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Weekly Creature Tip 2/4/12
This week’s creature tip on goats is titled, “Bottle Feeding Kids”
Weekly Bible Verse: Genesis 1:24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind;” and it was so.
God is the Creator of all animals!
Bottle feeding a goat can be one of the most fun things to do but also it is a lot of work. When bottle feeding, it is always best to use the milk from the kid’s mom. Milk replacers just don’t have the nutrition in them like mom’s milk but they can be used if the mom has died. Also, it is of the utmost importance that the kid(s) get the colostrum milk from mom within the first hour after birth. The colostrum has antibodies and will strengthen the baby goat’s immune system. The kid’s body will be most responsive to the colostrum in the first 24 hours. An important note on milk for kids is to NEVER give them cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is very hard on a kid’s stomach and can even kill them!
What is beneficial about bottle feeding a kid? Bottle feeding a kid will bond them closer to humans. If the doe of the kid(s) is fearful of humans they will teach the kids to avoid humans by example. Bottle fed kids make excellent pets because they become very friendly. Here is an example of a feeding chart for how often to bottle feed your kid(s).
Birth to 2 week = 4 times a day
2 week to 5 weeks = 3 times a day
5 weeks to 7 weeks = 2 times a day
7 weeks to 9 weeks = 1 time a day
You can wean a kid as soon as 6 weeks or as late as 12 weeks. I like to wean my kids at around 7-8 weeks. Kids will start to nibble on hay around 2 weeks old and will start eating it around 3 weeks old. Remember to add more hay as the kids get older.
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Weekly Creature Tip 12/17/11
This week’s creature tip is on goats titled, “Feeding Goats Alfalfa”
Weekly Bible Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
This means man did NOT evolve from animals. You will find some interesting info at these websites Institute for Creation Research & Answers in Genesis
Alfalfa and goats: Dose it mater if you feed goats straight alfalfa? Yes because goats that are fed straight alfalfa when they don’t need the extra protein and calcium can have health problems.
Orchard hay and goats: Orchard hay is higher in protein then other hays such asBermuda, Timothy, and 3 way hay but it has less protein than alfalfa. So you might say orchard hay is the next step down from alfalfa. Some other hays likeBermudaand Timothy just are not nutritious enough to feed by themselves. Alfalfa can be too much protein and calcium so that is why orchard hay is a good choice.
Feeding Alfalfa to adult wethers and bucks: Alfalfa can cause some big problems in Bucks and especially wethers. Alfalfa can cause urinary tract infections in males and also they can develop calcium stones. These things can lead to death in some cases so it is better to be on the safe side and not feed a diet of straight alfalfa to males. Feed orchard hay and also a small amount of grain in the winter.
Alfalfa and adult does. Alfalfa can cause some problems in girls too if they are fed too much alfalfa when their body can not use up the extra protein and calcium. The girls can develop calcium stones too and it can cause internal problems with their female organs. If you are breeding your girls feed them 50% alfalfa and 50% orchard unless they are pregnant or lactating then you can feed 100% alfalfa.
Alfalfa and lactating goats: Alfalfa is a rich hay and helps lactating goats to produce enough milk for the kids. Alfalfa also helps mom to keep her weight up so she does not become too thin. If a dairy or mamma goat is not fed alfalfa they will produce about half the amount of milk. Lactating goats need alfalfa for milk production.
Alfalfa and growing kids: Growing kids need the extra protein and calcium too. The kids need alfalfa for the fist 4-6 months because this is their major growing time. After that it is good to change over to orchard hay but gradually so the change in feed is not sudden casing upset stomachs.
Grain and goats: We feed grain to pregnant, lactating does, bucks in the winter and growing kids. Grain helps maintain a goat’s bodyweight and will help a lactating doe make more milk. Grain should always be kept in a goat proof container. We use a container that has a screw lid so the goat can not pop open the lid if they should get into the feed barn.
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Weekly Creature Tip 10/22/11
This week’s creature tip is on goats and is titled “Leash Training a Goat”
Weekly Bible Verse: Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”
Did you know that with the proper training your goat can walk on a leash just like dog?
Before leash training can begin you need to make sure your goat is friendly and not scared of humans. Of course a goat that is fearful of people will not want to walk with them but will try to run the other way.
To start training have your goat’s favorite treat in your pocket (I use a small amount of goat grain) and place a collar and leash on your goat. It is best to start this training in an enclosed pen. Begin to walk and give a gental tug on the leash. As you do this show the treat to your goat. When the goat moves forward give him a treat. Whenever the goat should resist a tug on the leash offer a treat again and only give it when the goat moves forward or stops resisting. At first your goat may only take a few steps at a time, but with each practice make your goat walk farther for the treat.
Soon your goat will be walking with you. Next try training in a larger enclosed area, like a fenced in backyard. Your goat may try to eat weeds or other plants that he walks by, but don’t let him! Every time he tries give a gental tug on the leash and offer a treat. It is important for the goat to learn that that there is absolutely NO grazing/weed eating when on a leash. If your goat becomes very distracted from items in the new yard go back to the basic training and encourage your goat to move forward, even if it is only a few steps at a time. If you need to go back to the smaller pen, you can do that too.
When your goat can walk perfectly on the leash, remember that there are dangers when going on a walk outside of your yard. Dogs, cars, and motorcycles will frighten a goat easily and may cause the goat to completely freak out. If your goat should have this happen to him he can slip out of the collar and run into the road and be killed. Also, loose dogs can come out from no where and attack your goat. I do NOT recommend taking your goat out of your yard but it can be done with more training. Get your goat use to loud noises by using a coffee can, fill it with items that will make loud noises when shaken. If your goat should become fearful offer a treat and talk to the goat calmly. When the goat has accepted the coffee can try walking your goat near a running lawn mower. Every noise you can think of; try and see how your goat responds and offer a treat if the goat looks afraid.
Remember to take training steps slowly and don’t move to the next step until the one before is mastered by your goat. Also make sure you don’t overwork your goat. Short daily training sessions 10-20 minutes long will work better than an hour session every week. Just like God made every person different he also gave each animal its own little personality. Some goats have a longer attention span than others and can work a little longer and some are done after 10 minutes. God is so amazing and detailed in his creation that even 2 animals that look alike to us are completely different.
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Weekly Creature Tip 9/10/11
This week’s creature tip is on goats titled “Buying a goat as a pet”
Weekly Bible Verse: Ezekiel 34:17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
Goats can make wonderful pets! If you are considering a goat as a pet here are some tips. The best goat is a tame goat. Buy a goat that was bottle fed by humans. A bottle fed goat sees people as part of its herd and usually shows no fear of them. Bothe male (buck) and female (doe) goats make great pets but if you get a male (buck) make sure it is fixed or he will stink!
Another thing to consider is horns. The only defense a goat has is its horns. But the horns can be dangerous to small children because the hors are at the same level as a child’s face. I prefer dehorned goats but if you have large dogs that live near you, you might want a goat with horns. Goats are dehorned as babies.
One last thing, never mix a dehorned goat with a horned goat because the dehorned goat can be injured or even killed by the horned goat.
Want more information on goats? Take a look at our goat care guide.
