New Goat

[olfart]

We sold our small herd of Nubian goats last September in the hope of being able to travel. One trip to Kentucky cured us of that habit, so now we're back to buying goats. We're downsizing this time and going with Nigerian Dwarfs. They eat less and produce plenty of milk for our needs.

First up is an 8-week old buckling named BillyBob. We bought him yesterday. Today we drove 50 miles to put down a deposit on two 4-week-old doelings that will become his harem. In the meantime, however, he's bawling his little heart out from loneliness. No, I'm NOT bringing him in the house!

BillyBob.jpg

BillyBob 2.jpg

[redman2006]

We keep trying to decide about our own buck. I hate having to depend on someone else to breed the does. I just dont need some mean sob running over our toddler. Our current nubian does and one pet wether are all very gentle. I would actually like a Boer to get some meat on the wether we eat.

[olfart]

A buck doesn't have to be a mean SOB. If you raise him from a baby and give him lots of attention (NO head scratching) AND dehorn him, chances are he'll remain gentle. If anyone scratches or pets his head, he will tend to shove his head against people to get more scratching/petting, and that can lead to butting. If he has several lady friends to keep his sexual tensions relieved, he should be pretty good-natured.

We used to buy an adult buck, let him have his way with our does, then sell him so we didn't have to put up with him and his stink. That's one way around the stud fee problem. But if you discover after you've sold him that he makes beautiful, good-natured babies, you may not be able to buy him back the next time you need him.

[olfart]

Either I'm a victim of "goat math" (the unregulated multiplication of goats) or I need to join Goat Owners Anonymous. After putting down a deposit on two doelings on Wednesday for pickup in two weeks, I got tired of BillyBob's crying and decided to buy an adult doe I could put out there now to give him a companion. As a result I now have TWO adult Nigerian Dwarf does. The owner refused to separate them, so I bought both. So now in two weeks I'll have FOUR does to keep the buck company.

Meet Boots and Gina. Boots is polled, Gina is disbudded. We should have a bunch of polled kids, as BillyBob is also polled.

Boots and Gina 1.jpg

Boots and Gina.jpg

[redman2006]

Do you have guardian dogs for your goats?

[olfart]

The goats are in cattle panel pens attached to our back yard with hot wires top and bottom around the outer perimeter. Our guard dog is a Maltepoo that lives in the house where we can guard him.

[0utlaw]

20190116_164048.jpgMy guard dog......err donkey

[redman2006]

We have a pyrenees that has helped with loss here, but we are looking to expand our animal flock in general. We would like a second dog, but are not sure what to go with. I keep eyeing a Boz or a Kangal, but I am not sure about them with the fact that we have a toddler and house dogs. I was just curious what you might be using.

I would also like one that has the will to at least sound ferocious when a stranger comes up. We have coyotes, bears, foxes, possums, coins, and hawks as predators. Unfortunately, we also have lots of stray dogs, and they are as bad or worse that the wild predators on our stock.

[0utlaw]

We have all those too Red, the donkey has been very effective against coyotes and stray dogs. She has slso learned to (barely) tolerate our Chihuahua and bulldog although she has set them to scurrying a time or two. We have only had one bear incident and she raised enough of a ruckus that the bear ended up running through the fence..

[redman2006]

My concern is my toddler too. We have a pond, and we want to be able to fish without having to duck and dive from an over aggressive guardian critter. I personally have been on the receiving end of a pissed off donkey and had a couple of plugs removed from various body parts before I made it back over the fence...with my uncle laughing the whole time.

I am just not a donkey or mule fan. My wife says it is because we are too much alike.

[redman2006]

We have not lost anything to bears, yet. They are here, but I have only seen their leavings around here.

[0utlaw]

Jacks in particular can be very cantankerous, we have a jenny, and most of the time she's like a 300lb dog
She very loving and likes attention but like any equine if she's startled or scared....something is getting kicked.

[Kailani Kealoha]

This sure was an interesting thread. I think I'll stick with chickens. They seem a bit easier to care for.

[0utlaw]

Absolutely KK,and an instant return on investment, collect those eggs every day. We actually have chickens, Guineas, goats and a donkey as well as the domestics AKA the dogs and cats.

[olfart]

When one of our goats gets sick, my wife reminds me of the old saying, "Goats are born looking for a place to die." That certainly seems to be the case at times.