Dobela Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 We bought a house with nearly 3 acres. The previous owners had horses and 3 goats. The horses sold but not the goats. They offered them to us last night for $15 each and we agreed. The kids are thrilled. I really didn't want another job.... So, what do I need to know? They have nearly 2 acres in the fence. They had lots of grass until the horses ate it all (according to the previous owners). I know we will need to buy food and some hay. There is a lean-to barn. I know is one has horns, 2 don't. 1 is brown and white, one black and white, and I can't remember what the other looks like. I remember one having an ear tag. They are very, very tame. We don't get possession of the house (and presumably the goats) until Thursday. I will be meeting with the previous owner on Monday afternoon. What do I need to be asking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Oh fun!! When I was 14, I had homeschool friends... her family had 8 kids and clean white couches... She had trained her goats to be "house trained".... They can be super smart!! Have fun... and there are tons of threads on here about goats :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Are they meat goats, dairy goats, or just pets? What breed are they? Have they been tested for CAE and CL? What have they been wormed with? Do they have access to loose minerals? Are they bucks, does or wethers? Do they have horns? Are they tame? Do they like kids? When was the last time they had a CDT shot? Have they ever been copper bolused? I'm sure I'll think of more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Do they stay in the fence or escape constantly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Are they meat goats, dairy goats, or just pets? What breed are they? Have they been tested for CAE and CL? What have they been wormed with? Do they have access to loose minerals? Are they bucks, does or wethers? Do they have horns? Are they tame? Do they like kids? When was the last time they had a CDT shot? Have they ever been copper bolused? I'm sure I'll think of more. Oh, my. :001_huh: It looks like I will be learning a new language as well ;) I can answer 3 of those LOL - one has horns, they do like children, they are very tame -much nicer and friendlier than our cats ( I have been in the pasture several times and our children have been as well). But the rest, um, I have no idea :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 How old are they? Could one or two of them be pregnant, assuming one is a male? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Are they meat goats, dairy goats, or just pets? What breed are they? Have they been tested for CAE and CL? What have they been wormed with? Do they have access to loose minerals? Are they bucks, does or wethers? Do they have horns? Are they tame? Do they like kids? When was the last time they had a CDT shot? Have they ever been copper bolused? I'm sure I'll think of more. How old are they? Could one or two of them be pregnant, assuming one is a male? All very good questions!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 How old are they? Could one or two of them be pregnant, assuming one is a male? I am fairly sure at least one is male. My son described on of the others as a 'pregnant girl' but only because she is fatter than the others. Bubba (who has never spent more than 1 hour with them) also claims that fat girl is pregnant with twins now since the boy 'sat on her back' while he was watching yesterday. I know, now I get to discuss the birds and bees even more than before thanks to the goats... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I am fairly sure at least one is male. My son described on of the others as a 'pregnant girl' but only because she is fatter than the others. Bubba (who has never spent more than 1 hour with them) also claims that fat girl is pregnant with twins now since the boy 'sat on her back' while he was watching yesterday. I know, now I get to discuss the birds and bees even more than before thanks to the goats... You can pretty much bet that if one is an intact male, and the others are does, they are both pregnant. Better start your research! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I'm pretty sure you'll need a wooden bridge and a troll. Not sure where to get a bridge (Brooklyn, maybe?), but if you start a controversial thread you might be able to snag yourself the troll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 You can pretty much bet that if one is an intact male, and the others are does, they are both pregnant. Better start your research! :001_smile: Yeah, just what I wanted for Christmas.:001_rolleyes: But that is just what I am afraid of... Guess I have to ask that even if I don't want to, huh? I'm pretty sure you'll need a wooden bridge and a troll. Not sure where to get a bridge (Brooklyn, maybe?), but if you start a controversial thread you might be able to snag yourself the troll. The bridge I would like, the troll, eh, not so much. I hear they stink and cause too many problems ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 You can pretty much bet that if one is an intact male, and the others are does, they are both pregnant. Better start your research! :001_smile: Research should be easy. It's fall. If you have a buck, he'll be in rut which is pretty hard to miss no matter how little you know about goats. :D If he's not in rut, he's been fixed & the fat one is either just fat or needs to be dewormed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Research should be easy. It's fall. If you have a buck, he'll be in rut which is pretty hard to miss no matter how little you know about goats. :D If he's not in rut, he's been fixed & the fat one is either just fat or needs to be dewormed. I guess I will need to watch more closely when I go visit them tomorrow.... It could get depressing though if the goats are having more fun than I have had in awhile... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 :lol: Only on WTM would you find a post entitled, "We bought 3 goats, now what?" Good luck with your goats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I'm pretty sure you'll need a wooden bridge and a troll. Not sure where to get a bridge (Brooklyn, maybe?), but if you start a controversial thread you might be able to snag yourself the troll. :smilielol5: Good times here, good times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I guess I will need to watch more closely when I go visit them tomorrow.... It could get depressing though if the goats are having more fun than I have had in awhile... I strongly suspect your male is a wether (castrated). If he was a buck, he would stink and at times possibly even be aggressive. He would also be sticky from his scent glands, and the tendency bucks have to pee on themselves. That doesn't mean they don't "play" that way though. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 So, what do I need to know?? You need to know that they will wreck havoc on your trees if you have any- especially young ones, especially fruit. They will eat flowers, plants and bushes, leaving behind thistles, scrubgrass and weeds. Just saying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 I strongly suspect your male is a wether (castrated). If he was a buck, he would stink and at times possibly even be aggressive. He would also be sticky from his scent glands, and the tendency bucks have to pee on themselves. That doesn't mean they don't "play" that way though. :tongue_smilie: None are aggressive at all according to neighbors. And the neighbors also say they have never escaped. He also doesn't stink so hopefully that means no babies until I am ready LOL You need to know that they will wreck havoc on your trees if you have any- especially young ones, especially fruit. They will eat flowers, plants and bushes, leaving behind thistles, scrubgrass and weeds. Just saying... So plant the ones I don't care for near the fence, right?? As long as I don't have to do much mowing on that back 2 acres they can eat what ever. The previous owners cut down over 50 trees and just left 2 huge ones so nothing is close. So how bad are they to care for as they age? Are geriatric goats a nightmare? I know now ds will never want me to get rid of them now... What about a cow?? Now ds is talking about raising a cow. I tried to talk him out of it by telling him I would want it for dinner at some point. He said it was ok - he would butcher it in the garage like the deer hunters do deer in the woods. :svengo:I'm so not ready for this! I am a suburban girl LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Oh no! They should have paid YOU $15 each to take them :lol: Just kidding. Goats can be a lot of fun. My avatar is my daughter holding a new born Nigerian Dwarf goat. Find out all you can about them. The breed, their age, what they've been feeding them and how much (you don't want to make sudden changes in their food). Goats need wormed regularly and their hooves trimmed about every three months. They need hay, mineral, grain, and water. If you don't want to have a cow, sheep are fairly easy to care for. We have Katahdin sheep (hair sheep) that you don't have to ever shear. We raise them for their meat. We've enjoyed them. We bottle-fed one lamb earlier this year and that was fun... sort of. Must have chickens though! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyndi60 Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 I did and found out one of our girls is positive from previous owners. It causes joint and arthritis. It is a slow painful death and it can get passed to the kids. Sometimes they dont show symptons til later on in life. They say at least 80% of all goats have this now. We give our girls 50%hay and 50% alfalfa, Plant derived selenium and copper, and organic grain and do as much as possible herbal. Cyndi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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