Farm, Help with Goat

galiski, with all due respect, what are you thinking?
goats aren't rabbits, and even rabbits or goldfish require at least a LITTLE advance research and planning.
what's up with kids who want goats but can't abide the idea of goat smell? yes, the boys are 'goatier' but does smell too.
i can't think of any mammals who should be separated from their mothers at one week old.
you may have 'thought' about this for a while, but honestly, my dear, it does NOT sound as if you have put much practical planning or real research into it. goats are charming but they are farm animals and a lot of work.
khairete
S.

My son wants a car, that ain't happening.....

I honestly am not sure why you are trying to make this happen when you are clearly unprepared. Sometimes we have to say no to our kids.

So if not obvious, I would say no goat.

Um why are you getting a baby goat at only a week old? They should not be weaned or taken from their mother for their health till at least 8 weeks old.
Goats take a LOT of work especially when it comes to making sure they get their deworming shots every 6 months I believe.

You need to educate yourself fully before getting any animal and you clearly are not. As with all kids and animals you will be the one taking care of it as the kids will more than likely lose their interest.

I say hold off before getting these babies. They need a well educated home, not a home that someone is getting them just because their kids want them.

My daughter would like a million dollars!

I hope that this post is a troll. I do, really.

Goats are terrible pets (IMO). They are farm animals. Yes, they are sooo adorable when little, but like all animals they will grow up... then they will either eat all of the flowers/veggies/plants in your yard and ruin your lawn or you have to restrict them to a proper enclosure. Unless you have a farm or property that is set up for farm animals, do not get a goat.

Goats are social animals that should be kept with others.

Goats stink. It's doesn't matter if they are male/female neutered or not. They smell.

You can only milk a female goat if she has given birth. After having a kid you will be able to milk her for a while, then you need to get her pregnant again and have another kid to keep the milk flowing.

Before you get any kind of animal (goat, dog, hamster... whatever) please learn how you properly care for them. Consult books and people who have pet goats. Especially the latter. We have friends that have a bunch of rescue goats... when you hear them talk about how much work these animals are, the vet bills, the feed...

To me it sounds like you are getting in over your head... and you do not say how old your daughter is... but I am not sure if age really matters... in any case, when you get a pet you better be prepared for it to become your responsibility as soon as the novelty wears off.

Sorry but this sounds like a horrible idea.

Well I would hope that the breeder would be giving you good advice, or is this just some random redneck trying to sell farm animals to people who don't know any better?
Personally, I would research an animal thoroughly before taking it on. Talk to a country vet, people who raise goats, etc. Check out a few books from the library and do your research online.
No way would I get an animal just because my teenage daughter wanted one, not unless I knew exactly what I was getting into.

Just say no.

Seriously. If your daughter doesn't want to do what's best for her pet (which is take the boy too), then she doesn't deserve a pet.

Well, we only had one goat. But he hung out with our 3 dogs, and was happy with them. He was pretty affectionate, and I honestly think he thought he was one of the dogs. (And he certainly didn't smell any worse than a female we once had.)

That said, do NOT get a one week old! That is waaay too young, and I would not trust a breeder who would be willing to give you one that young. And offering a sibling at a discount? Shifty shifty. I would find another breeder, and try to get two goats at the same time. They don't have to be siblings or the same age... But the companionship would be good.

That said, I wouldn't give your daughter too much control of what you get... Unless she plans on living at your farm for several years as an adult. If she is 17, chances are you will wind up being the caretaker if the goats when she moves out... So you should do what is convenient for YOU, and just let her claim the one goat as "her" pet.

We've had Nubian goats, a doe and her neutered brother. Both were de-horned, which is a good idea if children will be interacting with them. Also, be sure you have good fences. Goats can escape in very creative ways (but they won't usually go far from home once they know where home is).

There was NO smell problem with either one – even "goat berries" don't really have much smell. They were wonderful pets, very friendly with people, and would follow us like puppies and play and snuggle with us even when they were full grown. We never did breed or milk the female, once we learned that we needed expensive equipment to separate out the butterfat, which my husband didn't want to consume. But they were fantastic at eradicating a huge stand of rampant wild blackberries over just a couple of years.

I do think your little doe will probably do better with a goat companion, but sometimes another kind of animal will do the trick. I've heard of goats and chickens or cats connecting when they meet very young. When her brother had to be put down, our doe mourned deeply for a week until we borrowed a young buck from a neighbor. He became VERY aggressive toward her after a few weeks and we had to send him home. Then she was WAY happier after he left, and lived another couple of years content with just frequent human interaction.

Aggression can happen in either gender. Some goats just are more aggressive or more cuddly, but males are more likely to be aggressive. Here's a tip if you've never interacted with goats – if you push or pull them, they will resist. We'd play with our goats by pushing them to get them started, then if they got a bit too into pushing, we'd just yield, and the game was over, and they'd be cuddly again.

Do your kids realize that their cute BABY goat will one day be a quite large adult goat?

Getting a pet simply because the kids want one, without actually being prepared for a pet, is never a good idea.

What would I do? I'd say "no". Or, if *I* wanted a goat, I'd spend the next few months REALLY researching what goat-ownership entails. THEN I'd make my decision. If you're asking about dog crates and how to handle this, you're not nearly ready.

My FIL has goats- breeds and sells them (but not that young!). They smell horrible- even the females. They are very social, so yes, you do need more than one. And a large enclosure for them is best, otherwise they will eat everything that grows (that's not a old wives' tale). But 1 week old? That's too young and will require a lot of hands-on care. Can't you give it a little more time?
Besides, where is your 17 year old going to be in a year when this thing is full grown? Knowing what I know about goats, I would say no on this one.

One week old? You realize you will be bottle feeding every few hours or so until it is much older? Did it's mother die? If so what of? Goats are a lot of work. They need special loose mineral salts, I can't remember which mineral they CANT have, but you have to be sure and get the right salt. They need their hooves trimmed regularly. They will need to be wormed (unless you have goats that will eat oak, oak is a natural dewormer). The baby will need to be kept warm. If you have her de-horned, be sure to have an EXPERT do this, as to long on the iron can fry the goats brain. It's 75-100 dollars minimum to have the vet come out. If you get the boy, don't castrate him until he's older. Castrating to soon can cause issues if he gets kidney stones (which male goats are prone to do. especially pygmy goats). I would suggest you call a country vet and ask what it will entail..

If your 17 year old wants this, then explain the problem to her and let her pick.

If it shouldn't be alone, then it shouldn't be alone. I guess I don't see a problem. I see a girl denying reality. We all do this from time to time, and you are never too young to learn how to deal with reality if you ask me.