Buttercup Soaps L.L.C.
G.A.T.G. ~ Kid's Korner
This page is for information in general on goats. Some if not most was information and lessons I have learned along the way. With about 8 or 9 years of working with goats. A few years when I was a girl & now for the past 5 years or so with my own herd. My intention with this page is to help you understand the basics of goats. Hopefully to help some folks understand that its like having any other pet or farm animal...... Take care of them & they'll love you and give you sooo.... much in return! Whether you get a goat as "just a pet" or for dairy use or raising them for meat. Maybe you are here because you seek to know a bit more about another animal. Great either way. I hope I can help to answer some myths, fibs or even help you in your quest if you are raising or thinking of raising goats. Please remember; I am not a vet. Nor will I pretend that I know all about goats! I myself am still learning and that's what makes it even more interesting! If the day should come where you know everything there is to know about the animals you keep, well, it becomes boring I guess. As for goat's they seem to always keep you guessing!
If you have any questions regarding goats, please email me.
Got kids? Want kids? What do you do with your kids..... Kids, you gotta love 'em! They're cute, cuddly & full of wound up energy!! If your thinking about becoming a goat owner & wanting a baby goat/ kid, then you're in for some hilarious times. Hope you have a sense of humor if not, well..... they will find a giggle box in you! I'll start you off with this tid bit, one of my many experiences.
Goats at the Gate
The kids have all arrived.
I walk out to the milk barn with pails clanking in hand, for the morning milking
A bite of frost in the air.
The goat's at the gate, standing there yelling like they always do,
As if they haven't been fed in forever!
As I walk past the pen I count heads as I usually do. 5 does & 12 kids.
All a bit fluffed up.
I go into the "milk parlor" set about bustling around and milk a couple of does.
Finish up and head out with the hay cutting through the pen to the feed bunk area,
all the does following & kids
crambling in the excitement. After putting the hay in the feed bunk,
I turn around to walk back to the barn
And find myself stopped.......
I have now become a climbing post for a few kids.
I pet a few heads & talk to them try to walk away a bit more quickly,
I get almost to the gate when some unknown trigger sets the kids in motion.
Like an explosion of excitement hits all of them at that moment...
Little tails up, and they all go running! Around the pen, up on stumps,
back to the stall area, bounce off the metal walls
....bang bang bang....
front hooves hitting the metal, some of the kids are going mach 9 around the pen,
others looking like they have springs on their feet!
Twisting, turning, bouncing. I stand there giggling,
transfixed by the antics of the kids at play.
A couple of them are playing king of the mountain on top of a ramp we built the goats.
I stood there for nearly 20 minutes watching the fun.
I turn around and walk out smiling to myself, thinking........
Amazing, even after raising goats for this long, it's still rewarding in so many ways.
I pick up the pail of milk, my gold, and head to the house.
~~ L. Wright ~~
Every year we sell kid goats. I have been asked a lot of questions by folks getting kid goats for the first time. One main thing seems to be, " Is there anything special they need? As in shots, special food or what?" These are very good questions to ask. Here at this point I again will add, Goat's are happiest when in a herd. A herd can consist of 2 or more goat's. If your only wanting 1 goat but you have sheep or calves this works also. We raise a calf every year (we get them at a day to a week old) and they stay in our "Baby Pen". We separate the kids from the does in this pen with the calves. The calves are quite calm and the kids like the "mound" to climb on! Calves like the free body massage too. If you don't have any other animals to put the goats with you may find your goat becoming quite the escape artist and always trying to be up at the house where people are.
Having a good fencing for your kids is helpful. Remember kid goats are small and find ways to get out of small holes, especially under fencing! Regular pasture fence is usually to large of holes. Try chain link or welded wire fence. (Refer to Goat's at the Gate: Goat's 101. Under; fencing) If you have any holes in the fence that are 4 inches or bigger, they can escape through it!
One of the things to take into consideration before buying is how old are the kid(s). This will determine what to feed it to start with! Please be aware that these feeding recommendations are not set in stone! If in doubt call a vet or a trusted goat owner.
You will have to give it supplement milk. In other words, bottle feeding or bucket feeding. Goats milk is best or, if you don't have that, then you can buy milk replacer from a farm store. Along with offering it some hay, I will always give kids milk for the first month at least. It needs this nutrition for healthy goat growth. Some will be milk fed for a few months if we keep them on the does or have an excess of milk.
2 or 3 or 4 bottles a day? I've heard some give newborn kids 4 bottles a day @ 8 oz. each. Some give 2 bottles a day @ 16 oz. each. This is another one of those variables I think to a certain degree.
*We give newborn kids to the moms (Does). On occasion, we have to bottle feed it then it gets 3 bottles a day @ 6 oz each feeding for the first week, then @ 1 1/2 weeks it goes to 8 oz. Then by 2 weeks old it gets 12 oz. 2 times daily. By the time it is 3 weeks old it gets 16 oz. 2 times daily. This is meant as a guide only! Depending on the kid or breed; as in mini goats (pygmy, dwarf) or if it is a runt or premature, this will be less.
This can sometimes be.... hmm...... frustrating with some kid goats, others take to it right away. To start off with use a pop bottle or water bottle(plastic is fine The throw away kind works well - when your kid progresses to a bucket or bottle feeding is over you can throw it away) Get some lamb nipples, grey or black ones, we found the grey ones that fit over the bottle work great. Measure the amount of milk you need for your kid ( 8oz.= 1 cup WARM MILK or 12 oz. = 1 1/2 cups WARM MILK & so on) ALWAYS USE WARM MILK !! It will feel slightly warmer than body temp. Now to train your kid to drink from a bottle with you as the nurse maid. Sitting down with the goat kid tucked under your arm facing forward like you, place the nipple in the goats mouth, sometimes this takes a bit of doing, usually the kid will clamp its jaw closed and push forward with its nose or try to back out of your arms, in an attempt to avoid getting this object shoved in its mouth hold on to him. Try pushing the nipple in the side of its mouth then moving it to a straight angel with the mouth. Some will at this point start to suck on it, others may close their eyes and holler (with a gurgle) and keep their mouth closed tight around the nipple. just hold it there if possible or if the kid moved away again then keep trying. Some can get kinda wild about this others are calm and stubborn. Eventually you may get the whole amount in them or only 1/2 of it. The next time gets a bit easier. If not much of it or any was fed, then try in about 2 hours. (refrigerate if needed, then rewarm. But only once can you rewarm it. Throw out after the second time) Give fresh milk with a new feeding. Hunger always wins out eventually. Yes, they will still act hungry like, even when they finish all of it. One of the things I've heard folks say is they give the kids milk till they walk away, as in, how ever much it takes till they are full. Not a good idea. Usually diarrhea is the result, belly aches even death in some cases! Please follow the recommended amounts for the kid goats age. The most they should get is 16 oz. 2 times a day, at 1 month old, NOT at 2 weeks old! Certainly not a newborn or one week.
If training to bucket feed. The same amounts are standing & using warm milk. The easiest way I have found to train to a bucket from bottle is to use a nipple that they are use to. Dip it in the bucket to wet with milk then hold the bucket close with one hand and the nipple with the other by the goats mouth......... as soon as the kid smells the milk and feels the nipple, pull it towards the bucket slowly. This is an attempt to get the kids head in the bucket. The goat may turn away and look elsewhere for it. Try again till it gets a hold of the nipple in the bucket. Okay. The idea here is to use the nipple like a straw. Put the bottom of the nipple in the milk. The kid will suck the milk up through the nipple. This is way cool. After the kid is drinking a bit now you can opt to further sink the nipple in the milk.... which the kid usually follows till the milk gets on it's nose and may pull out. Try again. Sometimes kids will keep drinking even when you maneuver the nipple completely out of the way. Others take a few feedings before they figure out they don't need the nipple at all. Then when they figure out the bucket you use means food.......look out! You better hold on tight when you put it down. Some dive in up to there eyes with lots of gusto.
* Another interesting bit is they start to shake/shiver a lot when drinking. Getting all fluffed up. And usually shake themselves off, like they got wet all over.
When kids are first born they should stand within the first 2 hrs and nurse. Its very important that they get to nurse to get the colostrum in their system within this time, or no longer than 6 hrs. The colostrum is filled with antibiotics the newborn needs.
They should be eating hay, sorta. Kinda nibble at it really. Some take a real liking to it & some act as if they could care less. You might notice kids licking salt & dirt at this age also. Licking dirt is a good thing really, it helps the rumen with its ability to create good bacteria for digestion. It actually keeps the colon in good health.
Offer grain if you want. This was explained on the Goat's 101 page. The kid goat should be eating hay, grasses, and weeds at this age as well as chewing it's cud.
FYI..... Goats do not have top FRONT teeth, only bottom front teeth.
This is a subject that some think may be "cruel" or "wrong". This is to me a choice for each goat owner to determine. My opinion is, safety for myself and protecting future good quality goat owners. Horned goats are fine if you have a whole herd with horns. This way all is fair and to make things more even for fights sake. Horns can be very dangerous to others. Like people or other goats that don't have horns! I choose not to have horned goats because I raise dairy. This makes it easier for the milk stantion & less worry for my safety.
We "disbud" our kid goats at a week old. This way we don't have to put them through a "de-horning" (actually cutting/removing the horns) when they get older. The disbudding process is a burning of the horn cavity/cap to stop the growth of horns. This burn heals with out worry of infection or stress on an older animal.
This is removing a buck's testis. The reason most goat owners do this is to keep unwanted bucks from distribution, or for selling as a wether for pets or for butcher. This assures no "odor" to the meat or pet. This can be done with a crimper tool for castration or with a banding tool. We use a banding tool for the sake of ease of use and less risk of infection. Also it seems to be less painful for the animal. When the band is in place the buck kid soon enough forgets its there. In a couple of weeks or so the testis shrivel up & fall off. This method can only be done at a very young age. After the buck gets too big, or at least his testicles, then crimping or a veterinarian needs to do the procedure.
Do they need shots? What else do they need? When we first got our goats we went overboard with giving all kinds of shots that everyone kept saying they needed. "They need a 6 way shot" or "This 8 way will take care of all problems." I'm telling ya folks, we even went so far as to get the syringe gun to hold more shots at one time! We had one problem after another. After the shots! Pink Eye, colds, tumors, infections one after another. Yikes! Then I finally realized after my healthiest doe came down ill & had a lump at the shot site, that never went away. No More!
Now, this is my observation; my herd has been healthier since we quit giving shots to prevent things. We only give shots when needed (as in sick). We do worm every three (3) months and change pastures at that time. If you have healthy goats to begin with then it becomes much easier on the whole herd. As for tetanus shots..... Ask a vet on this one. Like I said, I don't give any shots until I need to. In cases with Large herds its probably advisable, especially if they are used for property cleanup, as in free range or getting among a lot of wood debris, piles of this and that, where nails & wire may injure them.
If you opt to give shots or have to medicate your goats, read labels first to find out what type of shot it is. Some medications you give under the skin (subQ - subcutaneous) & some into the muscle (IM - intramuscularly). The shot site is usually done in one of two places, the side of the neck or on the hind leg to the back of the leg. The suggested needle size for most goats is 20 gauge or 18 gauge. (The smaller the number on the needle means a Larger needle width) the length we usually use is 3/4 inch.
There are many reasons why people raise goats or any animal. Maybe you want weed eaters for a while, for butchering, for milk production, a pet, a pack animal or for your children to show into 4H with. What ever your reason it's always a good practice to take good care of your animals. You may find that goat's can be more rewarding than you first imagined! My family is very grateful that we have goat's. I am convinced they are the best pet ever. Especially with the overall goodness they give in return. They are what I call; Very "utilitarian". So very many uses. They are easy keepers too and not as intimidating to handle as larger farm animals.
They love to be loved. You head out to the pen with a brush and soon they will come to know you as a comfort giver. You may get quite a workout on the arms just brushing them! You can lead them around with a leash (how to train them, further on) and let them clean up the weeds on your property. Maybe you feel sad or need an ear to listen to your problems..... go to the goat pen and talk to them, they'll listen and won't judge you no matter how bad you look! Just be prepared to pet them while you talk. Goats can be trained to do certain things especially if there is a reward in it for them, such as food or a good scratching. Mostly food. Working with them frequently will help you understand them & gain knowledge on how and what, you can train them to do.
FYI.....Goats make a snort like spitting sound as an alarm to the herd. (Danger is near) Kid goats do this when running away playing.
Training a goat to lead is similar to training a puppy, except for one important factor! A goat if choked too long will pass out, like having a seizure of shaking. NOT GOOD. If there is too much pressure on the throat, it closes off the windpipe which in turn, with less oxygen, the goat will then collapse with a seizure like body jerking. This is especially noticed on young/kid goats. When training to lead, NEVER use a choker type collar. Use of a buckle type dog collar or even a goat halter is the preferred type. Kid goats fit better in a buckle type, so for this type I will use as a reference. Snap on some type of lead/leash, slide the collar up so it is at the jaw line area (the collar should not slip over the head if it does it is too loose). In this position with the collar there should be some room between the collar and the neck (about 2 fingers width).
Walk forward with some pressure against the throat with the collar, just a couple of steps at a time if the goat follows with very little pressure or none great, keep walking. However, if the goat needs pressure on its throat then use pressure and a tugging/pulling motion for only a couple of steps, releasing the pressure when you stop after each 2 steps. Remember you want this to be a good training not frightening for the animal. Some goats come along with you fine & others seem to fight the training with their feet planted, where you almost drag them a couple of steps each time. Don't give up. Just keep with it for about 10 min. at each lesson. If you lead them out to a patch of grass & weeds they understand a reward at the end. Leading them back to the pen is usually easier because they know that to be the place of safety & back with the herd. Remember, don't let the goat lead you! This can become quite a handful when the kid goat grows up and will take you for a drag around the pen! They can pull a lot harder than dogs do. Work with them at least 3 times a week & they will get the hang of it in no time.
Anytime you own more than one animal of the same species (dogs, horses, goats, sheep etc.) you will notice there is a "pecking order". Just like a family household. There is always one that is in command. Almost always a Doe. This is usually the strongest one, sometimes the sneaky one! This occurs in nature to assure that the genetics live on. Goats have this "Pecking" order in a herd to help keep the herd safe. She is the one that sounds the alarm if there is danger and its time to run. She is also the one that watches out for her herd and goes back for one that got lost, sometimes this might be the doe that is second in command.
When kid goats are growing up together they will play fight even at a week old! They practice butting heads. They will try intimidation with each other. This is noticed by "riding" another goat. They will climb on the back of another and "hump" as if riding. NO, your goat is not gay! It's how some goats intimidate another. Grown Does will do the same thing to other Does, seemingly acting buck like. They will also do this when in heat. By the way, cattle also do this & for the same reason. The larger the herd the more you may notice the fighting, especially at feeding time. The herd leader gets the most & best. They sometimes will spend as much time if not more, trying to keep everyone back from the food as they do eating! After all this herd leader needs the food to keep her strength. She may need to fight off enemies. This herd leader lets everyone eat, just not hers, right now.
Any time you bring in a new goat to the herd there's going to be fighting. This is a way that animals establish who is leader. Bucks don't generally fight with does, except maybe at feeding time if kept together. Keeping them in separate pens only delays this fighting. This is great if you have pregnant does or you may think the new one is possibly sick.
When you put the new goat in with your herd everyone gets "bristled" up. Hair on back and neck stands up, ears go up, and it appears like every one is on tiptoes! They are trying to look bigger. More intimidating this way (they hope) I have found from watching these proceedings that the second in command or third, seems to step in first to "bully" the new goat. Then somewhere in it the leader steps up and has her go. This fighting can go on for most of the day. After a couple of days things cool down and the new pecking order is established. However if the new goat is trying for leader this will seemingly have things in constant fighting while she is working hard at establishing & keeping her new position. Eventually they work it out.
Kid goats are very playful and are full of energy! Do yourself and your goats a favor and have a play area for them. Goats love to climb. Be creative, try using a spool as a table top to jump on Make sure you nail/screw down a board over the hole in the center. Make a ramp or steps to a platform so they can play king of the mountain. If you make it a few feet high, they can get under it out of the sun too. A slide that's short is a good belly rub for them. Big stumps in various sizes, or boulders (no jagged edges though). An old big tire is great for goats to climb on and in it to take naps. Kid goats will pile together in a group to nap sometimes. We have a rubber bucket that we call our "kid crib" because the kids pile in it to nap together. It is about 3 ft across. The size of a kiddie pool will work fine just make sure it has holes in the bottom for draining when it rains.
Enjoy your kid goats. Before you know it they're grown. Goats can be one of the best pets with so many uses!
For more information on goat raising check the world wide web or get books. Always try to use cross references whenever possible.
Time and experience are the best teachers.