The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Daisys Mum on September 15, 2012, 11:27:01 am

Title: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Daisys Mum on September 15, 2012, 11:27:01 am: Girls are both being kept in a stable until they get to know us, I am feeding adlib hay, a handfull of goat mix and giving a few apple tree prunings daily along with a bit of apple or carrot.
What more should they be having and what other plants/hedge/trees can I feed them. They also have a red rockie in the stable but don't seem to have touched it.
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Brucklay on September 17, 2012, 05:52:01 pm: Hope the goats are doing well DM, we don't feed that many 'extras' but they do like willow and that tall purple flowered plant you get on embankments - tried dried fruit but I ended up eating that!!
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Daisys Mum on September 17, 2012, 08:06:50 pm: Goats are doing well, they will be going out tomorrow into their paddock, at the moment this has a section taped off with electric fencing for a fat shetland pony do you think that I should remove the bottom strand so the goats can get under as I am worried about them getting tangled up in it.
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Brucklay on September 17, 2012, 08:23:37 pm: Are they horned Daisys Mum?
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Daisys Mum on September 17, 2012, 09:59:17 pm: No they are not horned.
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Brucklay on September 18, 2012, 07:36:59 am: Well I don't have any experience with electric fencing but if my goats are anything to go by, yours will probably want to wiggle underneath it :innocent:
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Daisys Mum on September 18, 2012, 09:04:28 am: Quote from: Brucklay on September 18, 2012, 07:36:59 am
Well I don't have any experience with electric fencing but if my goats are anything to go by, yours will probably want to wiggle underneath it :innocent:
Oh well thats ok as they would just get in to the pony's paddock
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Daisys Mum on September 18, 2012, 08:08:48 pm: Put them out today and they went straight under the gate and back into the stable so i think this may take a while. Will try them again tomorrow and stay with them for a bit perhaps that will help. :goat:
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: goosepimple on September 18, 2012, 08:27:18 pm: Hi Anne, we give ours dried apricots and prunes both of which they go mad for and hobnobs and digestives occasionally. Hay all the time. A cupped hands full of food each goat twice a day. Don't worry about the rock - I worried about ours not licking it - I now occasionally hammer a bit of it to a powder and mix it in their food which they eat without problems. It'll be a week before they settle - are they in kid?

Get the pics on. :goat:
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Sbom on September 18, 2012, 08:27:53 pm: Just a thought, but you could try feeding them in the paddock. I let mine out in the morning and they follow me to there paddock and have there breakfast, at night I open the gate and they follow me back into the stable for tea. Works well here anyway :thumbsup:
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Brucklay on September 18, 2012, 08:51:29 pm: Mine see rain clouds 5 miles away so any hint of rain and they stay on - don't think it's your paddock it could well be looming rain clouds :roflanim:
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Daisys Mum on September 19, 2012, 09:56:36 am: Girls came out this morning and ate breakfast in the paddock but the minute I left them they came screaming after me, got a lot on today delivering the butchered pigs so will hopefully be able to spend more time out with them tomorrow. I just love the way they come for cuddles now, the first couple of days they were very timid.
Dont know if they are in kid yet, how will I know?
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: tizaala on September 19, 2012, 10:38:57 am: How much do I feed the Pygmys?

About three missionaries a day should do... :roflanim:
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: Lesley Silvester on September 19, 2012, 02:31:45 pm: If they don't come into season in the next month or so, they probably are. You can have them scanned by the vet but it costs, of course.
Title: Re: How much do I feed the Pygmys?
Post by: goosepimple on September 19, 2012, 08:22:49 pm: Hmmm...saying that our pygmies didn't come in to season until November....maybe they are earlier whe n there is a smelly billy around :thumbsup: