So...
Over the past 7 days, we have embarked upon a new venture. We are now the proud owners of two new goats.
We went to the Jacob's Cave Swap meet last weekend, and brought home one girl. Felt it would be better to not get two from the same source, since we realy know nothing about the girl's history. This weekend, sent hubby and younger son to the local auction to pick up a companion for her - supposedly also a girl (no kids, please! Human ones are enough, lol), and introduced them this afternoon. Aside from a little competition over the feed pan, there was no drama. On eminor little detail, though... she's a HE!
They picked out a wether, not a girl... At least I still don't need to worry about the kid issue
This has been - and will be - a much steeper learning curve for us, as neither of us grew up around goats. I did have to hunt down diarrhea treatment for the girl (Lucy), who came down with it the next day after we brought her home. Whether from the moving stress, or change in diet, or whatever reason, she got a case of it. I treated with pepto-bismol (didn't go over too well), yogurt (again, not a big hit), and gatorade in the water (only a "meh" reaction), and it cleared up within 24 hours.
She was terribly lonely, and the other goat has already perked her up. I discovered, though, that Lucy's past was not so wonderful, apparently, as the new goat (Goatdini - you know, like Houdini? Yeah...) is so very much friendlier and less jumpy. Maybe it's just different personalities?? Hopefully... although...the fellow at Jacob's Cave did say Lucy was a rescue bought at auction less than two months previously... which could mean either a lot, or absolutely nothing.
Before you ask: no, we have no idea what breeds these new friends of ours are - they're smallish, so likely pygmy something-or-other. Lucy has smaller horns than Goatdini does, and is a bit smaller overall. Goatdini is a little stockier, so maybe some Boer or other meat goat in the mix? Doesn't matter too much to us, and certainly not to the goats themselves. They'll have loads of fun clearing out the brush we could never keep up with, and will provide plenty of fertilizer, in the process.
We aready have a house going up for them to winter in, and a hay holder/feeder/waste-preventer design we're working on. As I said, a steep learning curve... but a fun one, too!
Over the past 7 days, we have embarked upon a new venture. We are now the proud owners of two new goats.
This has been - and will be - a much steeper learning curve for us, as neither of us grew up around goats. I did have to hunt down diarrhea treatment for the girl (Lucy), who came down with it the next day after we brought her home. Whether from the moving stress, or change in diet, or whatever reason, she got a case of it. I treated with pepto-bismol (didn't go over too well), yogurt (again, not a big hit), and gatorade in the water (only a "meh" reaction), and it cleared up within 24 hours.
She was terribly lonely, and the other goat has already perked her up. I discovered, though, that Lucy's past was not so wonderful, apparently, as the new goat (Goatdini - you know, like Houdini? Yeah...) is so very much friendlier and less jumpy. Maybe it's just different personalities?? Hopefully... although...the fellow at Jacob's Cave did say Lucy was a rescue bought at auction less than two months previously... which could mean either a lot, or absolutely nothing.
Before you ask: no, we have no idea what breeds these new friends of ours are - they're smallish, so likely pygmy something-or-other. Lucy has smaller horns than Goatdini does, and is a bit smaller overall. Goatdini is a little stockier, so maybe some Boer or other meat goat in the mix? Doesn't matter too much to us, and certainly not to the goats themselves. They'll have loads of fun clearing out the brush we could never keep up with, and will provide plenty of fertilizer, in the process.
We aready have a house going up for them to winter in, and a hay holder/feeder/waste-preventer design we're working on. As I said, a steep learning curve... but a fun one, too!
