Need ideas HELP

chris30523 · #1 10/26/08, 08:40 AM

The buck saga continues.I had to remove one buck because he wasn't doing his job.I put my 3yo big guy in, I feed inside the pen when the does stand on the gate I can still push the gate in. Last night Mick stood on the gate and the does and pushed it out knocked me right out of my shoes and I had a goat stampede for the dropped feed bucket. I am no dainty thing 5'9" 160" and not feeble by any means but they just plain out weighed me.
I need some ideas for a feeder that I don't have to go in to feed (that would also save my toes from fat does)hey that rhymes. I have high tensile fence and a drive through gate.I'll see if I can't get a picture today so some of you creative genious's can help me out.Oh yeah these are horned boer goats.

Cannon_Farms · #2 10/26/08, 08:50 AM

Wow, I dont have that bad of a problem but understand, its hard with any animal that loses respect for human space. I have tried popping a whip at mine with not much luck with the tamer ones. Horns seem to scare them off of anything so Im thinking maybe an air horn?

I know Kay, uses 6 inch pvc pipe cut in half, and has them tied to the fence so that they cant move and she can go down the line without much trouble and that seems to work fairly well as they all have their own part of the line.

all else fails a cattle prod is a good way to enforce respect of space, but kinda harsh, but giving people have been killed in situations like this.....

dosthouhavemilk · #3 10/26/08, 09:44 AM

Either use "my side of te fence feeders" or create a space where the goats are not allowed into until after you have put your feed out in the troughs.
About the time I got hit in the face with a front hoof of my big boy, was the time we looked into new feeding arrangements.
I can take my time putting out feed and doing as I wish. The goats have to wait on the other side of the fence until I am ready to let them in. Or I take a bucket and go along pouring feed into the feeders taht are on my side of the fence. They have to stick their heads through to eat that.
When in the barn, every goat has to be clipped before they are given their dish of feed.
With as many as 40-90 goats in one pen, I can't afford to walk through that pen with feed. Even without horns, they would maul me for it.

ozark_jewels · #4 10/26/08, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dosthouhavemilk

Either use "my side of te fence feeders" or create a space where the goats are not allowed into until after you have put your feed out in the troughs.

Exactly. Have an area fenced off with panels that is *just* for feeding time(you need to be able to access it from the outside of course), or install feeders that hang on the outside of the fence.
You can do this even with horned does if you use stock gates(long open spaces) rather than panels(square open spaces) to hang the feeders on. They just turn their head sideways to get either in or out. I have done this sucessfully using my hanging PVC feeders. I used to have horned Boers and it worked just fine.
While your big buck is in there at least, I would reccomend fencing off a feeding area.

Minelson · #5 10/26/08, 10:11 AM

I'm glad you didn't get hurt! I hate those close calls..but it sure is a signal that something must be done. Have to figure out how to get the food to them without going in. Pictures will help

ozark_jewels · #6 10/26/08, 10:24 AM

These are the hanging PVC feeders that I use. Notice the near side is attached straight to the panel with wires, but the far side has two wires running up several squares higher and then attached. This steadies the feeder.
This will work for horned goats if you use the same methods of attachment to a pipe gate instead of a cattle panel. The pipe gate has long spaces open as opposed to square spaces open. This allows horned goats to eat with ease.
But again, with a big buck in there, it woud probably be better to use a separate feeding area with a gate you can open once all the feed is put out. Let them in, let them eat, they leave again, you shut the gate and its all ready for next time.

Need ideas HELP - Goats

chris30523 · #7 10/26/08, 12:59 PM

Thats kind of what I was thinking.An area inside the gate fenced off from the goats. I wonder if corral panels would hold up to all of the pushing or if I need a couple of fence posts to steady them.Hmmm. Keep the ideas coming it has me thinking.

Minelson · #8 10/26/08, 02:24 PM

http://www.superiorambulance.com/Ima...20InAir%20.jpg

chris30523 · #9 10/26/08, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minelson

http://www.superiorambulance.com/Ima...20InAir%20.jpg

"Dispatch we have a white middle aged female with multiple injuries obtained from a stampede of fat hungry goats"LOL

Minelson · #10 10/26/08, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris30523

"Dispatch we have a white middle aged female with multiple injuries obtained from a stampede of fat hungry goats"LOL

debd0712 · #11 10/27/08, 08:58 PM

I had the same problem with my "monsters at feeding time" goats. I made feeders using old bleacher seats (turned upside down) with old push mower wheels bolted on one end and a rope handle at the other. The feeders run through the fence (which is cattle panels in the paddock) and the wheeled ends go in first. I had to cut one of the crossbars out of the bottom of the panels so they would fit. When it is time to feed I pull them out, sweep them off, fill them with feed, and push them back in. I no longer have to fight with the goats at feeding time. It did take them a few days to learn to move out of the way when the feeders are pushed in, but otherwise it has worked great.

Debbie

chris30523 · #12 10/28/08, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debd0712

I had the same problem with my "monsters at feeding time" goats. I made feeders using old bleacher seats (turned upside down) with old push mower wheels bolted on one end and a rope handle at the other. The feeders run through the fence (which is cattle panels in the paddock) and the wheeled ends go in first. I had to cut one of the crossbars out of the bottom of the panels so they would fit. When it is time to feed I pull them out, sweep them off, fill them with feed, and push them back in. I no longer have to fight with the goats at feeding time. It did take them a few days to learn to move out of the way when the feeders are pushed in, but otherwise it has worked great.

Debbie

sound interesting you have a picture??