annaraven - more random update stuph

[freemotion]

The little gals don't need much space at all, just enough room to move around and get some exercise, but you may have to purchase hay year-round for them. And you may want to pull the kids at birth and bottle feed them and sell them while still on the bottle. You certainly could keep a couple of little does in a barn space of maybe 4x4 each and an outdoor run of....um....12x12? But bringing all food to them. If you have an area where you can cut brush and bring it in, you can seriously reduce your need for hay spring/summer/fall and keep them as healthy as if they had access to grazing. I cut brush and hang it in a stall for goats who need a boost, even though I have a big pasture. Anyone who is thin (usually Mya) or a baby that I want to grow up a bit faster for breeding (Plum this year, Ginger two years ago.)

If you have even a little more space, consider the mini breed mixes. You will want lots of milk if you are going through the trouble of having them, IMO. And you will have more options when it comes time to breed them. You should be able to find bred does this time of year, or spend a little more and get a couple of lactating does in the spring, who will pay for themselves in milk, as long as you use it up. After the first wave of "WHAT am I going to do with all this milk???" you soon end up saying, "I wish I had access to more milk!"

 

[Javamama]

Space needed for goats is kinda relative to your situation and the particular goats. You aren't going to be able to have them near a garden without one or the other being very well fenced. (that goes for ducks too - they eat everything!) My goats are mini-manchas and are pretty content in a small space - the pen is maybe 15 x 40. We do have extra space to take them out into to browse and mess around when it's nice out. And I am home all the time and give them alot of attention. And my minis are about the size of a large lab, but shorter and with a nice round middle. Probably 70 - 80 pounds.

The best thing we did when thinking about goats was to visit a breeder. Once we saw the size of the goats and how they behaved we were ready.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Agave is one of those foods that gets people up in arms on both sides LOL. It's not as all natural as they claim it to be, but it DOES keep blood sugar from spiking.

I will only do all fruit. I figure I get MORE than enough sugar from the oranges themselves without adding sugar to the marmalade LOL. I want to make jams this year.

Need a pressure canner first!!! And then I shall learn to can!!!

Sometimes it gets very frustrating that all sugars are just sugar and I cannot find a magic one that will do all the sugar things without causing me issues LOL.

while at the same time, its wrecking your liver
Thats why I get upset about it.
Its really pushed for diabetics, and they have trouble with their livers already.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

So, how tall? Are there pics of someone with the dog, I mean goat, next to them so we can see how tall they actually are? DH and I were discussing goats a while back but we figured they'd be way too big, even the pygmy ones. I mean, our dog is 40 pounds. Pygmies weigh in at like 100, don't they?

I don't think our Nigerean Dwarf buck weighs more then 30 pounds soaking wet, and he is of standard size

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

So how big *is* a pygmy goat?

and so it starts... ha ha ha ha ha ha
;-)

 

[Denim Deb]

Just for the record, I had NOTHING to do w/the pygmy questions.

 

[homesteadmomma]

I have Nigerian Dwarfs goats and here is a link to see some of their pics. Hopefully they will help you get a better idea of size. I pulled up my posts with goats pics, scroll down and you will see some for size. Mine are small enough I can carry them around if I have too.

http://amandajwheeler.blogspot.com/search/label/Goats and More

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Anna, you might enjoy reading about what this family does for livestock, in the middle of a massive city and on 1/5th of an acre, most of which is taken up by the house and gardens.
http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/category/animals/
They have little goats, chickens, ducks and bees, and raise about 6,000 pounds of veges.
http://urbanhomestead.org/

I am not advocating getting goats, but this may give you an idea of some are able to pull it off in small urban areas.

 

[AnnaRaven]

Agave is one of those foods that gets people up in arms on both sides LOL. It's not as all natural as they claim it to be, but it DOES keep blood sugar from spiking.

I will only do all fruit. I figure I get MORE than enough sugar from the oranges themselves without adding sugar to the marmalade LOL. I want to make jams this year.

Need a pressure canner first!!! And then I shall learn to can!!!

Sometimes it gets very frustrating that all sugars are just sugar and I cannot find a magic one that will do all the sugar things without causing me issues LOL.

while at the same time, its wrecking your liver
Thats why I get upset about it.
Its really pushed for diabetics, and they have trouble with their livers already.

REPUTABLE link please?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Agave is one of those foods that gets people up in arms on both sides LOL. It's not as all natural as they claim it to be, but it DOES keep blood sugar from spiking.

I will only do all fruit. I figure I get MORE than enough sugar from the oranges themselves without adding sugar to the marmalade LOL. I want to make jams this year.

Need a pressure canner first!!! And then I shall learn to can!!!

Sometimes it gets very frustrating that all sugars are just sugar and I cannot find a magic one that will do all the sugar things without causing me issues LOL.

while at the same time, its wrecking your liver
Thats why I get upset about it.
Its really pushed for diabetics, and they have trouble with their livers already.

Link please?

There is a little bit about it here.
http://www.vegfamily.com/whole-family/wholesome-sweeteners.htm
And lots more here.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html

I use honey for just about everything. For jellies and jams, you can use Pomonas Pectin, that does not require sugar, nor does it require lots of cooking to jell.
Here is a blog hop my mother put together for all natural sugar free jelly making.
http://seedsofnutrition.com/?p=6407