# Goats and Grief



## PurpleToad (Feb 14, 2016)

We just lost one of the two goats that we had. We only had the two withered males, both under 6 months. They've been together since the older was about six weeks and the one we lost was about six days when we got him. I'm worried about the goat i still have left.

What do I need to do for him? Should I find him another companion? I'd rather not do another bottle baby since my older is weaned. Would one the same age or so be best? I don't know what to do and his crying is breaking my heart. The one I have is a non-fainting small fainter. The one we lost was a Nigerian. I'd rather avoid the Nigerian breed since...well...the N.D. we had was a jumper and that is what contributed to his passing. I'd rather not go through this loss again. I'm hoping if we get an older one we can ask more about the temperament. Also would another wither be best? I'm so sad over this loss and I will do whatever it takes to keep the other one alive.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Oh no, what happened?! So sorry. 

Definitely get another, around the same size would be best.


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## PurpleToad (Feb 14, 2016)

He got tangled up in some of the fencing we have out and ended up strangling himself. My husband and I were gone for the afternoon and left our daughter here alone. Not sure what happened while we were gone but our daughter didn't know anything was amiss until we got home. Would you recommend another buckling that we can wither?


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Either a wether or a doe. So sorry, again. Hard lesson to learn.


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## Nab58 (May 8, 2016)

Look for a local goat forum in your state and ask if anyone has one the age you're looking for. I see lots of adds for people looking to rehome goats for one reason or another.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

very sorry..yes a same size buddy would be best


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

I have Nigerians and have never experience a jumper except one little guy jumped a gate in fear. Even my bucks don't try to jump out. Maybe yours just got a fright of some kind. Sorry. But he needs a companion as soon as possible.

If you live anywhere near me I have some wethers ready to go.


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## PurpleToad (Feb 14, 2016)

wndngrvr said:


> I have Nigerians and have never experience a jumper except one little guy jumped a gate in fear. Even my bucks don't try to jump out. Maybe yours just got a fright of some kind. Sorry. But he needs a companion as soon as possible.
> 
> If you live anywhere near me I have some wethers ready to go.


I think mid-Missouri breeds jumping Nigerians. Mine was a jumper from day 1 when we brought him home at six days old. We kept the two of the goats in the laundry room/kitchen area, both have old linoleum floors we didn't care about getting torn up. We'd put relatively low barriers between the kitchen and the dining room (a cooler) and a box fan between the kitchen and the hallway. Kern (our Nigerian) could leap the cooler in a single bound so my daughter usually sat on the cooler to keep him in. Then when we would prepare his bottles he could (at maybe ten or eleven days old mind you) Jump ALMOST on top of the kitchen counter, which are maybe three/four feet tall or so.

We also had a neighbor up the road who had bought two Nigerian Dwarfs from a different breeder and his were always getting out over his fences too. I don't think his were banded but mine was and mine was STILL getting out.

Sadly I'm in Mid-Missouri so no where close to you but thank you very much for the kind offer. I did find a breeder of myotonic goats that's not too far from where I'm at and I've e-mailed asking about pricing (but I get the feeling they'll be well out of my range, but it never hurts to ask and I explained what I was looking for so maybe she might have something other than what's on her sale page that she could part with).

Anyway, again thank you for the kind offer.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

It does sometimes help to make sure you have plenty of things for them to play with in their pasture. From what I understand they tend to jump when they're bored or don't have enough browse/space on their own pasture. 

Idk if you're on Facebook, but there are all sorts of state specific farm/goat groups that almost always have boys for sale. Something to try maybe!


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## PurpleToad (Feb 14, 2016)

deerbunnyfarm said:


> It does sometimes help to make sure you have plenty of things for them to play with in their pasture. From what I understand they tend to jump when they're bored or don't have enough browse/space on their own pasture.
> 
> Idk if you're on Facebook, but there are all sorts of state specific farm/goat groups that almost always have boys for sale. Something to try maybe!


I honestly think Kern was just one of those personalities that "The grass is always greener on the other side" and he went to find the greener grass. That and I think since we got him at such a young age he was just TOO bonded to me (if that makes any weird sense) and knew that (normally) if he jumped a fence I'd hear him or I'd hear Tux hollering and I'd go out to see what was going on and then he'd be like "MAM MAM MAM PAY ATTENTION TO ME MAAAAAM" (it seriously sounded like he'd say "Mam" whenever he saw me.lol) My husband is on a Mid-Missouri Livestock Auction group but the only things for sale there right now are Boers (which would be too big for Tux) and Nigerians that are being sold as bottle babies. Since Tux is about 6 months old I don't want to bring a tiny one in AND I'd rather NOT do another bottle baby. I'm terrified that that may be one factor that contributed to Kern's death. I want to be able to bond with the goat I get but not quite on that same level of dependency as Kern had. I told my husband "I think Kern is a dog in a goat's body with as much attention as he wants".


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending you a virtual hug and chocolate. It is just heartbreaking when something happens to our goats.
I wish we lived closer (I'm in NE South Dakota) because I have a beautiful colorful wether to rehome. I'd be happy to GIVE him away if I knew he'd go to a good companion home like yours. I hope you find your remaining goat a buddy soon. Maybe check Craigslist?


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## PurpleToad (Feb 14, 2016)

VVFarm said:


> I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending you a virtual hug and chocolate. It is just heartbreaking when something happens to our goats.
> I wish we lived closer (I'm in NE South Dakota) because I have a beautiful colorful wether to rehome. I'd be happy to GIVE him away if I knew he'd go to a good companion home like yours. I hope you find your remaining goat a buddy soon. Maybe check Craigslist?


That's how I originally found the breeder I've sent an inquiry to. I'll keep looking and in the meantime I figure every few hours (if not more often) someone will have to go out and at least just sit near Tux so he's not crying constantly. It's heart breaking to hear him right now. At least he's still eating (at this point).


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