The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: colliewoman on February 16, 2013, 08:51:38 pm
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Upon feeding and bedding down the girls for the night, I wondered why Millicent wouldn't come eat or leave the hayrack.....
Turns out she had caught her collar on it, no harm done, but could have been a lot worse, and I thought my goat house was free of potential collar snags. Collars now removed pending and extensive search tomorrow, but TBH I don't know if I am brave enough to put them back on ???
Please keep an eye out for you goaties if they aren't naked :goat:
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Ooh no, how scary for you!
We've been so lucky with ours, they have the quick release do-dahs' on and I can't even walk the kid down the hill without it coming loose as he pulls ::) but will definitely double check everywhere tomorrow. So glad that Millicent was ok xx
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my parents use the snap shut collars too and on the occasions they have got caught in the hedging they have released.
the show collars are buckles but they get swapped back as soon as they are out the ring.
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Oh, that's so scary.
Mine have buckle collars too :-\
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The only time I've had a mishap was not due to the collar but was when someone had looked after them for me and not bothered to cut the baler twine when filling the hayrack. My poor girl got her head through the twine which had come inwith the hay and hooked itself on the rack. I will check everything though and look at the snap shut collars. We use them for the dogs so why not the goats.
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Ours do have buckle collars, but only the milkers (and adult boys). We never leave kids and goatlings with collars on, as its too risky. Milkers are quieter, and they get clipped to the milking bench morning and night to get milked, so we leave their collars on.
Beth
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Some of ours have buckled collars and others the snap closed ones , Now I know I am going to have to go out and check everyone is ok before bed
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I don't have collars on the kids, an don't leave the on goatlings until they have calmed down a bit more.
Some of my adults don't have collars on all the time, but that is because their stable mates chew them and in the process manage somehow to tighten them... :-\
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Only ever use the 'snap shut' ones.........for the very reason they will break before any harm happens.
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No collar no problem :thumbsup:
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Why do you need to leave collars on them at all.
I have some collars and leads to use if needed but don't leave them on, enough trouble with heads in stock netting and snagged ear tags without the worry of collars as well.
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I shan't use them other than when leading them somewhere now.
I put them on originally when I first got the girls as they were almost wild. They lovely and friendly now so no problems catching them.
Once kidding is over, I shall be moving them to the 4.5 acre field where they have all sorts of things to get stuck on, so that's us done with collars I reckon.
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Would a slip lead for dogs be ok if u had to lead them anywhere? That's what I think I will use if I have to
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I don't use slip leads on anything personally so I will carry on just popping their collars on when going for a walk. Saves having to buy anything new ;)
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We use slip leads on the kids and goatlings to lead them places, including out to the field. Helps get them used to being led!
Find it hard to find good slip leads now....
Beth
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Just wondering if everyone knows about ‘none choker slip lead’
Its quite an old idea so apologies if I’m teaching grandmothers to suck eggs :)
Plaited from bale band,
1- Take 3 strands of bale band, start half way and plait a short section (about 1.5”?)
2- Blend the now six strands back together, making a small loop. carry on plaiting long enough to go round the goats neck with a little bit extra.
3- Separate the strands back out so you have 2x3, and plait two matching lengths, so at the end of these lengths, looped back to the small loop, would go over the goats head.
4- Thread one of the matching lengths thru the small loop, then again blend the plaiting back in one, so the small loop will run up and down in the split section.
5- Plait to end of bale band, I blend in more bale band to make a longer lead.
The first section should be long enough so when tightened it doesn’t tighten round the neck.
Don’t be like me and forget to thread one of the splits thru the loop, I got fed up of unpicking my plaiting!
Then I developed more to this idea. I got some small ‘snap hooks’ (from screw fix, a couple of £ for 10), instead of threading thru I put a snap hook in the loop. I don’t have to pull the collar over the goats head, I can just clip the loop onto the split section. Better for bigger heads or horned goats.
I still use the basic idea for kids, quick to slip over their heads.
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Great idea thanks.