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Author Topic: Guidance with Golden Guernseys  (Read 3573 times)

Bigdreams

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Devon
Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« on: May 22, 2018, 01:52:38 pm »
My boyfriend and I have decided goats will be part of our smallholding  :excited: We've both decided Golden Guernseys are to be the ones for us. We've seen them at a few shows and been to goat husbandry day at Penborn Goats run by Peter Oldfield which was fantastic!! But where do we start?
We want them for milk as I want to make ice cream, cheese and a small amount of soap. They will be companions. I would also love to show and breed them.
Peter is taking bookings now for 2019 kids. Are kids where we should start? Is it good to book them now? Do I need to be looking through herd books and pedigrees? Would kids work better as they will grow up to be used to us.
Or do we dive in with older milkers that are ready to give kids or be covered by a billy?
I've just become a member of the GG society and am waiting to be added to the forum there.
Also how much should I be looking to pay per kid/goatling/nanny
This is all in preparation for 2019 when our holding will be set up.
I'm off to the Surrey show on bank holiday monday so hopefully i'll get to talk to some more people there  ;D
Dreaming big

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2018, 11:05:45 pm »
If you are new to milking, it might be better to buy goats who are used to being milked. You don't say how many you plan on getting but I would suggest a goat and her kid might be the way to go.

Bigdreams

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Devon
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2018, 06:44:46 am »
Good morning and thank you Mat Goatwoman  :wave: I've only milked once and not very successfully so I need a lot more experience.We would like to start with a pair of nannies and then build up from their as our experience grows. Starting with goats that are used to being milked makes sense  :) Am I ahead of myself to start looking for stock now even though we wont be ready till spring/summer 2019?
Dreaming big

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2018, 07:02:56 am »
If you want to breed to show start with good stock.  Talk to breeders at the show and get a feel for who has what available.
A couple of does with kids would give you milk and show potential from the start.
Find out who has bucks or who boards does near you.
Have fun.

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2018, 11:23:41 am »
Just a thought, If you buy a female(s) with kids, they sometimes want to hold their milk back for their babies.
I have one who insists I've taken all she has (about a pint!), but I know there is still plenty left, kids have a good guzzle 2 minutes later ????.
So 2 older does may be the way to go, but make sure you know why they are selling, check health history,  history of mastitis? CAE cert. etc.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2018, 05:26:49 pm »
If you want to show your goats then bottle rear any kids.  Shows have milking competions and the goats are milked at set times.  Also allowing a single kid to suckle is a good way to end up with a lopsided udder.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2018, 06:39:12 am »
Also if you want to get into showing - make sure you get fully BGS registered stock which are from whole-herd CAE negative testing regimes. And make sure that the breeder/previous owner signs the transfer form at the time of sale and hands it to you to post to BGS. Otherwise you may end up with goats that get never transferred into your name and their registered status is lost.

Bigdreams

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Devon
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2018, 07:10:39 pm »
Thank you so much for the replies!!

Dogwalker - Thanks for the pointer about finding who has bucks close by and who would take does to be mated. That definitely needs to be taken into account.

Scarlet.Dragon - Our primary reason for GGs is milk over showing. But yes the camaraderie at shows, talking about a passion to anyone who comes to admire and raising awareness of breed. We aren't on the search for perfection more very happy, good milking goats whose offspring can be improved with breeding.  I know no one would sell their best stock.
Is the rare breed sale the one dated 7th and 8th September?

Peninehillbilly - I'm making a list of all the questions to ask, why is first. Can an occurrence of mastitis mean they are more susceptible to it happening again or maybe cause udder damage?

Buttermilk - it never would have occurred to me about a single kid cause a lopsided udder, makes perfect sense though, thank you!

Anke - I've also joined the BGS so will be be able to check grassroots for registrations. What about herds that are CAE monitored? So no goats have left the holding or come into the holding? Yes i've heard of a few people that have not asked or been given the paperwork before leaving with their goats at the time of sale. I shall make sure I have it.

What else should I be asking when visiting to look at does for sale? Also if they have kid/kids at foot what should I be asking?
Dreaming big

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2018, 10:16:01 pm »

I personally would not buy goats at auction - always better to go and see where they are living/were born etc and build up a rapport with the breeder/seller. You will then always have a contact point for the inevitable "OMG - what am I supposed to do now?" queries that we all have had in the first few months of goatkeeping (and probably still have even after ten or so years with goats).


Go and see goatkeepers within reasonable driving distance from you, chat, discuss their set-up, try your hand at milking, maybe see if you can help someone (not necessarily with GG's) at a local show…


Be prepared to travel for the right goats and if you want to show (and buy youngstock) - look at the conformation of the dam/sire and in particular the dam's as well as the sire's dam's udder - not often possible. Look at milk figures (in particular at butterfats and proteins as well as total milk quantity given), but they aren't everything. If you show GG's - be prepared to fail the milking competition and be at the end of the IP....


It will be the beginning of a new obsession I can assure you!

Bigdreams

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Devon
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2018, 07:26:38 pm »
 :D Thank you Anke. Ill be going to visit a couple of GG owners when I visit my parents in Devon in July. Everyone i've chatted to re goats so far have been really friendly and supportive  :)
Heading to the Surrey show on Monday so will hopefully get to talk to some owners there!
Dreaming big

Bigdreams

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Devon
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2018, 09:09:26 pm »
I doubt we'd be ready from goats this year Scarlet.Dragon but we're certainly going to go up for a look and to experience the Melton Mowbray sale  8) Your poor girl sounds like she had one hell of a bad experience at that sale!
With long distance travelling for goats how do you go about it? Do you have to find stops along the way that are happy to stable the goats in quarantine? I was thinking about this with a view of their maybe being certain doe/buck lines in concentration in devon/dorset/somerset. Use the advantage of being in Sussex and taking goats from here or surrounding counties (if there are suitable does available at the right time)
Dreaming big

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2018, 09:24:06 pm »

If you want to show your goats I would NOT buy from a farm park, but from a pedigree breeder who knows what they are doing.


You will also have to think seriously - before getting any goats - what to do with any male kids. Only very few will be good enough to keep as breeding males, and the market for pet wethers is not the most ethical one (IMO)...

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Guidance with Golden Guernseys
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2018, 06:43:46 am »
I think we are talking Golden Guernseys here…. so since when did Bill Quays breed GG's? If someone new to goat keeping buys at auction (without seeing parent stock) then that is probably a good way to disappointment...

 

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