Author Topic: Goat Identification (Read 3382 times)

luminousbrit · « **on:** August 20, 2013, 11:18:28 am »

Hi,

To cut a long story short.......

Two goats were found wandering our local lanes and they have ended up at our smallholding. We are intending on keeping Pygmy Goats in the future so these boys are our first experience of keeping goats.

They both have castration rings and the vet should be visiting soon to check them over. I am feeding the coarse goat mix and hay.

We have asked locally if anyone has goats missing and have put up posters in the local villages but no-one has claimed them. I suspect that the previous owners may have 'set them free'. Neither goat has ear tags or tattoos.

I have emailed the local animal health to let them know and request herd number etc.

I have attached a couple of pictures of them.

Can someone identify the breed please? (Hoping they are Pygmies!)

Can you also tell me the age of the goats please?

Many thanks for your help.

Lee.

jinglejoys · « **Reply #1 on:** August 20, 2013, 11:37:42 am »

Pygmies....just check they haven't been stolen! (You could also ask the Pygmy Goat Society)

luminousbrit · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2013, 12:09:07 pm »

Thank you.

I have emailed the Pygmy Goat Club to see if any thefts have been reported locally.

Lee.

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2013, 04:51:54 pm »

But no way you can tell where they are from without any form of ID on them.... yes they do look like pygmies.

Just get them eartagged as soon as possible, and it would be best to keep them separate from any sheep you have and not let them onto any grazing that your sheep are using at the moment.

If they are eating out of your hand they must be quite tame, it may have been a case of getting into too much trouble for their previous owner, so best to make sure they learn how to behave with you from day one.

luminousbrit · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2013, 06:05:01 pm »

Hi Anke,

The first one that came to us (the second one nearly a week after) was trembling and running away but after a couple of days of spending time with him he was better and came to me when I walked into the pen.

The second one which came to us a couple of days ago was handled by their temporary keeper (who passed him on to us) so wasn't as bad.

They both like a bit of fuss now :-)

zarzar · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2013, 09:00:15 pm »

Def pygmys and look to be around 4-7 months ish,

luminousbrit · « **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2013, 09:03:01 am »

Hmmmm, the vet has been this morning to look at the goats. He isn't convinced they are pygmies, he thinks they may be Alpine crosses.

Time will tell I suppose $:-\$

Violetsprite · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2013, 10:03:45 am »

Sounds like you have been doing all the right things and been patient with them - lucky little goats!

jinglejoys · « **Reply #8 on:** August 21, 2013, 11:43:47 am »

OK if the vet (expert

) thinks they are Alpine crosses they must be bigger than they look in the photos so second guess Cheviot Ferels

Don't just check for local stolen goats they could've been stolen from anywhere. Wasn't it last year that there was talk of pygmy goats being taken from one camp down south to another up north

cans · « **Reply #9 on:** August 21, 2013, 07:21:33 pm »

Any ideas from the vet about their age?

Going by the size of the horns maybe 4/5 months or so. It is a while since I have had horned goats. (used to have ANs and put males in freezer at about 6 months and they had short horns.) Never had Pygmies so nothing to compare them with.

luminousbrit · « **Reply #10 on:** August 26, 2013, 07:03:11 pm »

The vet said they were around 3 months.

Not keeping goats before this I have no idea on sizes!

I'll have to put a height chart on the back of their ark :-)