Goats for me.....soon, hopefully!

DamnearaFarm · #1 07/11/11, 12:03 PM

With GREAT thanks to Rabbitpatch, who spent much of July 4th, along with her husband, reiterating what I'd told DH about how great goats and their by-products were.......

I'm gonna get some goats

Oddly enough, on the same day DH heard all that RP had to say, the neighbor told him about the goats belonging to his friend, a 99 yr old lady who had just gone into a nursing home. He found out particulars this weekend- three 18 month old does who'd never been bred and two does in milk (not currently bred) who 'jump on the stand'. There is one full Nubian and the rest are Snubians.

The son of the owner has 'six hundred pounds of feed' and says he's going to keep them until the feed is gone, then he's going to sell. I'm going to try to go see them and check them out before it's time to sell. That way I can be SURE they're all they are supposed to be and that the two does (don't want the doelings, not enough room for all five) are what I need.

I'm betting it's a pretty closed herd, particularly since the doeling's mother(s) were bred. I'll find out for sure and I also would lay money there is no testing. I'll find out what I can though.......

Sooooooo... how much time do you think (should these be 'the' goats) I have to build a milking stand, goat shelter and fence a goat area? A few months?

prairiedog · #2 07/11/11, 12:30 PM

Gee fence an area one afternoon, put up hoop house couple of hours max, milk stan get son in law to do it one afternoon. Goats tomorrow LOL

Oat Bucket Farm · #3 07/11/11, 12:30 PM

Depends on what the 600 ponds of feed is, how much he feeds,etc. I would try to have everything ready in a couple of months. Better to be ready too soon and have to wait, than to be scrambling at the last minute because they are ready sooner than you thought they would be.

Alice In TX/MO · #4 07/11/11, 01:09 PM

Start now. Build the milkstand. You can do that in one day.
http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/milkstand.html

Start on the fence. Build a small paddock first. Cattle panels and T posts. Two days.

Build a couple of simple shelters. Two days.
Found this with an image search for small goat shelters. This is a flickr site, and you can scroll through his pics of the shed in progress.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanal...n/photostream/

rabbitpatch · #5 07/11/11, 02:53 PM

We'll just have a fence building party and you'll be ready in 1 weekend!

Cheribelle · #6 07/11/11, 04:57 PM

Woohoo!

DamnearaFarm · #7 07/11/11, 05:37 PM

Lol, RP

If this blasted weather would chill a bit! I am down to doing garden chores after 7/8 in the evening and horse/chicken chores in the mornings.

We're going with woven wire on pre-existing T posts. Basically converting part of a small paddock for the horses that is currently in barbless and electric. I'll have to peruse the small goat shelters one afternoon and then pick up whatever supplies we don't already have for it and the stand one weekend and either build then or the next weekend.

I don't have a clue what 'feed' is and if it's a goat chow type mix or a homeblend or what. Also don't know what else they have in the way of feed either. I suspect with five goats and two of them in milk I have at least two months or better. I'll be ready in less time, of course.

Right about the time the garden slows down/stops and I can catch my breath from canning, lol!

luv2farm · #8 07/11/11, 06:33 PM

Hey, don't leave me out.....I can help, too. I can bring my homemade milkstand for you to have a look at. DH made it in 2 hours!! Cngrats on the goats. If you dont want them all.....I may be interested in 1 or 2!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbitpatch