Goat Farming For Beginners
Goat Farming For Beginners
Raising Pygmy Goats For Beginners
Pygmy goats are great pets that you can take care of on your property. You will need to have two. As you know by now, goats do not like to be alone. They like to be around other goats. These goats can also be used for getting milk and meat. The smaller they are, the easier they are to take care of.
Pygmy goats are originally from Africa. They came to the U.S. in the 1950s. They were originally used to get rid of weeds in the yard. Because they are friendly and playful, they become popular and more people wanted them as a pet.
These goats look like regular goats with the exception of their legs. They are sturdier and they are also shorter than regular goats. They get their horns removed just like other goats. Pygmy goats come in black and caramel colors. For the most part, you will find black ones that have black legs or ones that are just completely black all over.
A full grown pygmy goat usually weighs no more than 70 lbs. They are year round breeders and have many children that can weigh up to 4 lbs. each. They usually have between one to three kids.
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These goats should be clean at all times and will not eat from dirty dishes. They prefer clean water. Keep the water away from the ground. These goats will eat roughage that consists of legume and sweet feed. When they are still babies, their bodies are not strong enough for them to eat this kind of food.
Pygmy goats help their owners a lot. They will eat weeds and leave the grass for other cattle on the ranch. They will also make noise if they spot a stranger on their property that could cause harm to the rest of the livestock.
Pygmy goats are cute animals and they are affectionate. You can rub and scratch their snouts. They can also be in the same company with dogs and cats.
Pygmy goats need to be fenced in. It should be five feet or more in order to keep out dogs or other predators who may roam around.
Make a platform for the goats the sleep on. You can use an old door to do this.
If they eat from hay feeders, install them away from the ground. Having the feeder elevated can keep the parasites away.
Feed them grain mix. You can make it or purchase it. They can also eat alfalfa supplement that has grain in it two times every day. If their food falls on the ground, they will not eat it.
The pygmy goats should get their hooves trimmed every four months.
If the pygmy goats are more than six months old, get the worms out of them. You can do this once a year.
Pygmy goats need boosters and vaccinations every year. Consult with your vet as to which ones they should receive.
Pygmy goats are active, so you have to provide them with a place to play as well as something to play with.
As with other goats, keep the pygmy goat’s coat groomed at all times. They enjoy this process because they like to bond with their owners.
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If you are taking care of two pygmy goats, you can house them in a dog house. However, you can always get something larger so that there will be plenty of room. Having a larger facility is also a good idea if there will be mating going on.
Pygmy goats can be milked and can provide up to a half-gallon of milk daily.
How To Feed Milk To Baby Pygmy Goats
Even though the female goat is responsible for feeding her baby, there may be times where you have to get involved. Sometimes the mother may be too sick and will not be able to take care of their offspring.
This is where you come in. The kids are required to be fed four times every day. After 10 days, you only feed them three times a day. After 8 weeks, they get fed only twice a day. Once they have been weaned, they get one bottle. Since this will be new for you, consult with the veterinarian to see what formula you should feed them.
Warm up the milk and put it in the bottle. You will also need towels while you’re feeding the baby pygmy goat.
Rub a tiny bit of milk on the nipple of the bottle. You want the baby pygmy goat to know that it’s food for them to eat. Since the babies are small, you will have to kneel or site down on the ground.
The baby goat’s eyes should be covered. Work on opening their mouth if it is closed. When placing the nipple in their mouth, hold their tongue down. Get your thumb out of the way.
As you are feeding the baby goat, keep the bottle tilted upwards. You may have drips of milk around the area. Use the towels to get it up.
Eventually, the baby goat will realize that there is nourishment in the bottle and you won’t have to resort to covering their eyes anymore.
After three weeks, the baby pygmy goat will start on solid foods.
Here are some things to look for when you are feeding pygmy goats:
- They goats should always stand straight with their head up. If they don’t they are subject to get colic or develop other health issues.
- If the goat is not hungry, don’t force them to eat.
There are some other things of concern that you should contact your veterinarian about if you see them happening with your pygmy goat:
- Stops being active
- Hunching
- Drooping
- Contracts diarrhea
- They get wet
- High temperature
- Weight loss
- Coat looks bad
- Lice
- Worms
How Hard Is It To Take Care Of A Baby Goat
A brand new goat has just been born to its nanny. This is the beginning of a new life for you and the newborn goat. There is plenty for you to do, starting with removing the wet and cold goo that they come into the world with.
The goat’s head will be wrapped in a membrane and it may not be able to breathe at first. Unlike a regular human baby delivery, this is a normal process. Don’t freak out or overreact because they eventually come to life.
As with a human baby, the umbilical cord should be detached. If it does not do that with the newborn goat, use two pieces of thread and create a knot around the cord.
Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut between the knots. Clear the membranes by using a clean cloth or a towel. You will usually find the membranes on their nose (nostrils) as well as their head. Take another clean cloth and wrap it around your hand. Place it inside the newborn’s mouth to remove debris and mucous.
Also Read: Raising pygmy goats for beginners
The goat has to be stimulated. Gently stroke the sides of the goat. This not only helps with stimulation, but it also helps to get their blood pumping. Soon afterwards, you will be able to hear them breathing. Keep the newborn warm and dry with clean towels.
Place a bulb syringe into their throat and suck out secretions or tissues that were left from before. Close one nostril by pinching it and place the syringe into the open nostril. Do the same thing with the other nostril.
If you don’t have a bulb syringe, you can use a strand of clean hay into their nose. Make jiggling movements with the hay until the baby goat sneezes. Once they sneeze, any excess that was left should be gone from the nasal cavities.
Get a container and fill it will iodine solution (7%). Put the end of the goat’s umbilical cord inside of the container. With the open end of the container, press it against the newborn’s stomach and cover the entire area with the iodine with the exception of the newborn’s genitals.
Take the teats of the nanny and squeeze them. You want to get rid of any obstructions and get milk to start coming out. Place the newborn (or kid) close to their mother. You are working on feeding them for the first time.
To get them adjusted, put a tiny bit of milk on the kid’s lips. If they don’t want it, give them a bottle. Once they feel like suckling from their mom, they will try again.
After they have been in the world for about an hour, the newborn should have no more than eight ounces of milk. After that, allow the mother to take care of their child.
Give the milk to the baby goat and place it in a small container. You will need to collect colostrum, which is the first milk that you will get from them. Baby goats need this because it helps to keep them healthy.
See if the baby goat has gotten accustomed to nursing from their mother. If not, the baby will have to be bottle fed four times every day. The goat’s milk should always be fresh.
It is extremely important that your kid gets colostrum. This first milk has plenty of carbohydrates, proteins and nutrients that your kid will need in order to stay healthy. It also contains antibodies, which your kid will need for protection.
Since the kid’s lining in their digestive system adjusts within a day after they are born, the antibodies are needed prior to the adjustments being made.
The baby goat should be fed regularly every day. They should be fed at least four times daily. Their stomachs are small and they need plenty of nutrients. They will be assured of regular feedings as long as they stay with their mother.
There may be times when you will have to bottle feed them. You can use a baby bottle and cut a small X in the tip of the nipple. They should always be fed goat’s milk; however, raw cow’s milk will suffice when goat’s milk is not available.
With the latter, three tablespoons of corn syrup is needed for each gallon. In the event they are not used to cow’s milk, be patient and let them get used to drinking it.
The baby goat should always sleep in a warm and dry area. Make sure there is enough covering to prevent the goat from being in the sun and the rain. Ensure that the area is not drafty. For their bedding, use straw.
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You need to use a material that does not stick to your baby’s coat. You may need a heat lamp if the baby goat was born in the early spring season or the late winter season. The heat lamp will keep the baby goat warm.
Using a warm and damp cloth, clean the kid’s face, ears and back legs every day. Look on the hooves for debris and remove it. Make their coat look good by using a soft brush.
Your baby goat can eat grass hay that is free from mold. Some good ones to use are Bermuda or Timothy. You can start feeding it to them after they have turned a week old. You will need to get a special hay rack just for them. They will be enough room for their heads to get to the feeder.
At about eight weeks, slowly get them to eat other goat food. The food is different and contains enough protein for them. Follow the instructions to find out how much they can consume.
Trim the hooves on your baby goat. If you need assistance doing this, check out some agricultural organizations such as the 4-H Club and the Future Farmers of America. They can give you help on what you need to do.
Trimming hooves is a process that is not to be rushed. It should be performed on a regular basis. Otherwise, the baby goat will suffer from health problems in the legs and rotting in their hooves.
Since goats can injure themselves unintentionally, it’s best to remove the horns of the baby goat. This is called dehorning. Baby goats can also injure others if their horns are not removed. If this is your first time, get someone who is experienced in this to assist you.
Once the baby goat has turned three weeks old, they need to be vaccinated. At six weeks, they need to have a booster.
For the bucks that won’t be bred, they should be neutered. Four weeks is the earliest that you can start the process. You can cut, band and castrate them. If this is your first goat that you’re taking care of, you should band them.
This method is the easiest way for first timers to learn how to neuter their goats. A band castrator is used along with a rubber band to place in the scrotum area. The blood flow stops going to that area. Their testes are no longer functional and can be removed within two weeks.
Baby goats can get worms. Schedule time regularly to get rid of them. Some things you must do to prevent them from coming back include keeping the goat’s living area clean, not to graze a lot and not to have a lot of goats in the same area.
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