fat of storebought milk, it may just need getting used to.

However, some mineral deficiencies can make the milk taste bad.
What minerals are you offering?


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## bushes1172

I hope so I drink skim milk or almond milk. I guess I don’t know what you mean by minerals?? What kind of minerals?


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## mariarose

Goats, because they did not evolve anywhere close to here, are extremely dependent upon us to supply loose mineral or they get severely deficient, leading (eventually) to bad tasting milk, problems getting pregnant, problems kidding, problems fighting off parasites and diseases... A BUNCH of stuff. You need loose minerals. 

I'm not trying to get you to buy unnecessary stuff. Minerals are as important as hay and water, and less important than grain.

One loose mineral mix that is pretty easy for most people in the States to find is called Purina Wind and Rain, Storm cattle minerals. It is in many feed stores and almost all TSC stores. It isn't, imo, the best there is, but most important right now is to get some minerals right away. And they are easy to find.

You should also have a sea salt lick. You can also find them at TSC. Redmond Equine block is in the horse section. Or you can get a Trophy Rock, which is a better deal, it's in the Deer hunting section. The cattle minerals are in the cattle section, usually in the very back.

Don't get Manna Pro Goat Minerals. They are very expensive for what you get and they are very low in several minerals.

The minerals and the salt lick need to be given to them free choice, that means what they want/need, not measured out.

I'm here for you.


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## bushes1172

Ok that is great to know. I will get that mineral stuff. I feed them whole grain mixed with sweet feed, whole corn, black oil seeds we mix them all together. Then like every couple days I give them alfalfa grass. They have a free salt block and hay everyday. But I will get some of that Purina minerals. And we will start milking her everyday again..


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## bushes1172

There are a couple of those Purina wind and rain which one do you prefer??


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## mariarose

bushes1172 said:


> which one do you prefer??


I prefer the one in the red bag, the All Season.


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## bushes1172

Ok great! Is this like sweet feed? And is everything I’m giving them sound good to you??


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## mariarose

It is not like sweet feed. It isn't a feed at all. It will remind you of reddish sand and the goats will lick up what they need of it. As for the rest of your feed, I would eliminate the corn. Not good for long term health.


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## bushes1172

Ok I will do that, I only add about 1 cup to every 25 lb of sweetfeed and whole grain. But I will stop giving it to them, there is a little in their sweet feed anyway.. so I don’t really need to add it. Thanks again


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## Trollmor

mariarose said:


> It is not like sweet feed. It isn't a feed at all. It will remind you of reddish sand and the goats will lick up what they need of it. As for the rest of your feed, I would eliminate the corn. Not good for long term health.


Corn in this case = maize, I guess?


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## mariarose

Trollmor said:


> Corn in this case = maize, I guess?


Yes. In the U.S., it is called corn.
Field corn is grown for livestock. Heavily subsidized by taxpayers so it is a low cost addition to feeds. Lower in cost than other grains that have more nutrition in them, such as oats.

Extremely high in starch and low in fiber and nutrients, the animal's body treats it like a sugar. It is very good (excellent) for fattening animals that will be killed for meat soon, but doesn't have the necessary nutrients for a long healthy life or proper growth. It can make them sick to have too much corn for too long.

Corn has a place, but I avoid it when I can, especially in my dog food. Dogs and cats can't handle corn well at all. I certainly will use it when an animal is going to the meat market, but that's a special case that corn does very well in.


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## mariarose

@bushes1172 @goathiker has a wonderful! feed recipe that she has shared before. She's super involved in a major move right now, so she might not see this. I'll try to track it down and give it to you here.


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## mariarose

Here is goathiker's feed recipe
https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/mixing-your-own-feed-grain-blend.207355/#post-2281295


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## bushes1172

Is Producer’s Pride a good mineral like the Purina?? Thanks


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## bushes1172

They carry the sweet feed as well..


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## mariarose

bushes1172 said:


> Is Producer's Pride a good mineral like the Purina?? Thanks


NO!


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## bushes1172

Ok thanks, I was just checking on that for it had a mineral product one.


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