# Who do you get to babysit if you're gone??



## chicks4kids (Oct 23, 2009)

We are considering getting a couple of goats and one of our main concerns is when we go on vacation who will "babysit"-rather milk-  our goats?  If you stop milking them, how long do you have before they stop producing milk?

We plan to have them for milk.  And we have no local family who could milk them.  So what do you all do when you leave town?  Who do you get to take care of your goats??


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## ksalvagno (Oct 23, 2009)

Leave town? What is that like? 

Unfortunately, I can't help you. I never go anywhere. But I would think you would need to have someone milk the goats. Maybe someone would be interested in learning how to do it?


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## ThornyRidge (Oct 23, 2009)

Goats= reason why I can't leave town!!!  Actually I don't trust anyone with my animals.. once you commit to animals/livestock you may have to sacrifice vacations/trips.. I have trained my father in some of the basics of goat care (specifically feeding) however only your trained eye can know when your goats are off or in need of something specific.  Last winter my father had to have open heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and was there for a week.  I was only away from my goats for two days and actually sacrificed my sleep and emotional overload and commuted the 2 hour drive morning/night for the better part of a week. The two days I was gone I had a relative keep everyone locked up in barn and throw in pen premeasured flakes of hay once per day in addition to topping off the heated water buckets I was using.. everyone survived and was well including dad!!  but seriously vacations are now gone for me with nearly 20 chickens and 14 goats in addition to 4 cats and a dog.  my vacations are now taking a day off from work here and there and doing things around the house like cleaning the barn out for example!!!!!


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## freemotion (Oct 23, 2009)

I have worked out super-simplified methods for while I am gone.  I have most of the animals living mostly together....as much as possible without death and destruction, that is....so that simplifies things a bit.  I pare down to the very basics, too.  Anyone who can survive without grain for a few days survives without grain.  They all get the same food as much as possible.  I set up pre-measured meals for each animal or group.  And I plan my trip so that I can leave after morning chores and get home in time for late evening chores.  I always set up an extra day or two of meals just in case....

Milking is another matter altogether.  I only speak of my milking experience in glowing terms to make it sound attractive to anyone who will listen.  Any who ask about aquiring milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc. are asked to learn to milk, and their reaction determines if they will get any goodies!  A curious reaction will get some products....enough to get them hooked.  Then I reel them in and teach them to milk.  I now have two spares (milkers) and will be working on a few more.  I keep my spares primed with occasional bottles of milk and kefir, these particular people's favorites.

I currently am supplying two more people with milk and kefir....sporadically, mind you.  Can't let them think there is an endless supply.  Then I will set the hook, and reel them in.  I won't feel really comfortable until I have at least six people trained to milk.  And I only have one lactating doe!  No one will be as committed to your animals as you are.  But it is healthy to get away on occasion, and who knows, you could have a family emergency, or break both your wrists in a fall, or any number of situations could come up.  I plan to have two does lactating in the spring, so I will need more "spares!"

Another thing I do is that I never do my chores at the same time each day.  This way my animals are not upset by changes in timing, at least.  They always have access to some food and water, so they are never desperately hungry or thirsty.

I use a deep litter method for both poultry and goats, so stall cleaning is not a daily chore.  With careful planning, I can go up to a month without touching a pitchfork.  When I am away, I have the hay racks filled much more than I would when I am home, so there is a huge build-up of hay (er, bedding  ) to keep them warm and dry.


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## Roll farms (Oct 23, 2009)

It's simple...if one of us, (husband, daughter, or myself) can't stay to care for them, nobody goes anywhere.
Not only do I not trust anyone else to do it 'like I do'...I'd hate for something bad to happen while I'm gone and someone else feel guilty about it.
You could plan their lactations so that they're dry when you want to go away...but they still need fed / watered / checked on daily by someone.


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## lilhill (Oct 24, 2009)

Hubby and I haven't had a vacation in 8 years.  Not even an overnight stay somewhere.  One of us has to be here to care for the goats and we have a LGD and mini poodle to care for also.  We'll be going to N. Carolina sometime in the spring to pick up some babies I have reserved there ... a 7 hour trip one way ... and we plan to make it all in one day.  I don't trust anyone else to see to the animals the way I would do it either.


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## norcal (Oct 24, 2009)

When I was a kid I had two neighbors that I milked for.   Small herds, usually two does milking at a time.   Are you sure there isn't someone around you could ask?

I don't have milk goats, trying for meat (sorry folks), but don't know if that's going to happen.  

Anyhow, I have a friend who has watched my animals (dog, chickens, 2 wethers).   And my sis & her boyfriend will be watching them when we go to Disneyland the weekend after Halloween.  

There is a pet sitter here who does livestock, in the yellow pages, but not sure if she/he milks or not, my guess is not. 

I like vacation.   I'm not giving them up completely.


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## freemotion (Oct 24, 2009)

Sometimes it is not a vacation.  You can have an emergency that pulls you away, and for me, it is important to have some instructions prepared and some people ready to step in.  It is really tough when you need someone to milk for you, but my philosophy is to educate as many people as I possibly can.  Some will ultimately want their own goats, and demand will continue to grow.  I hope to have someone to trade with here in the 'burbs.


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## bheila (Oct 24, 2009)

We live on the same property as my parents....BUT, I have never had my parents feed/water.  "IF" we go anywhere it's to the state park about 1/2 hour away so we are still close enough to come back and feed/water.  It's like everyone else says, "no one will ever take care of your animals the way you do."  

I'm the farmsitter for everyone else.  I take care of the cows down the road, a pig farm further down the street and my friends goats when they all go on vacation.  It's great money


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## kimmyh (Oct 24, 2009)

If I have to be away, and I don't have any does kidding, or with babies, I hire a pet sitter. All of the food is set in front of each pen, for each feeding, pictures and names of each animal are on posted on the gate to each pen along with the vet numbers and my cell number. My vet and a back up vet have letters on file allowing them to treat up to $1,000.00 without calling me. If the expense is estimated to exceed $1k, they have my cell number, and the motel number where I will be staying.


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## norcal (Oct 24, 2009)

kimmyh said:
			
		

> If I have to be away, and I don't have any does kidding, or with babies, I hire a pet sitter.


Do they milk for you?   
Just wondering...


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## kimmyh (Oct 25, 2009)

No, I would not trust someone else to milk.


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## lupinfarm (Oct 25, 2009)

Vacation? Whats That? LOL. We never go on vacation anymore, not with 6 dogs, 3 cats (2 barn cats that require feeding once or twice a week), 20 chickens, 3 ducks, 2 horses, and 2 goats. HA HA HA HA vacations, thats funny!

When I was a kid we went on a couple vacations, a few times to California, England (back home), Ottawa and my riding coach took care of the dogs and the horses. She lives in Alberta now though, so if we went away we'd have to fly her in to take care of the animals. She so would though LOL. Daina is the only person on the planet I would trust with my animals.


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## no nonsense (Oct 26, 2009)

> I have worked out super-simplified methods for while I am gone.  I have most of the animals living mostly together....as much as possible without death and destruction, that is....so that simplifies things a bit.  I pare down to the very basics, too.  Anyone who can survive without grain for a few days survives without grain.  They all get the same food as much as possible.  I set up pre-measured meals for each animal or group.  And I plan my trip so that I can leave after morning chores and get home in time for late evening chores.  I always set up an extra day or two of meals just in case....
> 
> Milking is another matter altogether.  I only speak of my milking experience in glowing terms to make it sound attractive to anyone who will listen.  Any who ask about aquiring milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc. are asked to learn to milk, and their reaction determines if they will get any goodies!  A curious reaction will get some products....enough to get them hooked.  Then I reel them in and teach them to milk.  I now have two spares (milkers) and will be working on a few more.  I keep my spares primed with occasional bottles of milk and kefir, these particular people's favorites.
> 
> ...


Excellent advice. Nothing asks for problems and misunderstandings more than a complicated feeding and management schedule. SIX back up milkers?! Most people can only dream of such a thing. Good for you if you can pull it off. Finding a sitter who could milk correctly and on schedule was the most difficult thing I had to coordinate when I owned dairy goats. I found that simplifying things here too, and not requiring them to save any milk, nor clean equipment to my standards was helpful. All the milk was given to the pigs while I was away, and milking utensils cleaned correctly when I returned. I had to be sure to insist that the sitter did not take any milk, unless they were willing and able to learn correct cleaning and disinfection procedures for the equipment, and milk handling practices.

Write it all down! Use simple, uncomplicated instructions as well. Even if you take the sitter through a few practice runs, and you should, they cannot always remember everything. Don't use the animals' names! Describe the animals by color or other characteristics, or by individual pens. Number pens or cages if necessary. Pet sitters do not always know their breeds either.



> My vet and a back up vet have letters on file allowing them to treat up to $1,000.00 without calling me. If the expense is estimated to exceed $1k, they have my cell number, and the motel number where I will be staying.


You'd be amazed at how many people don't think of this. I work in an animal emergency hospital, and one of our running jokes is that friends, relatives and inexperienced pet sitters are some of our best customers. So many people try to be cheap about it, and get whomever they can to watch their animals. Just because someone is nice, or you know them, does not mean that they have the same sense about animal care that you do, especially if they have not been involved in anything more than keeping an occasional pet. The best part is when these wanna be pet sitters decide that their wonderful dog would love to "play" with your wonderful dog, or other animals which have not met each other. They think that all animals act like they do in Disney movies. And then we get to try to repair the damage, if the animals can even be found or rounded up. We've had cases with owners who are out of the country and are unreachable, and life or death decisions need to be made about their animals, often with large expenses, and the pet sitter has no clue what to do, and isn't about to make a decision. We've done the bare minimum for some animals, to have owners return and get upset that everything possible was not done, with money being no object, and for others which have required extensive care to save their lives, we have owners who say they would have put them down if it cost more than $100. None of them thought ahead to make their wishes known in the event of these situations.

Always have a backup petsitter. You'll find what most employers already know. Good help is hard to find. I have a local guy who can't always follow directions carefully, so I have another more responsible experienced pet sitter come every other day or so, just to oversee that things are going well. She's expensive, but it's well worth it for the piece of mind when I'm away, and if one or the other can't make it at all, I at least have backup. I've had different pet sitters take care of different animals, depending on their abilities, and I've had one that I know and trust better, do the animals in the house, while another takes care of outside. 

Don't call a new pet sitter two days before you'll be gone. Start looking now. Ask as many people with animals as you know, who they use. Call your veterinarian or other veterinary hospitals nearby. A lot of technicians like to sideline as pet sitters. This doesn't always mean that they know anything about the type of animals that you have, and techs are like any other professions. Some good, some not. Join a local dairy goat club or other livestock association, and make friends with others who share your same standards. Sometimes you can swap pet sitting duties. Call ads for people doing this "professionally". Ask for references, and check them. Ask references if they are are a friend or relative of the pet sitter, or just a customer. I find the most reliable references are those who've had no prior relationship with the pet sitter. Aunt Edna may not be the most unbiased reference. Have the pet sitter come out to your place and see how he or she acts or behaves around your animals. They don't need to know the detailed history of the Oberhasli, but they do need to have some common sense and experience working with as many species as possible. Ideally they are or have worked in some animal industry. Resist the dopey sweet sitter who has to talk to every animal, pet or cuddle it, or gush over it. This might make you feel better, but you want someone with a head on her shoulders, some who takes this seriously and professionally, and is going to pay attention to what you are saying, not laughing at the cute kids every second. Make baby talk to your animals yourself when you return, if that's your thing. Have them come out and do a trial run, and expect to pay them for it. It's money well spent, even or especially if you find out they don't live up to your standards. Better to find out now than when you're in Florida. Have them do chores in the morning, and you can return and fine tune things for them, or decide they're not going to work out. Even if you stay home, resist the urge to go out to the barn until they're done. You won't be there to supervise while you're gone, and in some respects, you want to see what mistakes they'll make. If you go away, or want to, have your pet sitter come by for a refesher every so often, or at least before you go away each time. Chores change with the seasons, or with the addition or subtraction of animals, or as your experience increases.

Set up your facilities with double gates, and insist that they never have both open at one time. You should be doing this anyway, and it will help you protect your animals better. Train them what to do if someone does escape. Leave phone numbers for friends or relatives who might not know what to do with the animals, but who you can trust if there is a major emergency with your place. Leave the address and phone number to your house, in case they need to call fire or police. The sitter may know how to get there, but not the address off the top of her head.

Do not allow any animals to "free range" while you're gone, especially poultry and dogs. You may not think they'll be as "happy" while you're away, but it will be one less thing for your pet sitter to worry about, and one less thing that can go wrong. Use automatic waterers, or at least those which last for several days. The fewer things your sitter has to worry about, the fewer he or she will miss. Every pen should have at least two water sources, especially if your sitter is only coming once a day. You could have a disaster in hot weather if one waterer spills or malfunctions.

Keep in mind that if you want to go away, you do have to scrifice some of your ideas about what you animals need. Not everyone will do things just as you would, and obviously they're not as intimately familiar with your animals as you. Just remember that millions of other people other than you also keep animals, and although they do it differently than you, their animals survive too. If you become upset that Lulu didn't get her treats every day while you were gone, you might end up never being able to go away.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 26, 2009)

We should have named all our pets and livestock "Anchor."  It gets a little annoying, remembering how much fun it was to be able to go on a weeklong vacation to the beach or something, or even just to spend a weekend somewhere relatively close..  Being tied down is just part of it, though, as far as I'm concerned..  It's something that DEFINITELY needs to be considered before making the decision to keep animals..  

I mean...I could find someone to watch our animals..  Indeed, I've tended to other folks' goats before while they were away, and I'm sure I could call those favors in..  Problem is, tending other peoples' goats means you get to see other peoples' herds and the way they're managed....dozens of thin, rough looking goats...constant scours...sinkholes full of bones and carcasses..

Can't do it.  Can't let someone tend their herd and get their boots and clothes muddy and dirty, jump in their vehicle, then come mingle with mine..  Too much of a biosecurity risk, IMO..

I threw out a pair of boots once just for that reason..  I'd drive over to the other folks' place in one pair of shoes, then change to boots when I got out..  When I was done fooling with their goats, I'd change shoes, stick the boots in a bag, then leave them on my porch for the next day..  When I'd get home, I'd strip and all the clothes went straight in the wash, and when I was done watching their goats, the bag with the boots went in the trash.


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## kimmyh (Oct 26, 2009)

One more thing-if you are going to leave a letter on file, make sure you tell them your wishes. Mine includes aesthetic repairs, and any care the vet deems necessary, which works for me, but may not work for everyone.


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## no nonsense (Oct 26, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> We should have named all our pets and livestock "Anchor."  It gets a little annoying, remembering how much fun it was to be able to go on a weeklong vacation to the beach or something, or even just to spend a weekend somewhere relatively close..  Being tied down is just part of it, though, as far as I'm concerned..  It's something that DEFINITELY needs to be considered before making the decision to keep animals..
> 
> I mean...I could find someone to watch our animals..  Indeed, I've tended to other folks' goats before while they were away, and I'm sure I could call those favors in..  Problem is, tending other peoples' goats means you get to see other peoples' herds and the way they're managed....dozens of thin, rough looking goats...constant scours...sinkholes full of bones and carcasses..
> 
> ...


I don't quite agree. Sure, you can always find those whose standards don't equal yours, to trade services with, but I tend not to associate with those types of people very much. I'm certainly not very comfortable letting them take care of my animals, if I don't like how they care for their own.

Biosecurity is something that we should be aware of, and IMO too few people give it the consideration that they should, BUT, there are plenty of people who exhibit, or who participate in other activities which make it difficult or impossible to practice complete biosecurity, and they often get by just fine. Throwing out a pair of boots just because they've been on another farm? Well, maybe, if they're on their way out anyway, but otherwise, that's what they make disinfectants for.

Milking and kidding are probably the two most difficult things to leave for someone else to do properly. I never traveled when a doe was expecting, but with some planning, even milking can be left to other people, at least occasionally. Keeping goats doesn't have to be a prison sentence. A lot of breeders find a way to get to the ADGA national show and convention every year.


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## Mini-M Ranch (Oct 26, 2009)

Well, we are in the same situation, sort of.  We have to take a business trip in 3 weeks.  It was planned before we even got our goats earlier this year.  None of ours are in milk.  None of them are pregnant (I don't think). We also have a flock of 12 laying hens and a rooster.

We need someone to keep them fed and watered for a week, and collect eggs, which they can have.  The neighbors?  Too much to ask.  My parents?  Too flighty.  The in-laws?  Too ill.  I am advertising around my family and friends to see if I can get somebody.  Not going is not an option.  We've already paid for the airplane tickets, the hotel room, the conference, and our children have looked forward all year to their first airplane ride.  

I thought about advertising on Craig's list, but I don't want anyone I don't REALLY know hanging around over here.


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## kimmyh (Oct 26, 2009)

You might try the feed store, they can often be a good resource, and you might contact the FFA and 4H offices in your area. A lot of kids in those programs have parents who would supervise their work at your farm. I used the phone book, and found pet sitters. I interviewed 3 and used one.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 27, 2009)

no nonsense said:
			
		

> I don't quite agree. Sure, you can always find those whose standards don't equal yours, to trade services with, but I tend not to associate with those types of people very much. I'm certainly not very comfortable letting them take care of my animals, if I don't like how they care for their own.


Well, that's pretty much what I said, aside from the 'associating' part..  Even then, "very much" is a pretty subjective quantity.  

The problem is that the vast majority of people around me seem to be "those types" of people, so you either become an island and run the risk of getting into a problem that necessitates calling on 'goat friends' you don't have, or you associate when necessary and do a lot of extra laundry.



I draw the line sometimes...like when a friend asked me to come help excise a CL knot for another guy.

Um, no.  Sorry, but I want no part of that.



			
				nn said:
			
		

> Biosecurity is something that we should be aware of, and IMO too few people give it the consideration that they should, BUT, there are plenty of people who exhibit, or who participate in other activities which make it difficult or impossible to practice complete biosecurity, and they often get by just fine.


We don't show.



			
				nn said:
			
		

> Throwing out a pair of boots just because they've been on another farm? Well, maybe, if they're on their way out anyway, but otherwise, that's what they make disinfectants for.


They weren't brand new boots, and it wasn't just because they'd been on another farm..  Another farm is one thing, but when you're up-close and personal with the goats and get to see some of the things I saw...like, several _very_ suspicious knots...rail-thin goats with scour-covered babies under them...a little doeling with a really suspicious scab behind her jaw, white eye membranes, walking around in a dehydrated stupor...  I'd already seen the dead-pit, too, which was a sinkhole full of bones and skulls and several more recent carcasses..  Yikes.

Could I have disinfected these boots?  Maybe...but I'd have had to spray them off first, which I did NOT want to do at my place..  I just thought it safer to toss them out, even though it was aggravating to lose a pair of boots I could have squeezed a little more use out of.  

For the record, had I really known what I was getting into before I agreed to stop over and watch their animals, I might have been "busy" those few days.  I just hadn't had a chance to see the operation so closely until I was out there stumbling around unsupervised..

It was an eye-opener, to say the least.


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## Marta (Oct 28, 2009)

I dont trust anyone with Marta or the other goats I look after, Ive missed so many days out and days on the beech cos they needed feeding or moving or or or or


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## norcal (Oct 29, 2009)

kimmyh said:
			
		

> No, I would not trust someone else to milk.


As I posted before, I milked my neighbors (friends of the family's) goats.  I was a teen.   I was trustworthy.   I did a good job w/ sanitation.   I just think that you all should put a little trust in your friends/family and go have yourself a good time every once and a while.

I don't have milking goats, but I can understand your concern.   I'm a bit stressed about my sis watching the animals next weekend.   If all goes well, good, if she fails, I may come back w/ some horror story.   

No flames necessary.   Just a comment.


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## norcal (Oct 29, 2009)

Mini-M Ranch said:
			
		

> Well, we are in the same situation, sort of.  We have to take a business trip in 3 weeks.


I'm sorry that one of us is not closer to you.   I would do it, well depending on how long you were gone, maybe with a little compensation.


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## kimmyh (Oct 29, 2009)

norcal said:
			
		

> kimmyh said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You were trustworthy, but a friend of mine who hired someone to come in and milk for her had a gal not pasturize long enough, and she pooled the milk. That milk was fed to my friends crop of babies, and the whole baby crop was infected with CAE, from the two positive does she had in her herd.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 29, 2009)

I think everyone has to decide their own comfort level for someone else caring for their animals. It also makes a HUGE difference if it is only basic chores or more involved chores like birthing, milking, bottle feeding babies.

Since I birth alpacas for other people from March to November, I don't like to go away during those times. Also, I have 6 dogs. Two of which need extra care. My one dog is afraid of strangers and only certain people can handle her and my other dog is a card or two short of a full deck and needs to be let out on a regular schedule (and I mean stick to the regular schedule). So hiring anyone other than an extremely experienced person is not an option for me anymore.

Years ago (about 10 or so) I did have a very responsible high school girl take care of animals when we went to alpaca shows (which was frequent back then). I was not birthing and the dogs were taken to the vet for kenneling. So she was only doing basic chores. She was very responsible and her mother came over with her to make sure everything got done. It wasn't done exactly as I would have done it but the animals were well taken care of and everyone was fine.

Now if we decide to go away for a day (which we do once or twice a year), I have an absolutely wonderful farm sitter who knows how to birth alpacas, deal with the dogs and can milk and/or birth goats. She has either owned a farm or worked on a farm all her adult life. She has taken care of or owned many different livestock animals. But she is expensive. I pay $100+ per day for her. We get up and do most of the chores and just leave her with the alpaca chores (keeps the cost down). So her biggest job for the day is the dogs. But she is only person that I can come home and the place is exactly as I would have done it and I don't have to redo anything. Plus I can honestly leave and not worry about a thing. She can handle pretty much everything.

If you are talking about basic chores, then there really shouldn't be a problem with finding someone to come over. If you are talking about more extensive chores like milking, then you will want to be more careful. If you can find someone that you can trust and does a good job, then I would hang onto them with everything you got because they are hard to find.


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## norcal (Oct 29, 2009)

kimmyh said:
			
		

> You were trustworthy, but a friend of mine who hired someone to come in and milk for her had a gal not pasturize long enough, and she pooled the milk. That milk was fed to my friends crop of babies, and the whole baby crop was infected with CAE, from the two positive does she had in her herd.


I get it.   I guess I just want to hear that if I get milk goats that I can have a life away from home too.     heehee

I have a disabled child, whom I don't trust too many people to help out with, so I totally understand.  But, I also realize how many other things I used to do in life, that I don't get a chance to now. 

Guess probably milking goats aren't going to be for me.    
It is really good for me to read this stuff, it's a dose of reality.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 29, 2009)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> I think everyone has to decide their own comfort level for someone else caring for their animals.


Yep..

To me, trust is a function of how well I trust myself to be able to deal with someone else screwing up, and must be judged on a case-by-case basis..

When it comes to the animals, I have to ask myself...can I deal with someone's screw-up if it kills one of my animals, and what's the likelihood of that happening if ___________ watches them?

With goats, the "likelihood" part is a double whammy by virtue of the fact that they can go downhill quickly and that so few people know anything about them..  As for the "dealing with it part," I am unfortunately unable to bring animals back from the dead.

Combine those two factors and I invariably arrive at having little to no trust in anyone to take care of my goats.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 29, 2009)

Well, you can always dry off your goats if you want to go away and you can't find anyone to milk them. Or you can go away at a different time of year like very late fall or winter when you would probably dry off your goats anyway. Then you are down to basic care. 

But you are right. Talking to people about it and finding out the realities before getting goats is an extremely good idea. Better to get the goats with a good understanding of how it will change your life or deciding not to get goats because it will change your lifestyle too much.


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## norcal (Oct 31, 2009)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> But you are right. Talking to people about it and finding out the realities before getting goats is an extremely good idea.


Yes, it's all eye-opening.      We wanted goats to eat brush & then to (ahem) process for meat.   However, we chose bottle babies for our firsts, and now I'm attached and so is hubby.  So, I'm not sure raising goats for meat is going to be for us EITHER.


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## kapfarm (Nov 1, 2009)

how long you going on vacation for? all goats vary as far as drying up goes.The doe's health, condition, how long she has been lactating, genetics, her will to milk, all play a part. Some does might dry up quick (in weeks), some may take many months, and some may not want to dry off at all.


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## chicks4kids (Nov 9, 2009)

kevin said:
			
		

> how long you going on vacation for? all goats vary as far as drying up goes.The doe's health, condition, how long she has been lactating, genetics, her will to milk, all play a part. Some does might dry up quick (in weeks), some may take many months, and some may not want to dry off at all.


We generally go for 3 to 4 weeks...however, once we get the goats, we realize those days will be gone.  We realistically plan on no more than 2 weeks.  We have pulled the boats closer...rather than Florida, they're now in Kentucky, so that def. puts a shorter vacation in perspective--no salt water diving anymore.


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