New Here, getting 3 day old Nubians

ephesians2.8 · #1 05/23/05, 01:21 PM

Hi everyone. I have lurked for quite a while but would like to start asking questions. We are planning on purchasing 3 day old Nubian does from a dairy close to here. My dh has knowledge in a lot of farmish things but not goats and I only know what I have been reading. I have read some at Fiascofarms and various other places but would like to find out about different types of medicines that they will need and any possible immuinizations. We are moving to 5 acres in about a month and will be getting our babies at some point in the fall (we hope). We are on a tight budget, I stay home and we have 5 children, and I am looking at the best affordable way to start them out with housing and such. I was planning on leaving them in the backyard (it is quite large), it is has chain link fence, while they a being bottle fed quite often. Also, the back 3 acres are fenced with barbed wire which I know is not good for keeping goats in. Would it be plausible on a not too expensive scale to put an electric fence around some of that, or all of it? I was also thinking of putting chickens in the back 3 also and having different housing for them. Do chickens and goats and possibly a cow get along? I have chickens promised as soon as we move, a cow at some point in the future to raise for meat and my dairy goats in the fall. I am trying to plan ahead and be as prepared as I can be.

I hope this was not too lengthy of a post.
If you have knowledge to share, advice, or even websites, I will appreciate any and all.

Thanks
Jennifer in TX, married to my wonderful dh Randy and mother to our 5 precious blessings.

mary,tx · #2 05/23/05, 04:00 PM

hi Jennifer,

welcome to the board! Five acres is plenty for what you have in mind. The chain link will keep them just fine, but look around and be sure there are no plantings you don't want eaten, because even little goats will pretty quickly start nibbling on roses or whatever else you don't want them to eat.

Our chickens and goats are together, but if I had preference, they would not be. The chickens just can't seem to help getting up in the hayrack and messing, and they love to scratch up the litter in the goat stalls which I also do not like. Someday I hope to have a separate chicken coop again.

You can keep a calf or two in the same pasture with the goats, too.

We had goats, chickens, and a couple of calves on our five acre homestead in Belton. Now we are on an old, rundown 91 acre farm. That barbed wire is heck for goats. I had one go through a barbed wire fence one day and rip her teat open pretty wide. Had to stitch it. I prefer field fencing, but I believe that a couple of strings of hot wire on your existing fence MIGHT work. I wouldn't absolutely trust it, though. Anxious to see others' ideas about it.

BTW, where is the dairy you are looking at? I am also in Texas, and still in the market for a little buck.

mary

ephesians2.8 · #3 05/23/05, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary,tx

BTW, where is the dairy you are looking at? I am also in Texas, and still in the market for a little buck.

mary

Hi Mary. Thanks for the reply.
I am in NE Texas and believe that the dairy I am looking at is in Sulphur Springs. There is a ranch called Rehoboth Ranch that does grassfed natural type meats, beef, chicken and lamb, and are now operating a dairy goat facility. They purchased their stock from them and highly recommend them. I am hoping we can visit the dairy before we purchase them so we can see more of what they look like and such.

Jennifer in TX, married to my wonderful dh Randy for 10 years and mother to our 5 precious blessings.

Emily Anne · #4 05/24/05, 08:22 AM

I have an electric fence for my goats, it works very well for most of them but I have two that insist on slipping through, so the only main problem about it is that if they get out once you can never trust them to stay in again. The best fence I have is a wooden one that is lined with livestock wire, but my Daddy has a sawmill and so it is not so exspensive. Also I have my horses and goats together (plus a hen and rouster running around) The only main thing is to have a small place that the goats can get that the other animals cannot otherwise you will be having the cow steal the goats food and getting in the way.