*UPDATE* we're getting the goats, now what??

[NewChickenMom]

i finally convinced my bf to get me a pair of bred nanny goats for xmas. now that i'm getting them, i'd love some advice on goats.

here are the girls im getting:

 

[redhen]

well...dont take my advice but...i would tell him again very nicely that you want the goats...if he then STILL refuses.....my advice then would be to contact the person you want to get the goats from....and go pick them up!!...

....but. thats just me...sometimes i wonder how long my marriage will last...LOL...

...i do what i want..he does what i let him... it works for me...

...

 

[sewincircle]

Awwww! Just show him the pictures.
I want them also. I tell my DH that it is no
different than having a dog. Show him a video of the fainting goats.
It is a mood lifter. Good luck!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Yeah, my take would be that as just a BF he doesn't get a vote. If you want them and can care for them and all that, than I say go for it. They're cuties!

 

[sewincircle]

Quote:
You are too funny! I am not sure if my DH would be able to handle that.

 

[Ellie_NY_chick]

If you're paying for them and their upkeep, why does he get a say in it?

OTOH, if not...

They're very cute girls. There was an article in Mother Earth about making goat cheese. That's what I'd do!

 

[helmstead]

I have the perfect hubby, I never have to convince him because he can't say no...so no advice there.

I strongly suggest you NOT jump in with babies right off the bat, but that's just MHO. It will be a real crash course! Some people, like me, learn better under pressure,

, so maybe it'll work for you.

 

[Chirpy]

Well, you have to decide on the boyfriend saying no part. I just wanted to give you some things to think about:

If you've never milked before I'm not sure I'd start with a small breed. Only because their teats are so much smaller and can be very difficult to milk, it may be frustrating for you. I think you should find someone with a small breed in milk that you can actually milk right now so you can determine if you really do want these two goats.

Do you have really, really good fencing all prepared for them? Because they have horns you have to make sure you don't have fencing that those horns can get stuck in.

If one is due to birth in a week do you have a secure, warm kidding stall all prepared? I don't know if moving her so close to her due date will cause problems but goats can get very stressed when moved (it will help enormously that you are bringing them together) at any time. Someone with more birthing experience will need to answer that for you.

Do you have a goat vet already in place? They can be very difficult to find in some areas of the country so you want to make sure you have one ready before kidding in case there are any issues.

Best wishes in your goat endeavor.... I absolutely love my goats!

 

[NewChickenMom]

can you give me some tips on fencing and such?

i guess i need to get some books and do some online research.

how long do they need to be in a kidding stall? is it like horses? turn them out during the day and bring them in at night?

i'd really love to get these girls and learn everything i can. i appreciate everyones input.

 

[PortageGirl]

Quote:
Yes, out in the day, in at night is good, kids are pretty strong NORMALLY, pretty quick, but not sure about the midgets.... and once the kid's weaned, don't forget milking times, and they want VERY regular schedules, so travel and such is an issue... Not sure about fencing, my goats were full sized Nubians, all does, no horns, and they just hung with the horse, I think they could have escaped, but never tried very hard.

Goats and horses usually get along great, but some horses dislike them, and they can send a goat flying pretty high! (no, mine were fine, but a friend lost a goat because a new horse hated goats for some reason... didn't know it till it was too late!)

[edit] I just looked at where you are, OMAHA!!! it's COLD there! Kids won't be out all day, that's for sure! LOL... they will need a nice warm spot indoors except for a few hours in better weather. (I'm in Ohio, and it's cold here too and mine went out, but not all day)

Good things about goats is, milk, cheese, yougurt, soap, friendly as dogs if handled early, (well, like everything else, temperments vary)... and they're cute.

Bad things, milking time matters!! Makes travel hard. other than that, can't think of a thing.