The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[Teila]

Good Morning Friends

CapricornFarm the goat shed is looking really good!

I got the lawns mowed and weeds killed yesterday before the rain set in. So, stuck inside, I baked a Devils Food Cake in the afternoon.

Today is housework and grocery shopping but because of the chance of more rain, not sure what else I will get up to. There is a cupboard I have been itching to clean so I might just have to do that. Can’t do much in the garden now that the garden bag is full anyways, but hopefully that is getting emptied this week.

The garden is really starting to look like someone actually does love it

Have fun everyone .. catchya tomorrow when I am back at work and stuck in front of the computer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Nigerian Dwarf. Excellent milk producers and cute as can be. Drawback, they can be quite expensive. But i am only getting 6.

My Nigerian were always bashing each other around. They may be small but they still are goats. You may end up with the bottom goats not allowed in your shed. Boss goats will stand in the doorway and won't let others in.

Either you like goats or hate them, they certainly keep you busy checking for ways out of every pen and fence.

 

[sunflour]

Caught all the guineas and took them to the new coop!View attachment 1184296

OMG you also have guineas - I've heard they eat their weight in ticks daily . I've never even seen one, but DH's grandmother had them and he says their are quite meanies.

I second Nigerian Dwarfs! They are adorable! There's also pygmy goats (that's the breed, I think full name is maybe African pygmy or something), but they're rarer, at least around my area. I think those are really the only two mini goat breeds, unless you count mixes of Nigerians with dairy breeds (mini Nubian, mini lamancha, etc etc). Around here the main goats are Nigerians with some dairy goats. Most of the dairy goats are breeds I don't want so it's hard haha I want like 2 wethers for pets/brush clearing so I wanted a bigger goat to be better at the brush part but I might have to go with Nigerians. Although, there are dairy goats, I've seen some good ones, but there are wayyyy more NDs. The wethers aren't too expensive though thankfully, the same as any other goat

The pygmy and Nigerian Dwarfs look so cute - I've been watching the Utube videos .
I saw your posts under a goat thread...I luv goats, but would have to explore the care and expectations before I would ever get any. DH would have to be the goat herder, at least until I retire...which will be millenniums away . We don't have a farm, and would have to place them in about 1 acre of woodsy back yard. One post mentioned coyotes and we do have some in our area. Wonder what else is a danger for them?

There is a cupboard I have been itching to clean

I actually cleaned out several today - had mealie moths around/in a cabinet ..Never found the source, but thanks to those little buggers I got a lot cleaned and organized today

 

[sunflour]

My Nigerian were always bashing each other around. They may be small but they still are goats. You may end up with the bottom goats not allowed in your shed. Boss goats will stand in the doorway and won't let others in.

Either you like goats or hate them, they certainly keep you busy checking for ways out of every pen and fence.

Thanks, they look so cute, didn't imagine they have a "pecking order" and weren't always so cute.

 

[CapricornFarm]

My Nigerian were always bashing each other around. They may be small but they still are goats. You may end up with the bottom goats not allowed in your shed. Boss goats will stand in the doorway and won't let others in.

Either you like goats or hate them, they certainly keep you busy checking for ways out of every pen and fence.

I love goats and their funny ways, but yes it can be aggravating! I am going to have separate pens in the shed and i will be sure if any are that bossy the others will have their own space. I used to have like 100 goats so i know how bossy they can be. They will be locked in each night because we have bears and coyotes.

 

[CapricornFarm]

OMG you also have guineas - I've heard they eat their weight in ticks daily . I've never even seen one, but DH's grandmother had them and he says their are quite meanies.



The pygmy and Nigerian Dwarfs look so cute - I've been watching the Utube videos .
I saw your posts under a goat thread...I luv goats, but would have to explore the care and expectations before I would ever get any. DH would have to be the goat herder, at least until I retire...which will be millenniums away . We don't have a farm, and would have to place them in about 1 acre of woodsy back yard. One post mentioned coyotes and we do have some in our area. Wonder what else is a danger for them?



I actually cleaned out several today - had mealie moths around/in a cabinet ..Never found the source, but thanks to those little buggers I got a lot cleaned and organized today

Stray dogs are a threat, and bears in our area. They will be locked in each night because of predator danger.

 

[sunflour]

I love goats and their funny ways, but yes it can be aggravating! I am going to have separate pens in the shed and i will be sure if any are that bossy the others will have their own space. I used to have like 100 goats so i know how bossy they can be. They will be locked in each night because we have bears and coyotes.

100 goats . I'm thinking 3 because they need a herd

Stray dogs are a threat, and bears in our area. They will be locked in each night because of predator danger.

We occasionally have stray dogs, but a fence would stop that issue. There are bears occasionally everywhere, but doubt they will come around here

So, raccoon, possum, hawks no problem because the goats even as babies would be too big?

You are an enabler, just like Debby

 

[CapricornFarm]

100 goats . I'm thinking 3 because they need a herd



We occasionally have stray dogs, but a fence would stop that issue. There are bears occasionally everywhere, but doubt they will come around here

So, raccoon, possum, hawks no problem because the goats even as babies would be too big?

You are an enabler, just like Debby

I never had a goat taken by a predator, yet. But i had a Pyrenees , and i often patrolled the property after dark. These small ones will be uber tiny when born , so they will stay in the shed a while. I generally pen up new mamas with their babies for a few days to be sure everything is going ok.
We have had bears in our driveway, so they are definitely out there. Often see prints near the river. I have bear spray on the Mule. The bear was a young female with a single cub, and she ran when she saw people, left baby behind! Still, my chicken/ rabbit area is fenced and the doors are closed every night. If the bears start hanging around, i will hotwire the fence.
Guineas require little feed during bug season. I don't know how many ticks they eat, but there were loads of them here when we first moved in. We cut back the grass and undergrowth around the house and it is better. But ticks are why i got guineas in the first place.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I love goats and their funny ways, but yes it can be aggravating! I am going to have separate pens in the shed and i will be sure if any are that bossy the others will have their own space. I used to have like 100 goats so i know how bossy they can be. They will be locked in each night because we have bears and coyotes.

My highest amount was 27 goats. That was enough for me. I currently have 12 wethers of various breeds.

 

[drumstick diva]

One person tossed lighted fire crackers in the direction of a bear - it headed for the hills. After a few repeats, if it just saw the person step out of the house, it took off without the fireworks. Electrified fence would have to rather high powered. The heavy fur on bears insulates them. They need to touch the fence with their noses to really feel the earth move.