Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: New Goat Owner: Help needed!  (Read 6016 times)

honeyend

  • Joined Oct 2011
Re: New Goat Owner: Help needed!
« Reply #15 on: December 13, 2014, 12:09:07 am »
Don't panic. I bought my goat from the board from Tesco's and managed not to kill it, with no previous experience. Find your self some nice hay, local horsey FB sites, expect to pay between £2.50-£4.00 a bale and a hay net. You want hay that's meadow hay, depending on you outlook full of weeds or herbs, no ragwort. They waste more than they eat, they are very picky. If she is one her own be prepared, its like having a large demanding baby and she may cry a lot so you have to make time for her, put her close to the house. Take for walks, I used to put mine on a tether and when she got fed up she would pull it out and come home. Do not feed to many greens it will give the s***s. Go on line and by a wormer, or ring an online pharmacy. Buy a goat book or google  goat keeping.
  Keeping all animals, including humans is common sense, I have managed to keep goats, pigs and sheep with the aid of books and good old google. My Floppy was a very annoying goat would eat all my roses if given the chance and was much part of our family, if you can not give her companionship it may be better to find her another home, there is nothing sadder than a goat crying.

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: New Goat Owner: Help needed!
« Reply #16 on: December 13, 2014, 10:29:01 am »
I bought my first 4 from an advert in farmers weekly.  Within 2 months, one had died - it was a steep learning  curve.  Cause of death was *either due to eating something in a neighbours garden after escaping due to inadequate fencing (we soon learned that electric fencing was the way forward for our particular goat herd) OR because I over fed concentrates OR because they'd never been vaccinated or wormed!   This is not the sort of post designed to worry you  but I just want to say that this forum was invaluable to me at the start (and still is quite often)  - research where the best goat-experienced vet is near you and register. Find out any other goat keepers near you and get in touch. Remember that goats are not like sheep really and if a friendly sheep farmer tries to offer help it might not be appropriate, however well meaning! 
the good will outweigh the bad, there's some great books out there on Amazon to help too  :)   
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

fiestyredhead331

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • NW Highlands
    • Facebook
Re: New Goat Owner: Help needed!
« Reply #17 on: December 13, 2014, 12:07:59 pm »
like most of us, you fell into goatkeeping  ;D

I knew nothing about them when I got my first and yes I broke the golden rule of buying a single female but it didn't take us long to suss out she needed company! Mostly because I couldn't go anywhere without her glued to my backside so we brought in another couple and as long as you have the space so they aren't on top each other she will appreciate it and can take herself off when she wants to.
Read lots, ask lots its the best way to learn. Find a vet with some kind of goat experience and enjoy, its going to be busy couple of months for you  :thumbsup:
keeper of goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, goldfish and children, just don't ask me which is the most work!

Melmarsh

  • Joined May 2014
Re: New Goat Owner: Help needed!
« Reply #18 on: December 13, 2014, 02:25:42 pm »
I would just like to disagree with honeyend. Never put hay in a net for goats especially when there are kids about, it may never happen but don't take the risk of them hanging themselves !!! It has happened and broken legs as well, you would be devastated. I would never tether a goat either.
If all else fails put hay in a box with a hole in it big enough for it to pull hay out of, whatever you use you will have a degree of wastage I'm afraid because that is the nature of the beast !! Contrary to what is said,goats don't eat anything and indeed there is a lot they shouldn't eat. Check BGS website or books. They love greens and as long as you introduce slowly and don't feed enormous amounts at a time, are fine.
Please don't just go and buy a wormer, register with a vet, take a dung sample for feacal egg count and then ask them for advise as to the best wormer to use, you will have to find a way to weigh her though. See previous posts on this subject.
Most of all Enjoy !!! :rant: :excited:

 

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