Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

TaraBella the Boers are a bigger goat, but I feel like they're very easy to handle. The two that were bottle babies are just like dogs, they follow you everywhere. I can call Penny from way across the field & she will come. Goats are way better at eating brush & clearing than sheep, I have both & the sheep prefer grass mostly. They will eat a few weeds but nothing brushy. I wanted the goats to help clear the front 5 acres for us that we aren't able to mow because it's too wild down there. Eventually we will have 4 paddocks when we get all of the fence up to rotate them through. It will probably take quite awhile to get that all accomplished but at least for now they have this area we just finished fencing to work on. The next area we plan to fence is west of the one we just did. There are a lot of bushy things over there & good grass as well in places. We won't start on that one till spring. The goat fence isn't cheap but at least I don't have to worry about going out every day to fight with Patches to get her head out of the fence. Once they get their head in somewhere they fight you to get it out & it's a wrestling match.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Well I mentioned milk to my Husband and he said we have a pasturizer that was in our home when we bought it (we inherited some crazy stuff!)  and I love goat milk soap!  How long will she produce milk, with proper milking, after the kid is sold?


So sorry you lost her , it's always the favorite isn't it?  I have always loved the hawks, but I learned this year that hawks suck when you love chickens more!

Well that depends on several factors, the does bloodlines, health, feed, age etc.. However even an average doe shouldn't have a problem staying in milk for 6-8 months after she kids. Exceptional does can stay in milk for over a year. Most people breed their doe, 5 months later she kids and then she stays in milk until several months after her next breeding which is usually done a approximately a year after her first breeding. Make sense? Does can safely stay in milk until a couple months before kidding when you dry them off so they can use their energy for baby. You really do get what you pay for (sighing reason) as well. My first doe has had an ongoing problem with parasites and her production hasn't been that great. I have yet to milk my others but from what I've learned they should produce several times what my first doe did altho I do have to give it to her she didn't get much else other than weeds to eat with a little alfalfa and grain during milking.
For what you have it sounds like goats would be a good answer to your brush problem. They will eat grass; they just prefer brush. And do get 2 regardless if you get sheep or goats or which breed. They're herd animals and are much happier and more relaxed when they have a buddy.

Thanks! I was horribly disappointed! I thought I finally had a sweet chicken that liked me.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Another note about how long a doe will stay in milk. I know breeders, and I plan to do this myself, that never wean doelings. They leave them with their dam until she's bred again and they let her dry off. The doelings grow a bit faster and it makes for a breedable yearling doe. So how long they'll stay in milk after the kids are sold has a lot of variables.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Makes perfect sense, Ladies! I might actually be getting a bit excited about this idea! I have a freind who breeds Boer/Nubian crosses, but I like the idea of the smaller (and hopefully easy to handle) Nigerians.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Makes perfect sense, Ladies!  I might actually be getting a bit excited about this idea!   I have a freind who breeds Boer/Nubian crosses, but I like the idea of the smaller (and hopefully easy to handle) Nigerians.

They're lots of fun and I love having them! I'm hoping to get some really good fencing up sometime soon but there's several unrelated outside factors putting that on hold at the moment. Currently I have a 3 strand electric fence keeping them in and they're doing more brush clean up. here's a couple pics of some of my goats.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

They are so flippin cute!

 

[Ralph Moyer]

I have raised Nubian goats for years. The milk is high in butter-fat. I am down to only 6 does . I don't have any thorny bushes in my goat pasture, and all the trees have no limbs less than 6 foot from ground level; as they stand on their back legs to reach up to brose on the leaves and twigs. The head nanny, or doe, controls the herd including the buck. She's first in line for milking and feeding. My two Great Pyrenees have a large area to patrol , but they get the job done. One dog will chase after a predator, while the other one will stay close to the stock. If another predator tries to sneak in from another direction, there is a dog waiting on it. I could not operate without those dogs.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

So I understand they are herd animals, but would they be alright solo? It would get near constant attention (with 3 boys it's no doubt) when we are home, but would be home browsing while we are at work/school. I would like to keep it with my flock if that were possible as well.

 

[Trish44]

I have too many chickens & other animals to have to milk goats as well. I'm not fond of goat's milk either, my son had to drink that for awhile when he was little & it was just too strong for me. I'm not a milk drinker anyway, but that definitely didn't work for me. I bought it from a local farm when it was fresh, but the longer after it was obtained the stronger in flavor it got. I do like goat cheese, but just not the milk.

I agree Ralph, the GPs are invaluable for protecting poultry & other animals. I couldn't have anything here with the predators we have if it wasn't for my GPs. They have been really busy at night lately, I think the predators are gearing up for winter because the coyotes have been howling outside of our property lines even before dark lately.

TaraBella goats are herd animals & they don't do well alone at all. You have to have at least two.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

I agree with Trish. You need at least two. They'll be more content and won't try to get out like they would if you only had one. She'd want to be with you constantly and would be worried and stressed by herself.

Ralph do you keep your buck in with your does all the time? Do you try to control when the does are bred?