New to Goats

[SchmidtChicks]

So recently, as in the last 3 days, we've decided to add goats to our small hobby farm on 5 acres. We got 2 for company, but were wondering about a few things.

These are our new additions-

Daphne - Brown Doe - 9 Month Old Nubian X - possibly pregnant
Staples - Black Doeling - 3 Month Old Nubian X Toggenburg

We have them tethered while there pen is a work in progress, initially we were going to tether them to move through the yard, but since changed our minds

We've brought them Prime Lucerne hay, and provided a large tub as a water trough. And after easter holiday were going to buy a Goat Blend feed from the Produce Store.

Our questions-
• is it necessary to provide a mineral blend?
(Copper sulphate, sulphur powder, dolomite powder, seaweed meal)

• will a reinforced chicken wire fence hold them?
(5ft tall, weaved between t-posts, and hardwired on).

• will a 2-3 sided shed suffice for shelter?
(wood frame, tin roof, back wall and possibly 1 or 2 sides- open front)

• is there anything else we should know?
We are happy to milk, hence getting dairies, and are working on settling the pair as they've been parent / paddock raised so a little flighty. Love food so thats helping with getting close and calm for scratches and pats.

Lastly - how do we tell if Daphne is pregnant without a test? She's been running with a pure Nubian buck with her last herd for about a month.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Absolutely free minerals are a must!! A really good one is at TS..wind, storm rain? Think that’s the name...big red bag with cattle on the front. As for the goat shed...goats hate the rain. My goat shed is a regular shed with a door...I have it tethered to the fenc3 so they can go in and out as the6 please. It keeps them and their feed safe from elements. Chicken wire is not necessary..at least I don’t thin’ so. I have my goats in cattle panels..never ha$ a problem. M6 goats ge5 to free range for much of th3 nice days. The hay sounds great...pellets are a must and alfalfa pellets for th3 pregnant doe. She should be on th3 alfalfa pellets, so th3 kids don5 get too big. Th3 pellets..I add lots of stuff to my mix, but, definitely after kidding..she will need tons of feed!! Th3 other goat will enjoy tg3 pellets too. I give all my goats..10 pellets twice a day. The amount depends of th3 goat. Iv3 asked sooo many people that very question, always the same response...depending on the goat. I have feeding troughs and just put pellets in all of those...then the6 eat what they can get. I also feed from hand at times, to help the bond. I’ve ha$ my goats awhile, so no trouble there. Bu5 with new ones you need to gain their trust. Start checking tg3 pregnant one’s ligaments...that will help you know when she is close. Sometimes the bag can help...but I hav3 does that bag up early, and som3 that don5 until the night before. There i# tons of info on kidding..so read up!! Our firs5 one was a breach..but we did it and tg3 triplets are great! The milking takes a bit to get th3 knack. Iv3 tried three machines..one even $500...I prefer to milk by hand...I have dairy too. Watch a video on milking...same with kidding. The milking need# to be done properly so the milk doesn’t go back up inside the teat. Once you ge5 it...it’s a sintch. A great forum to join is BYH...sister forum but for large livest. It helps me daily with all my critters onbth3 farm...ver6 many!!

 

[Timity]

Watch the head budding too. Sometimes playfull, but in their DNA. Always dangerous. Our Billy rated up but goes lightly because he was a bottle fed affectionate boy. He still will put is nubs in your gut with a soft ram!

 

[Timity]

He too hates the rain and snow. Loves straw bedding in his dog house converted goat house. He free ranges but we have an area for him to be contained about 25% of the time. Right now he’s eating all the young California Poppy’s. Our neighbors have beautiful blue, purple, yellow and orange carpeted yards of poppy’s and we have a mowed property!!

 

[Mvan42]

My goats haven’t had them a year yet.. get some goat feed twice a day and have hey whenever they want.

Our pen is wired fencing, with steel poles. We recently built it because the plan was we were not going to keep them, (bottle fed from babies and we planned on selling them in the fall.long story). So they needed a bigger area..

Their barn is actually a reinforced tsc chicken coop, needless to say after building our new coop a bear decided to roll the tsc coop around the yard, the rabbits we had in it (surviving rabbits). Were moved to the coop with the chickens. The tsc frame was fine just the floor of the in closure was gone, Perfect to make a mini barn.. Once we got the goats we closed in the coop in with ply wood added a floor a doorway. And boom a small barn for goats..

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Goats absolutely hate rain, will tolerate snow. That’s why I recommended a shed with all sides and a door. Write down everything..there are free printables on the internet for goat records. Write down shots, hoove trimming, any ‘off behavior’

buy Nutridrench...and the drench gun. It’s a must, for when goats are ‘off’.
id get also the vitamin b complex...shots bottle in cattle section of TS, or the b12 paste just for goats. I also have probios paste on hand..also, now that th3 grass is green, goats tend to overeat and get bloat. You wan5 to offer free choice baking soda b6 th3 minerals. They will know when they need it.
Mineral blocks are hard on their teeth and gums...plus many don’t provide enough of the minerals they need. Thats why I recommended the Wind and Rain at TS..(no “storm” in th3 name...I checked)... goats drink a ton too. Make sure you provide much water everyday.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Apologies if someone has already said this but if your goats have horns, I would not do fencing with large gaps. I think chicken wire is fine. I say this because a friend of ours had a goat with horns and she got caught in the fence and had to get a leg amputated because of it. She’s now a happy three-legged goat but still. Make sure it’s properly staked so the horns don’t get stuck under the fence. I have a strange setup. Not the best but it works. We have about a 8-10 acre pasture where my horse stays with a barn in the pasture. We try to let the goats free range in the pasture every day for yummy grass. However they get their feed in the barn in a stall where they spend the night. My goats are very clingy now as they started out very skittish and not handled very much when we bought them. Now it’s a struggle to go anywhere without the sounds of bleating (or screaming because Francis likes to scream). Since they have so much space, they don’t tend to come up to the fences very often. Sorry I rambled but those are things I’ve noticed and or picked up on about my goats.

(Nice picture of Francis my mom took)

 

[Birdsong 82]

My goats would destroy chicken wire in no time. Not strong enough for goats when they get mischievous ( which can be often). 2x4 welded wire could work... knotted goat&sheep fence is best IMO. My goats have gotten themselves tangled in chicken wire before ...after breaking into the run.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I agree, chicken wire won’t last, also too flexible, even if you square it with wood. We use cattle panels. My one goat got her head stuck. We went out and put 2”x4” along all the posts where she could get stuck. Other than on the postings, we’ll never had an issue with horns...had 4 goats with horns.

 

[Birdsong 82]

And for horns getting stuck you can tie a small piece of pvc across the top of their horns so they can't stick them through the fence. I've heard of people using pool noodles but I think they would come off too easily. Once they get older and the horns grow they don't get stuck as easily