# a couple of questions



## Casi (Dec 10, 2008)

Hey everybody and Happy Valentine's Day Yesterday! lol

I have 2 things on my mind. I have Spring fever....in spite of the 4 inches of melting snow in my yard and barn lots. How do goats take to getting baths? I would like to bathe them as soon as the weather gets good. I know they don't like water, but I was just wondering. ****** still doesn't like to be caught and held, so I know that will probably be traumatic for him.

Also, I have 3 goats. You know the saying...."2's company, 3's a crowd". Princess and ****** seem to be a couple and poor Lil Prince is on the outside looking in. ****** and he will play their little buttin' games and they buddy up, but when they bed down, then it is always Princess and ****** all snuggled up. Poor ****** is all by himself. Princess is so mean to him. When I go to feed she is after him constantly. I would like to get him a buddy, but what if he doesn't like the 4th, then I've wasted my time. Then there is the question as to how I will acquire a 4th. Since I'm a newby, I'd like to maybe breed Princess and have a baby. I'm a horse owner and I know that every new horse owner wants to breed their horses and have babies. It IS so much fun. But in horses, it isn't really worth what you have to go thru. You can buy good babies cheap. Is it the same with goating? Which would I be better to do?

Thanks, 
Casi

Have a Quality Day!


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## deenak (Oct 10, 2007)

Our goats hate getting baths. We only do it once a year in July before the county fair. We use a childrens swimming pool and several 5 gallon buckets of warm water for washing and then for rinsing. We have also tried bringing the goats into the house and giving them a bath in the tub with the shower hose but this was a little tricky and a big mess.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Goats :shrug: Baths :shrug: What's that :scratch: 

Just teasing - I have never ever bathed any of my goats unless they were in a kennel for a long ride and their legs are nasty - and that was only once in mid July last year.

Is there a reason to bath them? I really really would not do it till it is REALLY warm - like June/July because they can easily get chilled, get pnemonia, and possibly - well you know. (I don't like that word)

As far as a 4th, you can definately try it. Is the one that is being "pushed out" younger or alot older then the others? 

As far as breeding - if you only have the one doe - I really would not buy a buck. Find someone locally that you can take her to or bring him to your house for a short stay - they stink!!!! And you have to keep them seperate from the doe and all that. It is great to want to breed her - if you want to keep the babies or use her for milk.

I got a horse and she foaled 2 weeks after we got her. I was so "I am going to keep the foal" until he was 2 weeks old and I learned he was a complete jerk. I was so glad to see him go to his new home. It wasn't so much his fault - but momma was an abuse case and she refused to allow us anywhere near him in the very beginning so we could not imprint him very well.

By the way - WELCOME!!! :wave: from Idaho!


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

The only times my goats get bath is before i clip them. Keeps your blades sharper longer. And then the day before they get shown. They hate them. but its not a horrible process. 
AS for the buddy thing. If you get another goat try and but him and your lone goat in a pen seperate from the other two for awile, usually they become good friends. Then you can introduce them to the other two. this way you have two on two instead of one on two when they go to establisha pecking order.

beth


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

I bathe mine sometimes for clipping and they don't like it but its not the end of the world either. I clip them to the fence and commence to washing. They may dance a little but they really aren't bad.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I only ever bathed my pygmy buck ONCE!!!LOL It was in July and I will NEVER do it again! Nothing worse than a bucky/strawberry shampoo cross  

Yep...it was gross, and they are meant to smell like bucks. I find that my goats (does) don't need to be bathed, a very good brushing keeps their coat and skin healty and they always smell so good! Like a fresh hay/ outside smell.

If you want to bring in a 4th goat to be buddyto the one that is pushed away, keep them in a separate area til they are bonded to one another, as sparks said...having 2 on 2 evens the odds.
I agree with Allison too, as far as breeding your doe, find someone with a buck willing to stud him...you really don't want to have a buck for just one doe......and if you choose to not breed her the following year, you have a lonely boy as well as a buck in rutt to contend with.


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## Casi (Dec 10, 2008)

Hey there! I have no intentions of getting a buck! I've heard that they do have an odor. I bought ****** from a Pygmy breeder and I'm pretty sure that I can get a breeding there. I like the idea of putting Prince with the new one to couple them up. He is so cute, but Princess is so mean to him. All 3 are less than a year old so they are pretty much the same age. Princess is the oldest. 
So you all agree, that breeding would be a fun thing for me to do?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

haha we love the breeding process and I think you would love it too. 

As to getting a companion -- I did that with Angie and she and Jitterbug are pals. So much so that Jitterbug will beat up on whoever Angie is "fighting" with. Poor goat doesnt stand a chance with 2 on 1


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