The Old Folks Home

[ozexpat]

Only growing legal plants here. No orange jumpsuits dancing thriller on YouTube for me

 

[Cynthia12]

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...4-sick-foster-farms-outbreak-cdc-says-n115756

 

[Highcotton]

Good Morning, to you, too!

I think that is a wonderful "condensed version" of the last 50 or so posts!

I have two new goats. I'm not sure I like them. There is the wether, Dusty, and he is pretty, but doesn't like to be touched. And then there's Socks (whom I like to call Oreo) who loves to be petted, but WILL NOT stay in the pen. She will jump the pipe gate from a dead stand still. They fight all the time and I don't know if that is just what goats do, or if I have to worry they will hurt each other. Both have horns, and they try to hook each other all the time. They have just started eating brush, which is why I got them, but until recently, they only ate layer pellets. They enter the coop through the pop door and tear the catch pan off the feed hopper, spilling all (50lbs) of the layer pellets onto the floor of the coop.

All of my nice straight range fencing is bowed to the outside now, and when the Pullet Shut electric door closes at night, they force it open so they can take a moonlight stroll. That door was nearly $300 and I love it, when I can use it.............

That's goats for you. they will stand in the middle of good forage and push the fence over to get that on the outside.

 

[Bunnylady]

Goats have some instinctive behaviors that probably serve them well in their native habitat, but which can drive you bonkers in a barnyard. Normally, when goats feed, they'll take a few bites of this, then a few bites of that; never standing and eating on one type of plant for long. I hear that it's because most of the plants in the area they come from have built-in chemical defenses, and by only eating a little bit of each, they avoid getting a dose large enough to make them ill of any one thing. They also prefer to eat well above the ground. They can be standing knee-deep in hay, but that stuff has touched the ground - they can't eat that!

I'm sure they pick up fewer parasites that way, but clambering over a pile of hay to put hay in a rack for clamorous "starving" goats gets old.

 

[Wisher1000]

Here are my goats.

Dusty (wether)



Turn your head sideways, or someone can rotate them for me. I can rotate them, save it that way, delete the original, and it still downloads sideways........whatever.

Oreo (formerly known as Socks)



Goat stall, under construction

 

[Highcotton]

Wisher, I reckon you know now why I call my goats my "pointy headed problem children."

(This is actually one of my goats' favorite hobbies)

I agree with Pozees - the only thing I have seen stop a goat is a hot wire. I've seen them run through electric fencing when they felt strongly enough about it; so I have welded wire to confine them, and a hot wire to protect the fence from them.

Incidentally, SCG has some surprisingly well-mannered goats. I have seen goats somersault over 4" fencing (while pregnant) because whatever was outside of the fence was more attractive to them than the full hayrack that was inside the pen.

I'm afraid I can't unconditionally agree with SCG's statement about goats playing, either. Some play, although it is a way of reinforcing dominance patterns within the herd when they do it. BB2K had to take a lunging whip to one goat to get the goat to stop trying to dominate her a few years ago (the goat finally got the point, and they've been good ever since). Probably the worst one I have had was a wether that I named Spike. His mother was the herd matriarch, and as long as she was the boss, everything was reasonable. When Esme began to age, though, Spike began his reign of terror. Shortly after it began, I lost one goat in a way that I still suspect he may have had a hand (or horn) in. I used to have loose-fitting dog collars on the goats, but I had to take them off - Spike would deliberately get one of his horns in another goat's collar and twist. He also liked to snag forelegs with his horns. When the horses were in their stalls eating, Spike would butt the doors. If I need to tie an animal up to do something with it, I have to take it to a place where the other goats can't get to it, because they will butt any animal that is tied. I've heard that they will eat the minis' tails and manes, but that hasn't happened; though they have tried to eat my hair or clothes on many occasions.

Somebody remind me - why do I like these things?

Goats will eat the tails off of cows and horses. I have seen Bucks that would Butt anyone that come around except someone that had established dominance over them and then they should not turn their backs

 

[bamadude]

So which is better, a goat or a bush hog?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Bush hog is indiscriminate, quick, requires fuel and other equipment.

Goats are a little slower, require water, provide milk and meat.

 

[dsqard]

Bush hog is indiscriminate, quick, requires fuel and other equipment.

Goats are a little slower, require water, provide milk and meat.

And from what SCG says, bush hogs are much quieter in the long run!

 

[bamadude]

Ive heard u can tether a goat and it will eat weeds. I have a lot of briars, dew berries, and weeds