Going off Grid..need a Milk Supply

[2mnypets]

Quote:
This was one of the posts regarding the minature cows. Pricey though. Hope this helps!

 

[Lonewolf2421]

Another thing to is you can carrey more goats on the same acerage as a cow, If you are going to be self sufficiant this is nessisary . so you can raise your replacements. If you only have 1 cow and hard times hit and it dies you are out of luck, running more goats it would not be an issue!

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Another option is mini goats. We have 1 mini nubian and 1 nigerian dwarf and together they produce as much as a full size doe. They are much calmer than our large goats and eat less and are small enough that it doesnt hurt as much when they step on bare feet.

 

[Llysse]

Keep in mind, too, that goat milk is easier to digest and naturally homogenized. Personally, I think it tastes better, but it does taste different. Unless you go the mini-cow route, goats are easier to handle. Even the big ones are more or less person-sized. Big cows are BIG, and you'd need lots of people (or specialized equipment) to help you manhandle one if need be.

Goats are affectionate and will come to think of you as one of the herd. Goat manure comes in neat packages, like rabbit poo: little round pellets. My favorite goats are Nubians, with the long floppy ears.

 

[barbg1971]

This little one just got sick out of nowhere. She can't stand for long periods and if another goat barely pushes her she falls down. She's eating but i can't get her to drink anything. I currently don't have a book on goats yet. Any ideas what may be wrong?

 

[Stacykins]

This little one just got sick out of nowhere. She can't stand for long periods and if another goat barely pushes her she falls down. She's eating but i can't get her to drink anything. I currently don't have a book on goats yet. Any ideas what may be wrong?

Time to call a vet, ASAP! A goat who is down is already in massive trouble, since they can hide problems until it is almost too late.

It could be a number of things. Goat polio, listeriosis, bloat, acidosis, poisoning, weak or anemic from a high worm load, etc! Also, you should always post a new thread, not revise threads that are several years old.

 

[nok13]

but even so....

if u havent already, b12 and maybe selenium/vit e; your county agri center should know if u need selenium/vit e ; here in israel its a rare thing but i did have one baby that needed and got injections for the mineral...but as someone said, could be poisoning, goat polio (which is actually something else not polio), anemic, a mixture of those things; is it after she got vaccinated? twice our country vaccine person (here only they vaccinate, we arent allowed to) hit the nerve in a kid's neck area; one kid pulled thru, one became paralyzed and eventually i euthenized her, as she was alert, but couldnt walk and we realized that we couldnt leave her that way. that happens when usng a gun vaccinater, and the kid is a bit too small/young, or if they move. not sure in the states how vaccines are given, but here the guy is like a technician robot... just points and shoots. had lambs go down also.

 

[barbg1971]

Here's the situation with this little girl. She's not mine she is my neighbors so a vet is not an option I'm afraid. My husband and I noticed she was sick a couple of days ago. When he was bringing the tractor through the neighbors pasture to our place my husband noticed she wasn't any better so he picked her up and brought her to me to try and help. The only reason i even know about any of his animals is because they come up to my house for a corn treat. We asked the owner what may be wrong with her and he doesn't know either. While he isn't a terrible person he just isn't one to pay vet bills. So, with that said, i could try the vitamins or anything within my budget to help make her feel better. To the best of my knowledge none of the animals get vaccinations but I can ask. Also, there is a pygmy goat that runs with her and the others. He was trying to mate with her, and she would drop down until he left her be, can they be "over" mated? She seems awfully young and I don't think her age is known. Thanks

 

[Stacykins]

Here's the situation with this little girl. She's not mine she is my neighbors so a vet is not an option I'm afraid. My husband and I noticed she was sick a couple of days ago. When he was bringing the tractor through the neighbors pasture to our place my husband noticed she wasn't any better so he picked her up and brought her to me to try and help. The only reason i even know about any of his animals is because they come up to my house for a corn treat. We asked the owner what may be wrong with her and he doesn't know either. While he isn't a terrible person he just isn't one to pay vet bills. So, with that said, i could try the vitamins or anything within my budget to help make her feel better. To the best of my knowledge none of the animals get vaccinations but I can ask. Also, there is a pygmy goat that runs with her and the others. He was trying to mate with her, and she would drop down until he left her be, can they be "over" mated? She seems awfully young and I don't think her age is known. Thanks

OK, well that isn't a good situation. Too bad he won't give any ill animal veterinary care, that seems rather irresponsible.

When you see her next, look at her eyelid color. Here is a picture demonstrating what to do. And also, an explanation of what it means. I am betting these goats have never been wormed. They could be carrying a massive load. Barberspole worms are blood suckers. Also, if she has a high load of coccidia, that can result in an anemic goat. Worms are treated differently than coccidia, so two different medications would be needed.

Does the farmer provide them any loose minerals? Goats can't get enough minerals in salt block lick form. Those are mostly NaCl anyway, so they don't get the other minerals they need in sufficient quantities. Loose minerals with little to no NaCl is preferred. It is offered in a pan or feed bucket for the goats to lick up as needed. She could be severely mineral deficient.

Yes, they can be overbred. Does can get bred much too young, too. As soon as they reach their first heat at 3-4 months old, they can get bred. That is WAY too early, and it would be hard for her to have a healthy pregnancy. Also, a buck can breed a doe right after she gives birth, resulting in back to back pregnancies with no chance for her body to recover from them.

 

[barbg1971]

I don't know about loose minerals. I really don't know much about what he does and doesn't give them. I don't think he does. They mostly just graze in the pasture between our house and his. This is how I came to notice she was ill to start with. What kind of minerals do they need? I'm sure my husband won't mind me getting them. Also, I read online that she may meed some Ivermectin for worms. Should I go ahead and get that? I'm going to TSC today to get stuff for my chickens so I can pick this up if I need to. She is currently locked in my back yard where the other goats can't bother her and hopefully I can get her back on her feet. Then the owner and I will have a discussion about where she will live if I succeed.