in some dairy breeds, if you breed polled goats to each other, you may have a higher incidence of intersex goats (goats that have male and female sex traits).
Intersexuality in goats is a recessive characteristic seen only in females, which causes infertility. The one intersex doe who came from my farm acted like the worst kind of buck — constantly blubbering and mounting her pen mates.
The way to tell if a goat is polled (at least one parent must be polled for a goat to inherit the trait) is to look for the lack of a swirl on the head where the horns grow. Eventually, the polls will grow into rounded bumps — like a giraffe has, only much shorter.
Eyes
A goat’s pupil is rectangular rather than round like other animals’. A lot of people say they are creeped out by goat’s eyes, but according to the Los Angeles zoo, they have an important function. Goats have excellent night vision, which enables them to avoid predators and browse at night. I can vouch for the night browsing, although my goats are out at night eating under a full moon more often than any other time.
Goats’ eye color ranges from yellow to brown to blue. Angora goats sometimes inherit a condition where facial hair covers their eyes, which harms their vision and their ability to browse.
Signs of a Healthy Goat
One of the most important parts of being a goat owner is observing the goats to make sure that they’re healthy. You can do it when you’re feeding, or just go out and watch them. The bonus is that hanging out with goats is relaxing! I’m lucky to work from home and be able to incorporate “goat breaks” into my routine.
A healthy goat has shiny eyes and glossy hair, and is curious and energetic unless resting and chewing cud. If you’re watching your goats and one of them seems a bit off, you can take a few simple steps to investigate further. In this section, I tell you what’s normal for goats and give you some simple clues to determine whether your goat is healthy.
Noticing posture
One of the first signs of a healthy goat is posture. A healthy goat usually has her head and tail up, stands erect, and holds her ears erect. That doesn’t mean that every time a goat has her tail or ears down that she is sick. It is just a sign to be taken in conjunction with other signs. A goat that doesn’t feel well will hunch with tail down and not be as responsive to external stimuli such as sounds or physical activity.
Observe your goats when they’re healthy and note how they stand and move, how they interact, and how they look overall. Any change is your first clue that something might be wrong.
Identifying the meaning of goat cries
People with new goats often ask whether something is wrong with goats because they cry every time they see a person move. I advise them not to respond to the goats every time they cry. Often they were just spoiled by their prior owner or are a breed known for being noisy, such as Nubian or Nigerian Dwarf. (Chapter 3 tells you about goat breeds.) Or they are grieving the loss of their mother or other herd members.
I had a goat whose baby died during birth and had to be removed from her body. She saw the dead kid at the vet’s office, but after she got home she ran to the kidding pen, looking around and then yelling at me. She recovered physically from the ordeal but took months to get over it emotionally. Some goats whose babies are taken at birth for bottle-feeding (usually dairy goats) or die later respond the same way, while others seem unconcerned.
If a goat is truly hungry or thirsty, his bleat is persistent. I always hear these cries as my wake-up call in the morning if I’m not out by 7:00 a.m. and in the evening at the same time. They know they’re due to be fed. Who needs a traditional alarm clock?
A sick goat sometimes moans or makes a stressed-out sounding cry, but more often you notice that she isn’t crying but is away from the herd suffering silently.
Bucks in rut will make some of the craziest snorting, bleating noises you’ve ever heard. Some does cry out in little short bursts when they’re in heat and wanting to get bred.
Does that are kidding can also be quite noisy, although some approach the task silently. During the first stage of labor, they whine more than cry, especially if they want you there with them the whole time. Others are pretty discreet until it’s time to push the baby out and then they let loose with a loud, long cry to tell you over the baby monitor that it’s time.
Finally, a goat that is trapped or injured (or got through the fence and can’t get back in) will make sure you know it with loud, frantic bleats. This is the kind of cry that sends you running to its source because time is of the essence. If a kid is the victim, the mother will often chime in to let you know that something is wrong.
Listen, and learn your goats’ cries; the knowledge will serve you well.
Determining normal temperature
A goat’s normal temperature is around 102°F to 103°F but can be a degree higher or lower, depending on the individual goat. A goat’s temperature can also go up or down throughout the day. On a hot day, you can expect some of your goats to have higher temperatures.
A temperature that is too high or too low indicates illness in a goat. A goat with a high temperature often has an infection and can quickly become dehydrated, while a goat with a low temperature (hypothermia) may have rumen trouble or is so sick that he is unable to stay warm. This goat needs to be warmed or he will die.
Figuring out what’s normal for your goats
In order to determine what’s normal for each of your goats, take their temperature several times when they’re healthy and note the number in their health records. Make sure you measure their temperatures on a hot day and a normal day so that you get an accurate baseline to compare with if a goat gets sick, as well as an idea of what variations might occur in that goat.
Taking a goat’s temperature
Taking a goat’s temperature is easy. You need either a digital or traditional glass thermometer that you can buy from a feed store, a drugstore, or a livestock supply catalog. Either type is fairly inexpensive.
