The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Caroline1 on July 21, 2015, 03:10:53 pm
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I was so excited at the weekend to get my new babies, all the waiting was definitely worth it:
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj207/cak29/78a5d409-4adb-425d-b617-34c2b79c4201_zpsvw5l3jep.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/cak29/media/78a5d409-4adb-425d-b617-34c2b79c4201_zpsvw5l3jep.jpg.html)
I now have 2 pretty Toggs who are 11 weeks old and we have called Aurora and Ariel:
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj207/cak29/c0e34281-f44d-4da5-a9b5-3519726e21f8_zpslfpuicol.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/cak29/media/c0e34281-f44d-4da5-a9b5-3519726e21f8_zpslfpuicol.jpg.html)
And 2 beautiful Anglo Nubians who are 14 weeks old and are called Maisy and Mia:
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj207/cak29/731d8c31-efc5-4a20-9fdb-f7247e4de36e_zpsuswa8ukh.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/cak29/media/731d8c31-efc5-4a20-9fdb-f7247e4de36e_zpsuswa8ukh.jpg.html)
The Nubians happily take a bottle but the Toggs have decided it's Mum or nothing. Being 11 weeks old I don't think it is going to be a problem, but would have liked to have them on milk for longer. They have settled in well together and have an option of 2 rooms in the shed. The first night they opted for the Nubs in one and the Toggs in another, but last night they decided to sleep in the same room (well the Nubs gatecrashed), but they seemed ok. The start of my goat keeping life, and I am already missing them as I had to go back to work today.
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They are lovely. I am sure you will spend a lot of time doing nothing but watching them ;D
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Lovely
+ like the fencing, I've been wanting some like that.
try the toggs drinking milk from a bowl?
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We were lucky to have the Heras panels with the property and they are working well to help us set out where we want fencing to go.
I have tried putting milk in a small tub. They sniff it, as they also do with the bottles, but just not interested in trying to drink it. I don't really want to force it down them as they are still getting used to us.
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Lovely goats - I cant see why they wont do well without the milk as long as have good forage and hard feed. Also like the fencing - wont jump over it in a hurry!
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Congrats on your new animals, they look very nice! :thumbsup: . I'm sure you'll get many hours of enjoyment with them, I can understand the reluctant drag away to work :) .
It's worth continuing to persevere with the bottle feeding, just take it slow, calm and gentle, with luck they'll get the hang of it and once they start there will be no stopping them. Good luck, enjoy and have fun! :) .
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Just beautiful. You are going to have such fun with them but, be warned, goats are terrible time wasters.
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Try putting a bit of honey in the milk, is it lamb milk or are you getting goats milk?
they would be OK on hard feed, but personally I'd try and get them drinking a bit longer. Have you tried leaving the bowl in for them to try when they are on their own?
I found some mixing bowls (food bowl) that just sit in the top of the water buckets, don't get knocked about as much, and I can just lean over, drop the food bowl in, then lift it out when they've finished, no extra buckets getting kicked about ::)
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your life will never be the same again :excited:
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We are getting goats milk (from the same person who sold us the toggs) so it should be familiar to them. Will try the honey idea and the bowl in the top of the bucket idea. Thanks :thumbsup:
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I envy you :goat: I have one goat left an Alpine. My Nubians were big dafties, you are going to have so much
fun ! Lovable and just a joy ! :love: