# New to the world... HELP!



## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

I did it again... I went to the horse auction (EXTREMELY SAD CONDITIONS) and fell in love with a goat and had to bring the poor emaciated little lady home! I brought her home in October... she had a pretty bad cough... I treated her for lungworm (based off of my research with ivermec) and she is no longer coughing at all.. her teets have gone from dog size to milking dog size... I'm thinking she may be pregnant... though at 2 months (assuming she was knocked up at the auction) I'm not sure I'd be able to tell. My farrier told me he believes she's around 10 years old... (kinda old from my research to be having babies) I've been giving her a flake of alfalfa per day... is this enough? She also has a bucket of grain when she wants it. She's gained a TON of weight and her sides are bulging.. just want to make sure I'm not over feeding her though it is very possible she could be pregnant and just showing.. Any and all help or advce will be appreciated... I AM TOTALLY NEW TO THIS WORLD!! But in love with the little lady and wanting to do what I can, ALL ADVICE WELCOME and APPRECIATED GREATLY!!


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

welcome welcome!

if you take a picture of her lady parts, tail naturally up, and many ppl here can tell if she's pregnant or not.

look at her lower teeth, you can tell the age of a goat by their teeth.
http://www.goat-link.com/AngelGoats-Forum/article-images/goat-physiological/teeth%20by%20year2.gif

the alfalfa is a great idea, but free choice grain, not so much. she can eat enough and get bloat. I feed mine a set amount, twice per day. what kind of grain do you have?

have goat minerals and baking soda free choice.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I would love to see some pictures of her. If you could get a super close up of her private parts with her tail up naturally, we may be able to help you with the pregnancy question as well. 

How much and what kind of grain are you feeding her? Does she have hay or browse most of or all of the time? Does she have company?


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

I give Petunia a flake of Alfalfa in the morning and she tends to just move around all day. The chickens and her are spoiled with a barn stall and a pretty large run... She used to live with the donkey but when I brought all the horses over I didn't want to stress her out.. now she can be next to them but never scared, since there's the fence... it's all connected to the horses pen. and the barn has two windows so the horses can look in. I'm in the process of building a separate run for the donkey and goat but if she's pregnant will most likely leave her with the chickens until they're born since there are coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions where I live. I wanted to get a second goat, but for a couple weeks, I didn't realize she was coughing and then when I realized I treated her and didn't think it would be fair to get a second goat in case she had a fatal or contagious virus. Now that I think she is pregnant... I don't want to get another goat until I can confirm that she is not because I will get attached and keep the babies as well which will be plenty!! 
I will upload pictures of her privates tomorrow since I work until 9 today. I don't give her a lot of grain I just give her a scoop in the mornings in a bucket attached to her water bucket... she doesn't really ever finish it and i usually end up dumping it out and giving the chickens a field day!


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

PS I also let her out every morning to just walk around and eat bushes and what not while I take care of the other critters.. and if she doesn't get to come out I take my pinchers and cut leaves of bushes and palo verdes for her to enjoy.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Congrats on your Rescue gal : ) 
I would leave coastal out for her free choice...daily alfalfa is great..free choice loose minerals are important a pooch pic would be great...and a whole body pic just cause we like to see goats : )


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

Here's a couple from my phone. The distance is from when I first got her and the near is from this week.


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

These were from the morning a couple weeks ago and usually the horses hang out just behind her there but they were probably eating... Any ideas how to get that stupid metal tag out of her ear... Every time I try touching it she head butts me or stomps making it clear she doesn't like it me touching it... She's not into it...:/


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

You don't want to take that metal tag out of her ear. That is a scrapie tag and it needs to be there. She looks to be an absolute sweetheart! Congratulations, and good job on rescuing her! 

PS The average adult goat needs 5 to 6 lbs of some kind of forage per day. It can be hay, brush, weeds, grass, bushes, or a mix of any of the above.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

As long as there is no infection or anything associated with the scrapie tag, I would definitely leave it in.

Pretty girl!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree...leave the tag : ) ...and that face..she looks like a sweet girl!!Love your turkeys too : )


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

clearly i'm unsure of a lot of things as I'm new to this.. but what purpose does the scrapie tag give...? and if she is preggo will I need to put one on the babies? It's not infected but it looks like it has buildup around it... I guess im just more concerned about her getting it hooked on the chicken wire or elsewhere.


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

lol thanks happybleats! a year and a half later and I'm still unsure if I have 2 girls or 1 of each.. 1 has a beard but I get eggs..? I got them from the killer auction too... I should really stop going! hahah


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

lol..well if you are getting eggs, at least you know one is a hen lol..we raise Rio grandes...A tom will flare his butt feathers when frisky or challenged, and has a long snoot where the hens dont 
: )


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

but can females have the black beard (string looking thing) grow out of their neck?? They look the EXACT same, and one has only ever flared up when the dog came out with me for a minute... but the snoots are the EXACT same size... as are they


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

some hens can have beards..but usually not as big as a tom...let me look at my girls and see..Im so use to seeing them I have to look lol


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Ok...My Hens do not have beards....a few have a loose feather that sticks out but not a beard...the tom at a year and half would have a def. beard...I would guess youhave two hens...The lighter one I see in the pic is a hen but I cant tell about the other : )..Ill get a few pix of mine tonight when I go feed


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## critergiter09 (Jan 4, 2012)

Some hens can have beards. Usually not as long as a toms beard would be. If one was a male you would know for sure cause he will strut and show of his amazing tail fan. Also he will make a gobble sound which hens do not make.


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

Got pictures tonight... If we need better ones ill try in the morning.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Luisa said:


> clearly i'm unsure of a lot of things as I'm new to this.. but what purpose does the scrapie tag give...? and if she is preggo will I need to put one on the babies? It's not infected but it looks like it has buildup around it... I guess im just more concerned about her getting it hooked on the chicken wire or elsewhere.


Scrapie is a wasting disease of sheep and goats. Should you ever sell her, the tag in her ear provides a way to track her back to her origins and it is actually illegal to remove it. If you breed her then, yes, technically her kids should have a scrapie tag. In the event that her kids are sold through a sale barn and do not have a scrapie tag the sale barn will put one in.


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

Ok thanks. Any guesses on whether she might be pregnant?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

she does look puffy inthe rear...is her girlie tipped up or rolled down?


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Aww , congrats on your rescue girl ! She is such a cutie 
What are you going to name her ? Looks like a Goldie to me 
Love the picture of her leaning ontop of the spool , lol.
She sure looks like she knows just how lucky she is too !


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

Her name is Petunia.


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## cher1190 (Aug 9, 2013)

I have a question, not really about goats, but I want one, where do you all find, get or buy the wooden large spools? I only found 1 person in my area and he wants 90.00 for it. live in kingston, tn.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

cher1190 said:


> I have a question, not really about goats, but I want one, where do you all find, get or buy the wooden large spools? I only found 1 person in my area and he wants 90.00 for it. live in kingston, tn.


You're in prime area for cable companies. Call factories, and companies that supply chain, cable, etc. You'll find a spool.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

happybleats said:


> she does look puffy inthe rear...is her girlie tipped up or rolled down?


She looks tipped to me, how bout you?


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Yeah , definitely look into contacting your cable company and ask them about acquiring spools. Some of the companies in my neck of the woods ( New York ) are turning to plastic reusable ones and will no longer be making wooden ones  Most of the places are looking to dump the older ones , you should be able to find one willing to give them to you.
Good luck


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh , one one of caution , I cover the top of the spool so they dont get their legs or hooves stuck in the holes. A piece of wood drilled onto the top works well


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## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

This is what I feed her everyday and consider grain... Maybe it's not?!?


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

cher1190 said:


> I have a question, not really about goats, but I want one, where do you all find, get or buy the wooden large spools? I only found 1 person in my area and he wants 90.00 for it. live in kingston, tn.


Go to a recycling yard or here they sell them $15 at the Habitat for Humanity Restore recycling/ sale yard (its a nationwide organization that builds low income housing, its a neat group cause they find a family that wants a home and cant buy one, and then their volunteers will come and build one with you)...


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Luisa said:


> This is what I feed her everyday and consider grain... Maybe it's not?!?


I started with that-- its pellets and grain and supplements. There is a debate around Purina cause they tend to switch out the formula from batch to batch....

I like it as a newbie cause its supplemented, although if you want you could justdto grain (COB= corn oats barley and Wet Cobb is that with a little molasses mixed in so its just like the Purina to the goat) but she still needs hay or browse for roughage to keep her rumen healthy....

Oh and some loose minerals poured out into a bucket or pan so she can supplement herself as she feels she needs it -- its in a bag called Goat loose minerals...


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## critergiter09 (Jan 4, 2012)

cher1190 said:


> I have a question, not really about goats, but I want one, where do you all find, get or buy the wooden large spools? I only found 1 person in my area and he wants 90.00 for it. live in kingston, tn.


 we get ours from electric companies. Usually they will just give then away when they have an empty one.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Luisa said:


> This is what I feed her everyday and consider grain... Maybe it's not?!?


Yes, that is considered grain, although the quality of it is questionable at best. There are better feed options out there - you might want to see what else is available in your area. Personally, I would not feed Purina under any circumstances.


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