# I am brand new at this



## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Hi everyone!! I am new to the site, and to goat raising. I grew up with goats as a kid, but now am ready to get my own. My goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible, and our new property will allow me to have goats. I am going to be picking up my two babies next week. They are a boy and a girl Nubian. My goal with them is to allow them to grow together, then to breed them and use future kids for meat and the mother for milk. I have been mentored by a goat farmer that has over 30 years experience, and she has taught me a lot. However, I just thought of a really silly question, and wanted to ask you all to break the ice here. When my buck gets bigger, I know he will be stinky. Is there any way of lessening that? I know it's inevitable when he isn't neutered, but I don't want him to be for my purposes. Thank you so much for any advice!! Maria


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can bathe him in the warmer months but during rut forget it.

If they will be living together, there is a good chance your doe may get pregnant too young. Some Nubians are year round breeders.

Good luck!


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

This is my baby boy Lucky!!

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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Thank you, K...how old do they need to be before I pen them together? 


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Very cute!


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

I feel like an expectant parent! Lol!! I am always so happy to get new pictures of him 


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Generally with full size goats you want them to be at least 80 lbs and 8 months old. Of course you want the female to be healthy and of good condition before breeding.


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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

mburnsch said:


> Hi everyone!! I am new to the site, and to goat raising. I grew up with goats as a kid, but now am ready to get my own. My goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible, and our new property will allow me to have goats. I am going to be picking up my two babies next week. They are a boy and a girl Nubian. My goal with them is to allow them to grow together, then to breed them and use future kids for meat and the mother for milk. I have been mentored by a goat farmer that has over 30 years experience, and she has taught me a lot. However, I just thought of a really silly question, and wanted to ask you all to break the ice here. When my buck gets bigger, I know he will be stinky. Is there any way of lessening that? I know it's inevitable when he isn't neutered, but I don't want him to be for my purposes. Thank you so much for any advice!! Maria
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


My advice for the boy is- tame him young!!! That makes a big difference!! I raise pygmies but a bunch of bucks aren't tamed and are mean. If you tame him young he won't or won't be as aggressive as a untamed buck in rut. And never ever grab him by the horns!!!!!! and I think it would be ok to keep them together until two or three months of age.

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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Yep definitely no breeding until the doe is at least 80lbs/8 Mon, and its safer to wait until she's a year old. Until then it's safest to keep them seperate, and for that you need strong buck-proof fences.

You can't do too much for the smell. Some bucks have their scent glands burned while being disbudded, have yours been disbudded?

Important: do NOT play with the buck! Never jet him butt, rub or jump on you, and if he does give him a slap on the nose or an ear pinch. He needs to learn to be respectful of you BEFORE he grows up, when he'll weigh 150-200lbs . Just be very gentle and aloof with him, and stop bad behavior immediately.
Oh and btw, during rut your buck will do some weird things like pee on his front legs and in his mouth and flap his tongue. It's gross, but his way of attracting the girls .
Good luck and have fun with your new goaties!


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

I would personally never keep a single buck and single doe together. If I were you, I would get two does and rent or borrow a buck to breed to. It isn't cost efficient to pay for the feed and care of a buck when you only have one doe to breed, and you probably won't want to breed him to the subsequent does you get from breedings, as they will be too closely related. Keeping them together after your doe is in milk risks the buck smell contaminating the milk and your doe will also be at risk of being rebred too soon after kidding. 

That said, good luck! I'm sure you will love having goats. They are addictive!


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Thank you all for the advice! I definitely need it, lol! It's been quite a hectic day here...we found 3 kittens on the verge of death. My kids came home with them, and after bathing them, giving them kitty antibiotics, and feeding with a dropper, I think they are stable now. My youngest son, who is 9, was carrying one into the house. She was so weak she was hardly moving. He thought she died in his arms, and he nearly collapsed crying. Please pray for them!








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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

I will pray!! one time I found an abandoned kitten at the farthest barn!! The mom left it. It was the only kitten left and our dogs were out and probably scared the mom away I was like a day old!!! We bottle fed it but when it was a week old suddenly it got sick and died!! poor baby!!


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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

He was black with a white goin down his nose and all the way down his belly and he started to open his eyes one day and they looked blue!! but we had named him panda and it was so sad when he died!!


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

I am so sorry! It is hard...we all prayed over them, but I did tell them that they might go to heaven, because we don't know God's will, or what this is meant to teach us. They have so much faith! 


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

I want to name them Bippity, Boppity, Boo! 


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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

That is soo sweet!! and I'll be praying!! How many kids do you have??


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## OGYC_Laura (Jan 9, 2014)

I don't know if you have bottle fed babies before... Just are a few things that I have learned over the years....

For new borns the best bottle is a ten cc syringe with a piece of IV tubing cut to 1/2 inch slipped over the end. heat the edges so it doesn't cut the babies mouths.

Use a paper towel slightly dampened with hot water to stimulate their little bottoms and make sure they poop and pee at each feeding.

Human baby formula has too much iron in it and can cause permanent damage to their eyes.

Until their eyes open they need fed a few cc's every 2-3 hours.

Their little bellies should not bulge out after they eat. Just firm after each feeding.

It is a lot of hard work but well worth it.

Prayers your way


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

I have 3 kids...my girl is 15, and my boys are 13 and 9. Thank you, Laura! I am using all the same supplies and techniques, as you described, for these 3 little guys as I had to do once before. We adopted a kitten from our local shelter, and she came with a horrible case of upper respiratory infection. I still have syringes left from that. It was a lot of work, tears, and prayer, but she is a beautiful healthy gray tabby girl. Her name is Bella. Before her, I rescued a neighborhood stray. She came to me when I cooked on the grill. Many pieces of hot dog and cheese later, she adopted us! Her name is Chloe. She was just upset with me after she saw me feeding the babies, and she fussed something awful, but I reminded her she is still the queen and she quieted right down. She's sleeping by me now. Each one that comes grows my heart! 


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Chloe my queen








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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Id not bother having a buck for 1 doe. Get another doe instead and just take the does to your mentor to get breed when they are in heat. Even with a 50.00 breeding fee, you are going to save so much money and aggravation as apposed to dealing with a buck. The upkeep on him will most likely wash any profit from selling the babies. Not to mention with two does you can have 1 pen, 1 feeder or pasture, 1 water bucket and no stink.


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Thank you for the input TDG!  The only problem is I have already fallen in love with the little guy!! It's all his fault for being so darn cute! Lol! Also, his "mom" now is having problems, so I am helping her by taking him. He was bottle fed, so that will help with temperament, and I will train him from day one on appropriate behavior. I believe in doing that with anything, human and animal. You teach them young and it makes life a lot easier!! Again, thank you! I appreciate all of the advice I have gotten! Have a great day! 


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Are you worried about them being lonely when you have to separate them? Mine get so upset by themselves.


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

I have a large covered pen that I am going to split down the middle...they will be able to see each other, so I am hoping that will help. I know they are very social. That's part of what makes me love them! 


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Well, it sound like you know what you want to do. Best of luck! I can't wait to see pictures of the doe.


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

We picked up our baby boy today!! He is SO sweet! Our dogs and he get along very well...they were all lounging outside together. My black lab even started nibbling grass when she watched him do it, lol!! She thinks she's a goat now, too, I guess!  He is settled in for night, night, and has a beautiful new pen! I am SO happy!


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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

Which one the human or the goat?? haha


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Lol! I know, huh? They're in love ! 


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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

They look so happy together!!:')


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

mburnsch said:


> Chloe my queen
> View attachment 65990
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


Chloe looks so much like my cat, Sully!


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Chloe has a twin!! Sully is so beautiful! My hubby came home today to the two dogs, 3 kids, 2 cats, 3 kittens, and the goat, all on the front porch! It was a zoo! I love it! 


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

Now that the weather is nice, Chloe rarely graces me with her presence. She will come in for a snack and a nap, and she's back out the door. Sounds like teenagers, huh?  She loves to hunt, and has a lot of room to do it. She has killed snakes, baby rabbits (sad), mice, and I am sure much more that I haven't seen. I love her, in spite of the querks, lol!


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

Sully is the furthest away from an outdoor cat she could possibly be! She's terrified to go outside, and I'm pretty sure she's never killed anything in her life. She had an ear hematoma this winter, and had to have surgery. This is what her ear looks like now.


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

And wow, snakes! I've never heard of a cat who kills snakes. That's pretty cool


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

Be careful on how soon a buckling is fertile. An oldtimer told me that bucklings can be fertile as early as 10 weeks old.hlala:


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## Selah123 (Mar 24, 2013)

Hi - beautiful buckling! I started with one doe and a buck like you. I now have the doe and have kept 3 of her daughters. I still have my nubian buck and they never have bred out of season.....I have kept him for a few reasons! They throw really good kids together and also he is not aggressive by buck standards so it works okay. That being said, if I ever get rid of him (or he dies of old age!) I would just buy a buck kid and use them to service does and then sell him on before he is big and smelly! So it can work...but YEP a real pain when that smell gets on you just before you are going to go out!!!


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## mburnsch (Apr 26, 2014)

I'm sorry for Sully! I hope she is feeling better! I am happy you have a great buck, Selah! I have a hard time thinking of not having Lucky just cause he will be stinky when he's in rut. He's such a loving boy!


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## Selah123 (Mar 24, 2013)

I posted this pic of my buck on another thread - this is when he snuck inside and was laying on the bed in the sun room. Cute but smelley and lost a lot of bedding! Aldo a pic by himself and one with his girlfriend


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