The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: jaykay on April 23, 2012, 07:43:09 pm
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Well not really. A lady in our goat society, whom I really like, wanted one of my goat kids. But I hadn't realised she wanted her at a week old, to bottle rear.
Well I want their mums to rear them. I would feel horrible for my goat mum if I took her kids away so young, and I don't want the lady to have only one kid there (she has older goats but none breeding this year) and I can't supply her with two without removing all the kids from someone :'( Plus she doesn't need two more goats.
And it doesn't fit with how I milk.
But this lady's just lost her old dog and she does need something to love.
I feel rotten. But not my kids, not at a week old :-\
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Your kids, your choice. Sell when you are ready, her loss is very sad but you must do what you think is right for your animals.
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Have just seen a post that Poppy 2012 is looking to sell one of her 2 week old kids as the mum can't cope maybe you could suggest this if it's not too far away.
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yep, your goats, your choice... whatever you decide.
?let her come and bond with the goat, on the agreement to take two (or more?!) when YOU'RE ready?
maybe she needs another dog not another goat?
just a thought!
:)
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Well, she needs both.
She wants Old English though, not just any goat. And mine are related to a goat she used to have, which is why she was particularly intereted in them. We've been talking about it for months, but I never realised she wanted them so young. I feel like I've led her on a bit :P She wants to bottle feed cos she wants the goat to come to her, her land is very steep and she's getting on a bit, so she doesn't need goats that don't come. But.
I've just been out to the goat byre. Rowan's two are so bonded to each other and Rowan loves them so much. Her first kids too. Of course they'd get used to it if I took one away. But why should they have to :P
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Yup, she needs a dog and if she doesn't want a dog she needs a teddy. Then wait and do the goat thing properly, when you're ready. Stick to your guns Jaykay ;)
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Deep down, I think you already know the answer Jaykay :-* :bouquet:
You have to do what's right for you and your goats, follow your instincts. I think Little Blue has a brilliant idea, letting the lady come and bond at yours. She will soon win the little one over with rich tea bikkies ;)
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Yeh, she can come and visit every week if she wants to.
I do know the answer. But I like her, she helped me out once and I feel for her having no kids or dogs this year. It's like I won't help her when she needs it.
But I can't do that to my goats :-\
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You are a nice, caring person Jaykay and that's why you are feeling like this. Its not that you won't help her and I'm sure she would totally understand when you explain.
Maybe she could get a new dog first and then it will have settled in time for the new goat too xx
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Thanks Plums :-*
Anyone know a Bernese Mountain dog or Gordon Setter needing a home?
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goats don't need to be bottle-reared to be soft as a brush ...
have a heart to heart with her - don't let her push you (show her this thread!) they are your goats until they leave (and even then... ;) )
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How about giving a bottle yourself whilst they are on mum, so when she has them, when YOU are ready they will still take a bottle from her?
Having said that though, Doris has never seen a bottle in her life and was almost wild when I got her, Millie and Enid, she is the tamest thing ever and all of them come running when you shout, so I don't think she needs to worry on that score anyway ;)
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No, I've never bottle reared any of mine and they've all been pretty soppy :D
I will talk to her :-\
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I'm sure she will understand especially when y9ou say she can come and see them regularly. Mine are friendly without being bottle fed.
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As she obviously cares about animals I'm sure she will understand, she just wants a baby to love :).
If poppy 2012 is somewhere near, maybe you could part with one to go with poppy's?
The breeder of my goats takes them off their mums at 2- 3 weeks old, when mums are getting a bit fed up of being bounced on and off.
She's just given me 2 castrated males, 6 week old and they love their bottles!
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She wouldn't want Poppy's, she only wants Old English. And not a black one either, she doesn't want Ellie's.
Well, I've decided I will just have to tell her she'll have to wait or she can't have one. I rear my goats family groups and they leave when they've weaned themselves not before.
Plus I need the kids to take the milk during the day as I only milk in mornings because of work.
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Sorted ;)
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I think so :-\
The only slight doubt is that Rowan is still so skinny she could maybe only have done with rearing one. But I'd rather work at feeding Rowan up, delay starting milking her or if necessary passing one of Rowan's to Ellie, than have one kid being bottled somewhere on her own.
The kids sneak under the gate separating the two goat paddocks anyway, to all play together ;D
Seems silly, everyone working hard to have no pet/cade/molly/(insert local term) lambs and then deliberately making an orphan out of a goat kid who has a perfectly good mother and sister.
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If Rowan needs a bit of help, why not get them used to mum and bottle feeds so that the new owner can bond that way when she visits? My twin boys are getting used to a combination feeding regime because their mum gets restless before they've finished suckling so I'm giving them a quiet top-up with her milk a couple of times a day. No hassle, only takes minutes and they are better fed and she is less irritable.
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She's got loads of milk and she likes feeding them.
She's just thin from before when she wouldn't eat. I need to find 'fattening' things for her to eat - she prefers hay!
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At the end of the day, they are your goats and its up to you, who has them, and at what age, so don't feel bad.
Personally, most of mine are removed from their mother after birth and I bottle feed them. I then know, especially with multiple births, how much milk they are getting, and the smaller ones do benefit from bottle feeding, as sometimes they can get pushed to the back of the queue by siblings if left with mum!!
My exception to the rule is one of my smaller diary goats, Molly, who is an exceptional mum and always does her kids well, and adores feeding them.
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She came to see them today and I've said 3 months, so it's up to her now. She liked Calli, the little pale one.
Rowan is munching hay well and I keep cutting her branches from the hedge, so hopefully she'll fatten up. She's proving to be a very good mum and so is Ellie, so I like them to rear their kids and they like it too.
Today I need to divide the goat shelter so they can start going outside. It's so cold though I don't want to work outside and it's going to pour down tomorrow - so maybe the goats want to stay in too :)
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If the woman wants the kid badly enough, she will wait three months :)
Its been a really cold, windy day here today, but at least dry, as its been heavy rain every day. But tomorrow is cold and heavy rain. We were hoping to erect another goat ark tomorrow, so looks like we may well be rained off.