The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: grumpsgarden on September 24, 2011, 09:00:50 pm
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after some weeks planning and learning from the owners of the goats on how to look after and care for them ive finaly got my goats home they are safe and sound in the stables which will be there new home :thumbsup:
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congratulations on your new additions!
what breed are they? names? ages?
(how nosey! I just love goats!)
:D :goat:
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ive got brother and sister he has had the chop, there 6 months old think they said british sarrns but could be wrong ones got horns and one ant , ive called them rosey and jim(dim) as all males are a little most of the time :thumbsup:
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Excellent ;D I love my goats and I'm sure you'll love yours and find them endless entertainment ;D
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yeh ive been round to see them every day , just so glad ive got them here it saves on fuel lol now time to get them friendly as they are very scared and dont come near at all ;D
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Congratulation, hope they bring you much fun :thumbsup:
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If they are still quite shy it may be best to just make them come to you quite slowly, and I would keep them in a shed for a few days until they know that that is their new home. If they have come from a bigger herd they are probably a bit lost without their mates.
If they are outside during the day I would just have a bowl of nice veggies, cut into small sticks (carrots, courgette, bananas + their skins, apples or similar )and sit near the bowl - they will be nosey and then you can move the bowl nearer to you. When they are inside going in and offering titbits from your hands will also make them less shy in no time at all. If they are kids they will soon bond with you - but watch they may turn into sometimes challenging goatlings by next spring!
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i was adviced to keep them in doors for awhile , went in to feed them and check them this morning and they tryed jumping over the stable walls which are as high as me so bout 5'4 in height , i was going to ask how i go about getting them friendly but i dont want to scare them to death, they had been running with other goats but the other goats are friendly and come up for fuss but these two didnt , also i did ask them where i got them from was the girl (rosey) safe as she was running with one of there billys , i will get them friendly even if it kills me ???
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well just gone and checked my new goats and to top up there water noticed they havent eaten anything and they are on a ledge in the stable when i go in they try to jump out from this ledge , the stable is in a barn with big doors so they cant get out even if they manged to jumb out of there stable i stayed with them for a little while talking to them quitly so not to scare them too much and have baned the kids from going in there :(
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When I get wild/scared animals, I just go in with them and sit quietly. Don't look at them (we have predator's forward facing eyes, very scary for prey animals). Move extremely slowly. Put some 'goodies' out, (I use sultanas) initially neither near you nor near them. They'll find them eventually. Hopefully associate you with the goodies.
Even when they come to you, don't look at them. Let them sniff you and don't try to pet them. Just talk very quietly in a low voice. Eventually let them sniff your hand. Best place to pet, once they're totally comfortable coming up to you and hanging around you, is their chest between their front legs. They like it to be scritched and it's a non-threatening move, unlike a hand near the head.
It can take a while but it's one of the best things, when a scared animal comes to trust you :)
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thank you i will try that tomorrow , i left them some carrots this evening when i did my rounds they hadnt eaten or drunk all day , but they did drink over the night so im hoping they will drink tonight and eat something ,they didnt try and get out this eveing but where still on there ledge which makes them higher then me they just stood up there watching me check there water and food and leave them some nice carrots , the kids are a little miffed they cant go see the new goats but they never shut doors and i dont want these two lose might lose them
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Sounds like you're doing all the right things. I found just sitting in with mine and acting as if I was ignoring them was effective. Mine are Sanaans. It's a lovely placid breed.
Incidentally, I was told that kids like a bench to sleep on so I made on. My current kid likes to stand on in but prefers to sleep under the bucket holders.
Enjoy your goats. :)
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think im getting somewhere today they are still on there shelf but have come down i think to eat but there are signs that at least one of them walked along the edge of the stables to upove there feed and water so maybe they are eating from there lol well this morning i went in and sat on the floor for a little while they still didnt come down but just stood and watched me i left them some nice goodies on the floor when i left but no jumbing or trying to get away which to me is getting somewhere at this rate i might have them come to me by xmas lol
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How exciting. If you ever get the chance a pic would be lovely. :) I have two rescue British Saanens.
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thinki might scare them at mo with my very pink camrea , my daughter has been on at me to add pics on fb for my grandaughter to see , i cant seem to add pics on here it says they to big as i tried with my puppy , i checked my goats this afternoon and they are still on there ledge , where i got them from said to try and get them down as they might hurt them selfs now im unsure as what to do bout it as they seem happy up there :-\
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Mine, even though very tame, spend a lot of time on the window ledges of the byre too - they jump up and down happily and don't hurt themselves.
Yours seem to feel safe there - let them be. You'll really scare them if you try to chase them down :o They'll come down when they feel happier - keep on with the calm, not looking at them approach :-*
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thank you for that i was worried and i didnt want to scare or hurt them at all , ive had the sheep camping out side and the ponys wondering why there stables are now closed to them its been funny watching these two groups hanging around out side the doors its as if they are looking through the gabs to see whats in side ;D
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For future reference, mine also spend a lot of time on top of the drystone walls, on top of their field shelter (about 8th off the floor!) etc. I suppose goats do have mountain ancestry :D
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lol well i was making some headway today until this eveing feed time round when the young pony decied he wanted to meet the newcomers and scared them by opening the big barn doors and sticking his head around think he was realy looking for food but he is on a grass only diet at the mo dont think the goats where happy seeing this big monster appear ::)
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if you have time why not sit in there and read a book, (on goats of course ;D) if curiosity doesn't bring them down at least they would be getting used to you being around.
I once read that if you breathed into their nose they wouldbe more friendly, I'm sure it worked with mine, (that's when you get near enough) they'll want to sniff you anyway :)
I love being with my girls (2 'rescues'), they always want to know what I'm doing! I only got them last year, they were very wary of me so when I let them out I kept long ropes on them for a while, they can now wander round loose, with an electric fence on the inside of the sheep fence.
mine love treats of small pieces of wholemeal bread, apple pieces, bananas, and after being told to, I give them the banana skins - they love them!
do you feed goat mix with molasses in, mine go crazy when I get a new bag and they can smell the molasses :yum:
a little time and patience and you'll have lots of pleasure with your new friends :)
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i try to spend some time in with them depending on whats on my schedula and if ive had to chase some pigs back in there field , mornings are better for me so i try to spend an hour with them before getting my indoor jobs done but then like yesterday i got a lunch time check in and spent some time then as well , im not sure on the feed just that its for goats ive got to buy them a lick today so im hoping my feed store will help me on chosing one im of to the the fruit and veg wholesales to day to see what goodies i can get the animals today , they didnt eat there goodies or there morning feed yesterday so im hoping they had eaten over the night im hoping to get them used to me enough so when my grandaughter comes for a visit in 2 weeks she can go in and see them ;D
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Hi there
how are the newcomers?
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they are still going to there ledge when ever i go in to there stable but are eating now which is one worry of my mind , last night on there eveing feed they did come forward a little step but still on there ledge , unlucky i had to spend more time getting pigs back in to there area then so lost some of my time for them , i am leaving them bannans and apples when i go in :)
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i was feeling so happy in with the goats this morning rosey was was walking towards me (ok she was on a ledge and not the floor ) but i didnt care it was postive steps until the posty decided to make the dogs bark and the post wernt even for me well that was it rosey is now back in her corner with her back to me , i will let her calm down again and see how they are at lunch time ,dim well what can i say he looks to his sister for direction if she comes forward he thinks about it well im sure i will get there i have to refrain from feeding them first or the others will never get feed and as pigs keep getting out thats not a good idea lol :-\
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I wonder if a radio left playing may get them used to noises? quietly and not headbanging stuff of course ;D, also don't forget to talk to them before you go in, I always start talking to mine as I approach their shed.
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think it was the dogs barking as the pup stays out side the barn when i go in and im always taliking kids think ive lost the plot as im walking around talking to all the animals even the hens and ducks got told last night by my boy didnt i now they cant answer me so why was i asking if they had a good day he thinks i need to see a doctor lol cheecky little git he is , i was inside talking to them well rosey as she seems to listen to me well she turns her head to one side , when posty turned up and all 3 dogs went mad it must of scared the living daylights out of them , and he did say couldnt i keep better control of them , they where in the yard behind a gate not my fault he was going try coming in with a mastif lose barking her head , ive been back into them and they where down as i aproched the shed i stoped to great the ponys and could see the goats jump back on to there ledge so went in for a chat they had eaten there morning feed so left some more apples they dont seem to like banans
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I wonder if it has been the dogs which are making them shy all along? Goats can be very scared of dogs if they are not used to them, and of new dogs even if they are used to their "own" dogs.
I had had my goats for a few months when some friends visited with some lurchers - took me 24 hours and many miles of walking to find the goats after they'd legged it! And then I had to catch them - managed to catch the kid by luck - which meant it's Mum stayed with me and her sister stayed because the other two did :) Had to sit in a field hugging the kid for about 20 mins before OH could get to me with a vehicle to take them home!
Sorry - I digressed - maybe they smell dogs on you which scares them, or if the dogs follow you around - just being outside the barn door may be too close for them yet. Are you feeding them some concentrate as well as the fruit and veggies? Something with molasses in is my lots favourite. Good luck.
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normaly i only have the pup and he sits out side of the barn , yeh they have come from a home with collies , i feed them a goat mix and hay and goodies the only thing ive got here that they have never seen is the ponys and they are a bit miffed that they cant go into there stables as ive taken one for the goats so quite often stand out side of them looking sad oh and im going to try some rich tea biccies today as where they come from give them to there goats so i will let you all know how i get on , if its the smell of dogs on me how am i going to solve that one as one of the dogs sleeps in my room and ive always got one dog with me at all times albe it maybe laying down watching or behind doors like the pup when i do my rounds of the animals ???
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Goats are designed to jump on and of things. Unless it is very very high I wouldn't worry about it. :goat:
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im always taliking kids think ive lost the plot as im walking around talking to all the animals even the hens and ducks got told last night by my boy didnt i now they cant answer me so why was i asking if they had a good day he thinks i need to see a doctor lol
I reckon the doctors wouldbe kept fairly busy if all us 'normal' people (who talk to our 'friends') had to go and see them LOL.
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i would have to agree, but i got my own back on the boy when we had to stable the ponys as they had found there way into a neighbours field , he was talking to the ponys about there new neighbours in the stables (goats) telling them all about the goats and saying how jumby they are so i turned around and said ponys wont talk back think you need to see the doctor his reply was i forgot they are animals as there my friends , think it hit home with him then :thumbsup: well the goats seem lots happier with the ponys next door they even came down and ate while i was in the barn talking to the ponys and them , so i think giving the goats more company has worked out ok they seem lots happier today ;D
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That'd god news. YOu might be handling them before Christmas at this rate. :goat:
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i dont mind how long it takes until i can handle them , i like to do things the way animals like it i was brought up to treat animals the same way i would want to be traetet so if it takes months i dont mind as long as its done with love and care and all the small steps we take cheers me up no end especialy this month as bad news seems to be knocking the door to often , but on a high note we did get given a orthpan piggy so its been fun here a nother round of hand rearing :thumbsup:
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I suppose even tho they're different species, goats are so intellegent they'll see the ponies relaxed with you and take it all in, I love the way mine watch everything, as tho they ARE studying things (esp when I'm switching electric fence on /off!)
glad to hear thngs are coming on :)
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i also love the way the goats watch me but im hoping they dont copy the ponys as ive but them in the stables as one of them has no head collar on and its so jumby i need the other pony to actual get them both to where i want them , hoping to get them both out again soon , well ive fixed the fence so its pony prof and they dont escape again , well the goats are lots more social today rosie actualy came up to me but then changed her mind when she was about a foot away i was so pleased , they also have been making a noise now as well rosey more then dim but its nice to hear :thumbsup:
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Well done - you're obviously making them feel more at home. Won't be long now before you can handle them. :goat: ;D
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well its been fun today , got a call from my daughter when she got home from school the goats had got out and where running lose , well some 4 hours later they are now safly back in there stable just wish i knew how they got out in the first place as the stables are in side a big barn with full length double doors which i now where closed up tightly when i left them so think i might need to get a padlock on there
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Houdini goats. Thought it was Alpines that did that sort of thing. ;D
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well i thought they where magic goats as the doors where closed when my daughter saw them out so these two goats can open there stable doors and the big barn door and close them again as well and also put the metal rod in the clasp which i use to keep doors closed ermm so think we might of had some visters today of the unfreindly sort