Goats

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manda
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Re: Goats

Post by manda »

Sad isn't Mo....all about aesthetics ...I wonder if the supermarkets didn't make it an issue if it would ever actually become one?
I had this same discussion with the produce manager in our local supermarket when they wrapped lettuces. They had just got rid of single use plastic bags and I walked in to a mountain of lettuces individually wrapped....apparently some people like it that way..My response was that if they weren't given the option would they be bothered but the planet really is and he is of the age he should be more concerned because he's going to potentially be around to pay the price.
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Re: Goats

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Collected our fourth goat today, a rescued three year old Saanen, lovely friendly goat but had been neglected. A quick learn today on cutting back her hooves on her back legs that had been allowed to curl over, a good brush down and clean up, now she is making friends with our other three even though she towers over them.
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manda
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Re: Goats

Post by manda »

Saanen's are a big goat but very gentle ...I hope she's settled in nicely :-D
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Living our version of the Good Life with 4 dogs, 6 cats, a cow, a few sheep, Angora Goats and ???? chooks.
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Trev62
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Re: Goats

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manda wrote: 06 Oct 2023, 06:58 Saanen's are a big goat but very gentle ...I hope she's settled in nicely :-D
She is a softy now she has settled in and is filling out nicely, no longer just skin and bones as the saying goes. The only issue is that she is extremely greedy to the point of being possessive over food whether in the pen or outside when being walked.

We are presuming this is because she was never fed regularly (or enough) and I have my doubts we can resolve this issue.
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manda
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Re: Goats

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Trev62 wrote: 07 Oct 2023, 20:31 She is a softy now she has settled in and is filling out nicely, no longer just skin and bones as the saying goes. The only issue is that she is extremely greedy to the point of being possessive over food whether in the pen or outside when being walked.

We are presuming this is because she was never fed regularly (or enough) and I have my doubts we can resolve this issue.
Glad she's settled and filled out....sadly I think if an animal has been starved they will eat (to death sometimes) just from the fear of those bad times coming round again. Although it's still fairly early days so she might come right still >fi<
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Living our version of the Good Life with 4 dogs, 6 cats, a cow, a few sheep, Angora Goats and ???? chooks.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Goats

Post by lancashire lass »

{hug} hopefully in time that she'll learn to trust you will keep her fed regularly but sadly as Manda said, it will be a difficult habit to break.

Although totally not related to the goat topic at all (and dogs in particular are genetically predisposed to feed like this) but I used to have both a cat and a dog. Both were well-fed but the cat sometimes got fussy with his food (as do most cats that enjoy variety in their diet) Many a time he would look up from his dish and slowly wander to the dog's dish to see what she was eating. Being a big softy, the dog would back off with alarm in her eyes. Consequently, the dog would eat her dinner quickly keeping an eye on the cat. She was definitely not fussy with what was put down in front of her, and if she didn't eat, then I knew she must have been unwell. The cat was much older than the dog and I eventually lost him, but the dog still gulped her food down in his absence.
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Re: Goats

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Well, our Saanen has improved and is less off a bully when we walk them all to allow them to forage but inside we have taken to feeding her in a separate pen as she is just too much for the other goats to handle.

The rest of the time she is mild and gentle now happily coming to us to have her head and neck scratched.

Due to her hooves having not been looked after she has a funny gait when walking, which we think is due to ligament damage and probably irreparable but it does not impede her at all. She did not take kindly to her hooves being sorted but we have done them which is all that matters.
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Re: Goats

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So we have been studying the books and videos regarding how to tell if a goat is pregnant, as usual all the information conflicts and leaves you totally baffled. However, after saying that, from what we did glean from all the information we do suspect that two of our goats are pregnant, which would be great. It does mean that I now have to work out how to build a milking station/stand, so another job to add to the ever growing list :-D

Our rescued Saanen is not pregnant as she is too large for our buck to reach but he just had to try and ended up causing himself a (hopefully not permanent) injury but that is another story.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Goats

Post by lancashire lass »

{hug} you must be excited
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Re: Goats

Post by Mo »

Trev62 wrote: 18 Feb 2024, 21:18 Our rescued Saanen is not pregnant as she is too large for our buck to reach but he just had to try and ended up causing himself a (hopefully not permanent) injury but that is another story.
Can you build him a ramp. Though I suppose you'd have to hold her still or it might cause a worse injury
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Re: Goats

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Mo wrote: 19 Feb 2024, 12:55
Trev62 wrote: 18 Feb 2024, 21:18 Our rescued Saanen is not pregnant as she is too large for our buck to reach but he just had to try and ended up causing himself a (hopefully not permanent) injury but that is another story.
Can you build him a ramp. Though I suppose you'd have to hold her still or it might cause a worse injury
We built a platform for him to stand on to reach her, when jumping on it to reach her, in his eagerness he overstretched and burst several blood vessels in his penile shaft resulting in blood everywhere. That was the first time I have ever administered first aid to a goat!
lancashire lass wrote: 19 Feb 2024, 10:49 {hug} you must be excited
If they are and all goes well, it will be great.
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Re: Goats

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Added to our small herd today, we collected two mini Hollandi goat mothers with their four kids. The kids are actually smaller than our cats at present. They are very nervous at present having had little human contact and will be quarantined for a month before being introduced to our other goats. Fingers crossed all goes well with them.

I have also started building a milking stand for the goats and I am pleased to say that a third of the way through most of it is straight and level. That is either down to luck or my handyman skills have improved somewhat! :-D
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lancashire lass
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Re: Goats

Post by lancashire lass »

Trev62 wrote: 14 Mar 2024, 21:13 we collected two mini Hollandi goat mothers with their four kids. The kids are actually smaller than our cats at present.
{hug} I think mini goats look so cute
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Re: Goats

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lancashire lass wrote: 15 Mar 2024, 13:45 {hug} I think mini goats look so cute
They are, but more importantly they are easier for an older guy like me to manage!
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Re: Goats

Post by Trev62 »

Goat milking stand completed today and it works )t' It is also level, I have glued some roofing felt to the top surface to help prevent any of them slipping now we just have to persuade the goats to go on it.

And I thought building the stand would be the hardest part!
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