Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[speckled6]

Ok... I know this is a chicken forum, but I just HAVE to share!
DH said tonight that he's fine with me getting goats
It's a ways off yet, but he's on board and that was the biggest hurdle by far!
Just need to get housing figured out/arranged, figure out feeding and decide on the breed I want (got it fairly narrowed down) plus learn all I can about their needs and possible health issues...just like I did with the chicks.
I'm so excited! Our little homestead will be getting more self sufficient within a year and I'm bursting with joy over that.
I actually jumped up and down like a kid on Xmas when he said ok!!!
Eggs from the chickens first (about end of August), then meat rabbits, then goats.
Oh what a time to be alive!!!
jean

 

[jvls1942]

Jean, I vote for Nubians.
I had Saanans, they are OK, but I think the Nubians would give more milk.
I used to make a lot of yogurt, I never ate any of it. it was for Annie's delight
I shampooed the carpet. couldn't get the vacuum part to suck up any water.
I wet down the whole room and left the non sucking machine for Kalib to figure it out. I hear it running up stairs, so he must have got it to work..

thanks to unkaDan, I am going to stake up my tomatoes with the
Florida Weave. If any of you are going to have a row of tomato plants, look into utube tomato Florida Weave.

.....jiminwisc....... .

 

[speckled6]

I will have to look into the florida weave, haven't got my plants staked yet and their gonna need it soon.
There's a goat thread on here that's 310 pages long. I'm a little over 100 pages now...got a long way to go to catch up to current posts! Lots of breeds discussed so far, but not much anywhere on the breeds I'm interested in (Pygoras or Nigoras) I'm all about multipurpose, so want milk and wool to spin...may be asking too much, but I don't know if I'll like the milk, so if I only get a little I can use it for soap and I think I read chickens love it!
Speaking of stuff chickens love, I also read you can use leftovers from processing rabbits for them but not sure exactly how?
Anyone have any experience/imput on that?
Thanks,
jean

 

[chickisoup]

Morning everyone
Hey Jim? Are you and yours ok this morning? Looked like your area got hit pretty hard last night. Missed us, yea, just some more rain, boo.

Congrats Speckled on the go on the goats!!!! Still working on my DH but what I want are just a couple of mini brush mowers (aka dwarf nigerians). Had milkers years ago but I'm too old for that now. BTW my family loved the taste of the milk. Makes nice butter too.

 

[chickisoup]

I will have to look into the florida weave, haven't got my plants staked yet and their gonna need it soon.
There's a goat thread on here that's 310 pages long. I'm a little over 100 pages now...got a long way to go to catch up to current posts! Lots of breeds discussed so far, but not much anywhere on the breeds I'm interested in (Pygoras or Nigoras) I'm all about multipurpose, so want milk and wool to spin...may be asking too much, but I don't know if I'll like the milk, so if I only get a little I can use it for soap and I think I read chickens love it!
Speaking of stuff chickens love, I also read you can use leftovers from processing rabbits for them but not sure exactly how?
Anyone have any experience/imput on that?
Thanks,
jean

Go check out backyardherds.com the sister site to backyardchickens.com. Great folks on their loaded with info about "other" small farm critters like goats (and bunnies). Again, congrats!!!

 

[jvls1942]

good still wet morning,
the rain hit us again, but no wind, not much lightning. we were just on the
Northern edge of it.
I checked the garden just now. the corn is very visible, the potatoes are
thriving. beans won't be coming up for a few days yet.
the weeds aren't too bad yet, just some in the unplanted area between the potatoes and beans. the tomatoes will be going in that area.

If the goats are pastured and eating wild weeds, the milk will be off flavored.
I fed mine alfalfa hay and mixed ground corn and oats. at milking time I gave them a little whole grain with a little molasses mixed in it. No problem getting them to jump up onto the milking stand.

chickens will eat the chicken guts of the ones you are butchering, so I see no reason they wouldn't eat a rabbit..

......jiminwisc....... .

 

[speckled6]

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the suggestions, you guys are the best!!!
I've read a lot on backyard herds, but haven't signed up yet. I just lurked over there during the conversion.
I'm glad some of you are getting rain (though it would be nice if it didn't come with the wind and severe weather). Everything is bone dry here... starting to look like the silicon valley with all the cracks in my yard.
DH is going to get a silver laced wyandote rooster tonight. My son loves wyandottes and is very excited. We've got lots of space for all the chickens and have decided to keep our roos for extra protection for the flock.
Next year we're probably going to narrow down the breeds we have so I can start hatching some for sale...that should be fun (and nerve-wracking!)
About 2 more months and we should be getting some eggs from the ones we have.
They are starting to use the roost bars. Just a handful, but the rest should join them soon since they all seem to want to be where the others are. I was so excited to see them up there though...and my chicken hawk looking Easter egger kept pacing under the roost bar squawking like she was trying to figure it out! They are so fun.

You all have a great day!
jean

 

[jvls1942]

good morning,
thanks Jean, and you do something you enjoy, too..
My nice day is going to start right after I finish my cuppa.
I am going to Menard's to pick up a new water pressure switch for the well. I think the points are burned on the old one. the danmed thing is only 46 years old. IDK why it gave out so soon..

Jean, it sounds like you want to breed purebred chickens to sell.. that is a wise decision.. pures are easier to sell than crossbreeds.. IMHO..
then you don't have to take pictures of them to help sell them.. If people ask for pictures, you can tell them to google search..

.......jiminwisc......

 

[Daethen]

Hi all! Busy, busy, busy here. Been rearranging the house since the MIL moved out. Goats are growing like little weeds. They are getting so friendly and are very gentle. I can't believe how well they dogs get along with them. I think the goats feel that our shepherd is a big goat, lol. Garden is going crazy. Getting a gallon or so of strawberries every day. I pick one bed each day of 4. Had to water them to keep them alive but mother nature is lending a hand again. Berries are small this year but oh so sweet and juicy.

I used to have a couple of goats years ago that were mixed breed. I milked them and as long as the milk was cold it was just like drinking whole cow's milk. They ate whatever. Many times they would get staked out to eat the weeds in the neighborhood. It was awesome to cook/bake with.

I just hilled up the potatoes that I replanted. The first ones were planted too deep and we had all the wet and cold.

My Easter Eggers are getting so big and are staying soooo friendly. I go to the coop and they flock to me and fly up onto my shoulder. Love them!

 

[Daethen]

Jean, after your post I went and took pics of my Easter eggers. I bought them as Ameraucanas and they may actually be. They have the slate colored legs and the ruffs.