# One more try...getting 2 baby goats



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

Today I am picking up two 5 day old goats. To avoid any more accidents like what happened to Jordy and also because they are so little, they will be kept inside until they are bigger. And on warm days when they are in the goat pen they will be supervised especially if Sully is standing up so he doesn't fall on them or accidentally hurt them. 
They are brothers and are Nubian/LaMancha crosses. They need names! I like names that end in a long "e" sound but I am open to other names.


----------



## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

I for sure like franky!!!


----------



## Luisa (Oct 19, 2013)

Maybe there should also be a stinky...?!?


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

they're so cute! but, does the top one have a bit of parrot mouth? or it maybe the picture...

I also like Franky. Thomas (Tommy for short), Tobias (Toby), Kevin, Percy, Charles (Charlie)....


----------



## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

For the black one: Ebony 
For the one with white: Ivory


----------



## LindFamilyFarm (Dec 11, 2013)

Very cute boys. Do you plan to nueter them? I am really bad at names. I like to get my goats and get to know them before giving them names. So in the beginning, I called them goatie.


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

nchen7 said:


> they're so cute! but, does the top one have a bit of parrot mouth? or it maybe the picture...
> 
> I also like Franky. Thomas (Tommy for short), Tobias (Toby), Kevin, Percy, Charles (Charlie)....


I'm not sure. If so it hasn't affected his eating so far. His owner says he is taking bottles well.


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

LindFamilyFarm said:


> Very cute boys. Do you plan to nueter them? I am really bad at names. I like to get my goats and get to know them before giving them names. So in the beginning, I called them goatie.


No, they won't be wethered. I plan on breeding them as well as my other buck. If the one does have a parrot mouth and it effects him I may get him fixed. But hopefully I won't have to.


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

If he does have a parrot mouth he is not breeding quality and should be neutered so he doesn't pass it on... regardless if it affects him or not


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

kccjer said:


> If he does have a parrot mouth he is not breeding quality and should be neutered so he doesn't pass it on... regardless if it affects him or not


Good to know


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Ok, I was on my phone instead of the puter....can only see pics half the time and HATE typing messages on it. LOL The top one does seem to have kind of a "funny" looking mouth. Not sure it's parrot tho...maybe just a bigger mouth area? Once you actually get hands on him you can evaluate for sure. If it is a parrot mouth, it's not much of one. I would still neuter even if it's a really slight parrot mouth as that does pass on to kids and, obviously, isn't something you really want to pass on.


----------



## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

They are adorable Jen  For names I might go with Joker for the black one and Ace for the white and black one. Or Salty for the colored one and Pep for the black one  
Naming is so much fun , lol.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Awe, what cuties! I'm no good with names either, sorry no help there.


----------



## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

I love the little long ears!!! They are great!


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

Joseph (Joey) and Benjamin (Benji) are home. Joey is the spotted one and Benji is the black one. They are skin and bones, especially Joey. I was told they were only being fed twice a day, 12 oz. per feeding, but then the person told my mom it was twice a day, 8 oz. per feeding.
My parents were the ones to pick them up and they got a glimpse of the mom who was a bag of bones.
So now they are getting 4-6 oz. each every 2 hours. 
I never wanted LaManchas because I think their lack of normal ears is ugly (no offense to LaMancha owners) but I am already in love with these two boys and think they are adorable. They do have some Nubian in them but look mainly LaMancha.
More pics will follow either tonight or tomorrow!


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Well, this is how I feed. 1st 2 weeks 4oz every 4 hours. Week 3 I give 8 oz 3 times a day and start introducing grain & hay (they will play with it initially) Week 6 I give 12 oz 3 times a day, then week 8 12 oz twice a day, and then I gradually up it to 16 oz. and feed up until 3 mo. At 5 days old 12oz twice a day yikes, their bodies can't process it. Good job on catching that..

You might want to check for worm load, or coccidia. I'm guessing at 5 days old maybe to young, but if they are skin and bones that might be why.

They are very cute and I love the names Joey and Benji Hope and pray all will go well with you 2 new little ones, and that Sully will recover completely soon...


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Lucky_072508 said:


> So now they are getting 4-6 oz. each every 2 hours.


Lucky, you can't feed them that much so fast - they will develop scours because their systems are not used to that much milk, and scours can kill them due to dehydration. Weigh them, convert their weight to ounces, multiply by 10% (since they are not used to being fed enough) and divide by 4. If they weigh 10 pounds then 10 X 16 is 160. 160 X 10% is 16, divided by 4 = 4 ounces every 6 hours. After a couple of days, then you can start upping their milk by an ounce every 24 hours until they are where they should be and their tummies are full and firm.


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

GoatCrazy said:


> Lucky, you can't feed them that much so fast - they will develop scours because their systems are not used to that much milk, and scours can kill them due to dehydration. Weigh them, convert their weight to ounces, multiply by 10% (since they are not used to being fed enough) and divide by 4. If they weigh 10 pounds then 10 X 16 is 160. 160 X 10% is 16, divided by 4 = 4 ounces every 6 hours. After a couple of days, then you can start upping their milk by an ounce every 24 hours until they are where they should be and their tummies are full and firm.


That is good to know. I just want them to be fed enough to get and stay healthy.


----------



## cheyenne (Aug 21, 2011)

They are sure cuties Lucky! I love the names too!


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

I know you do, but slow and steady is a lot better than fast. It is always easier to prevent problems than it is to try to fix them.


----------



## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Yes, over feeding can make them very sick. Good advice was given. Such cuties! Love the names.


----------



## uglywon (Dec 21, 2012)

Yeah. Good names! Adorable little guys. Glad you are not giving up on keeping goats. I think its smart to keep the little guys separate until they are bigger. Hopefully you'll be able to provide them enough Sully time to keep his spirits up. Remember, anytime you change a goats diet the change must be made gradually.


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I agree with what Jen? (Goatcrazy) said. I also agree that the spotted one has an odd mouth that can get much worse, or get better as he gets older... Keep a close eye on it. They are very cute and good luck with them.


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

Here are some photos of my boys! There are more of Joey because Benji was sleeping on my mom's lap.

Benji and my mom



























Joey









You can kinda see how thin he is here


----------



## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

They adorable!!!  
I want LaMacha x Nubian crosses!


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

SOOOO cute!!! congrats on your babies!!! Joey doesn't look very parrot mouthy in those pictures, so it seems like it was just the first picture. they are skinny, but i'm sure they're going to fatten up soon under your loving care! can't wait to see them grow!!


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

How adorable


----------



## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

They are adorable. Congratulations. 

Do you know how to check for Parrot mouth?


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

nchen7 said:


> SOOOO cute!!! congrats on your babies!!! Joey doesn't look very parrot mouthy in those pictures, so it seems like it was just the first picture. they are skinny, but i'm sure they're going to fatten up soon under your loving care! can't wait to see them grow!!


I agree...don't see any parrot mouth. They are cute!!!


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Well those pictures don't show a good side shot. Can you get one?


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

Scottyhorse said:


> Well those pictures don't show a good side shot. Can you get one?


Here is the only side shot I have:










The boys are good today! They slept through the night in a bin on my bed, with my chihuahua/Pomeranian guarding them lol. He LOVES goats and thinks it's his duty to protect them. And eat their poop. 
I had to use the restroom during the night (TMI, sorry lol) and didn't want to wake the babies so I army crawled out of my room which took over 3 minutes.
Feeding time is quite chaotic. I can only feed one at a time and whoever is not being fed at the moment (even if they just ate) will squawck and screech at me.

I changed Benji's name today. It didn't seem to fit him. So now he is Judson. Aka Judd, Juddy.

When would be a good time to intro them to Sully? It would be supervised obviously, not because Sully would intentionally hurt them, but because he is close to 100 lbs. and accidents happen.

Here is a pic from this morning of them sleeping.


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

How sweet  
His mouth still looks a little odd, but just keep an eye on it. I would give them two or three weeks to settle in, gain some needed weight, etc. Before you introduce them to Sully. When my does kid, I wait 1-2 weeks before I introduce them to the herd. But it's your call and you do what you think is best  :thumb:


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

Well Joey and Judd have gotten quite a bit stronger already since being fed regularly. The first night and morning they were so weak that they couldn't walk very much or even stand up for long periods of time without falling over. Now they are popcorning everywhere and jumping out of their bin so I had to get a collapsible crate today so that they don't escape and get into trouble.
They are being fed 5 oz. every 3-4 hours. I'm still trying to perfect the amount/frequency. I don't have a scale to weigh them so I am just guessing, 
They definitely know who their momma is! With my other goats, I got them at 8 weeks and bottle fed them and they bonded well to me. But by getting J&J so young, they are even more bonded to me. They like to be able to see me at all times and if they know I am there I either have to be holding them, feeding them, or touching them otherwise they express their displeasure in a very loud, persistent way. It was sweet this morning, my darn dog woke them up and they stood up and started whining so I said "shhh.." while giving them a couple pets, then they curled up and went back to sleep.
I am already soooo attached to them!


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

"popcorning" LMAO What a perfect description! So glad they are getting better and they are so stinking cute!!


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Popcorning around is a perfect description It's so cute when the babies do that That means they are getting stronger YAY!! Good job with them!!


----------



## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

Instead of Judd I'd do Jed so it's Joey and Jed sounds.... Smoother. Oh and by the way they are so cute and I'm so glad their active now.


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

I am a worn out mommy! The babies are sleeping less, eating more, and demanding attention. They sleep in my room at night (in a bin on my bed) so I am aware of every movement and sound they make. It took me 30 min. to get them to go to sleep last night and just as I was falling asleep they woke up and started throwing a fit to be fed. So I fed them, and took another 30 min. to get them back to sleep. We did this again at 3:45 this morning. Now I'm starting a new day. Only 8-10 more weeks of this. And then I'm sure I'll miss this.
It's going to be hard to make them outside goaties since they will be inside for the next 2 months and are almost always with someone. I think it may be harder on me than them lol.

Can I start offering them a mineral block or is it too soon?


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

It's not too soon for that, but the blocks are not good for the goats teeth, I do loose minerals. They also don't get what they need from the block either. Actually I waited until they were eating grain and hay before I offered it. I also wouldn't feed throughout the night though. 4 times a day every 4 hours, then at about 3-4 weeks down to 3 times a day and increase amount by their weight, actually I just gradually increase to 12 oz max, them start introducing grain and hay, then after the 6 week mark gradually increase the amount and then twice a day. Even when I had my little guy on mom, he was separated at night so he didn't eat at night, he was really hungry come morning time though Just some suggestions...


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Blocks are not good for goats. They can't lick it enough to get the proper amount of mineral. You really need a good loose goat mineral but they don't need it right now.


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

Good to know. I have both a block and loose minerals. I will get rid of the block and just stick to the loose minerals.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can leave the block but just make sure the loose minerals are out.


----------



## Lucky_072508 (Jul 22, 2011)

The babies are 15 days old today! They are total spazzes. They seem like they are always hungry so I'm wondering if I am feeding them enough. I am not able to weigh them but I know they are still underweight, especially Joey. I brought in some leaves for them to nibble on, which they do a little bit. They are being fed 6 oz. each, every three hours (except for during the night), with Nutridrench twice a day. I also gave them probiotic paste the other day. 
Their little horns are starting to poke through and they are not wanting their heads touched as much it seems. 
How do you teach manners to babies when they aren't around other goats? They headbutt, jump on me, and nibble/bite skin, clothes, hair, etc.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I personally would move it to 8 oz, but that's just me. As far as teaching manners, I'm the last person to talk about that, as my 2 oberhasli wethers (1st bottle kids) still try to jump on me and they are going to be 2 in May... They are not as bad as they used to be.., which is good. They don't liked getting flicked in the nose, which is why they stop trying to jump when it looks like that what I'm going to do...


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If they seem like they need more, then up it by half an ounce per bottle and go from there. Never up the amount by a lot.


----------



## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

So cute !!! Lol


----------



## Houdini (Dec 4, 2013)

For manners I push them down and away every time, if they want to jump up I make sure they don't touch me. My goat I got when she was 2. She would jump up on me, I would either push her away or move away and I taught her to stand on hind legs if she touched me she didn't get her treat. Now she doesn't jump up on me or head butt me.


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Lucky_072508 said:


> They seem like they are always hungry so I'm wondering if I am feeding them enough. I am not able to weigh them but I know they are still underweight, especially Joey.


Are they getting goat grower pellets and hay? If not, I would start them on very good 3rd or 4th cutting straight alfalfa hay(kids generally don't much care for grass hay and tend to waste it) - start with a handful of leaves and build them up to leaves and stems - and a 14-16% pellet.

As far as manners - anytime mine jump on me I either knee them in the chest(front), or raise my leg backwards and knock them off balance enough that they get down. You don't have to be harsh, just hard enough to knock them off balance and make them get down. Pair it with a very stern, low, "NO"! or "OFF"!. Nibbling or biting me(as in me - not clothes, etc.) earns them a pop on the nose and another "NO"! I don't really care if they nibble on my clothes - that is how my mature does ask to be petted or scratched. Mine have never tried to heatbutt, so I'm not sure how to handle that one.


----------



## clementegal (May 23, 2013)

For the head butting tug their ear it is how mother goats say no. Not a yank just a quick tug and a stern no. Do NOT push back!


----------

