# Feta's first Birthday!!!!!



## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

I can't believe that it's been a whole year since she was born. That we endured last winter with them living in the bathroom! Goats were the last pet I would of thought we would of been raising at this point of our lives. Now it's hard to picture our life without them. And that I still am loaded with questions. But I won't list them all at once. However I was asking around and was told that this area is low in selenium and copper. I've heard of the term give them a copper bolus but I'm not really sure what that is. And can they take human zinc tablets to raise their zinc level and selenium tablets or is selenium in a bolus too.
Also Feta is small, 25lbs wet. All her soft fluffy baby hair seems to be shedding, and she is growing in a lighter color blonde on her butt and what I call her black vest is growing longer. She's always walked kinda prissy and light, like she's tip toe ing around or that her hoves might be in pain. Hoves are trimmed level to pad and are kept cleaned between trimming, and she's not in any pain I've felt around them and she didn't fuss. But when she is just standing about she will lift one front leg and then switch to the other front leg just letting the leg swing back and forth. With the dangling leg she will pull the food container closer to her or she turns over her treat dish (paper plates aren't goat food I keep telling her) She will also knock on the sliding glass door with whatever hoof she's not standing on to get our attention. Often she will rest a leg on mom should Oreo be napping to wake mom up. Could she possibly be imitating the dogs?? Last two things.. she rarely speaks or bleats, the only times she has really been vocal is 1) when I turned her upside down as a baby..boy they can scream! When I took her to the front of the house without mom when she was around 7mo.and when we tried to give her an enema when she ate the day Lilly pods, those incidents also gave her reason to scream..she does make the little naa's here and there but doesn't Baa like mom does just to talk with us.
Then there is her utter problem, it's utterly not there. She has two tiny nipples, but has no idea there are other goats in the universe, nevertheless any stinky buck. So I don't think she's coming in and out of season. Oreo's little utter barely filled when she had Feta, she had plenty of milk for Feta, but when we've tried to milk her we got enough for coffee and that's about it. Oreo easy to tell, she gets overly playful, and sometimes for no reason run laps around the gazebo kicking her back feet high, usually there's a slight discharge. Feta wouldn't disgrace herself like that.. much too prissy.and no discharge. I'm thinking if it's because of poor prenatal care?? Oreo had to be 4 months along when she found me on September 11, 2016, she delivered Feta Oct. 12, 2016. Oreo was over heated (tripple digit heat),bloated, dehydrated, hungry, thirsty, had diarrhea and her pads on her hoves were bleeding. All that had to have affected her pregnancy, and Feta's health. I appreciate your help. Your thoughts, and advice! Thanks


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are these pets or are you planning on breeding? You can buy selenium gel. Human pills crushed up don't work nearly as well. You can buy copper bolus pills.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Happy birthday Feta!!

Before supplementing, first be sure your goats actually need selenium and copper. If your goats look healthy and energetic with nice coats and good color then they probably don't need supplements.

I'm not sure why Feta is doing funny things with her feet. It may just be her way, but definitely keep an eye out in case it becomes more pronounced. As for vocalizing, some goats simply don't make noise. I've got a few talkers and I've got others whose voices I wouldn't recognize because they almost never use them. A quiet goat is a blessing, not a health problem! 

I'm not surprised Feta isn't showing signs of heat. Since she's never been anywhere near a buck or even another goat besides her mother, her hormones are probably staying more dormant than a typical doe's. She's always been the "baby" of the place and that's where she's determined to stay! I personally would count this as another little blessing and not worry about it. ;-)


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

Their coats are great, I'm just saddened a bit Feta's losing her baby coat, but the coat coming in is thick and healthy. I was thinking about breeding Oreo, but thought I'd wait and put myself available to adopt a baby first. I'm not interested in breeding to sell, these are our spoiled babies.
I doubt we would ever breed Miss Feta Cheese Head. She's just too small unless it would be to even a smaller goat with family history of being tiny. I just don't see her being maternal. I wonder what she would think of other goats as I'm fairly sure she is copying the dogs with her feet. Shes very smart and has tried to push the sliding door with her nose like my big dog does, she's just not as strong as the dog. 
I'm glad the supplements are pill and gel form in case I need them, we have a co-op here that has had everything we've needed so far, I'm sure they would carry them. Another question.. I hear goats can get polio is there a vaccination that she should have? 
Probiotics... She loves chewables, but I've only used them when I change feed or see sticky poops, and when she ate the day Lilly pods and got sick. Any other reason she would need them?
She also yawn's a lot, but it's usually when I wake them up for a walk or something. Oreo yawn's some, but no way as much. But Feta sleeps more. Should I be worried?
And last question for now zink? I think her tail hair looks a little thin, tail is straight, is a human zink tablets ok? Told you I had questions. Because of the groups advice on threads I or others have posted, these goats are as healthy as they are, I am grateful. There's nothing better than to know your doing the right thing for the ones you love, even if it's a little goat.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I'll bet Feta IS imitating the dogs. How funny! 

Watch out if you breed Oreo! Feta is almost certain to be super jealous of the new babies and might be mean to them. Her mom will then lay down some discipline (which is unlikely to be well-received) and Feta will probably become depressed for a while. Such is the nature of a spoiled "only child". I saw this happen with my herd queen and her first baby who became the spoiled princess for a year until her little brother was born. Then suddenly spoiled little Petunia was tossed out on her ear and found she had no friends because she'd acted like such a little patootie while she was under her mom's protection. I'm guessing Feta would experience similar problems.

Goat polio isn't something you can vaccinate against. It comes from a buildup of bad bacteria in the gut such as from eating moldy hay or too much grain. This interferes with the goat's thiamine (vitamin B1) production and causes them to become very ill. If caught early, it's treatable with high doses of thiamine and penicillin. The best prevention is to feed a sensible, quality diet.

Goats can have human zinc supplements if necessary, but be careful not to overdose it with such a tiny goat. When it comes to probiotics, I only give them after worming, antibiotics, or if the goat is having digestive issues. A healthy goat with a healthy diet should create the proper flora in its rumen without needing help from daily probiotics.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Happy Birthday Feta.


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

We figured Oreo had to have been 6+mo. old when she was bred, then the 5 mo pregnancy, that she must of been no more then a year old herself when she delivered Feta. The vet said she was small and young when we took her in for prenatal care. So we're going to have a shared Birthday party for the girls this weekend. I'll take pics so you can all finally see the girls. Presents?? They both need new sweaters for winter, Oreo finally put on the weigh she needed, she's good at 35-40lbs give or take, so she needs a larger one then what I have. And I can make molasses/goats oat granola for the party with banana chips on paper plates..Feta's fav part.
I think we'll put off expanding our herd for a year, hopefully we're expecting puppies in 47 days and plan on keeping at least 2 with 3 rd pup going to studs family (Manchester's usually have 2-4 pups) That's enough new life forms to deal with for now. We are on a mini goat rescue foster home list with our local animal shelter and might need the room. My honey has been looking at these miniature horses.. He's nuts too.
Miss Feta being the baby (lol) is already subject to Mama Oreo's discipline and protection. When ANYTHING new happens Oreo makes Feta get inside the igloo and won't let her out until she is sure the coast is clear. If Feta tries to leave she gets butted right back in. Usually it's only one butt and she runs in. Whenever working in the yard Oreo tucks baby in and she watches from underneath the tarp that covers the card table on the deck which is a small faux patio for their igloo.It has a tarp over it so they are protected from weather, and the tarp stops about a foot up so Oreo can lay down and see what's going on. The bond they have now works for us, don't want to ruin it. The pecking order here is defined..And Miss Feta can have at least one more year being the spoiled Princess baby of the family.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm SO happy that someone else named their goat Feta!!! That was my first goat


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

@milk and honey, Our second choice was Bre.

Party is tomorrow afternoon if it is warm. Oreo saw and smelled the molasses granola (her fav) and snuck past the door and trotted in the kitchen with Feta at her heels. I can't help but laugh when I see them coming, it was still in the oven. I gave them a trisket and shoo'd them out. Oreo is keeping her eye on the jar it's kept in. Waiting to see something in it so she can beg.( I put it in a tin that she can't see thru) She can smell it and keeps wondering where it is. She has ran past the family room twice now, back into the kitchen, the light is off in there, and so we call her name and she runs back to us thinking we have it. Poor thing, she stayed up late tonight which isn't usual, finally I made her and copy cat Feta go to bed - it was after 10m! I know she's got a one track mind until she gets some. But 10m!!! And Oreo likes getting up early because that's when she gets her goat oats.. not a big birthday party just my honey and I, dogs and goats. But I can take a pic or two!


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Sounds like Feta's first birthday is going to be a happy one!


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