Planning my hay purchase in advance: Goat people!

[Beekissed]

I've got my feed bin set up to minimize hay loss and waste, so I'm hoping to avoid a lot of that. Of course, there will always be a little pulled out here and there. It will be interesting to see how it goes and what modifications I can make to minimize loss.

I have the sheep pen set up with stanchions, so if I want I can keep them from pulling hay out of the feed bin. I doubt I will use them in this manner, though. I just wanted a way to immobilize them if needed.

This winter will sure be an eye opener on trial and error for me.

 

[FarmerChick]

oh yea less waste is the way to "try" to go...HA HA

winter is hard here also for a few months. Jan/Feb/March are rough when there is no pasture at all hardly.....so those are my "conserve" as much as possible times.





Remember also everyone, animals were fed so they survived and produced for a family.....over feeding an animal in the olden days wasn't an option, most people could barely feed kids let alone their livestock. So just good maintenance is needed, not the epensive overkill that we put on pets and livestock nowadays (cause we can)

 

[freemotion]

Thanks for that reminder, FC. My only adult experience with goats has been the two obese pygmies that were originally companions for my retired horse. I don't feed them. Then it was neglected and starved Mya.

Then it was Mya's baby, who had pneumonia and ultimately wouldn't eat from mama.

Then it was weaned-too-early Ginger who refused to take milk. She was obsessed with other foods and drove me insane (ok, more insane ) with her insatiable appetite. Finally, it looks like she will become my only "normal" goat.

So, thinking about my history, it is no wonder I am a bit worried about the upcoming winter and having proper nutrition for my girls....

Thanks for helping me work this out. Any other opinions or suggestions are very welcomed, too.

 

[FarmerChick]

I know Free
it is so easy to make all the critters in our lives a top priority and we treat them like kids literally.
I do it too...HA HA HA
but then my "real farmer" mind kicks in and says, slow down girl. While I think most things can be fixed by spending the almighty dollar for feed, meds, etc. etc.....I know also that it is life. That just a good and easy feeding natural type feeding schedule and proper meds for vetting is what actually keeps me from spending tons of money.....hmm..make sense..HA HA HA



I think also so many vet visits would never happen to pets if people treated an animal like an animal. I saw that "over weight pet" show and the pets were huge and terrible and the vet bills from obese and imporper feeding visits were huge.

We do create the problems ourselves. While great feeding is needed for business and full production we ask from animals, to just over feed for backyard critter just isn't good. I learned this also. I overfed my goats horrible in the beginning til I learned that less is more literally. Give less good stuff and all is fine..HA HA

 

[freemotion]

I try to remind myself that I want to keep animals that are tough enough to survive lean times. But the frustrated mama in me kicks in too much! And I keep taking in rejects and rescues that need some TLC, and bad habits are formed.....in me.....feeding the best to get them into condition faster instead of being patient.

I also worry too much about being so visible. Here, you can take in a skinny animal and then be accused of neglect by a neighbor who sees a skinny animal on your property!

This morning, I finally made some real progress on Mya's feet. The farrier came once for her, and told me it looked (and she acted) like they'd NEVER been trimmed! It was so traumatic for her, I decided to get her condition up before worrying about her feet again for a bit. He couldn't get the hind feet, that looked like skiis, into good shape in one trim.

So for the past few weeks, I've been taking a bit off at a time once or twice a week, and a couple of weeks ago the front hooves suddenly took on a nice shape. Today, the hind ones finally show some promise. One more trim by me, and I will have the farrier shape them up and help me with the pygmies, and I should be able to handle it from here on in. Whew! Off topic, I know, but I had to share this victory!

 

[FarmerChick]

It sure is a victory for you.
nothing wrong iwth needing the farrier to fix the big problem, then it is time to control the trims yourself and save.

I have giant cement blocks in one field...the goats jump on them to play etc. and that helps wear down the hooves. Not much, but it helps keep overgrowth in a small check at least.

good feed and an easy life make for bad feet...HA HA...and I guess in humans too..HA HA


yea we must keep the animal's general health in the fore-front of our minds. We have fat children in this society now, pets also, time to know that we must give all the "true" care they need.

In fact hoof trim time is coming for me. UGH...alot of backbreaking work but mine are all accostumed to the routine. Worming and anything else is done at the same time.






HEY---question on that acerage you are thinking about planting or using as a buck pasture?

How big is it?
Acres of land or 1/2 acre or what?

AND----do you need a buck pasture? Cause for me, when buck kids are 3 mos. old off they go to sale. Do you truly need an exercise buck pasture?

OR---can you 1/2 or 1/3 that acreage and make small paddocks to rotational graze the goats?

So many questions, I wish I could see the land..LOL-----AND goats love browse, so don't be bush hogging or anything, put up a fence and send them out.....goats clear land. They will eat that land clear for you first then you can decide.

 

[freemotion]

HEY---question on that acerage you are thinking about planting or using as a buck pasture?

How big is it?
Acres of land or 1/2 acre or what?

AND----do you need a buck pasture? Cause for me, when buck kids are 3 mos. old off they go to sale. Do you truly need an exercise buck pasture?

OR---can you 1/2 or 1/3 that acreage and make small paddocks to rotational graze the goats?

So many questions, I wish I could see the land..LOL-----AND goats love browse, so don't be bush hogging or anything, put up a fence and send them out.....goats clear land. They will eat that land clear for you first then you can decide.

How often do you trim? I do have a very rocky area near the barn that they spend some time in, I'm sure that helps a lot.

As for the pasture....it is a roughly triangular shape with the point cut off, and it is in this point, farthest from the barn and house, that there is a big mound and a large oak tree, and surrounded by woods on two sides. A nice mix of sun and shade. I have maybe 1.5 acres in this pasture, and I could divide this end off any way I'd like. I am only thinking buck pasture if I decide I need to keep a buck. I'd like to avoid it, but there are so few goats here that I'd like to breed to, that I may just have to keep my own. I do plan to sell the bucklings asap.

This is all pretty knew to me, but I am liking it so far! The pasture was made for a horse, so it was cleared pretty thoroughly. I do have some woods, not much, but some, that I may eventually utilize, but it is not fenced and would be too expensive to do so. We have coyote problems here, and they have very little fear of humans.

Since I am changing gears from equine to caprine, I may just plant the end with leafy annuals. The goats aren't interested much in the brush that is growing on the mound, maybe because last year they mostly hung out with the horse, never straying far from her side. So we will see if this summer they take out, at least, the multiflora and the raspberries.

My first two pets cleared a LOT of brush for me, it was amazing. The pasture is much bigger now, with all brushy areas cleared and now growing grass!

Do you think I should be rotational grazing the goats? I have a good supply of new electric tape fencing that I could use with step-in posts to divide up the pasture. I plan on mowing with my scythe and getting a little hay from it, too. Lots of goldenrod that they only eat when I cut and dry it. I brought it in for bedding last summer, and they stayed in for a week and ate it! Silly goats! This year it will not be bedding, but will be stored in the hay storage area for winter feeding. And cut earlier when more tender and less woody.

 

[big brown horse]

If you could recommend one good book on goats, what would it be?

 

[FarmerChick]

I learned all from



http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/



the best website ever for articles on everything that can go wrong with a goat...LOL...and all husbandry on goats.

this site was my bible literally. When I got goats and anything happened, I would hit this website and research and find the problem and fix it........

right hand side find "Articles" on health and maintenance......worth its weight in gold literally if you are a goat farmer.

hope it helps you.

 

[FarmerChick]

HEY---question on that acerage you are thinking about planting or using as a buck pasture?

How big is it?
Acres of land or 1/2 acre or what?

AND----do you need a buck pasture? Cause for me, when buck kids are 3 mos. old off they go to sale. Do you truly need an exercise buck pasture?

OR---can you 1/2 or 1/3 that acreage and make small paddocks to rotational graze the goats?

So many questions, I wish I could see the land..LOL-----AND goats love browse, so don't be bush hogging or anything, put up a fence and send them out.....goats clear land. They will eat that land clear for you first then you can decide.

How often do you trim? I do have a very rocky area near the barn that they spend some time in, I'm sure that helps a lot.

As for the pasture....it is a roughly triangular shape with the point cut off, and it is in this point, farthest from the barn and house, that there is a big mound and a large oak tree, and surrounded by woods on two sides. A nice mix of sun and shade. I have maybe 1.5 acres in this pasture, and I could divide this end off any way I'd like. I am only thinking buck pasture if I decide I need to keep a buck. I'd like to avoid it, but there are so few goats here that I'd like to breed to, that I may just have to keep my own. I do plan to sell the bucklings asap.

This is all pretty knew to me, but I am liking it so far! The pasture was made for a horse, so it was cleared pretty thoroughly. I do have some woods, not much, but some, that I may eventually utilize, but it is not fenced and would be too expensive to do so. We have coyote problems here, and they have very little fear of humans.

Since I am changing gears from equine to caprine, I may just plant the end with leafy annuals. The goats aren't interested much in the brush that is growing on the mound, maybe because last year they mostly hung out with the horse, never straying far from her side. So we will see if this summer they take out, at least, the multiflora and the raspberries.

My first two pets cleared a LOT of brush for me, it was amazing. The pasture is much bigger now, with all brushy areas cleared and now growing grass!

Do you think I should be rotational grazing the goats? I have a good supply of new electric tape fencing that I could use with step-in posts to divide up the pasture. I plan on mowing with my scythe and getting a little hay from it, too. Lots of goldenrod that they only eat when I cut and dry it. I brought it in for bedding last summer, and they stayed in for a week and ate it! Silly goats! This year it will not be bedding, but will be stored in the hay storage area for winter feeding. And cut earlier when more tender and less woody.

I do not have a buck pasture for my bigg'in that breeds. He runs in with the gals all the time. I have no need for a buck pasture. You do if you have many bucks and need to change breedings etc. etc.

So your boy can easily stay with the gals. Even 2 if you want, but be sure the fights are OK....LOL...there might not be done at all...depends on the guys. Many bucks can easily live together, but there is always that bad apple...LOL


So for me, boy with gals. Worked well for over 10 years and no problems.



So that leaves land for grazing or hay. Just split it. MY GOATS hate clover and I have tons of clover...of course the horses loved it..HA HA.........goats love weeds and regular old fescue grass type situations. So plant some stuff for pasture and let the weeds kinda take over and plant one with a good hay mix and use it for winter.


Or you can easily just rotate pastures like I do.......at my house is 5 acres.....4 1/2 fenced. 1/2 for me (hmm...what is wrong with this piciture..) HA HA

well I have 4 pastures......One big one, about 3 acres, then 3 small ones off that on the 1 1/2 left...and I just shut 2 down and allow them in the other 3......then I close off 2 and allow them in the others.....you know, just rotate for grass to grow and replenish.

That is my "house goats" I have 30 on 4 1/2 acres and they do fine.


my other 100 used to be on 50 acres on the other farm land....but I sold and weeded down...................but you can easily work yours on your land!!!!



trim for me is every 3 months...in the South, eating is good and hooves grow long definitely.