# Should I Adopt Two Elderly Goats?



## Paravani (Jan 18, 2015)

My husband and I live on a large urban lot -- about 1/3 acre, the back half of which has become totally overgrown with grass, brambles, and other nice things that goats like to eat. We're getting somewhat up there in years, and we're really not able to keep up with the yard by ourselves... so we've been considering adopting a couple/three pygmy goats (which are "pets" in our city) to help us keep the yard under control. We don't want milk, we don't want a herd -- we just want two or three wethers, which we are allowed to own without a license in our city. 

Our yard is fully fenced, and we believe that we are prepared to take care of a couple of goats. I did buy a couple of books about goats, and I've been a member of Goat Spot ever since we first talked about getting goats. So I know that goats need a wam dry place to sleep, minerals and other feed to eat, like alfalfa, and to have their hooves trimmed once a month. (I'm not up to trimming hooves myself, but there's a local guy who will do it for a nominal fee.)

Here's my question -- there are a couple of elderly pygmy goat brothers being offered for free on Craigslist. They are about 11 years old, and the owner says he must part with them because his family is moving to a smaller place. On the plus side, the price is right; he says they are in good health except one is lame; and even elderly goats will help get our yard under control, won't they? Also, they are not as big a commitment as kids are -- we can see if we like having goats for pets, and if we decide that having goats is really not our thing, we can simply care for these elderly wethers until they pass away in a few years. 

On the minus side... will the stress of moving and being in a new life situation kill them? Could they have disease (always a worry) that will prevent us from being able to keep any other goats? Do elderly goats browse less? Umm... you all will probably educate me about all the other possible negatives. 

So what do you think? Shall we let our back yard become a retirement home for two elderly goats? Or is this a disaster waiting to happen?

-- Paravani

:ram:


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I wanted so bad to select go away noob just because it's cute and I, too, am a noob.  I know I don't know a lot but I think it's sounds like a terrific choice. I have a soft spot for the elderly (humans and animals) though.


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

I think I would take them on,goats adapt well to new surroundings. I've had goats for mant years and have also had elderly ones. The only real probs I've had is worn down teeth so had to give softend grain,but they kept up with the rest of the herd just a bit slow and I rugged them in winter,teejae


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I guess my vote would be it's up to you. My one concern is that elderly goats sometimes need more TLC than a younger mature goat. Since you are new to goats, depending on their needs, it might be a lot to take on to begin with. The limp might be something serious, or might not be. Do you have any pictures of them? What is their current condition (weight, glossy coats, nicely trimmed hooves etc)? If their current owners took very good care of them, I would be swayed to take them, if not, I would pass.......


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

We have taken in a few old goats now. They cope very well. We have adopted an 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old and a over 10 year old (don't know exact age). We have bought them so they can retire with us. The oldest one came with her younger friend. This old girl is called Nanna and is the sweetest most docile girl. She is running out of teeth, blind in one eye and limited vision in the other and we got her from a slaughter house. She came skin and bones but now almost 1 year later she has gained heaps of weight and is going strong. It's so rewarding having our older girls knowing they will get the retirement they deserve and love until the end. 
We also were given an old 9 year old registered buck. We have let him live with 2 does and a wether and now just his wether friend next to our other goats. He is 11 now and I think he will have to be laid to rest soon  he is getting very stiff, struggling with weight and just seems to be losing that sparkle. That's the hard part of older goats is you will only have them a short time but I would do it all again to know they have a happy retirement. 
This is our old boy, Cricket about 2 months ago


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## Serenity Woods (Apr 2, 2012)

I think it is wonderful that you are considering taking these guys in. That said, let me ask you, what kind of fencing do you have for your yard? Goats are escape artists (some more so than others). You don't want something they can jump, climb, or roll under. Also, ask the owners if they have ever been tested for any diseases. CL and CAE are the two big ones, I believe. And I hate to even mention it, but consider what you will do when you are down to a single goat. It's quite likely that they will not all pass away at the same time, and you will be left with one lonely old goat without his herd.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Go away, NOOB! :ROFL:

No, seriously, this looks like an excellent way to "dip your toes in the water" so to speak. While perhaps not strictly true, I tend to think it's a good rule of thumb that if an animal reaches old age then it's probably not carrying any serious diseases. The limp on the one goat is probably just normal arthritic old joints and nothing to worry about. The hardest part will be knowing that they don't have many years left. They may also not be as efficient at eating weeds as younger goats since their teeth may be worn down (or will be soon). One great thing about getting older, "settled" goats is that you are very unlikely to have to deal with behavior and attitude problems. Younger goats can be testy and may need training to keep them from ruling the roost with inexperienced new owners. If these older goats are currently gentle, you can expect them to stay that way. 

One thing I would suggest (if you find that goat ownership suits you) is adding a younger wether or two in about a year. That way you won't be left scrambling with just one lonely old goat who needs a companion. Also, the older goats will be at the perfect age to teach the young one(s) manners without being as overly aggressive as a goat in his prime would be. Older goats tend to have a certain wisdom about them when it comes to teaching young upstarts how to behave.

Best of luck to you in your decision! I really hope this works out because it sounds great to me!


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I thought the funniest one was that they would not survive the 20 mile ride home!

No, I think you should do it. You will give comfort not only to the goats, but the goat's current owner, who obviously cares for them.

I think Damfino had a great idea of getting another wether in a year.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I think taking them in would be awesome. The limping one could just need a hoof trim or some arthritis supplements (find a good horse kind).

Goats are a joy and a bother. So be prepared for both.


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## Paravani (Jan 18, 2015)

*Goatblessings is prescient...*



goatblessings said:


> I guess my vote would be it's up to you. My one concern is that elderly goats sometimes need more TLC than a younger mature goat. Since you are new to goats, depending on their needs, it might be a lot to take on to begin with. The limp might be something serious, or might not be. Do you have any pictures of them? What is their current condition (weight, glossy coats, nicely trimmed hooves etc)? If their current owners took very good care of them, I would be swayed to take them, if not, I would pass.......


I am very sorry to report that Goatblessings has the most pertinent advice. Sorry to report that the owner of the goats is not caring for the goats well, and even more sorry to report that unfortunately, I cannot rescue them from him.

Here's the situation:

The owner of the goats is a childless widower whose wife was crazy about animals -- all kinds of animals. For example, one entire room of their house -- the room other families might have turned into a TV room -- she filled with over 40 live parrots of various species. Their 2 acre lot had alpacas, goats, and even a horse, all of which she cared for lovingly and even indulgently. Then she died.

That was ten years ago, so do the math -- the wethers were only a year or so old when she passed. Since then they've been cared for somewhat indifferently by a widower who never spent time with them and only interacts with them when he brings fresh hay, or when he catches them and puts a "leash" around their necks that is nothing more than a dog leash threaded back through the eye of the latch -- the slippiest of slip knots, which strangles them when they pull against the leash to get away.

It did not surprise me that they ran away from the man, and regarded him with terrified suspicion. The strong one was visibly shivering -- with fear, I think -- and the lame one spent too much time lying on the ground. I think there is more wrong with him than just a bad hoof.

It DID surprise me that when the lame one got out of the shed, he did not run far away. He ran to the other side of the shed, but stopped when he heard my voice. He paused, then poked his head back around the side of the shed to look at me some more, almost playing hide-n-seek with me, as if to say --- "This person is different.... she's not like the man who chokes us... she sounds like someone who used to care for us, so long ago I don't remember but I feel it... "

It was heartbreaking.

The lame one seemed to have some lumps in his groin area that may be the cause of his lameness. I asked the man about them, but he said he thought they were just matted fur. It was obvious that the goats have never let him close enough to examine them. They have probably not been handled by any human since the man's wife died.

They are too wild for me to handle, too. I am so sad I have to leave them with the man who chokes them....

-- Paravani


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

So sad


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## GoatGirlInTraining (Mar 26, 2017)

where are they located? i have lots of time for goats.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

That is sad for sure.

Do know CL-Caseous Lymphadenitis  is in Lympnode area's, the flank is one of them.

If they are not cared for properly and wild and they do have CL, it is exposed all over the property.

Bleach the bottoms of your shoes and anywhere you walked at your place with those shoes before getting any other goats.
It will be on your shoes if you stepped in any goo. If you touched the goats, wash well and any clothes you had on.


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## flynson (May 24, 2017)

How sad.


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## Paravani (Jan 18, 2015)

toth boer goats said:


> That is sad for sure.
> 
> Do know CL-Caseous Lymphadenitis  is in Lympnode area's, the flank is one of them.
> 
> ...


I did wash my hands, and I'll take your advice and wash my shoes in bleach as well. I also wore different clothes and shoes the following day to visit other goats.

However, because the goats have essentially been in a closed herd since 2007, I think the chance of CL or any other very contagious disease is small. The widower has brought no new animals onto the (rural residential) property, and there are no other goat farms or other livestock farms directly adjacent to it. I believe his lot is at least half a mile away from any other livestock, which were small numbers of horses and cows if I remember correctly.

-- Paravani


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad they are a closed herd.

Do know too, that other people can bring it in on their shoes not knowing from being on someones place or by flies that may carry it in.

Glad you were careful anyway.


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## Paravani (Jan 18, 2015)

*How careful is careful enough?*



toth boer goats said:


> Glad they are a closed herd.
> 
> Do know too, that other people can bring it in on their shoes not knowing from being on someones place or by flies that may carry it in.
> 
> Glad you were careful anyway.


If the sick goat had CL, I wasn't careful enough. Let's not forget that the disease is zoonotic, and the first one to be exposed to it would have been ME.

So, if I were exposed to it, how soon would I begin to manifest symptoms? What would they be, and how is it treated in humans?

Also, the reason the man is getting rid of his goats is that he has sold his house... to a family with two small girls. The family doesn't want to keep the goats because "they're afraid the goats might buck the little girls," he said. Well, if that goat has CL, he has it bad, and the entire property is contaminated -- the yard, the home, pretty much every inch of soil because if the goats didn't spread it around, the man did.

He also probably spread it on the floor of the local farmer's co-op every time he went to get the goats more hay. (How you guys can stand to go anywhere that other goat farmers who are less careful might have walked, I don't know. I might never be able to bring myself to leave the farm if I had to worry about my herd getting exposed to a highly contagious disease that I carried in on my shoes!)

Anyway, I have explained to the man that goat farmers I have talked to have warned me about CL, which is a highly contagious disease that can be spread to humans. I described CL and asked him, for the sake of his own health and the health of the two little girls who will soon be playing on the property, to please get his sick goat tested.

I have also looked online to see what my state's agricultural policy might be regarding sick goats, but there doesn't seem to be any policy unless the goat is being brought into the state. And there is no mention of CL anywhere on the state agri website. So that seems to be a bust.

I'm not sure what else I can do except pray that it was something else.

I didn't examine the goat closely, and the lumps could just as easily have been thistle burrs that the stupid man has never removed because the goats aren't tame enough to let him remove them. The goats both had longer fur than most of the others I've seen, though not quite as much as fiber goats have -- and the man did say something about too many thistles growing on his property after years of grazing. I know that thistle burrs can be a huge problem in fur, as my own cat got several of them so enmeshed in his fur that we actually had to take him to a vet to be knocked out so they could be removed.

So I'm hoping it's that, and freaking out that I may have spread the damned disease all over this county and the next. Because all the goats I visited might have been exposed; and all of them were for sale, which means they have had other visitors who would also carry it to their next destinations. If it was on my shoes it is in my car; if it was in my car, new shoes wouldn't have mattered; if it was on my hands it was on my steering wheel, my face, my clothes... everywhere.

So let's all just hope it was thistle burrs. Poor old goats!!

-- Paravani


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## Paravani (Jan 18, 2015)

Here's the ad, if anyone here wants to take a look at them. They're east of Sandy, Oregon.

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/grd/6166102046.html

-- Paravani


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Geeze, you're in Clackamas? Come pick me up and I'll really look at them. 
My daughter also has a pair of healthy young wethers for sale.
One sweet and loving, the other needs some manners work but is not afraid and just needs training.


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## Paravani (Jan 18, 2015)

goathiker said:


> Geeze, you're in Clackamas? Come pick me up and I'll really look at them.
> My daughter also has a pair of healthy young wethers for sale.
> One sweet and loving, the other needs some manners work but is not afraid and just needs training.


The goats are in Clackamas, I'm in Portland. I've already put a deposit down on a pair of sweet wethers whom I'm now afraid to visit and take home until I know for certain that I will NOT give them a horrible disease... so if you're willing to do a diagnosis (and possibly expose yourself to the disease), I'm willing to get you there.

But these goats really are quite wild and difficult to handle. The owner can get a rope around their necks, but they fight it, and they do NOT stand quietly to be handled -- not at all.

Please send me a PM.

-- Paravani


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## Paravani (Jan 18, 2015)

My wethers --

Buck, so named because his coloring makes him look like a tiny deer fawn, but "Fawn" would have been too girly --










And Mohawk, named for the riff of fur down the middle of his back --










I love them already, and they recognized me the second time I went to visit. I'm still getting accommodations ready for them -- need to get the shed set up this weekend -- but they're ready to go home any time. The owner is a doctor who has become a goat addict, so they are very healthy.

-- Paravani


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Paravani said:


> If the sick goat had CL, I wasn't careful enough. Let's not forget that the disease is zoonotic, and the first one to be exposed to it would have been ME. It may or may not transmit to humans. Depends on if you cleaned up well after any exposure and if you had a cut on you.
> 
> So, if I were exposed to it, how soon would I begin to manifest symptoms? What would they be, and how is it treated in humans? I have read it is very rare, it is transmitted through wounds so if you didn't have any, you should be OK. I don't know how long after contact, when it would outbreak if it did.
> 
> ...


 If you didn't touch the goo, it won't spread. The goo is the spreader.

All my responses are in red.


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