Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)  (Read 6079 times)

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2012, 07:24:23 pm »
I think the garage would be perfect, if you can keep the mice from helping themselves  :D
Ah - didn't quite think that one through did I  ;D   will have to hang a cupboard in there and try that  ;)
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)
« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2012, 07:55:52 pm »
I just know how riddled with mice my garage is. They have made a nest in my carton of egg boxes!

Fortunately (for cheese if not for me) my house is about the right temperature  ::)

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2012, 09:11:36 pm »
Hello, tree farmer,
Go for it! You are ready to milk, and AN milk is usually a bit creamier than swiss breeds, so should be wonderful for both cheese and soap...

All of us livestock keepers have animals get ill or die at some time or other, and I think in almost all cases it can be traced back to a human mistake - mostly that human is the keeper... You are annoyed with yourself and every time question yourself and your ability to look after animals, but then you go out and it's feeding time/lambing/kidding and things are alright again!

Only one word of warning - a) goats are addictive, you may start out with one milker and a companion, but once she kidded there will be a couple more.... etc etc you get my drift. I started out with one milker and her kid, plus on goatling. I now have 5 milkers, 2 goatlings and this year so far 4 kids... one more nanny to kid though... and I love them all ot bits (most of time, except when they again pull my hair, trample all the hay, trash their water buckets.....) and b) AN's can be quite noisy goats, so if you have close neighbours make sure they don't get too annoyed with the noise.

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)
« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2012, 11:46:59 pm »
Hi Charlotte, you've built yourself up for a milker, you've taken the time to learn, you sound very caring,- so if it's what you want - go for it, the pride you feel when you bring that first jug of milk (and every one after that) is wonderful.
- re latches/bolts, get the type you can padlock and clip something thru (type of clip that goes on a dog lead?) and make sure you get in the habit of clipping it thru, put latches halfway down the door/gate so they can't reach them. oh I forgot - I think goats must be related to giraffes  ;D, rephrase - makes it difficult to reach them.
just a couple of weeks ago I didn't slide a bolt shut as I turned to give another girl water, luckily Nutty pushed the door, just as I was about to leave, and I just saw it open slightly - LUCKY!

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)
« Reply #19 on: April 03, 2012, 12:07:06 am »
I can only echo what everyone else has said.  You have obviously done your utmost to make sure you are a responsible goat keeper and you will have learned from this episode.  I am very very thorough about bolting gates, top and bottom, yet mine got out the other day.  Fortunately a friend was here and spotted them pushing it open so was able to head them off before they reached the fruit trees.  They can't reach the bolts so it must have been me.  To msake matters worse, my side gate was left open so they could have reached the road.  It won't happen again.

I would definitely go for the milker.  It is so therapeutic sitting milking, your head resting against the goat's side and there's all that lovely milk too.  Don't forget yoghurt.  Very easy to make and delicious.

tizaala

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Dolau, Llandrindod Wells,Powys
Re: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)
« Reply #20 on: April 04, 2012, 07:24:57 am »
JayKay , 
  like the idea of the wine bath, ( been washing my stomach in it for years ) but one of the French cheeses gets washed in goat urine to form a crust, can't remember which one and don't fancy experimenting , don't think trading standards would be too impressed.

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Hello, new goatkeeper(to be), advice needed... (long post, sorry)
« Reply #21 on: April 04, 2012, 07:30:34 am »
Oh yuk, don't think I'll be experimenting with that  :D

Charlotte, I echo what everyone's saying about how lovely it is to milk your own goat and how close you get to them as a result. So I'd say 'go for it' too  :thumbsup: listening carefully to what Anke says about their addictive nature  :D

 

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