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roobarb

Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Wed May 13, 15 11:55 am Post subject: Our new arrivals

We've just got our first goats - two pygmy goats and one pygmy goat/??? cross. We're very excited, if a little apprehensive! They seem to have settled in nicely, and are enjoying the play area we have set out for them!
We've got them in a small run for now, until they get used to their surroundings - they have never seen the outdoors before, and then they will have the run of the field (and probably the neighbourhood).

I'm sure we'll have lots of questions in due course, but here are a few pictures for now.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed May 13, 15 12:41 pm Post subject:
Very nice. Should we run a sweepstake on how long before they escape?

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Wed May 13, 15 1:04 pm Post subject:
I was thinking the same thing! I met a goat farmer in Mallorca and he claimed the best way to fence them in is with electric fencig.

Piggyphile

Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 891
Location: Galicia

Posted: Wed May 13, 15 6:16 pm Post subject:
They are plotting, I can tell....

sueshells

Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 690
Location: North Bucks

Posted: Wed May 13, 15 7:39 pm Post subject:

Piggyphile wrote:

They are plotting, I can tell....

I thought the same.......

roobarb

Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Thu May 14, 15 10:30 am Post subject:

They still haven't escaped...but there's time. And hopefully they won' try today because it's raining, and if they know what's good for them they'll stay close to the shelter.

Luckily, I don't think they are tall enough (yet), even when up on their back legs, to touch the electric wire around the top of the fence, so they have yet to experience that joy.

We spent time with them last night in the run, so they get used to us, but they are still quite nervous, and like hiding in the play tube

, which is just too long for us to get them out without crawling inside ourselves

I can tell we are going to have fun with these three.

Graham Hyde

Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

Posted: Thu May 14, 15 11:13 am Post subject:
Hi Roobarb, from you're photo's and words, I take it you are not keeping these great looking goats for meat. Are you going for milk production? If so, where have you got your knowledge from? I have been thinking about keeping goats myself but on reading several books have been concerned at the list of diseases and parasites. I intend to keep for milk, not meat.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Thu May 14, 15 12:26 pm Post subject:
If you read the list of diseases and ailments, you will never keep anything! Try reading about all the things chickens can get! The key, as with all animals, is good husbandry.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu May 14, 15 1:27 pm Post subject:

Shan wrote:

If you read the list of diseases and ailments, you will never keep anything! Try reading about all the things chickens can get!

The key, as with all animals, is good husbandry.

& hardy breed/type.
Some breeds are just too fine or bred for high input/ high output & are more prone to setbacks.
Mongrels might not produce as much but will save a lot of vets bills.

roobarb

Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Thu May 14, 15 2:47 pm Post subject:

We're not keeping them for either milk or meat, but as pure enjoyment

We don't have dogs or cats, or any other pets (other than chickens or ducks and they're there for eggs), so this is our substitute. They will hopefully keep the hedges clear, and eat some of the scrub and weeds we have around the place, and in return will (hopefully) be fun to have.
Once we get more comfortable with keeping goats, we may well get more, which would be used for milk or meat. But one step at a time. We may find we don't get on with goats, so these are kind of like trainer goats for us.

We've read so much stuff recently before getting them, that we were nearly put off getting them - particularly the range of plants that are poisonous. It will be a steep learning curve, but it can't be too hard with a bit of common sense, otherwise no one would do it

Graham Hyde

Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

Posted: Thu May 14, 15 10:45 pm Post subject:

Hi Shan.
Most of the literature I have on goats is USA based.
Goats there are from established herds and vaccination is common.
The goats I am able to source are from an unknown background with no history of vaccination.
The diseases and parasites I am worried about are those that goats are susceptible to and can be transmitted to humans such as Lesteriosis and TB through their milk.
Unfortunately Shan, contrary to your comment, 'Good Husbandry' is not a be all and end all.
I am attempting to source further information on goats and this was my question to Roobarb.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46216
Location: yes

Posted: Sun May 17, 15 1:43 pm Post subject:
the last photo shows they have started to build the "goat launching escape cannon" so over the wire is only a matter of time .

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