Annoying Nigerian Dwarf Goats-

[nicefarmer4U]

Hello, everybody...
Hard as it is to start referring to each tip provided by each one of you all, I'll try to do my best to basically summarize everyone's points.I have not replied to anyone's ideas because my Desktop PC stopped working for good, crashed one week ago..just to make matters worse. Chickerdoodle13, you definitely sound like a high-level-animal-protecting person. I can guess you love pets and animals in general. However, I think you missed something I mentioned before concerning punishment. I wrote "a very few times", to be more precise twice since we got these goats (twice to the best of my recollection) which was over a year ago. I just lost my cool...one afternoon.. what's wrong with that? As human as I am, I later acknowledged that I had done the wrong thing, and got back to myself. Also, I just cut back on hay with molasses, based on your tip, and I think it's been working along with the increase of the daily ration of Timothy hay. Thanks. 1muttsfan, to answer your question, yes. I'm sure I want to keep our goats...therefore any comments I made showing the opposite have been intended to highlight the importance for me to find a solution, nothing else. An important reason to keep the goats is my wife's being allergic to cow milk (dairy products), so she will need the milk these goats are to give us in the near future. Your point made about "rewards" for goats is part of the problem: my wife gives them treats now and then. I don't. I believe treats will only "train" them for the bad habit, moreover, manufacturers of these products do not care much about the animal response, they just want to stick with their marketting strategies being effective and make profit. Chickengirl1193, pelleted feed and straight grass hay worked for you.. well, for me, the increase of Timothy hay has contributed for these goats to decrease their "chorus" particular in the afternoons. enola, plenty of food, fresh water..yes, I just did exactly what goats rule 101 and you suggested, plenty of hay all the time, regardless of how much they apparently waste, that's been fine..so far their protests have been less than before..
Overall, thank you everyone for your swift response concerning the help I requested. I'll get back to you all (actually, "ya'll" here in the South) when the time and circumstances require so.

nicefarmer4U.

 

[chickengirl1193]

Thats good to hear that the increase in Timothy hay helped you! And I bet if you start just ignoring them and only give them hay/treats/grain when they are quiet they will soon learn to stay quiet.

 

[enola]

I loved my goats. I can understand how badly you want to keep yours. Put pictures up when the babies start coming!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Hello, everybody...
Hard as it is to start referring to each tip provided by each one of you all, I'll try to do my best to basically summarize everyone's points.I have not replied to anyone's ideas because my Desktop PC stopped working for good, crashed one week ago..just to make matters worse. Chickerdoodle13, you definitely sound like a high-level-animal-protecting person. I can guess you love pets and animals in general. However, I think you missed something I mentioned before concerning punishment. I wrote "a very few times", to be more precise twice since we got these goats (twice to the best of my recollection) which was over a year ago. I just lost my cool...one afternoon.. what's wrong with that? As human as I am, I later acknowledged that I had done the wrong thing, and got back to myself. Also, I just cut back on hay with molasses, based on your tip, and I think it's been working along with the increase of the daily ration of Timothy hay. Thanks. 1muttsfan, to answer your question, yes. I'm sure I want to keep our goats...therefore any comments I made showing the opposite have been intended to highlight the importance for me to find a solution, nothing else. An important reason to keep the goats is my wife's being allergic to cow milk (dairy products), so she will need the milk these goats are to give us in the near future. Your point made about "rewards" for goats is part of the problem: my wife gives them treats now and then. I don't. I believe treats will only "train" them for the bad habit, moreover, manufacturers of these products do not care much about the animal response, they just want to stick with their marketting strategies being effective and make profit. Chickengirl1193, pelleted feed and straight grass hay worked for you.. well, for me, the increase of Timothy hay has contributed for these goats to decrease their "chorus" particular in the afternoons. enola, plenty of food, fresh water..yes, I just did exactly what goats rule 101 and you suggested, plenty of hay all the time, regardless of how much they apparently waste, that's been fine..so far their protests have been less than before..
Overall, thank you everyone for your swift response concerning the help I requested. I'll get back to you all (actually, "ya'll" here in the South) when the time and circumstances require so.

nicefarmer4U.

I'm glad cutting back on the molasses has helped!

I think I'm one of the more realistic people here in my vet school class when it comes to animals and the way they are treated. I understand the need for a firm hand, especially when dealing with livestock. I have a pretty tough stomach compared to some of my classmates when it comes to the treatment of animals. I've been exposed to a lot more of the reality of "farming", working, and commercial animals than many of my classmates. But yes, I do love animals, otherwise I wouldn't be subjecting my self to the rigors that is vet school!

I also dabble a bit in horse and dog training, so I understand the frustrations that come along with trying for a result and not getting it. Or with behavior that seems to get worse despite our trying to fix it. A lot of times, there is an easy fix and it becomes more about re-training the people than the animals themselves. Sometimes, there are more complex reasons for behavior but there are also ways of addressing those. My point being, I'd rather help spread education about why one technique may not give people the result they want or may cause worse problems to occur. Many times, I am the one who learns something. With behavior, there is rarely one way to do things.

I'm certainly not making judgements, as I have no idea what happened between you and the goats that day. I guess what is more concerning is it got to that point. But I am very happy you realized that wasn't working and are working towards changing their behavior so everyone can be happy.

 

[enola]

Key hole feeders work miracles when trying to keep hay from being wasted by goats.

 

[RTFchickens]

Hi ND folks! I just stumbled upon this thread looking for ND info. My goats can be a bit annoyingly loud at times, but we don't really mind. What I have found interesting is you guys's uniform response to the feeding of grain!
I'm new to goat owning (July) and the farm that I purchased my goats from feeds her goats grain, and mentored me to do the same. The girls only get one cup each in the morning and at night, the boys get 1/2 cup morning and night.
I'm very curious how well your goats do without grain. 1muttsfan, I recognize you from the Michigan thread
Thank you for any responses! I appreciate any education I get as a new goat owner!!!

 

[cassie]

Your goats have learned that if they bawl, you will come. That said, they should have hay free choice. If they are milking or in late pregnancy they need some grain.

 

[RTFchickens]

My goats do have free choice: hay, water, minerals, kelp, and baking soda.
2 doe are in milk, 3 are pregnant, and one will be bred at her next heat cycle (I hope). Thanks for the grain input Cassie.

 

[nicefarmer4U]

Hi, RTF...
I just stopped by the BYC website and decided to send a response to your thread. My point is just concerning the grain that we goat owners are supposed to give them. My Nigerian Dwarf goats have only been sort of "surviving" on Timothy Grass (pure), Timothy Grass Premium Forage (in pellets), Baking Soda, Salt, Timothy Hay with Molasses, and water of course (which I try to renew as often as I can). At the beginning, let's say around 1 year and seven months ago (give or take), I used corn to mix it with the rest of their food (just a cup per goat per day), but the thing is that somehow they developed diarrhea for two days in a row. So, I stopped corn supply right away. I still do not know what triggered this problem in their digestive system(probably this happened because they were still very young), but the good thing is that I got it to stop when I quit using corn, at this time I do not even use it as a supplement. All right, hope you'll succeed in your new enterprise you've already undertaken...

 

[RTFchickens]

Nicefarmer4U,
I appreciate your reply. Its funny the varying responses I've found about the grain vs. no grain topic. Do you refrain from grain even while milking and/or pregnant? I would absolutely love to get my goats on a hay/forage only diet, but I'm not sure i can accomplish it quickly. I think I will need to do it gradually and more tward spring. Where I live we get snow cold winters.
I was recently reading a book about increasing milk supply in goats. After all that's why I got them (not as cute pets). It explained that when feed concentrates were rationed, and only hay and roots were given milk supplies INCREASED which I found intriguing.
Thanks again for the input!
RTF