Re: Dairy goats

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Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 22:19:03 +0100

Karen Woodward wrote:
>> However ----- I do find it a little odd that you do not mind eating
>> something that may have come from any of many types of production
>> regimes,
>
> DENILE ain't just a river in Egypt!

LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>
>> but an animal you have made sure has had just everything they need
>> for as happy a life as we humans can work out they need with minimum
>> of stress before death is something that is a problem.
>
> I agree. What I'd like to do is find local producers and support
> them.

Okay - find someone you trust to raise your meat and GIVE them your kids to
raise with their other stock for a small percentage of the meat
How much depends on whether they or you spend on dehorning etcs
Keep them on the girls for 4-5 days and then separate
Done deal !!

 I, and a lot of people probably, just don't want to know the
> name of the dinner. Where I've lived in the past, there weren't
> really any local producers. Now I live in farm country.
>
>> Goats have to have bubbies to produce milk and many of them will be
>> wee boys. Wee boys are expensive and grow into big boys.
>
> Hmmmm. Expensive? What am I missing? Shots and hay..

Hay will keep them alive but is existing all you are offering?. There is
little nutrition in even the best hay, they will need more. They will need
very good fencing as they will be bored and adventerous.

 I can do the
> disbud/dehorning (talk about stress!)

Are you qualified or do you not have to be?
Do you have all the required drugs and tools?
I can never get used to this "self practise" in the US
Dehorning the babies is something I left well to the Professionals - far too
many babies with boiled brains. Its such a critical procedure if done at the
right time

and castration (need to find
> help holding) but I don't need to pay a vet for those things. I can
> do the vaccines. I thought the "mowing" would be worth the expense.
> Now, the big boy issue is worth rethinking. They should probably
> have a pen apart from the dry does. But really, they're supposed to
> be mowing most of the day.

This will only be nutritionally beneficial in the spring and summer
Like many animals - the productive animals EAT - they need the nutrition and
it governs their lives.
Non productive animals have a much lower nutritional requirement and so GET
BORED
Goats have brains so GET BORED
Bored goats FIND TROUBLE !!!
We were really lucky and our two entire boys got on great so spent hours
outside in paddocks mock fighting and playing with chickens, and the sheep
and talking to EVERY ONE
The girls had acres of grazing, and the youngstock were out with the girls
who - in the main - kept them in check
At certain ages both wether lambs and kids start stretching the boundaries -
the best thing at this point is a freezer.

>
>
> Even with castration
>> and de horning they can very easily become bully boys - they have no
>> raison d'etre and get bored. They get big and bolshy.
>>
> He he he... if they get too obnoxious they can go hang out with Angus!
> That's my Thoroughbred gelding.

you can put them in with him - that does not mean they will consider him any
interest and vice versa.

  Perhaps lots of mental stimulation?
> A playground? Their job is to mow and to entertain.

Mowing is short term
If you are having anyone else in to board their horses they may well be less
enamoured of a young hefty billy goat shoving them around the yard because
they have an armful of tack and want to ride and haven't paid what he
considers are his dues !!!
Not ours but I have seen the type so so often
Beware most other folks do not consider goats with the same affection

>>>
>>> Keeping whethers for grass control would be fun. The size of the
>>> herd could grow at 1 per year and not be a problem.
>>
>> or two and three !!!!
>> We rarely had singles
>>
>
> Ok, lets do the math... One milking doe, one dried off. Average of
> one buck kid and one doe kid per year.

HAh
unlikely if you find a goat worthy of milking

 No triplets allowed.
> Remember that river in Egypt?

:~))))))

 Breed only one doe per year and take
> the risk that the pregnancy doesn't come to term and get no milk for
> the year. Go purchase milk elsewhere for the year.

Good stock - we never had a pregnancy not go term
One goat had falsies in her autumn of milking but got over it and settled
once the rest of the kids were on the ground

>
> After 5 years we have 12 goats.
50% does, 50% bucks.

HAH - yup
DENILE is a loooonnngggg river :~))))

 Look hard for
> non-meat sales. In this area there is a market for grass-mowers and
> 4-H projects. In 10 years we could have 20 goats, but the original 2
> will have passed on and we'd be back down to 18.

and you have a 16 x 20 ft shelter and a 20 ft by 80 ft yard
and some verges

............................ I don't think so :~)))))

 Hmmmm... I think
> the answer here is to buy the best breeding stock I can find.

good idea

That
> way the offspring will actually be marketable for milk as well as
> "mowers".

Hey she is getting it :~))
Yes get really good stock - find out how it works in your area
We had access to posh competition stock but they were high high maintainance
in the feed stakes so concentrated on breeding up a good yielding herd who
worked better in a grazing environment - lots of it. In a browzing
environment - goat heaven - they did even better.
In our neck of the woods the goats we produced were in higher demand than
the ones with long names
100 miles east the long names became more important

That would have to be the case anyway, I'm sure, if I'm to
> find milk that tastes ok in the first place. That line won't be
> cheap. Oh, and no rescues there :)

Yeah

>
>
> Hrummph! That doesn't leave much room for sheep. Ok, maybe I'll so
> the same search for sheep milk/cheese... get 2 goats and don't breed
> them. The sheep can provide wool and/or cheese and I'll buy milk and
> ice cream from the store!
>
> This makes my head spin. I have to go work on the chicken
> accomodations. Winter's coming!

Good for you
Lots of planning and then you will do exactly what you want when you want
and when the situation arises - just enjoy them all
Life can be too short ----- as long as you can afford them all

--
regards
Jill Bowis
Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment,  Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Holidays in Scotland and Wales
http://www.kintaline.co.uk

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• In reply to: Karen Woodward: "Re: Dairy goats"
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