The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Roxy on February 21, 2010, 10:21:48 pm
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Woke up this morning to heavy snow - not ideal when you have to tow a large horse trailer 40 miles each way. Anyway, we slid down the lane, and made it to the main road without mishap. Conditions a lot better where the goats lived, not as much snow. Frank one of the goats was already waiting in the car park for us. One of the yard ladies came out with a bag of bread, and the other goats followed her from the field, over the yard and across the car park to the trailer, and they all walked in, no leads or anything!! Only thing was, as they passed my OH, he must have counted, cos he said there was 5 instead of 4. So, there are 4 large Toggenburgs and one large Alpine.
Got home, and slithered back down the lane in the snow, not nice with a trailer behind. Goats had travelled well, and did not seem too bothered. Put a rope round Franks neck, and the other four jumped from the trailer, and followed us down the field, over the stream to their new home. Put them in the big field shelter and pulled the gate across. Could not believe it when 10 minutes later Frank was outside!!
Gate still across - he had climbed over by the looks of it. We had put a baton across above the gate, and he had squeezed through, so added another baton of wood.
The owner said Frank was the trouble maker ....hmm. They had been reared on a petting farm, and where they were now was open to the public, so they are well used to people, and very friendly.
must be so different here for them .....no lights on round the yard, and very quiet with not many people here. They are next to the river and its pitch dark. I suppopse they will get used to it. They ate their tea, so cannot be too worried about the move.
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Sounds promising then Roxy. Fingers crossed they all settle in and no more attempted escapes. Any pics?
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keep us posted.... sounds like Frank could be 'fun!'
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good for you roxie, i like frank he sounds like a real character!
hope they all settle in well for you, im sure they will ;) :goat:
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5 oh lord, well done you Roxy. Watch out for Frank, we have had males before who learnt to climb up and over obstacles (including fences and wooden barriers 8 ft tall!). The trick is to sell every goat you get that jumps or escapes..... Your herd eventually ends up never jumping of escaping! ;)
Beth
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Well, have you ever tried going through a gate into a field shelter and trying to keep 5 goats from coming out? Frank got past and went and stood outside, but to give him his due, he did not run off up the field, and came back to the others. They seem more keen on standing next to you, than having their haylage. I suppose living in a petting farm as kids, human contact is what they know, and at the farm they have come from, it was a similar set up, with lots of people visiting - more than likely carrying bread bags!!
Whoever de horned the goats did not make a good job. Some have one horn, one has a single horn left thats wobbly, one has a horn facing back and one curled over.
Hopefully once they go out in the field, they will go back to being goats - not standing at the fence wanting attention. I don't mind fussing them, but find they rather "in your face!". On the other hand, they should be easy to worm, do their feet, etc.
I am having to get up a few minutes earlier now I have an extra shed full to feed!! Not sure what the farmer will say, when he finds the field shelter taken over by all these goats.......they appear to have been up on his shelf and removed some of his things .....oops!! Well, goats are known for being inquisitive .......
Will try and get a pic once they come outside. I have asked Rick to make the pen outside the field shelter higher, for a start. Need to do a fair bit of fencing, otherwise they will be roaming over all 14 acres, and getting up to mischief!!