# What is the hardest lesson you learned ??



## FussBudget (Dec 1, 2012)

I just got my first goats last week. 3 ND Does from different farms. They vary in age 4 mo, 1 year and 3 years old. Next season I will breed the 2 oldest and milk. Please share stories of lessons learned and best advice for a new goat keeper.

:crazy:


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Buy from a farm that has recently tested free of Johne's, CL, and CAE - and has the lab paper to prove it. Only buy goats that look smooth-coated and healthy, feel their backbones and make sure they are not skinny. Here's a thread about my sad experience with Johne's disease in a new goat. http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f186/unthrifty-doe-johnes-positive-133157/ The doe was somewhat skinny and rough-looking when I got her, but I thought it was something that could easily be fixed. She ended up dying of it. Now I need to wait several years, and test all my goats a few times, before I can breed or sell. Providing they test negative. If one comes up positive, the timer starts all over again.
I even killed one of my bucks from a stupid mistake I made while I was so preoccupied with Lizzie Lou, the sick one.  I gave him too much copper. Another hard lesson learned - don't do anything requiring careful thought when sleep-deprived and preoccupied.


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## FussBudget (Dec 1, 2012)

milkmaid said:


> Buy from a farm that has recently tested free of Johne's, CL, and CAE - and has the lab paper to prove it. Only buy goats that look smooth-coated and healthy, feel their backbones and make sure they are not skinny. Here's a thread about my sad experience with Johne's disease in a new goat. http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f186/unthrifty-doe-johnes-positive-133157/ The doe was somewhat skinny and rough-looking when I got her, but I thought it was something that could easily be fixed. She ended up dying of it. Now I need to wait several years, and test all my goats a few times, before I can breed or sell. Providing they test negative. If one comes up positive, the timer starts all over again.
> I even killed one of my bucks from a stupid mistake I made while I was so preoccupied with Lizzie Lou, the sick one.  I gave him too much copper. Another hard lesson learned - don't do anything requiring careful thought when sleep-deprived and preoccupied.


OUCH, honey I am sorry. Thank you for the advice. I think we all worry a bit when we first start out........can we ever worry too much?


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Hardest thing... sometimes the babies die, and even the older goats too. It's just a fact, and even though we do all we can to keep them healthy and happy.. it just happens. That's farm life. As long as we strive to make what life they have good, we are doing a good job.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

milk and honey said:


> Hardest thing... sometimes the babies die, and even the older goats too. It's just a fact, and even though we do all we can to keep them healthy and happy.. it just happens. That's farm life. As long as we strive to make what life they have good, we are doing a good job.


Mhmm  This is very true.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Not to buy a goat while at a show! I ended up buying one that I didn't know how problems. He had an eye infection I didn't see until I had him home, he wasn't weaned like I was told, he ran into fences causing a nasty cut and even jumped a 4ft tall fence at 3 months old. Need less to say he ended getting sold! Moral of the story, always check out a goat good and ask lots of questions.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Cheap hay isn't a deal. Be careful to check your sources and be sure they are managing it right. 
I lost half my herd to grass hay that had Horsetails in it several years ago.


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## BlissMeadows (Jan 9, 2013)

i think my hardest lesson learnt through my first goat was "it's okay to let go." i didnt want him to go and i knew that it was his time and when the word was given that he was gonna die i ended up crying and it took me until he was shot to let him go. So it was really hard, then i had to teach my mom its okay to let go 2 months later after her Doe Geista passed away, it was so hard to watch my mom cry.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

> i think my hardest lesson learnt through my first goat was "it's okay to let go."


Yes. It was hard for me to learn that lesson too. We don't want to let go because we feel responsible, but we have to remember that the goats are not ours, they are only lended to us; their lives are in bigger hands than our own.  It's okay to let go when they die, because God never lets go.


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## FussBudget (Dec 1, 2012)

I want to a good job as their keeper. I am afraid I wont do it right. 

Thank ya'll so much for sharing, it is good to learn from each other. It is also good to realize no matter how hard we try, we are not in control.

Thank you.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Goats will get into absolutely everything! Treat them like toddlers, get down to their level and look/crawl around to find sharp objects, things to get you head stuck in etc. Make sure all gates, doors and lids are locked tightly. Goats lips are amazing! They can untie knots, open snaps etc. (But, make sure you can get into or out of a door/gate quickly in an emergency.) Oh, and goats can eat corded bungie straps and twine used to keep gates closed...


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

Collars kill (on unsupervised goats). My doe Twix was throttled because of her collar...


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## JenVise (Dec 7, 2012)

milkmaid said:


> Yes. It was hard for me to learn that lesson too. We don't want to let go because we feel responsible, but we have to remember that the goats are not ours, they are only lended to us; their lives are in bigger hands than our own.  It's okay to let go when they die, because God never lets go.


Beautifully spoken, Milkmaid!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

One of the harder lessons to learn is when to call the vet and when to treat on your own. It is those middle of the road cases that can turn south fast that are the hardest to judge.


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

If something doesn't feel right it's probably not. If you wake up at 3 in the morning because you have a funny feeling. Go with it. I had a funny feeling like that went out to find a buck hanging in a hay bag. We found him just in time, and we will NOT use hay bags anymore. Another lesson I learned, but not from my farm was reading about a very good breeder loosing bucks to being hung by their collars from trying to jump fences. I immediately removed the bucks collars.


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## MrKamir (Nov 2, 2009)

I agree. Trust your instincts. And also learn to forgive yourself. For those of you who had to learn to let go, I was there a few years ago. Did not have the money for a c-section for a very stuck inside baby and had to have my doe put down. I cried like a baby making that decision as I was looking into her eyes. I felt like she was judging me. I was there with her til the last breath. It haunted me for a very long time.


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## rdmtnranch (Mar 4, 2013)

FussBudget said:


> I want to a good job as their keeper. I am afraid I wont do it right.
> 
> Thank ya'll so much for sharing, it is good to learn from each other. It is also good to realize no matter how hard we try, we are not in control.
> 
> Thank you.


I agree I am new to goats and want to be so perfect that I find myself rechecking every detail over and over again. Ultimately I don't have control. Sometimes goats thrive for the most neglectful owner while others die with the most diligent owners.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Goats are great at humbling people. As soon as you think you know most of the answers, they will throw another impossible question at you! 
New things are always coming up with goats!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

> Goats are great at humbling people. As soon as you think you know most of the answers, they will throw another impossible question at you!


Oh wow! Agreed x10!!!


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## Rrmommy (Mar 20, 2013)

I am so thankful to have found this post. My husband finally gifted me with 2 beautiful baby goats. And we were lied to alot & ended up losing 1 last night. We put up a good fight for 7 days, but last night I realized he needed me to just hold him while he finally passed. I had to let him go. He needed to be freed. I can only pray that there is room for animals in paradise cause I want hold him & hear his beautiful voice again some day ;( Letting go is hard, but sometimes it's best. I probably should have let go 15hrs before I did & next time I'll know better...I hope.


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

If something you have raised passes away somehow, remember the good times you had together and have that be a learning experience. You will never forget that dearly loved animal, so make the memories great.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

All pet owners should know the legend of the Rainbow bridge...


*







 Rainbow Bridge







*

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. 
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. 
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. 
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

sounds like heaven : )


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## FussBudget (Dec 1, 2012)

Rrmommy said:


> I am so thankful to have found this post. My husband finally gifted me with 2 beautiful baby goats. And we were lied to alot & ended up losing 1 last night. We put up a good fight for 7 days, but last night I realized he needed me to just hold him while he finally passed. I had to let him go. He needed to be freed. I can only pray that there is room for animals in paradise cause I want hold him & hear his beautiful voice again some day ;( Letting go is hard, but sometimes it's best. I probably should have let go 15hrs before I did & next time I'll know better...I hope.


I am so sorry for your loss


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## Goatnewbie101 (Nov 27, 2012)

goathiker said:


> All pet owners should know the legend of the Rainbow bridge...
> 
> Rainbow Bridge
> 
> ...


I love this! It made me teary eyed

Sent from my iPhone using GoatSpot


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## fiberchick04 (Mar 8, 2010)

This isn't a health lesson, but the best advice I've received from a reknown own judge/breeder was "the first place goat may not be the goat you need for your herd" 

That is so true. A lot of my buyers look at my show records and buy off of that rather than evaluating the goat itself. I'm guilty of doing it too. Sometimes we focus too much on ribbons and points rather than how that animal will fit in our breeding programs. 

Yes, I look at pedigrees, however I also evaluate the goat. 

I've only had a couple buyers spend time evaluating the goat before asking about awards and pedigree. 

Also, figure out what your goals are and breeding plans and STICK TO IT. Yes tweak it as time goes on, "one judge, one day" just because you don't place high doesn't mean your goat is crap and you should get rid of it. Judges have personal preference, but don't breed according to how the judge evaluated your goat. You have goals. Now obviously if you're consistently placing poorly breed up, but really evaluate that goat and, this is what I learned when I was on my college livestock judging team, for every to pros give one con. But focus on the good rather than judging them all on what's wrong with them.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Doing your best does not always mean you will save the goat ... and you should never kick yourself or double-guess what has already been done. Just learn, remember, and carry your experience on with you.


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## funnyfarm (Mar 22, 2013)

I guess the biggest thing so far for me has been learning not to blame yourself.
We lost a goat 3 months ago to pregnancy toxemia. We woke on a Sunday morning to find our goat 'in labor'....but an hour later, I knew somrthing wasn't right...called vet..took her in...3 hours later he called and said she lost all 4 of her babies, and that he was doing evertything he could to save her. The next morning when he called, he said Fiona didn't make it. Hours later when I THOUGHT I was calm enough to go pay my bill (ok...I was still crying hysterically)...he told me that with preg toxemia, MANY, MANY goats do not show symptoms until it is too late. Saturday...Fiona was GREAT...even running & playing...beautiful shiny coat...happy demeanor...we had NO clue anything was wrong. He assured us that we did the right thing by calling him & bringing her in. She even had him stumped for the first couple hours she was there. He told me not blame myself, as we had done exactly what a good animal owner should do, which is call the vet when you feel something isn't right....he even assured me that our "gut instincts" are often times better than following clues of physical symptoms, which in Fionas case...there were no "physical" symptoms. The whole situation was heartbreaking...I cried for DAYS...I was mad, I was sad....I even thought "we have NO business owning goats"...we had become EXTREMELY attached to Fiona in the 3 short months we had her. My vet also told me that her physical condition was great...and that as goat owners, we had taken excellent care of her .. even said she was the cleanest, sweetest goat he had seen in a while. (This WON'T make a person feel better when they are crying like crazy...in fact, that made me feel worse....ahhh...emotions...ha). The ONLY thing he said that made me feel really bad, was that he had NOT a DOUBT in his mind that this pregnancy was her first (not the 3rd that the seller told us). He said...that if we ever had ANY questions about a goat before we purchased it, to just ask...wether it be him or another TRUSTWORTHY goat owner. And since we don't know any "goat" people locally....I decided to join this forum. 

I was a vet tech for years...but sometimes....nothing prepares you enough.

1 lesson I have learned in the short time we have been goat owners (just under a year)....ask QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS. Even if you feel like you may look "like a newbie". I have learned that its ok to be a newbie....and I know that in time...we will learn and hold the knowlege that so many on this forum hold. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Funnyfarm, :tears: I am so sorry for your loss.


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## funnyfarm (Mar 22, 2013)

Thank you milkmaid...it STILL cuts to the heart...we have so many pictures of her....she was "the goat of all goats"....never seen anything like her....so human, so smart, sooooo well behaved....so happy!


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## adriHart (Nov 1, 2012)

rdmtnranch said:


> Sometimes goats thrive for the most neglectful owner while others die with the most diligent owners.


This is a hard one to accept but also very true. I drive myself, my family, and my bank account crazy trying to take care of the goats the best I can and anticipate everything. In the end, it's sometimes Just not meant to be.


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## JanetM (Mar 13, 2013)

I completely agree the hardest lesson learned is letting go & not blaming yourself. I am new to goat owning myself & had gotten a couple bottle bucklings-later to be wethered. We did everything and I mean everything I was told by my vet and still we lost Horton to polio at 6months. I was and still am devasted by his loss. I look back and try to find something just anything I missed that would have alerted me something was wrong but there was nothing. Saturday and Sunday he was completely normal-alert, active just his loving silly playing self. Even when I said good night to him Sunday at 1030pm he was alert walked to me and pushed he head into my hand for his neck rub. Monday at 7am I found him down unresponsive in the yard by 9 he was gone. That was almost 6months ago and still I cry for him and his loss. It breaks my heart- I got so attached to him in the 5 1/2months he was with us.


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## Maureen (Jul 6, 2012)

The hardest thing I had to learn was very recent. Buy from a CAE, CL, Johne's negative herd. We had a doe who lived with us for nine months pop up with an abscess from CL in her late pregnancy. This was especially hard because I had no clue what CL was or that it even existed. I had heard of some of these diseases and planned to test my does this spring (as well as research what these actually were). This abscess wasn't in the most typical of locations so in the process of finding out how "bad" news an abscess could be, I let it rupture somewhere in the pen or field. Now we have everyone seperate, seperate shoes, we are testing... similar story to milkmaid. Hard way to learn something so easily prevented.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I know this is an ancient topic, but it has some really good and timeless information. Maybe it will help some folks.

(I don't usually bring forward really old stuff)


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All here are so caring, I read your advice and feelings and cried.

What a wonderful group of members we have here on the goat spot.
I am so proud of our family here, helps those who are down. 

We have all been there and need the extra support for our losses. :bighug:

I am sorry for any loss, it is never easy, that is a given. 
I cannot add more, as it has already been said. (grouphug):imsorry:


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

Definitely good info in here! 

So far for me the hardest lesson has been properly disbudding. My first buckling was stressed to the point of hyperventilating. Another almost asphyxiated himself in the box before we realized. The first one my husband did he angled the knife wrong when knocking the bud off resulting in arterial spurt. 

Overall, everyone was ok. The kids all rebounded quicker than I did. The first couple I did were actually better than the latter ones, as I was more conservative and didn’t burn long enough. Now that we’ve had a kidding we’ve disbudded ourselves and everyone was ok in the end, I think this year will have much better results. I still hate doing it and am not looking forward to it, but I won’t have goats with horns for safety reasons.


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## senoradirt (Sep 28, 2019)

So far we've had some tough lessons but the one that stands out to me is what happens when you fail to thoroughly coat the umbilical with iodine. We (my son and I) are very new to goats and we had three sets of twins on one day, which for us is daunting. We iodined all of them but must not have thoroughly disinfected the naval because one set of twins got navel ill. It's nasty and it makes their joints swell, makes it hard for them to walk.

Long story short, we had to give lots of shots. One is cured and one is still limping- but heartbreaking to have this nasty infection happen to the sweet babies. Lesson learned.


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

We are never, ever, ever done learning. Your first year or your 50th there’s always something new to learn. Different things work for different people and different goats. Your way may be the “right” way but mine may also be the “right” way as well as 50 other “right” ways. Listen and fairly consider them all. 
As others have said, sometimes you do everything, cover all the bases, and it all goes wrong anyway. Loss is brutal and we all have or will lose one that means everything. Ours was named Ella. The most personable, funny, beautiful doe ever. 12 days, 6 different vets, threw the book at her and she died in my arms. I was devastated. We learn and keep going.


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

Im very grateful Ive found TGS. Listening to each of you has taught me ,and saved many of my goats. 
One friend of mine lost a 2 day old , it fell into the water bucket and could not get out. I listened, I use large plastic auto dog waterers. No deeper than 1/2 in. Baby can walk out . 
No collars, ties, loose chains. Or pieces of sharp fence ties, or metal. Treat them like babies. 
With each of us bareing our soul, we save more than you ever know. Your one loss , saved many. So please dont beat your self up.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

One of my favorite quotes is, "Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement." 

My hardest lesson happened just before Christmas 2013. My husband and I were headed to bed when we heard coyotes howling very close to our house. We went outside to check on the goats and our doe Nibbles was missing. Phil found her lying at the bottom of the goat pen. She'd been dead probably an hour or so. A coyote had grabbed her through the fence and punctured the jugular. She'd bled out pretty quickly and it was my fault. We'd had a heavy snow that day and I had had to go around and clear the electric fence. When I was finished I forgot to plug it back in, so there was nothing but a flimsy net between my goats and the coyotes. 

It was a very hard lesson, but I also realized that mistakes are inevitable. Even if I never again forgot to check the fence, there would certainly be times when the electricity would go down for other reasons, such as heavy snow load, having something blow over and short it out, or I'd have to turn it off during exceptionally hot, dry, windy weather to avoid creating a spark. I couldn't rely on just the electric fence to keep my goats safe. 

I immediately went on the hunt for a livestock guardian dog and actually found an excellent one right away that was available for free to a good working home. Three days after Nibbles died, I had a dog! A week after Daisy arrived I heard her barking in the front yard and she was driving off that same pair of coyotes that had killed Nibbles. We haven't seen coyotes around here since. I wish I hadn't had to lose a goat to realize I needed more than just one form of protection for my goats.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

This was one that I could never get right. From 2013 there's a thread about her actually.

I've lived in this little place for many years. Every year we had a little spotted skunk that lived here and raised her kits in our drainage culvert. She would steal a once a week egg, tomato, peas, sunflowers, and cress. She loved the cress. She paid us back by eating the mice, baby rats, and voles.
We saw her rarely and she never bothered our chicks or sprayed.
I don't know how long they live or how many generations have been here...I do know It's gone now.
She got into my neighbors greenhouse. He poisoned her. So sad that people can't share a little for the return.
Yes, I'm crying over a wild skunk...


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## billiejw89 (May 7, 2014)

goathiker said:


> This was one that I could never get right. From 2013 there's a thread about her actually.
> 
> I've lived in this little place for many years. Every year we had a little spotted skunk that lived here and raised her kits in our drainage culvert. She would steal a once a week egg, tomato, peas, sunflowers, and cress. She loved the cress. She paid us back by eating the mice, baby rats, and voles.
> We saw her rarely and she never bothered our chicks or sprayed.
> ...


That is so sad! So sorry


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

While I understand hunting/trapping predators I never got killing skunks or opossums. I even leave our raccoons alone. I love seeing them and watching their antics. My neighbor and joke around over raccoon drama between our places and make up soap opera story lines for them. We’ve named them all too. 
She may have just been a little spotted skunk but I’m sorry you lost her.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

That's sad, but I know why people do it. Around here, skunks are the primary vector for rabies. I know I don't want them around my place just because of that reason. My dogs tend to keep them away. There was a tragic story on these forums a few years ago from someone who had a rabid skunk get into their kid pen and it bit every one of their babies before it was discovered. The entire crop of kids had to be put down. Rabies is such a sad disease. 

I have friends who feed a "pet" skunk that lives under their porch and it always gives me the creeps because wild animals aren't vaccinated. Those folks would think nothing of it if the skunk walked right up to them in broad daylight because they've trained it to do so. Yet one of the classic signs of rabies is when a normally shy, nocturnal animal approaches humans without fear. They would never know the difference between a healthy skunk and a sick one until it they were already close enough to get attacked by it.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Not a serious lesson, but one I keep forgetting! When putting Vet RX in a kids nose, do NOT have that nose facing Yours! They sneeze or snort snot and Vet RX all over you and your glasses. :imok:ops2:


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Only that even with hard work and the best management you can provide - things will go wrong and there will be sometimes unexplainable losses that break your heart!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

If a goat acts "off" don't wait until tomorrow to figure out what might be wrong. It might be too late. Goats are masters at disguising serious illness and problems. When they finally show symptoms, it can almost be at the point of no return. 

Pay attention to your instincts.


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## MuldrowBeeandGoatFarm (Oct 25, 2019)

Goats Rock said:


> Goats are great at humbling people. As soon as you think you know most of the answers, they will throw another impossible question at you!
> New things are always coming up with goats!


We have only had goats for 5 months. Just long enough to have 5 sets of twins. The hardest thing I have learned is that Goats look for ways to die every single day. It is almost like a goal of theirs. We are adamant about watching them, removing anything that worries me, laying awake wonder if all is ok or if I need to go sleep with them...........they are worth all if it and can't imagine being without any of their sweet little faces, even though it hasn't even been half a year.


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