Freaked out goats!

[Limner]

We thought our two does that we had set aside were due the first of May...but the owner emailed us a few days back and told us that they were due this month...one of them, yesterday! So Hubby and I bought the fence panels yesterday and came home, quickly finishing the new14 by 12 goat shed and lounge yard. Filled it with fresh bedding, and went to go get them, as a sudden storm blew up. We brought them home (short drive) in the pouring rain, and they were NOT happy. This morning, they were fine and dry, but when I went in to give them grain, they ran around the pen like they had never seen me and I was the grim reaper.

The very pregnant one is shaking badly. Mind you, it is windy and stormy and chilly here, and the barking Rottie doesn't help (I finally chewed him out good and he settled down). I am scared that she is going to hurt herself and or the babies. Star (the one due in two weeks) is eating and acting a bit more calm. But when I went out to put some soft old nylon collars on them a bit ago, I had to give up. Thunderbird (the very pregnant one) ran and shook.....

Can I put chamomile tea in their drinking water? or maybe sprinkle it dry on their grain? Or is there something else I can do to make them feel at home? I hadn't ever had goats act like this before; mine I had years ago thought they were lap babies. Their former owner picked these out of her large herd especially because she thought they would make good friendly home milkers (this is their second freshening), and they are pretty Alpines. But they are starting to worry me.

[Summerthyme]

Limner... just back off, make sure they have plenty of food and water (and can get out of any drafts) and *let them settle in on their own* for a day or so.

Then, you can start slowly letting them get to know you- but put the dog AWAY while you're doing this!! Treats will help... but they need at least a couple days to settle in first.

It's just too much change, all at once... and the fact that they are so close to kidding isn't helping (hormone changes at that point can make them see ANYone or thing as an enemy- some even react that way to long- familiar owners)

If you think she's so close to kidding that you need to check on her frequently, try to devise a way of doing that so you don't alert her every time... even setting up a "peephole" somewhere so you don't have to open a main door, or otherwise alert them to an observer.

Summerthyme

[Limner]

Limner... just back off, make sure they have plenty of food and water (and can get out of any drafts) and *let them settle in on their own* for a day or so.

Then, you can start slowly letting them get to know you- but put the dog AWAY while you're doing this!! Treats will help... but they need at least a couple days to settle in first.

It's just too much change, all at once... and the fact that they are so close to kidding isn't helping (hormone changes at that point can make them see ANYone or thing as an enemy- some even react that way to long- familiar owners)

If you think she's so close to kidding that you need to check on her frequently, try to devise a way of doing that so you don't alert her every time... even setting up a "peephole" somewhere so you don't have to open a main door, or otherwise alert them to an observer.

Summerthyme

Good ideas, Summer. I really do wonder if the kid dates are a bit off...her tail head is high, but the udder isn't filled out yet and she's not stringing. But I want to check her frequently.....I'll see what I can do to be more "covert." Thanks.....

[goatlady]

Try your very best to keep that dog outr of sound and sight, gal. The moving change PLUS the pregnancy is enough to sjhake even the calmest goat and having a strange dog sounding at them can cause BIT problems. Hope you are feeding the same stuff they are used to? on the same schedule?

[farmlady]

Limner, wow; how frustrating. I'm no expert (only one pregnant Alpine resulting in two healthy kids several years ago), but everything Summerthyme says sounds like excellent advice. It's a shame you couldn't have moved them sooner; oh well. Praying for you and the goats.

Keep us posted when you can. Hope the stormy weather moves off soon; our goats always let me know when a storm is coming. That plus a new place and the hormones are keeping her agitated.

Are they purebred? Again, very limited experience, but our purebred Alpine was always very calm whereas her American Alpine daughter is more skittish (couldn't find a purebred buck within reasonable distance).

Goatlady, good point about the feed and the dog. Our Amish neighbor was using the barn phone the other day; he allowed his little mutt and his lame beagle (no hind foot) to come with him. I tried to bring the goats into the barn; what was I thinking; should have waited!! The goats went crazy when the dogs started yapping at them in the barn walkway to their stalls. About got trampled.

[packyderms_wife]

Limner do a perimeter check for preditors.

Kimberly

[Limner]

Try your very best to keep that dog outr of sound and sight, gal. The moving change PLUS the pregnancy is enough to sjhake even the calmest goat and having a strange dog sounding at them can cause BIT problems. Hope you are feeding the same stuff they are used to? on the same schedule?

Yup, feeding them the same stuff, and keeping the dogs inside when I go out to chores. They are doing a BIT better this afternoon, I think, they are outside, looking over the fence and chewing their cud, so they must be eating something. :-P

[Limner]

Limner, wow; how frustrating. I'm no expert (only one pregnant Alpine resulting in two healthy kids several years ago), but everything Summerthyme says sounds like excellent advice. It's a shame you couldn't have moved them sooner; oh well. Praying for you and the goats.

Keep us posted when you can. Hope the stormy weather moves off soon; our goats always let me know when a storm is coming. That plus a new place and the hormones are keeping her agitated.

Are they purebred? Again, very limited experience, but our purebred Alpine was always very calm whereas her American Alpine daughter is more skittish (couldn't find a purebred buck within reasonable distance).

Goatlady, good point about the feed and the dog. Our Amish neighbor was using the barn phone the other day; he allowed his little mutt and his lame beagle (no hind foot) to come with him. I tried to bring the goats into the barn; what was I thinking; should have waited!! The goats went crazy when the dogs started yapping at them in the barn walkway to their stalls. About got trampled.

I am not sure if they are American or purebred; they are registered, but I wasn't too concerned about the particulars. Just wanted healthy milkers!

[Limner]

Limner do a perimeter check for preditors.

Kimberly

I have been thinking about that. The dogs will let me know though; they have before. One evening there was something in the woods, and you can IMMEDIATELY tell the difference in a Dogs attitude about what they precieve as a serious threat.....the growls are guttural, and every hair on their back stands up, and they stand all stiff and head lowered......

[goatlady]

Good deal if they are chewing cud, Lim. They are settling down then and should do fine.

[Bamidbar]

Limner...dates can be wrong. I had my does bred one time and they were due in February. I waited and waited and gave up thinking they must have just got fat over the winter. I was doing a newspaper interview and the reporter did not have his photographer (for the goats) so he asked if they could come on Sunday. I said, "sure". Ends up, they kidded 2 months 'late' quads on April Fool's Day. The poor photographer (a young gal) was horrified because she thought the goats wouldn't be able to walk for their photo shoot.

Have you heard the Does Code?

Also watch make sure they get adequate minerals. It seems this is a bad year...my firned has lost 3 lambs and a mom due to selenium deficiency.

[momof23goats]

Good deal if they are chewing cud, Lim. They are settling down then and should do fine.
yup. i would say they are settleing in fine. It is going to take them a while to get use to you and their new home. just make sure the have a place to get into , clean water, and plenty of nice straw to lay on.all should go well.
to get them use to you, you can hand feed treats, like a cracker, or a vanilla wafer. should be fine. this way they will get use to you, and you will be able t o pet them. and just go sit out in their pen, and give them a treat maybe 2 times a day, so they get use to you.
then pet them. and have them use to you rubbing on them . their backs and such. they will come around really fast. slices of apple are good. [not allot of them].be sure to give them goat grain. to help make milk. don't start graining them allot. start out slowly and work up to about 41/2 poounds a day per goat. start with a up. don't want to upset their rummin.

[Limner]

I have a goat mineral block that needs to go out there; I'll have Hubby put it out tonight. I THINK it has selenium in it. I'll check. Yeah, we had some babies come down with that awhile back; Thankfully some friends had injectable BoSe before it got too bad.

YES, I read the Does' code! That was a HOOT! And so true!

Just came back in from checking on the two of them; they seem a bit calmer, but no signs of impending birth.....it's interesting, fer sure!

[Limner]

yup. i would say they are settleing in fine. It is going to take them a while to get use to you and their new home. just make sure the have a place to get into , clean water, and plenty of nice straw to lay on.all should go well.
to get them use to you, you can hand feed treats, like a cracker, or a vanilla wafer. should be fine. this way they will get use to you, and you will be able t o pet them. and just go sit out in their pen, and give them a treat maybe 2 times a day, so they get use to you.
then pet them. and have them use to you rubbing on them . their backs and such. they will come around really fast. slices of apple are good. [not allot of them].be sure to give them goat grain. to help make milk. don't start graining them allot. start out slowly and work up to about 41/2 poounds a day per goat. start with a up. don't want to upset their rummin.

That's what my Hubby suggested I do...he said he'd find me a stool tomorrow. I'm gonna be put in "time out," lol.....! I think I'll take some of the rye and and sunflower seed crackers I got this week...they're yummy enough to win them over (I hope!). :-P Thanks, Mom!

[momof23goats]

goats do not t owell on mimeral blocks pleae get loose minerals, please , then just sprinkle about 1/8th to a 1/4 cup over their grain. 1/8 cuop is enough. do it daily. this is the way you canmake sure they get their minerals. goats just don't lick blocks enough to get their minerals. and you wil have to get bo se, from a vet. it is about 23
4 avottle, and it will last you along time. a full grown goat gets 5cc's 4 times a year. this is you selium, and bit.e. this is what i use , and they gettheir s easy. best to do it that way. plus they will need their over eating and tetnus shot. get it at the farm store reallyy cheap. babys get 2 cc, when born, 3 weeks another2 cc. then 6 weeks. and thye are good to go. for a year. then at one year 2 cc. and your done.

[Limner]

goats do not t owell on mimeral blocks pleae get loose minerals, please , then just sprinkle about 1/8th to a 1/4 cup over their grain. 1/8 cuop is enough. do it daily. this is the way you canmake sure they get their minerals. goats just don't lick blocks enough to get their minerals. and you wil have to get bo se, from a vet. it is about 23
4 avottle, and it will last you along time. a full grown goat gets 5cc's 4 times a year. this is you selium, and bit.e. this is what i use , and they gettheir s easy. best to do it that way. plus they will need their over eating and tetnus shot. get it at the farm store reallyy cheap. babys get 2 cc, when born, 3 weeks another2 cc. then 6 weeks. and thye are good to go. for a year. then at one year 2 cc. and your done.

Where do you get the loose minerals, Mom? I don't ever remember seeing it at Rural King. Is there a type or brand I need?

[momof23goats]

Where do you get the loose minerals, Mom? I don't ever remember seeing it at Rural King. Is there a type or brand I need?
you can get them at most farm stores.I buy them at farm and home, but i think tsc carries them. most farm places do. and some feed elevaters have them.
there are sevreal different brands. just make sure they are for just goats.

[Limner]

you can get them at most farm stores.I buy them at farm and home, but i think tsc carries them. most farm places do. and some feed elevaters have them.
there are sevreal different brands. just make sure they are for just goats.

Thanks, Mom! I'll have a look see the next time I go into town!:-D