# How long After Freshening to Bring New Doe Home?



## TinyForest (Nov 30, 2017)

Howdy everyone, I am not new to goats but have been out of the loop for a year and a half and before that I had been out of the loop for a few years too. I'm returning to dairy goats with Nubians. My first doe is a second freshener that is being sold recently fresh. She is due in about 10 days. I also have her buck kid reserved and hope she has one so she can make the move with her buckling. I can't reserve her doeling though she hasn't been offered anyway. She is coming out of a show dairy herd that pulls the kids at birth. I dam raise and also like the convenience of OAD milking. The seller is not set up to house a doe with kid in her barn so I am to bring the doe to my home (3.5 hour drive one way) very soon after she freshens. What is the earliest it would be healthy for her to travel, keeping in mind the sellers set up is not conducive to dam raising. There will be other freshened does without kids by their side. I'm thinking two days old. Does anyone foresee any major drawbacks? She will be transported in a horse trailer on a fresh bed of hay. There will be a loafing shed set up and waiting for her, where she will be alone with her kid (or another buck kid if she doesn't have a buckling. This is from central Florida to north Florida so the temps will not be freezing. Thanks for your advice.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Last May I brought home a doe 5 days after she kidded with a single buckling. But I think that was pushing it a bit. The stress of birth, the move, and being in a different environment was very hard on her. She was a little thin when she arrived and to top that, got a severe case of barber pole worms. We almost lost her but amazingly she pulled through.

If I had the choice, I'd not want to move another newly freshened doe until maybe 2 weeks after birth? And only if she was in good condition.
But with plenty of hay to snuggle into, and seeing that the seller can't really accommodate a doe/kid pair, I think you could get by with bringing them home a week after kidding. If you decide to do this, watch the doe (and kid) very, very carefully. As we have found out time and time again, they can go downhill so quickly.


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## TinyForest (Nov 30, 2017)

Thank you. She is in excellent condition and I will be bringing her feed with her. The plus side to this is that my field has never had goats, so no parasites waiting to pounce on her and her herd is copper bollused. I'm pretty sure one week is too long for the seller but I am awaiting her reply. Due to her set up I don't think a week is possible for her. I was thinking more along the line of 2 - 3 days at most. She is also a show goat so she is used to trailering and going to strange places. Very used to leading and being handled, clipped etc.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

You could always try to bring her 2-3 post kidding, although it seems risky. Of course, it may be your only choice. And since it sounds like she is kind of used to being in new places (although after kidding is a little different) then I think it would be more do-able. 

Another thing that would greatly help is if you have a dry lot to put her in. After kidding/moving, goats are even more susceptible to worms than they normally are, so a dry lot/stall would be great (this is what we did a few weeks ago when bringing home a doe who was almost 4 months pregnant). It would lower her chances of getting worms.

And I've never heard that part about goat parasites not being somewhere because there have never been goats there before. Hopefully someone else will chime in about this though.


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

TinyForest said:


> Thank you. She is in excellent condition and I will be bringing her feed with her. The plus side to this is that my field has never had goats, so no parasites waiting to pounce on her and her herd is copper bollused. I'm pretty sure one week is too long for the seller but I am awaiting her reply. Due to her set up I don't think a week is possible for her. I was thinking more along the line of 2 - 3 days at most. She is also a show goat so she is used to trailering and going to strange places. Very used to leading and being handled, clipped etc.


What have you had? I hear goat and sheep worms are similar, hence using similar wormers.


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## TinyForest (Nov 30, 2017)

TooManyBoers said:


> What have you had? I hear goat and sheep worms are similar, hence using similar wormers.


Probably deer walking through there at one time. It's been fallow and overgrown. I moved here two years ago and there was othing here but brush and trees. Lots of good forage.


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## TinyForest (Nov 30, 2017)

Goat_Scout said:


> You could always try to bring her 2-3 post kidding, although it seems risky. Of course, it may be your only choice. And since it sounds like she is kind of used to being in new places (although after kidding is a little different) then I think it would be more do-able.
> 
> Another thing that would greatly help is if you have a dry lot to put her in. After kidding/moving, goats are even more susceptible to worms than they normally are, so a dry lot/stall would be great (this is what we did a few weeks ago when bringing home a doe who was almost 4 months pregnant). It would lower her chances of getting worms.
> 
> And I've never heard that part about goat parasites not being somewhere because there have never been goats there before. Hopefully someone else will chime in about this though.


Thanks. She lives on a dry lot and she will be moved to a loafing shed with a fenced dry yard.I will see when the seller replies. 3 days would be better .


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## TooManyBoers (Oct 19, 2017)

TinyForest said:


> Probably deer walking through there at one time. It's been fallow and overgrown. I moved here two years ago and there was othing here but brush and trees. Lots of good forage.


Just the usual then. You should st least be safe but there's always still the chance that they could carry goat diseases/mites or ticks with goat diseases


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Sometimes you do what you have to do. I would give her a B complex shot and probios before leaving sellers house and the next day at your house.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

At the very least, make sure she drops the placenta, is milked out well and is eating and drinking. ( 3-4 days after kidding).


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## TinyForest (Nov 30, 2017)

Thanks everyone.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All great advice.

Good luck.


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