01/27/12, 07:55 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SE Ohio
Posts: 2,174
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When I have time and winter kids coming, all up close does (and kidded does) up at the milking barn would be clipped and fed. Anywhere from 7-10 at a time. Usually have around 30 head in that pen during that time. I would allow certain goats in at each group. Each goat had her dog collar from Family Dollar already on (good collars that do disappear in the field when needed but are strong enough to hold the doe otherwise). I had baling twine with the carabiner clip on the end. I buy them in bulk for 50 cents each (or sink the 97 cents on some). Each doe is clipped to her station and the station stays the same, so they learn where they belong and will go and wait there to be clipped. Then their feed pans are brought in. Nobody is let loose until everyone is done eating. Then I let them go, push them out and clip the next group in place. The other benefit to this is that those not so tame dam raised doelings are handled every day up from one month or so out until a month or so after kidding. "Nobody eats til everyone's clipped." They learn it too.
Of course, down at the other pens, when we are running 50+ head in each group, this does not happen. We use an air lock system. The feed area is it's own section. No goats are allowed in until all the feed is put out and everyone in that group is up and ready to eat.
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