Planning my hay purchase in advance: Goat people!

[SheriM]

Free, didn't you say you live in a climate with a cold winter? That's reason enough to not run the buck with the does at all times. You're bound to get kids born when it's very cold and miserable. In warmer climates, it's not a problem to run the boy with the girls all the time, but it would be a disaster here. My "house goat", Mary, is a prime example. I didn't get my young bucks out of the doe pen early enough last year and as a result, Mary was born in February. Lost half her ears and spent the first two months of her life in the house.

As for the buck tainting the milk, I've heard that too, but don't know much about it. The comment about his scent getting all over the doe may have some merit, but I know that in winter, when my buck is in with the does, the girls don't smell all that much, but with that particular...uh...fragrance, a little goes a LONG way.

Oh, and BTW, the only thing I've found that will completely remove the buck stink from your hands is goats' milk soap!

 

[freemotion]

Interesting stuff!

Sheri, I am in MA, which is zone 5-ish. Our winters can get quite cold, sub-zero. Mya had her baby in Feb, it was awful. (She was a rescue for anyone coming into the story late. I didn't know if or when she was bred. The baby died of pneumonia in spite of veterinary care and pharmaceuticals and sleepless nights and gallons of tears!!!) I would never run the does and buck together year round, just starting in December. I want LATE spring babies! We still can get frosts and freezes right now, in mid-May. But also days in the 90's (F for you Canadians!)

And, well, I already have a nice supply of goat's milk soap!!

 

[FarmerChick]

Kids do best in cooler weather definitely....hot weather means more problems definitely in growing kids.

BUT I am so lucky. Being in NC I shoot for my kiddings to hit Dec. and January mostly. We are not super cold and dont' have freezing kid problems.

The cold weather does the kids best and they hit market for sale at the best price time, march and april.


I am so fortunate I don't have to deal with freezing temps. It must be so hard on people with animals. I remember the posts saying people's chickens were frostbit and all that mess!!

UGH