# New goats, dull coats



## Melinda29 (Apr 19, 2016)

Hello! I live in Nebraska, am new to goats and got my babies about a month ago. I have a mini Nubian doeling and a mini Sable doeling, both 9 weeks old now. They were from a reputable breeder and seem healthy and happy . My question is about their coats--it is soft and thick, but not shiny. Is that because they are babies, or do I need to be doing something special for them? 

They each get three bottles a day, 20 oz each time of whole cow's milk, with 1/3 tsp Probios powder, 1/3 tsp Decoxx-M, and and 1 tsp baking soda mixed in each bottle (per the seller's instructions). They also have free choice alfalfa hay and free choice Manna pro minerals (which so far they just ignore). They absolutely love the brome grass from our pasture that we give them 1 handful of each day. I will keep them on bottles until they are at least six months old, again per the seller's recommendation for optimim-health dairy goats. 

I gave them their CDT vaccines but no others. They have not been dewormed because the seller said that our area (she lives about 20 miles away) does not have a huge worm problem and that my farm, having never had animals before, wouldn't have a lot of worms yet. We keep them in a grassy yard attached to their barn stall but will be putting them in our pasture soon. We will be rotating their pasture paddock once a week and will worm them if it is ever needed. The seller had said they usually don't need to worm their babies until they're six months old, on average. 

Do I need to do anything extra or different? Any reason their coats are dull, besides age? Thanks!


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Do you have pictures? 

Nigerians have relatively rough coats compared to the soft, glossy standard goats. I have two minimanchas and one has a smooth coat, one has a rough coat. They may just be taking after the Nigerian side.


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

Hi melinda,Im in Australia but goat kid rearing is still the same  Be very careful with what you feed at this age,remember they are babies and rumans are still growing.You should try giving them leaves and branches I dont know the trees in your country, I feed ours wattle a big source of Vit C. Im sure others here will tell you whats OK. if you have them pumpkins are a great source of VitA and fibre seeds and all.I like to break the pumpkins in half and just let them chew on it.Sliced up carrots are also good as well as small amounts of cabbage. I also offer some sort of grain such as Barley or oats and as they get older a more high protien grain. I feed mine Micro Speed which is a race horse feed,my milkers,Toggenburgs love it and it puts a nice gloss on their coats thats good for showing. Teejae


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## Melinda29 (Apr 19, 2016)

deerbunnyfarm said:


> Do you have pictures?
> 
> Nigerians have relatively rough coats compared to the soft, glossy standard goats. I have two minimanchas and one has a smooth coat, one has a rough coat. They may just be taking after the Nigerian side.


I don't have pictures, sorry.

That's good to know about Nigerians. My girls aren't rough so much as just dull. Their hair is very soft and thick, but there is no shine whatsoever. And I keep reading how shine is such a big indicator of health...

Is it true that babies have softer, duller coats? I had read that somewhere, that their baby hair will slowly fall out and be replaced by sleeker adult hair. But of course I can't find where I read that now. Is it right?


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## Melinda29 (Apr 19, 2016)

teejae said:


> Hi melinda,Im in Australia but goat kid rearing is still the same  Be very careful with what you feed at this age,remember they are babies and rumans are still growing.You should try giving them leaves and branches I dont know the trees in your country, I feed ours wattle a big source of Vit C. Im sure others here will tell you whats OK. if you have them pumpkins are a great source of VitA and fibre seeds and all.I like to break the pumpkins in half and just let them chew on it.Sliced up carrots are also good as well as small amounts of cabbage. I also offer some sort of grain such as Barley or oats and as they get older a more high protien grain. I feed mine Micro Speed which is a race horse feed,my milkers,Toggenburgs love it and it puts a nice gloss on their coats thats good for showing. Teejae


Yes, I am being very careful about what I feed them . Pretty much just what I wrote in my OP. So the majority of their diet is milk, with some alfalfa hay as well. Once in a while we give them banana peels, and we have offered apple cores but they aren't interested yet. They like leaves and branches, but really love that brome grass. I just do a handful a day for now, until their rumens adjust and grow. The seller has bred goats for 20 years and bred specifically for high milk production within the parameters of our local environment (great plains--grass pastures, few trees). She claimed that milk, grass, alfalfa hay, and minerals were all the babies need to grow out well. She doesn't give grain at all except a bit in the last month of pregnancy and during milking. But I appreciate hearing what others do as well .


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