Baby goats

[vicki2x2]

MissPrissy,

Wow, that is sad. We have many great breeders around here. I can totally understand what you are saying. My goats (just pets) get their yearly vaccinations, wormed about 4 times or more a year. Have an acre of fenced pasture to themselves, and we rotate them with one of our donkey pastures too, since the goats like the weeds and the donkeys like the grass. They see the vet if they have anything I can't clear right up. They all walk well on a dog collar and leash and off we go to the vets.

It is too bad you are so far away, you could get something up here easily. Also, I thought I had read you only had 2 does, 6 does is a bit more understandable.

 

[vicki2x2]

Quote:
Or geese! I have heard they are excellent grazers!

(edited for typo!)

 

[MissPrissy]

I have 6. I milk 2.

 

[sweetshoplady]

Miss Prissy,

What about AI?

I don't know how much it is to have a goat collected. I know from shipping bull semen that its about $100 to ship.

You're absolutely right about wanting a buck who is in the health of your does and who you like the appearance of. I wouldn't breed an animal of mine to a sire that I didn't think highly of. Waste of a breeding.

Beautiful babies!

 

[helmstead]

Okay Miss Prissy, here we go hyjacking the thread - but have you looked into AI? I know of several dairy goat people that offer frozen semen...yes, off purebred bucks...but really nice, full sized goats. And, generally speaking, if they go through the trouble to collect their goats, the goats are well cared for.

 

[sara]

Quote:
It would keep the weeds down wouldn't it? I don't want to have to shear sheep. I did plenty of that back in 4-H.

 

[MissPrissy]

Kate, that is an option and one we considered. I have done some internet searches and so far the price of the semen is more costly than buying a buck and using him then wethering. I have let my biggest doe dry off. She milked through 2 straight years with kidding. She needed a break. I probably could have milked her out longer but I wanted her body to rest. She will have to be freshened this time. I NEED her.

 

[MissPrissy]

Sorry we hijacked your thread, Kurtis. Your babies sparked good conversation!

 

[kstaven]

I understand all to well the problem with finding healthy and well cared for animals. Many of the ones here have come from half way across the country because the ones sold locally are such a frightening sight.

Bucks really don't have to stink! Train them when young to take a shower and it solves that problem. No different than washing a dairy animal down before milking.

I also understand the hesitancy to lend or rent a buck out. I have had numerous requests and upon seeing the condition of the does I said no. As much as a person doesn't want to bring in a buck from a problematic background, I don't want to rent a buck out and bring a problem home with him. I have a clean and healthy herd that I want to keep that way.

It is far cheaper to keep goats in prime condition than it is to deal with the fallout later. I keep trying to tell people that who feed garbage feed to animals and then sit back and watch them learn the hard way. It is the same with the dairy cows. I pay a premium for dairy grade hay in the winter, but my animals produce well and are still in prime condition come spring.

Cutting corners on animal care may save you in the short run but it will cost twice as much in the end. Off my soapbox now.

The only thing about the kids is I wish as adults they maintained the same dark rich color.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Congrats on your adorable little doelings!!

Quote:
You should try Katahdin sheep. They are a hair sheep, meaning no shearing and they shed out every spring. They were actually developed here in Maine.