# New to Goats -- Need Help Please



## LadyMiss (Jan 28, 2014)

I live on a farm, and we've never had goats before until last year. One of our neighbors (he was a really old frail man, but a wonderful person) had goats, and one night a pack of wild dogs got into his goat pen and nearly killed all of them. My Dad felt really bad for our neighbor and for the goats, and one morning when they were talking, the man mentioned that he didn't think he could continue taking care of the goats and was trying to figure out what to do with them. My Dad being the type of person he is, told the man that he would take the goats, mostly because my Dad didn't want the rest of the herd to get attacked by more wild dogs. So last year, we got goats! 

I was really busy with school last year though, so I never really had time to go down and see the goats. But a few months ago, I went down to the goat pen to feed them for my Dad, and I actually got to see one of the Momma goats give birth to twins. It was so AMAZING! Ever since then, I've started naming them, and I've become really attached to all of them. 

I've basically just taken a really big interest in them and I want to do everything I can to take care of them and make sure they're looked after properly. And it's not that I don't think my Dad is caring for them properly, he takes good care of them, just as far as vet care, vaccines, hoof treat, etc. goes; I want to make sure they get that if its needed for them to keep them healthy.

When my Dad first got them last year though, he fixed up a huge pasture for them and put up a really nice electric fence to keep out any wild animals. He had two shelters built for them, and basically took care of all the "basic" stuff they would need. 

(THIS IS THE PART WHERE I BEGIN TO GET IN OVER MY HEAD!)

I don't think they've ever had any vaccines or injections before though, and that's been worrying me lately. But I don't have the slightest clue as to what they would need, so that's another reason why I joined the forums. I thought about getting our Vet to come down and look at them, but we didn't have a very good season this past year, so money is kind of tight at the moment, and including all the kids, we have 22 goats total. I'm not even sure if they're milking goats or meat goats.

I'm doing as much research as I can, but a lot of times some of the things I read on the internet will contradict other things I've read. That's why I'm asking for advice here. 

Can you guys give me any advice, thoughts, or ideas on how I can better take care of the goats and make sure they're looked after properly.

Like I said, they have two really nice shelters, a big supply of fresh hay, they get feed everyday, they've got a constant source of water (a big trough) and they have a huge green pasture, with a very secure electric fence. So I know pretty much the basics for them have been covered.

It's the more detailed care that I'm trying to figure out. Any and all thoughts, opinions, and advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm going to look through the beginner forum as well and do some more research. Sorry this post ended up being so long!

Thank you,
LadyMiss


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Glad you are here LadyMiss & we'll do all we can to help you.
There is lots of conflicting info out there. Much to do with where you are located much to do with personal management that may or may not work in your herd as oppose to someone else's.
But I can say this; loose minerals with high (1800 ppm or more) copper is going to help your herd no matter what breed.


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## COgoatLover25 (Dec 23, 2013)

One of the more important things to have on hand is a good mineral block for goats only, and put that out for free choice for them where they can get to it whenever they need some. Baking soda is also a good choice to have free choice for them as it helps them balance their ph ( reduces chance of bloat) ( really important ) and another important thing for you to do is post pics of your big goat herd !!!!


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## LadyMiss (Jan 28, 2014)

I forgot to mention that in my post above, but my Dad does have several "salt block" looking things out in the field for them. They're all the time licking them and what not, but I'm not sure if its a "salt block" or if its a "mineral block." I'll ask my Dad today, and if its not a mineral block I'll tell him we need to get a few. Also, I didn't know that about the baking soda, but I will get some of that too! And yes, I will post some pictures very soon! The weather has been really muggy here the past few weeks, so hopefully the sun will be out this week so I can get some good shots! Oh and last night at dinner my Dad told me that this summer he wants to have a big barn built for the goats, since what they stay in right now is basically just a big shelter. But my Dad said he wants to build a barn with a few stalls and stuff so in case we ever have to separate goats that are sick or something like that. I'm super excited about it, so now I can't wait for summer! 

Thank you again guys for the advice! Me and my Dad really appreciate it! Also, I'm learning so much just from reading through a lot of the posts under the beginner forum. This message board is awesome! There is so much information here, it's exactly the type of thing I was looking for so I could finally get some solid information on raising goats.

Oh and also, I live in North Carolina in the states. I know Nancy mentioned that a lot of goat care depends on where you live and such. Is there anything I need to worry about specifically since I live down south in North Carolina as far as taking care of my goats go?


Thank you again Nancy D, and COgoatLover25!


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Even if the blocks are trace mineral the goats are not likely to be able to get their requirements from those. Loose minerals are better because they can eat more. 

The only vaccination I give my herd is CDT, because they can get enterotoxemia and tetanus just sitting around the pasture. Most other vaccines aren't needed unless you know they're likely to be exposed to that disease (such as high rabies prevalence in your area) and some have questionable effectiveness. 

You'll probably want to worm them too if it's never been done. Valbazen or Ivomec Plus will cover pretty much everything, or you can look into herbal wormers if you prefer that. I don't like to overmedicate so my plan is to hit everyone with Ivomec Plus once a year after they kid (when they're most vulnerable) and maybe run fecals once later in the year to make sure nothing is building up.


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## LadyMiss (Jan 28, 2014)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> Even if the blocks are trace mineral the goats are not likely to be able to get their requirements from those. Loose minerals are better because they can eat more.
> 
> The only vaccination I give my herd is CDT, because they can get enterotoxemia and tetanus just sitting around the pasture. Most other vaccines aren't needed unless you know they're likely to be exposed to that disease (such as high rabies prevalence in your area) and some have questionable effectiveness.
> 
> You'll probably want to worm them too if it's never been done. Valbazen or Ivomec Plus will cover pretty much everything, or you can look into herbal wormers if you prefer that. I don't like to overmedicate so my plan is to hit everyone with Ivomec Plus once a year after they kid (when they're most vulnerable) and maybe run fecals once later in the year to make sure nothing is building up.


Thanks so much for telling me all of that WildHearts. I'm going to do just that, get them all wormed and the CDT. Also, I told my Dad about the loose minerals being better for them, so were getting some of that to put out in the pasture with them as well. Thank you so much!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Sounds like they have a really nice setup. I agree with the suggestions above: loose minerals specific for goats, CD/T vaccine, and de-worming. The other basic need I would suggest is hoof trimming! Do you guys do that at all? It could be overwhelming at first to take on 22 goats if you've never done but maybe you can find a local person to show you how to do it!


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## LadyMiss (Jan 28, 2014)

SalteyLove said:


> Sounds like they have a really nice setup. I agree with the suggestions above: loose minerals specific for goats, CD/T vaccine, and de-worming. The other basic need I would suggest is hoof trimming! Do you guys do that at all? It could be overwhelming at first to take on 22 goats if you've never done but maybe you can find a local person to show you how to do it!


That's one other thing I was gonna ask about Saltey, was hoof trimming. I think the majority of our 21 goats are kids. All the Momma goats just recently gave birth in the last couple months. I think in total we have like 6 baby kids right now. We have like 5 older kids, they've got their teeth grown in now though. And then the rest are the adults.

I'm sure theres someone local that me and my Dad could find to show us about hoof trimming though. We live out the the rural country, so I don't think that will be a problem at all. So hoof trimming you can basically do that yourself once you learn how too? I know we have neighbors that have horses and they have to have a man come by every month or so to trim the horses hooves, but I'm sure theres a big difference between goats and horses there lol.

Thank you guys so much for all of this information. I feel SO MUCH better now about everything. You guys are the absolute best, this forum is just amazing! <3


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Yes, it's something you can do yourself. Goat hooves are much simpler than horses (I do both.) Depending on how much land you have and what it's like, you may not have to trim them too often; they can wear the hooves down if they do a lot of walking on rocky ground.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

welcome!!! sounds like you have a wonderful set up for your goats!

there are plenty of videos on hoof trimming. i've had to learn myself. if there's no one to show you in person, pick the goat who's most patient (don't want to start with a wild goat), and practice on that one. make sure you wear some safety gear....don't ask me how i know....

here are some great websites with fantastic information:
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/articlesMain.html

there's a lot of learn, and it can be VERY overwhelming at first. my suggestion is to take a read at as many things as you can handle, and think a little about what option for things work for you (e.g. vaccinations, worming, feeding, etc). everyone will have a differing opinion depending on what their goal is for their herd.


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

TheGoatMentor you-tube channel has a lot of good info as well including a hoof trimming video


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## goatfarmer4891 (May 9, 2013)

Welcome! It was so nice for you and your dad to take in the goats. They are addicting  It sounds like you are both taking great care of them so I will just list a few things that I found helpful when I first started.

*Make sure you clean out their water trough often because fresh, clean water is an essential to a herd's health
*It is also very helpful to have a medicine kit on hand just in case you need it, I will list some things that I have in mine at the end
*One thing that is good to learn is being observant-is their fecal normal? Is their head hanging? Are the kids' tails up and wagging when they are feeding? Are they all eating normally?
*A major killer of goats is worms, there are all types of them out there. Some people choose to deworm their herd regularly, but I only deworm the ones that I suspect to have worms. Using dewormer a lot on your goats can cause them to become immune to the medicine.
*if you want to post a picture of your goats we will be able to tell you what breed they are so you can do more research
*What do you have on hand for birthing? Most goats have no trouble giving birth, but sometimes there are complications where they may need assistance or a kid may be born unhealthy and need a quick reaction to save them

In my medicine kit:
LA 200 
Penicillin
B Complex 
Iron 200
Nutri drench
Colostrum
Probios
Drencher 
Needles and Syringes
and the list goes on and on!

Hope this has been helpful!


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## Ryann (May 29, 2013)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> Even if the blocks are trace mineral the goats are not likely to be able to get their requirements from those. Loose minerals are better because they can eat more.
> 
> The only vaccination I give my herd is CDT, because they can get enterotoxemia and tetanus just sitting around the pasture. Most other vaccines aren't needed unless you know they're likely to be exposed to that disease (such as high rabies prevalence in your area) and some have questionable effectiveness.
> 
> You'll probably want to worm them too if it's never been done. Valbazen or Ivomec Plus will cover pretty much everything, or you can look into herbal wormers if you prefer that. I don't like to overmedicate so my plan is to hit everyone with Ivomec Plus once a year after they kid (when they're most vulnerable) and maybe run fecals once later in the year to make sure nothing is building up.


Make sure not to use the Valbazen or Ivomec plus on pregnant does it can cause abortions.... I have used the regular Ivomec injectable on pregnant doe without a problem


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## IrishRoots (Jan 7, 2013)

Welcome to the forms and the wonderful world of goat addiction! Everyone has given some good advice and it sounds like you are covering all the basics!

I definitely agree with a good loose mineral, hoof trimming, and deworming!

We also give

copper bolus (a pill containing copper rods that helps prevent copper deficiency in goats

BoSe ( a vitamin E and Selenium injection) when we give our CDT shots

We want to see some pictures!!


Irish Roots Acres 
Nigerian Dwarf Goats


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

First off I so commend you on not only taking care of the goaties BUT for caring enough to come here and ask how to do it right. That alone puts you way ahead of most. Here are some basics:

Feed: Pasture or hay. Without knowing the breeds and sex of all the goaties, this is kinda a hard one to suggest. If you feed hay, make sure its clean and not moldy. Where you live Id guess you get pasture growth most of the year. If they all look to be good weight wise, then Id say for now just keep doing what you are doing for feed. If you have access to grain or alfalfa, that might be a good supplement to give does raising kids.

Mineral/salt: As mentioned, loose mineral mixes are the way to go. Goats need higher levels of just about all vitamins and minerals over other livestock. The main focus is usually on copper and selenium (if you are in a selenium deficient area, which most people are). 1200+ ppm of copper and 75+ ppm of selenium would be the lowest Id would go for a loose mineral. A bag should last that many goats a couple of months. Though when you first start giving it to em, they may chow down on it to build up their the levels in their body.

Vaccines/boosters/wormer: CD/T is good and cheap. You might also look into like a 6, 8 or 9 way vaccine. These just cover more things. Bo-se for new born babies. A fecal on a couple of the rougher looking goats would be well worth the cost to determine exactly what wormer would be best to buy. If they have external parasites (lice) you can get a wormer to cover that as well or use a dust. For that many goats Id say 3-4 cans of phython dust would do the trick for any crawly bugs.

Care: Hoof trimming as mentioned. But dont worry about killing yourself to try and get em all done at once. Do 1 a day if you have the time or try to do 3 or 4 on your available days. Depending upon the moisture of the ground they are on, you might need to trim more frequent but every 3-6 months should be good. Hair trimming is usually not a must.


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Way to go helping out your neighbor...it really sucks to get old and not be able to take care of your critters anymore. And then to have such a tragedy as he did...poor guy. 

It sounds like you have a very good start, and the wonderful folks here at Goat Spot will help you with any questions that arise. 

The only thing I haven't seen mentioned is to be sure to separate the boys from the girls, or you will soon have WAY more than 22!! :laugh: :baby: :crazy: :dazed:

Oh yeah, as has already been mentioned...MUST HAZ PITCHURES!! :clap:


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Congrats to you for showing a responsible attitude! I agree with what has been said...
Good quality,non-moldy hay, goat specific loose minerals free-choice. Then you can decide should they need BoSe and copper bolusing.
The does feeding babies would benefit from some alfalfa for sure, and separate boys from girls asap! The boys can breed ridiculously young, like 10 weeks old I think is possible!!

If you post pics we can help you to determine what type of goats you have


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## LadyMiss (Jan 28, 2014)

nchen7 said:


> welcome!!! sounds like you have a wonderful set up for your goats!
> 
> there are plenty of videos on hoof trimming. i've had to learn myself. if there's no one to show you in person, pick the goat who's most patient (don't want to start with a wild goat), and practice on that one. make sure you wear some safety gear....don't ask me how i know....
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the web links Nchen!


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## LadyMiss (Jan 28, 2014)

Thank you ALL so VERY MUCH for the replies and all the wonderful advice! This has all been super helpful, and I just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to reply to my post. I'm so glad I came across this website, I can already tell its going to be a wonderful source of knowledge on raising my goats! -^_^-


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## fuzyjack (Jan 10, 2014)

Hope u and ur goats are better now! 


Sent from my iPad using Goat Forum


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