The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Chris H on August 22, 2012, 10:47:35 am
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I am now the very happy owner of 2 bagots, they are happy eating the croft but I know I should have a mineral suppliment (copper?) what do i buy? and is there anything else they should have, the nanny is just weaned and the billy a few months older. They have been wormed and their feet are fine. Older more wiser goat owners please advice :eyelashes:
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Mine have a red rockie and a monthly cobalt drench. Don't know about Bagots but I expect they're the same.
Someone else will be along shortly to say I'm wrong I expect.
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Chris.........call Brinicombes on 01363 778792. They make a special goat feed balancer which is literally sprinkled on the food.
Copper is a major issue in UK , most areas being very low indeed. Goats need the same amount of copper as a cow.
Brinicombes price usually includes delivered to your door.
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Find out from your neighbouring sheep farmers if there is a known deficiency. If not, a yellow rockie is fine, if yes - and then its most likely copper/cobalt or similar you would have to drench additionally.
Depends what you want to do with your goats - if not milking and these are purely pets/weed controllers then I wouldn't worry too much about add-ons. Then rockie alone should be ok.
Mine (milkers) get yellow rockie, caprivite, garlic and seasweed, plus linseeds sprinkled on once a week or so. Heavy milkers more caprivite. My BT's devour their Rockie, the GG's don't touch except last couple of weeks before kidding. I would hav thought Bagots are a lot less demanding for their food than my (sometimes) highly strung BT's....
Just check for worms would be my advice.
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No goats locally, in fact the locals think we are a bit barmy (nothing new there) silly question but whats a 'rockie' and what should I look for on line, my local agri store has little for goats.
Mine are as pets, although I might breed in a year or so, dependant on how we go. I need to be more confident before even thinking about that.
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Rockies are mineralised salt licks, they are cheaper and longer lasting than the molassed tubs and cope with all weathers - they are great!
http://rockies.co.uk/ (http://rockies.co.uk/)
Just to add as I noticed on your other post that you have got some sheep as well. Unless they need copper for some reason it can be harmful to them so if there is any chance of them sharing ground with the goats, a red Rockie with copper in it would not be suitable for your fields, you would have to use the yellow non copper one which is safe for all stock and feed any copper supplement to your goats in feed which the sheep cannot get to.
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Chris , your agri merchant will know the local deficiencies as well as anyone , do you bring the goats in at night ? if so that is where to put the salt lick so that the sheep can't get at it, You will probably have to bring your vet up to speed on goats , especialy on things like worming (1.5 x the sheep dose.) Join the BGS .
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Many thanks for all the help, the goats come in at night so I can see that is when they could get anything the sheep would not be allowed. I have got some sheep crunch would a little of this for the goats be an idea at the moment? I am concerned that they grow well as they are so young :thinking: the croft land is very mixed and they seem fond of the dock at the moment. I will chat to the local agri merchant, but as I mentioned they are not very goat aware.
The little lad is halter trained and I want to get the little nanny tame what do others give as a treat?
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My goats love docks all the time, we have a red rockie (rockie do have a website but you should be able to get it at any farm store) but our sheep can't get to it for reasons already mentioned.
How old are they? Are they having any goat feed?
treat wise, mine will do anything for a biscuit (not chocolate) - custard creams, digestive, rich tea...! bindweed, bit of willow, slices of fruit or veg, bread crust, few bits of dried pasta...
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Thanks Plums, the nanny is just weaned, the billy is a month or so older. I wondered about a handful of the sheep crunch when they get shut in for the night?
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My goats have twice daily rations of feed till they are 2 years old (unless they are producing milk etc). So currently I have 2 nannies producing milk that are over 2 yrs and they have their feed, the kid has his (he is 5 months) and the Wether (Reggie) gets a handful so he's not left out ;)
[size=78%]I anchor them so they only eat their own and I can ensure each goat has what they need. I add a mineral supplement and seaweed to their evening meal.[/size]
I don't know about sheep crunch and I have read on here that their is contention as to whether goat mix is a good enough feed for goats but mine have it with oats and beet. Some feed their nanny's cattle nuts if they are milking them but this year I've not done so because my maidens milk yield far surpassed what we needed, bless her!!
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Thanks Plums, the nanny is just weaned, the billy is a month or so older. I wondered about a handful of the sheep crunch when they get shut in for the night?
Lots of people feed their goats sheep mix, as it is cheaper and diary (cattle) nuts are often not available if you re not in a dairy area. Some of my (milking even) goats don't like dairy nuts. Given that yours are Bagots I wouldn't feed a high protein mix, so some sheep mix should be fine.
Mine love banana (but had to get used to it initially, they only ate the peel to begin with), carrots (cut into sticks rather than slices)are also goood, most fruit and veg - but they have their individual preferences. Mine also love toast, and yes docks are most sought after.... :D
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Mine (Old English) get sheep crunch when they come in at night and have a red Rockie in their byre. I keep hay in the racks in their byre too.
Other than that, they graze - it's pretty ropey grazing, mainly seaves (soft rushes), some docken, rough grasses.
When I milk them, they get dairy nuts too.
For treats mine love mixed chicken corn, sultanas and digestive biscuits :)
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Thank you all for the help, off to give my two beautiful bagots some digestives and sheep crunch.
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I think some of us might be moving in to take advantage of the munchies :excited:
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All goat lovers welcome, but a warning the midges are out tonight :goat:
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I think some of us might be moving in to take advantage of the munchies :excited:
:roflanim:
I'm sure you will soon work out what your goats like. They do vary. One of mine would do anything for roasted peanuts (the salty ones). My siz month old hasn't got the hang of treats yet and tends to sniff then ignore.
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Hi, sorry to ask and I may have missed it but is your Billy a castrate?
Ann
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Re the 'you'll suss out what they like' my goats don't like too many different things (I must have deprived them) so I was buying bags of dried fruit at treats - some loved it, some totally turned up their noses like ..... what's this ..... so I ate it!!!
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Re the 'you'll suss out what they like' my goats don't like too many different things (I must have deprived them) so I was buying bags of dried fruit at treats - some loved it, some totally turned up their noses like ..... what's this ..... so I ate it!!!
We used to buy digestive biscuits for the goats because they love them. Unfortunately, so did we so we had to keep buying more. :innocent: Now the goats have rich tea which neither of us like and they last much longer.
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Well no-one has told my goats that they are supposed to like weeds, nettles, docks, willow..in fact anything other than basic cattle nuts! They do however like my neighbours hawthorn hedge. Just waiting for the swearing when he realises they are pruning it for him!!
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Yes my boy has been done :innocent: they seem to turn there noses up at most things, except the mixed corn and sheep crunch. Maybe still a bit young, but will get some dried fruit just to try.
It would just be nice to have something small to give them as they come running everytime they see me, and I can't take the guilt :(
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I had to teach my goat kids to eat sultanas. Now they burgle my pockets just like their mums :D
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wilted nettles, willow herb, rose hedging, blackberry n raspberry leaves, they love it.
we have to teach our young ponies to like titbits, and literally put the apple / carrot in their mouth til they realise its food. then theres no stopping them.
:excited:
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MIne turn their noses up at wilted nettles no matter how many times I tell them the book says they will love them. Roses, blackberry and raspberry yes. And sticky weed. They also enjoy buddleia, unless I give it to them and mock orange. When I cut down the cllimbing beans they enjoy those (not that mine have climbed very much this year) and would kill for apple,pear and plum prunings even if they have to do the pruning themselves. ;)