The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Beeducked on June 19, 2014, 09:20:02 pm
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Well my first goats are arriving on Sunday and I am very excited :excited:
Been thinking about getting goats for a while and been facing some significant less than subtle encouragement from a certain member here (yes, I'm looking at you, MGoM!!!)
I am rehoming some from someone who is giving them up for health reasons and have been to see them and they seem really healthy and very friendly. I am getting 4. 2 older ladies (anglo nubians) who are currently milking and 2 1 year old Togg - AN crosses who are stunning and SO friendly!
Feed is in, have made my milking stand and the barn has been scrubbed to within an inch of, if not it's life then at least mine! So any hints for anything else I should be doing in preparation for the new arrivals other than obsessively reading the books I have and posts here?
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It sounds like you are well prepared for the goats arrival. hope all goes well. If you are interested in buying some other milking goats, I have heard of someone who is selling some out of very good milking stock.
http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/list/3753/goats.html?keyword=milking%20goats (http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/list/3753/goats.html?keyword=milking%20goats)
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Think I'll stick with the 4 to begin with! ;D Think the OH might lynch me if I got any more and do need to check I can cope with what I've got (and a full time job) before expanding! Thanks for the link, Think I'm getting these from near you though.
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I'm sure you will love it when they arrive-very addictive! Just a thought have you got foot shears and mineral licks?
Good luck
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Got foot shears but not licks. :o
Was a bit worries about getting a sheep one as I thought they had different needs so didn't want to cause problems. What do people use? That being said I do actually have a sheep one as I have sheep!
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Goats do better if they have access to mineral licks, the best to get for them is the Red Rockies (as for horses). These have added Copper - v important for dairy goats - but best to put them up in their pens out of reach of sheep.
Make sure you get some of their feed and hay from the previous owner - adult goats can be difficult to get used to new food, get a list of their favourite treats and preferably get the previous owner to worm them on leaving her farm (or do it when they are in your pen, but don't let them outside), make sure you know when any booster vaccines are due, let the previous owner show you how to trim feet, unless you know how to do it...
and don't let them out into their new field until you are sure they are worm free, and they are used to you enough to let you catch them for coming back inside.
Ask which side they were milked on.
can't remember anything else just now... too late, bedtime.
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Thanks Anke.
Already asked the previous owners about feed. Got the same stuff but different brand but hopefully OK. They have said they will bring some of theirs to ease the transition. Will be keeping them in quarantine and worming everyone when they get here but do need to ask about boosters as had forgotten that.
Luckily already know how to trim feet and milk so hopefully some of the learning curve already behind me!
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Hi! Good luck with your new additions, may I suggest that before you just worm them all that you take dung samples for worm egg counts to see if they need worming and if they do, weigh your goats so that they can be accurately dosed. You will find that they weigh a lot more than you might think when comparing them with sheep. Best thing for injections is lambivac every 6months after the initial two doses. Enjoy your goats you will find them great characters. :excited:
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Well my first goats are arriving on Sunday and I am very excited :excited:
Been thinking about getting goats for a while and been facing some significant less than subtle encouragement from a certain member here (yes, I'm looking at you, MGoM!!!)
Who?Me? :innocent: :innocent: :innocent: