Taking goats to school?

DixyDoodle · #1 05/02/08, 05:38 AM

I casually mentioned to my 7 year old son once that maybe once the goatie kids are born, maybe the children at his school would like to meet some. Mistake! Now that's all he's talking about! LOL

Has anyone ever taken goat kids to school, and how do you recommend doing it? I was thinking of just taking one or two kids (leaving goatie moms at home with at least one baby as I don't want them to fret too much). I have this baby gate thing that attaches together to make a circular pen. I could put newpaper or such on the floor. Just have the kids in there (if they don't hop over it, best to check that out first!).

Or I can just take them when dh is off, we can each have one on a dog halter/collar and let them loose in the classroom.

Maybe take a bottle or two of milk, if the kids wouldn't resist being fed that way.

I'm sure the children would absolutely love it! This is a smaller, rural school but even so, many children are not from farms.

I recall this happening when I was a child, maybe I was 10, so a looooong time ago.

Someone let a handful of goat kids loose in our class and I still remember that so vividly! It was great!

Any suggestions as to how to make that go smoothly would be appreciated!

Yeah, I know, a little premature here, since none of the kids are born yet (due Monday). Do you think there is a better age for this? At a week old, or wait longer.....keeping in mind here that the kids will be dehorned at about 4 days old. I was thinking maybe when they're 2 weeks old I could take them?

Jyllie63 · #2 05/02/08, 05:44 AM

Okay...this is very strange

. I have my first kids due on monday as well and I was just thinking yesterday how neat it would be if I could take them to my 7 year old's classroom one day. If anything I was thinking the teacher could bring the kids outside in the play area. I was also thinking maybe a diaper might be a good idea LOL.

DixyDoodle · #3 05/02/08, 05:50 AM

Jyllie, cool!

I wonder which of our does will go first? What do you have?

Right now, the girls that are expecting here are 4 Nigies for Monday, and one Pygmy for June. I "think" I may have a Nubian due for June as well, hard to tell yet.

Fortunately, the classroom has a bare floor. I'll probably just take the chance and have lots of poop bags, paper towels, and disinfecting spray on hand. This school is pretty forgiving, it's in farm country, after all.

Good luck on the goatie babies? Are you excited? I'm a nervous wreck!

Jyllie63 · #4 05/02/08, 05:59 AM

I am definitely a nervous wreck! Nervous, but excited. I finally felt one of the babies this week which got me even more anxious for it's arrival. I have a nubian/lamancha who is a FF and then 2 saanens (mom and daughter). Their first exposure to the buck was Dec. 7, so monday is day 150. I even took the week off work next week. I knew I would be a basket case if I saw they were close to giving birth and then I had to go to work, so I requested a week off

. I spend lots of time with them when I get home from work just to observe them and see if there is anything that looks different. It seems like their tails are starting to stick out, but I don't know if that means anything LOL.

whatknott · #5 05/02/08, 06:04 AM

we have a licensed traveling petting zoo as a business, so we take our baby goats inside schools and outside schools.
If done indoors, my husband and I hold them. After talking about them, we sit down and the children walk by to pet them and then we have the teacher sanitize hands after petting. If you want to bottlefeed, it's hard to give everyone a chance, and then there are disappointments. When I have done that, I usually ask for someone who has a birthday near the date that we are there - maybe 2-4 birthday kids and they get to do the bottles.
If outside, setup on grass and have the children go in groups to see and pet them - again make sure you sanitize hands. Clean up poop before you leave - you don't need any irate parent later that thinks their child that had diarrhea the next day blaming the animals for it!! Whether it is a rural school or urban school, society is lawsuit happy anymore.

DixyDoodle · #6 05/02/08, 06:07 AM

Yeah, it sure is disappointing to go out there and see nothing out of the ordinary! I also told the boys that if any of the does looked like they were going to go soon, they could stay home from school to watch. Let's just hope that the birth goes smoothly, I would hate to lose a kid especially if my children are watching. See, worry, worry, worry! LOL I will be glad when they're done for the season.

Just heading out to the barn now.

wildhorse · #7 05/02/08, 06:12 AM

I would check with the schools first.Our schools wont allow it.

cathleenc · #8 05/02/08, 06:58 AM

I took 2 3-day kids to my son's kindergarten a couple of months ago. I brought a large floor blanket and a bunch of paper towels.

Yes, the goat kids did droppings and urine all over. Yes. But it wasn't so bad and the teacher and I were on it instantly.

The kids had a blast. The entire administration came over to see. The next door kindergarten class dropped in. It was a huge success. I've since brought baby chicks and am scheduled to bring baby bunnies next week.

The teacher and I make a huge thing about making the kids wash their hands very well after touching the animals.

gl!

(edited to add I thought that 3 days of age was perfect timing - cute, aware, bouncy, but not too adventurous yet. small. not burned)

goatsareus · #9 05/02/08, 07:04 AM

I've taken a baby goat to nursing homes many times, it is stressful. I could only take one of twins or trippletts, because the moms would scream. I took young kids, between one and two weeks old and held them or passed them around to be held. No accidents that way. If I would have taken older kids, they would be too heavy to carry around. The old folks loved it (oh look at that cute puppy!

). The kids were still in their placid mode and would tolerate being handled by others pretty well. The problem with the nursing homes is they keep the places so dang hot, the kid would dehydrate quickly.

It is very rewarding to see the excitement in others when they see the kids.

Eunice · #10 05/02/08, 07:40 AM

Tuesday the local kindergarten class came to our house to see all the baby animals. They liked the kids, but the biggest hits were the one that they could touch and hold - lambs and kittens. A few years back I did take some to school - carried them in a big plastic tub and the class came out to the lawn to see them. Outdoors was chosen because children that had allergies wouldn't be forced into a position to being close. I have also taken young doeling to a nursing home - even let her run the halls and everyone loved her.

kasilofhome · #11 05/02/08, 07:47 AM

This is the lastest e-mail from our son's homeschool Princ.

Connections will be hosting a "Pet Show and Tell Day" on Wednesday, May 14,
2008 from 11:30 to 2:00pm at the Soldotna Creek Park. The park is located
behind Don Jose's in Soldotna and next to the old DOT Park. We are planning
on providing hotdogs and soda for this event and will have the hotdogs ready
around 12:00pm. We have never hosted a pet show and tell day, but thought it
might be a lot of fun. After eating some hotdogs we'd like the students to
introduce their pet to the rest of the folks and maybe tell us a little bit
about their pet. In addition to having some fun we might just learn
something new!! I would request that folks RSVP to me at (his e-mail address)

Pretty neat I will see if we can work it out.

lupiefarmer · #12 05/02/08, 11:21 AM

our teen son goes to a private high school (no we are not made of $$$ - good scholarships and the town we live in pays for almost all of it anyway) and has been very involved with the goaties, especially his little girl "loba" (female version of wolf in spanish). We took her on a 30 minute drive to school and his spanish class came out to play with her. The teacher buys a lot of stuff from us as far as meat etc. She was excited about seeing them and the kids, mine included, thought it was really cool. She was about 3 weeks old when we took her. SHe screamed the entire time she was in the kennel we took her in so I ended up holding her while my son drove. She snuggled down and was quiet and happy. The trip home was fine, she road on the front seat like she was a queen. She peaked out the window a few times and never said a word. Momma had no real issue with her being gone so long and everyone, especially the girls at the high school, loved her. (Hmmm, I wonder if that was why our son wanted to bring the goat!???)

Laurie (vtfarma)

Freeholder · #13 05/02/08, 11:46 AM

One of the first goats I had was a Saanen doe who was given to me by the teacher of my youngest daughter's DD classroom (developmentally disabled children). The doe was one of the hardest to milk that I've ever had -- small teat openings -- so I know why she gave her to me, LOL! But the doe was bred, and the teacher asked for one kid back to raise in the classroom, and then auction off at the end of the year (one of the children's family's bought the kid for a pet). They kept this kid in the classroom for six or eight weeks; the teacher would take it home at night during the week, and one of the children would take it home on the weekend. It was rather funny, really. They didn't do diapers, just cleaned up after it, but there was an easy chair in the classroom, and guess whose chair that soon was, LOL! Goat hair all over it! Also, any papers on the bulletin boards had to be kept above little goatie height, or they were nibbled on!

The other time I took goats to a school was with some other ladies who were into historical reenacting (I was in the SCA) and one of them had a sixth-grade son. I took a goat with pack on. But we stayed outside on the lawn, so it wasn't a problem.

Kathleen

DixyDoodle · #14 05/02/08, 12:17 PM

Shouldn't be a problem with bringing goats to the school: they've already had ducklings, chicks, and bunnies. The bunnies stayed for a few days in the main office, so anyone who wanted a peek could do so.

Weight of the goatie kids shouldn't be a problem either: they're Nigerian Dwarf kids!

Going to check the ladies in the barn again in a few minutes, probably once again nothing to report but you never know!

mmurrey · #15 05/02/08, 12:29 PM

I justecently had taken a little doeling that was born in Jan. to my daughter's school. That was her show and tell day. We had put her in a crate to haul her in. The whole class came outside to see her, and even drew a large crowed from recess. The kids were so excited to see a goat. That is all that my daughter talks, writes about, and well basically breaths. She is just in love with the goats. Her teacher took pictures and said it was the best show and tell that she has ever had. It was a lot of fun for the ones who has never seen let alone get to pet one.
Mellissa

**mygoat** · #16 05/02/08, 01:29 PM

If I were you I would only take bottle babies if you go that route. Dam raised kids will FREAK if taken from their dams - constant hollering, nervousness, and will come home entirely stressed. Even if handled every day by your kids, a dam raised kid with a dozen hands going at it, lots of voices from exuberant kids, as well as being restrained by you, and without their dam, will cause them to freak. I would also worry a little about the dam not recognizing it again as hers, though unlikely - at two weeks if you take the kid a way for a few hours and it returns smelling 'off', the doe could reject it... And at two weeks, the kid could be stubborn and refuse a bottle, literally starving itself. I don't imagine children would enjoy scared, hollering baby goats and may not remember it fondly.

Bottle babies are much more tolerant of humans in general, will not stress as easily from travel, they won't be away from their 'mommy' and are already on the bottle.

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #17 05/02/08, 05:46 PM

Thats funny, I just took a kid to my old elementary school last week!!! We used to bring lambs to school when I was in my first few years of school every year.

One kid is easier for you to control, but two will keep themselves happy in the crate on the way there. Leaving at least one kid at home will keep momma happier, if she cant count. Some can, but wont be as upset if you leave at least one.

A dog crate works great for bringing them. Just toss it in the backseat of the car.

If you can do the presentation outside in the schoolyard, its best. You can bring a few hog panels for a fence, or else just hold the kids or leash them. If you do it inside, put down a sheet of plastic with maybe some straw or shavings on top to keep accidents clean.

Have a sort of idea of what youre going to say. General goat stuff works, then answer questions, then let the kids pet the kids.

fcnubian · #18 05/02/08, 06:44 PM

I have taken baby goats to school before. I had a preschool class in highschool that I took and I brought two babies in and the kids loved them. And I got the ok to go around the high school to show a few of my other teachers who loved them to. Lol.

sammyd · #19 05/02/08, 11:26 PM

We took 2 kids and 5 bunnies to the kids school last week. We had the goats on collars and leashes and either the wife or I had control of them the whole time. We did allow them to be picked up but tried to keep it at just petting. The teacher had a couple of extra staff types along to help keep an eye on the children but they were pretty well behaved and gentle with the animals. Although I though I might have to frisk them down to get all the bunnies back :-)
We kept everything outside on the playground.
It was quite fun and I hope to be able to do it again next year.

farmgirl85 · #20 05/03/08, 09:11 PM

We had done it for about 4 years. If the weather is good outside works well as an option. If not we have taken them in the class room also. We always took two kids. We never had a problem with them making a mess. Lucky I guess. We would tell the students about the goats and field questions. It was a great experience anfd never had any problems.
It was good time and don't forget to have someone take pictures. It is definitly a priceless moment.