Lets talk about goats!

[chickengirl1193]

Thanks for the tip. I've been looking for some books to keep on hand about goats, chickens, farm animals in general plus homesteading for the hobby farm we have but there are just so many out there!

We've had horses before so I understand that all animals need adjustment time. We have planned on putting the goats in a small 64x32 pen that will be my garden ( made out of hog wire feedlot panels )  so we can be close but not crowd them at the same time. I've met the adults goats and just feel in love with them! They already are used to hotwire ( which we have ) so I am confident that they will teach the kids where the wire is once we bring them home. THe kids will be spending a week in the garden pen so they can adjust to my farm and being away from their does for the first time. My kids are both in school so I can spend lots of time just sitting with the goats and letting them get to know me.

Biggest thing we can't figure out is housing. We don't want to build a goat barn because we are building a barn later in the year that will house the goats, cow and horses and possibly sheep and on 6 acres, space configuration is a key factor. The cows will be raised for meat only, so will the sheep so the only year round animals will be the goats and chickens.

The adult goats we're getting are highly socaizled and loved my kids scratching behind their horns We are all really excited for them to be here!

I would also suggest large dog houses or small calf hutches. Ive seen them online. What breed goats are you getting?

 

[itsjustjen]

myotonic. I was thinking of doing a a frame hut that is off the ground on 4x4s so that the goats stay dry and have something to climb on but can't get on the roof.

 

[chickengirl1193]

That sounds good! Ive found that my goats like to sleep outside a lot and all they look for is a dry spot and sometimes they will sleep under my chicken coop rather than inside a house.

 

[gotpotbellypig]

Ok, so I have had some people tell me that you shouldn't leave hay out all the time but others say you should...Any advice???

 

[chicken pickin]

Ok, so I have had some people tell me that you shouldn't leave hay out all the time but others say you should...Any advice???

My goats hay feeder is inside their house so it doesn't get rained or snowed on and I leave it full of hay 24/7 so they can eat it free choice always.

 

[Stacykins]

Ok, so I have had some people tell me that you shouldn't leave hay out all the time but others say you should...Any advice???

Mine always have hay to eat. Some people ration hay a little more tightly than others, but especially at this time if year, yea, they need their hay. It is essential for healthy digestion, too.

 

[chicken pickin]

So I placed and ad on craigslist looking for a stud for my doe and I got a response today, she gave me basic info on her herd and told me to email her with any questions. So here is what I wrote back to her. Let me know if I covered everything or if there is more I should be asking. Also in her initial email she states her herd is clean and she tests annually for cae. That her buck is very proven, and from great milking lines.

These were my questions

How long have you been breeding and studding out your bucks? I may be interested in your older proven spotted buck. What is the pedigree on him? What have the results been of his offspring, does he produce more Males or Females? And do you have pics of any of his offspring. Has there ever been any defects in any of his offspring or still births? Do you have any pics of is daughters grown and in milk so I can also see their udders?
And most importantly, Health of your entire herd. Have any of them ever had any diseases, illnesses, deficiencies, lumps on body, sores on mouth etc?

 

[cassie]

So I placed and ad on craigslist looking for a stud for my doe and I got a response today, she gave me basic info on her herd and told me to email her with any questions. So here is what I wrote back to her. Let me know if I covered everything or if there is more I should be asking. Also in her initial email she states her herd is clean and she tests annually for cae. That her buck is very proven, and from great milking lines.

These were my questions

How long have you been breeding and studding out your bucks? I may be interested in your older proven spotted buck. What is the pedigree on him? What have the results been of his offspring, does he produce more Males or Females? And do you have pics of any of his offspring. Has there ever been any defects in any of his offspring or still births? Do you have any pics of is daughters grown and in milk so I can also see their udders?
And most importantly, Health of your entire herd. Have any of them ever had any diseases, illnesses, deficiencies, lumps on body, sores on mouth etc?

I will admit I am old and grumpy. However, I bred purebred dairy goats for many years and offered stud service. But if I were the owner of that buck, I would consider servicing your doe to be far more trouble than it is worth. How long the buck owner has been offering stud service is irrelevant. The buck owner in all probability has not kept statistics on the sex ratio of the offspring. Defects in offspring can be caused by many things, and heredity is just one of them. As for diseases in the herd, a visual inspection should suffice. If you take the doe there, get her bred, and bring her right home, exposure to anything is very limited. The pedigree is a valid question, but if you do not know the lines, and it sounds like you are a beginner, the value is questionable. Go visit the herd, see the buck in person, see if there are any offspring available. If you like what you see, use the buck. If you don't, go home.

 

[chicken pickin]

I will admit I am old and grumpy. However, I bred purebred dairy goats for many years and offered stud service. But if I were the owner of that buck, I would consider servicing your doe to be far more trouble than it is worth. How long the buck owner has been offering stud service is irrelevant. The buck owner in all probability has not kept statistics on the sex ratio of the offspring. Defects in offspring can be caused by many things, and heredity is just one of them. As for diseases in the herd, a visual inspection should suffice. If you take the doe there, get her bred, and bring her right home, exposure to anything is very limited. The pedigree is a valid question, but if you do not know the lines, and it sounds like you are a beginner, the value is questionable. Go visit the herd, see the buck in person, see if there are any offspring available. If you like what you see, use the buck. If you don't, go home.

Oh I wasn't aware My asking all those questions was more trouble than its worth. From what I have read everywhere people say to ask many questions and I thought all of my questions sounded reasonable. And my not understanding the pedigree has nothing to do with it. I honestly asked to make sure that these people are knowledgeable breeders that keep track of their lines and that they are not just a random backyard breeder that hasn't kept track of any of their goats. I was also interested to see if their goats had any of the same lineage that my does have.

This woman responded to my ad and she was very nice answered ALL the questions I asked and offered even more info on her own she also sent me lots of pics. So to her I was not too much trouble but I thank you for your honesty in what you think as a breeder, I do understand where your coming from.

Being a beginner with goats I just want to make sure I do everything right, I didn't want to miss anything important and regret it later.

 

[SA Farm]

Oh I wasn't aware My asking all those questions was more trouble than its worth. From what I have read everywhere people say to ask many questions and I thought all of my questions sounded reasonable. And my not understanding the pedigree has nothing to do with it. I honestly asked to make sure that these people are knowledgeable breeders that keep track of their lines and that they are not just a random backyard breeder that hasn't kept track of any of their goats. I was also interested to see if their goats had any of the same lineage that my does have.

This woman responded to my ad and she was very nice answered ALL the questions I asked and offered even more info on her own she also sent me lots of pics. So to her I was not too much trouble but I thank you for your honesty in what you think as a breeder, I do understand where your coming from.

Being a beginner with goats I just want to make sure I do everything right, I didn't want to miss anything important and regret it later.

I always prefer people to ask me lots of questions when I'm selling or studding or doing whatever with my animals. To me it shows a sincere desire to learn and protect themselves and their own animals - to me an ideal person to do business with. In my opinion, if I was asking questions about buying or using an animal and someone didn't want to answer my questions, I would question what it was they could be hiding! The only thing I would have added to your email would be a thank you