Here’s a guide to toothing a goat:
First year (kid): Baby teeth are small and sharp. They gradually fall out and permanent teeth replace them.
Second year (yearling): The two middle front teeth fall out when the kid is about 12 months old. Two larger permanent teeth grow in their place.
Third year: The teeth next to the two middle teeth fall out. Two new, larger, permanent teeth grow in when the kid is about 24 months old.
Fourth year: The next two teeth on either side of the four middle teeth fall out, and new permanent teeth grow in.
Fifth year: The goat has all eight front teeth.After five years, you can guess at the goat’s age by looking for wear on the teeth and missing teeth. This will vary a lot, depending on the goat’s diet.
FIGURE 2-3: You can tell a goat’s age by his teeth.
Beards
Most but not all goats have beards. The male’s beard is more majestic than the female’s beard. Although the purpose of the beard is unknown, it’s great for capturing that unique scent that males like to flaunt during breeding season. If you’re having trouble telling whether an animal is a goat or a sheep, look for a beard — only goats have them. (But not all goats have them.) Table 2-1 tells you more about distinguishing goats from sheep.
Wattles
A wattle is a fleshy decoration that hangs from the goat’s neck just past where the chin attaches. Wattles are more common in dairy goats and pygmy goats. Most goats have two, although I have had a goat born with only one. They are a genetic trait — at least one parent has to have wattles for a kid to be born with them.
TABLE 2-1 Distinguishing Goats from Sheep
| Goat | Sheep |
|---|---|
| Tail stands up | Tail hangs down |
| Horns usually straight | Horns usually curled |
| Often bearded | Non-bearded |
| Browser | Grazer |
| Curious | Aloof |
| Independent | Blindly follow |
| Hate to get wet | Don’t mind rain |
| Butt heads by rearing up | Butt heads by charging |
| No division in upper lip | Divided upper lip |
Horns
Most goats will grow two horns (yes, even the females) unless they’re disbudded shortly after birth. (I tell you about disbudding in Chapter 9.) A minority of goats are naturally hornless, a trait called polled. Although polled goats are desirable because they save some work for the owner and some pain for the goat, 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