Goat lame several days then NOT?

[ArkRescue]

I have 2 rescued goats I care for. The Wether was lame in 1 leg for a few days then yesterday I see him running in circles around the outbuilding - what's up with THAT? Weird since I've never seen him run circles around the outbuilding before. More weird for it to happen after he's been lame. What gives?

 

[Cowgirl]

I have 2 rescued goats I care for. The Wether was lame in 1 leg for a few days then yesterday I see him running in circles around the outbuilding - what's up with THAT? Weird since I've never seen him run circles around the outbuilding before. More weird for it to happen after he's been lame. What gives?

Is there any mud in his area? It could be foot scald. Check in between his toes and see if it's red and inflamed.

 

[ArkRescue]

Well let's see - I think I forget the water tub is filling up a couple times a week (turn on hose and well ....) and I partially wet part of the dry lot LOL - but for the most part no mud. I'll check his feet when I get home though. He has access to graze all the time too (can slip under electric from dry lot to grass field while horses can't).

When I first got him I haltered him and he shook his head all the time - I swore he must have ear mites so we struggled daily with me putting ear mite meds in his ears until I figured out the head shaking was because of the halter - he hadn't been haltered before dumb ME - when will I ever learn to look for the obvious?

Is there any mud in his area? It could be foot scald. Check in between his toes and see if it's red and inflamed.

 

[Cowgirl]

Well let's see - I think I forget the water tub is filling up a couple times a week (turn on hose and well ....) and I partially wet part of the dry lot LOL - but for the most part no mud. I'll check his feet when I get home though. He has access to graze all the time too (can slip under electric from dry lot to grass field while horses can't).

When I first got him I haltered him and he shook his head all the time - I swore he must have ear mites so we struggled daily with me putting ear mite meds in his ears until I figured out the head shaking was because of the halter - he hadn't been haltered before dumb ME - when will I ever learn to look for the obvious?

Does he wear the halter all the time?

 

[ArkRescue]

Yes but I made sure it's not tight - so far he hasn't gotten hung up on anything either so I keep the halter on him all the time since he likes to slip out of the gate now and then and eat things I don't want him eating .......

Does he wear the halter all the time?

 

[Cowgirl]

Yes but I made sure it's not tight - so far he hasn't gotten hung up on anything either so I keep the halter on him all the time since he likes to slip out of the gate now and then and eat things I don't want him eating .......

Hmm..be careful. Goats are notorious for getting into trouble.

 

[ArkRescue]

So I've heard - you think I should try him w/o a halter? I know most people only halter them when they are in hand and not in the field. Then again I keep my horses haltered in the field too. I switch them now and then to a collar to give their head a break but I fear them being unhaltered and getting out - then again a horse with a halter on isn't any easier to catch as one with no halter if the horse doesn't WANT to be caught LOL.

The baby goat walks right out of the fence between the boards brushing the electric line on the way like it's nothing. So he has to be tethered until he gets bigger. I absolutely despise tethering critters but in some instances it seems necessary for the safety of the critter and/or other critters (like the dog that wants to chase the horses - no no ).

Hmm..be careful. Goats are notorious for getting into trouble.

 

[Cowgirl]

So I've heard - you think I should try him w/o a halter? I know most people only halter them when they are in hand and not in the field. Then again I keep my horses haltered in the field too. I switch them now and then to a collar to give their head a break but I fear them being unhaltered and getting out - then again a horse with a halter on isn't any easier to catch as one with no halter if the horse doesn't WANT to be caught LOL.

The baby goat walks right out of the fence between the boards brushing the electric line on the way like it's nothing. So he has to be tethered until he gets bigger. I absolutely despise tethering critters but in some instances it seems necessary for the safety of the critter and/or other critters (like the dog that wants to chase the horses - no no ).

I think it's best to leave the halter off. I wouldn't even use a collar for turnout. If your goat is getting out, you might want to run another line of electric fence so he can't scoot under it. I hate seeing tethered goats.

 

[ArkRescue]

I'll do that (run another line) asap - I have been trying to figure out a way to stop the escapes but had not thought about another line of electric so it's worth a try, let's hope it works. I was hoping the baby would grow faster so he'd have to spend more time in contact with the electric line figuring that would slow him down? Maybe with another line to rub against he will be deterred.

I also had been hoping the baby would bond with the wether and the horses and not WANT to leave the fence. If he stayed away from the road I wouldn't care so much about him getting out, but he heads straight for the road as he munches the grass along the way. My neighbor suggested I put the baby in with the chickens during the day in the chain link fence so he didn't have to be tethered ALL the time. I wonder how the chickens would feel about that? LOL . My neighbor now uses chain link to keep all his goats in - posts and chain link - they can't chew it, climb it, and sure can't get their heads through it .

I think it's best to leave the halter off. I wouldn't even use a collar for turnout. If your goat is getting out, you might want to run another line of electric fence so he can't scoot under it. I hate seeing tethered goats.

 

[Cowgirl]

I'll do that (run another line) asap - I have been trying to figure out a way to stop the escapes but had not thought about another line of electric so it's worth a try, let's hope it works. I was hoping the baby would grow faster so he'd have to spend more time in contact with the electric line figuring that would slow him down? Maybe with another line to rub against he will be deterred.

I also had been hoping the baby would bond with the wether and the horses and not WANT to leave the fence. If he stayed away from the road I wouldn't care so much about him getting out, but he heads straight for the road as he munches the grass along the way. My neighbor suggested I put the baby in with the chickens during the day in the chain link fence so he didn't have to be tethered ALL the time. I wonder how the chickens would feel about that? LOL . My neighbor now uses chain link to keep all his goats in - posts and chain link - they can't chew it, climb it, and sure can't get their heads through it .

It's a goat...it will escape if there's a chance. If you put the goat in with the chickens, make sure it won't eat the chicken feed. The easiest and cheapest is to run another hot wire.

 

[ArkRescue]

Yeah I've heard that goats are escape artists and I am working on devising a portable pen I can put in the woods to allow them to clear the brush there during the day. I'm thinking to use no-climb fencing and wrap it around the trees to secure it into place - maybe 5' tall or 6' tall? Not sure yet on the height I may need.

No foot swelling or irritation that I can see.

His legs sound crackly when he walks though and he's only about 3 years old. Someone told me all goats legs crack like that and another person said that's arthritis. If he has arthritis then I'd want to provide a supplement or pain relief if he needs it.

It's a goat...it will escape if there's a chance. If you put the goat in with the chickens, make sure it won't eat the chicken feed. The easiest and cheapest is to run another hot wire.

 

[Cowgirl]

His legs sound crackly when he walks though and he's only about 3 years old. Someone told me all goats legs crack like that and another person said that's arthritis. If he has arthritis then I'd want to provide a supplement or pain relief if he needs it.

My goats' legs always cracked. I think it's just a goat thing. :shrug:

 

[SPF001]

Our two goats go under the chainlink fence and under the electric fence w/ a horse fence charger. The only fence they haven't gotten out of was one of the dog electric fences. Unlike the horse fence that pulses the shock it is a continuis shock. The problem is over a long distance (over an acre) it tends to short out and burn the wire. The neighbors know about the escapes and suggested we leave them out of the fence and watch them break into it just for fun.

 

[ArkRescue]

The older one stays in the field because he is too fat to fit through the board fencing and he can't jump high enough to go over it. I did see him jump pretty high when he first came and one of the horses had him cornered - but I guess that was a special situation and he had a burst of energy LOL. The baby is also a pygmy so he's especially small - hey I know someone who uses a continuous charger on low impedance fencing that is mixed into some wire lines. I told them I heard they could burn out the low impedance fencing that way but so far it still works. Keeping goats contained has been mastered by my neighbor - he's the one who uses metal and wood posts and chain link fencing, the goats somehow can't get under the chain link either.

Our two goats go under the chainlink fence and under the electric fence w/ a horse fence charger. The only fence they haven't gotten out of was one of the dog electric fences. Unlike the horse fence that pulses the shock it is a continuis shock. The problem is over a long distance (over an acre) it tends to short out and burn the wire. The neighbors know about the escapes and suggested we leave them out of the fence and watch them break into it just for fun.

 

[Cowgirl]

The older one stays in the field because he is too fat to fit through the board fencing and he can't jump high enough to go over it. I did see him jump pretty high when he first came and one of the horses had him cornered - but I guess that was a special situation and he had a burst of energy LOL. The baby is also a pygmy so he's especially small - hey I know someone who uses a continuous charger on low impedance fencing that is mixed into some wire lines. I told them I heard they could burn out the low impedance fencing that way but so far it still works. Keeping goats contained has been mastered by my neighbor - he's the one who uses metal and wood posts and chain link fencing, the goats somehow can't get under the chain link either.

You can also get wire mesh fencing and just do away with your electric. Or, you can get some of those poly-net fences. They're kinda pricey, but they work really well.