[plumseverywhere]

hopefully within the next few days but definately getting some now 

Will be spending Saturday building the shed for them, there are four, 2 kids and 2 adults (girlies)

I have a CPH number but having spent last night reading through DEFRA site, what else do I need to do before I get the goats? is it a herd number?

Also can I ask you experienced Goat peeps, what do you wish you'd had ready and in stock (so to speak) when you first took your first ever goats home? I want to make sure we are as ready as we can be.

very excited!!

[Brucklay]

Hi Plums
Like you we wanted everything ready - for pygmy goats - shed built, food in, hay in, buckets, salt lick, climbing toys created, then they arrived. We had been told (quite rightly) they loved shelves in their house so timber shelf had been done but when they zoomed in and up they went skitting, so off to the equine store and bought a stable mat - expensive but did the job - they have grip, washable, still like brand new so I should have thought of that before they came. Good luck with you goats - we love ours

[plumseverywhere]

Thank you for your reply 

this is all new to us and I so want to get it right!

[little blue]

oooh, how exciting!
What breed are they?

Check you've got the basics... hay, straw,
food, treats (ours love bananas!)   (maybe ask the place they're from to give you some - they don't like sudden diet changes)
antiseptic spray & emergency 1st aid stuff
collars/halters & leads if you need them,  might also help tell them apart at first!
milk pails, pans, bottles, spoons etc
a good strong bolt, padlock, chain whatever on the doors and gates!!

in time....  hoof trimmers (we use secateurs), brushes, combs,

record & medicine book - write everything down, cos you'll soon forget!

Camera & batteries

[plumseverywhere]

Hello Little blue 

camera and batteries - lovely idea. Thanks for all the other useful tips too - I'd actually forgotten straw (my brain is fuddled this week with the children still being off!!)  The lady who is selling them to us did mention about the feed and is going to give me some of what they are used to so I can wean them onto this new stuff which is available just 2 miles down the road from us.

they are a Toggenburg with 2 of her castrated billy kids and a saanen (?sp) girl. Been to meet them today with my youngest daughter Scarlett and they are adorable.
I know that some of this (well, much of this!) could be a steep learning curve and I have done my best with our fencing but will be home 24/7 the first few days to identify what tricks the new arrivals will get up to - will be armed with hammer and fencing materials to make alterations where necessary.

will need to sort out the things I need for milking asap

I expect I'll be on here every 5 minutes asking for help and advice too so please bear with me!

[little blue]

we asked the bloke that brought ours for a couple of hay bales... kept us going til we found a local supply.

we milk into a jug, she won't have a big bucket under her (nor would I like it!) then into a large saucepan for sterilising, then filter into empty Jacques cider bottles - they have screw lids and can be sterilised in the dishwasher or oven!

we have a sanaan milker (though not currently in milk) and a toggie at 2 days old, now nearly a year old.
mated in Jan/feb to a Bagot billy, so will have to wait and see baby-wise!

don't worry about questions... there's folk who've forgotten more than I know.  and we all learn from what they say!

[Anke]

Once you get them home phone your local animal health office  and they will give you a herd number, although your goats will come with their own (double for the kids) tags, for the nannies it depends on their age, if older than 3 years one tag should be enough. They dont need an electronic tag though. Pnce you breed your own stck they will have your herd number in their ear tags.

If you havent done so yet, get a good goat book, the one I found most useful is "The new goat handbook " by Ulrich Jaudas (you should get a copy from abebooks.co.uk), but there are a quite a few good ones out there.

I also milk single handed into a jug, as I am still a beginner milker and my goats are still getting used to my fumblings round their udder, they love apples, carrots, all cut into strips. Once leaves are out cut branches are the highlight of the day for our lot!

Have your male kids been castrated, if not it would be wise to speak to vet to arrange to get it done soon, otherwise smell will be a problem soon, and you would need a second shed. I guess they have been disbudded - if you have kids (the two legged variety) around it would make horns quite dangerous.

But have fun - they are entertaining animals and yes, very timeconsuming and addictive.

Anke

[plumseverywhere]

Thanks both    I will make sure I have a jug and some of those cider bottles! I'm sure hubby will enjoy 'emptying' the cider out for me first!
the kids are castrated and disbudded already so thats good.
the saanen has horns but she does seem very placid and we had jacobs here for a bit before so my children were constantly being told "watch the horns!!" . Its not ideal I know and especially as they ahve that habit of pulling back on the sheep wire and managing to make escape routes with horns 
I was trying to find out about milk filters yesterday online. They seem to come in lots of different sizes - I am assuming so that you can fit them into the final bottle for storage and the size will vary accordinginly?
also how easy is sterilising? sorry, lots of questions already 

[little blue]

dead easy!
get a good goat book, it'll have instuctions in there, and a thermometer.
you basically get the milk to a certain temperature (which I can't think of now... maybe 80 degrees c ??!) for a certain amount of time.  then cool it quickly.   we put the hot bottles straight in the fridge... only one has ever broken (it weakens the glass)

we used tea strainers and funnels in a filtering emergency... it depends how fusssy you are!

have you any practice actually milking?  get the owner to show you if not, then get into a good routine with your goat!
good luck....

[Anke]

I bought the largest size milk filter from Ascotts, and use a cone shaped stainless steel sieve/colander to filter through. You just double fold the filter and put into bottom end of colander, then carefully pour through (in my case into litre icecream cartons, then straight in the fridge. I dont bother with sterilising at the moment, unfortunately all (and quite a bit of Lamlac!) goes back into kids and spare (triplet) lambs....

[plumseverywhere]

Aww triplet lambs how sweet!!
thanks for the help with this, I really do appreciate this.
I have a clip thermometer and maslin pan from jam making - also a funnel thingy for the same purpose so I think I could use all of those for the milk.
I found a good link on youtube which showed the whole milking, storing process and it reiterated what everyone has told me on here but gave me the visual aid (which will hopefully instill it better into my blonde brain!!)

[langdon]

dont worry about questions!!!!!!!
 

[Anke]

Well sweet they are - but expensive to feed, same as a goat kid, and Lamlac is 21 quid for 10kgs. You need about  300-400g per lamb per day for about 7 weeks minimum. Thats between 21 and 28kgs per lamb.... so thats about wiped out any profit you might make from your lambs...especially when they are shetland crosses, they don't grow very large and also not quickly. Also add bottle washing, and bottle washing, and bottle washing....

Anyone would like some spare lambs? They really are very sweet... must go out and do last feed now!

[ballingall]

I want spare lambs! We have too much milk just now, nearly at the point of throwing it away, and the 2 first kidders have only just been stripped out, and one is already giving 4 litres a day.... Eeeek. I was looking for a couple of orphan lambs to raise to put in the freezer in autumn, maybe October/November time.

Beth

[plumseverywhere]

I'd like spare lambs too in the future (bit much going on this year what with new house, 4 new goats, pregnant cat due to drop any day not to mention 4 girls under 8 who are manic!!)

shed is started (hubby spent yesterday swearing and muttering with a bit of hammering and sawing in between!)

called defra yesterday so have herd number on way. also had to let animal man in county know so he can send medcine book etc (or so he told me) - then caught wind of how we'll be having spot checks. am now paranoid about these!!

I have heard that goats get stressed by change and was wondering if you have tips as to how best manage the goats when they arrive here? they'll have had a journey of about an hour.

when should I milk the nanny?currently she's being mlked mornings so will I be ok to start on monday after school run (about 9am) or do I need to get up extra early?!
eek!