All Things Goats

[Eliya Sage]

Hey, Anyone have any tips on keeping goats safe? Just read a thread about someone catching this person trying to steal an animal. That reality hit hard. I hate the idea that we have a world where this isn't something that should shock me. We have a very safe town and a kinda hidden neighborhood, but, someone Has tried to break into my Dad's van before when it was parked Right next to the goat pen. The guy probably started trying to open it and that goats started yelling at him, and he ran off for fear the neighbors might come check it out. We're lucky to have neighbors close enough and friendly enough that if they saw someone shady going in our backyard, they'd try to scare them away or do whatever they could. I was wondering, my siblings have pictures of the goats on social media, as well as my parents, if someone took the goats and someone found them, would the pics serve as proof of ownership? Also, How much do cheap black and white outdoor security cameras go for these days? And suggested brands?....... i may be a helicopter parent, but i want my babies safe.

luvmypets said: ↑
Someone had their car parked on the other side of the fence and I saw him standing there looking at the animals his arms reaching over. So I walked over to him and the second he saw me he bolted. And when I say bolted I mean he ran across the road to his car, didnt even look to see if others were coming. Then he drove into our neighbors yard, which was all nice and tidy, with a ridiculously tight turn and he sped off. It was very sketchy, I looked to see if he had thrown anything over but I couldnt find anything. I normally wouldnt care if some one was observing them but the second he saw me he was gone within thirty seconds. He ran as if he was doing something illegal..which Im wondering if he was trying to dump trash or something onto our property. If that wasnt sketchy enough I also remembering that his trunk was open..

 

[Latestarter]

Theft of all sorts of things happen. You might save some money and just post some signs that say "Smile, you're on hidden surveillance camera" or some such. That way anyone casing the place will think twice about doing anything. You could always buy a game cam and set it up and there are actual remote access cameras that you can set up and monitor through your cell phone. I haven't actually done any of them but have read about them. Not sure of price either... you'd need to do your own research to determine what would work for you and be affordable.

If they do get stolen, chances of recovering them is pretty slim... I'd guess if they get stolen it will be with a dinner appointment in their immediate future... A good farm dog might prove as a detractor as well.

 

[Crab]

I getting some great ideas. I really appreciate it!

 

[Crab]

Can anyone tell me when is the best time to make my Billy's into Weathers and also any helpful knowledge in the process. (Ointments,meds,etc.)

 

[Latestarter]

You can make a buck into a wether any time you please. If you do it young, like less than 12 weeks, you could probably do it yourself via castration or banding (or burdizzo), but as an adult, you'd probably be best to take him and have a vet do it. You can watch these things being done by searching for them on youtube.

 

[Rbible]

Igot a couple of bucks from A guy in town who couldn't take care of them any longer.
Unfortunately he let them get pretty wild. Theyre kinda starting to trust me, but not much.

Any who.
They are some of the narliest looking goats I ever ever seen.
Horns all twisted which way and rude as all get out.
They chase my other goats everywhere. But never offer to hurt them.

So my question is can I band them or castrate them like a calf?
And is there anyway to band horns?

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYH @Rbible There have been folks on here who have banded horns... some with success, others not so much. I think you can do a search and the threads should show up. Thanks for sharing the pics. They are pretty rugged looking. Make yourself at home and browse around.

As for castration, they look a little "mature" and and not at a "calf" stage anymore. Will be pretty stressful for them as adults... so a vet might be best...

 

[Eliya Sage]

Igot a couple of bucks from A guy in town who couldn't take care of them any longer.
Unfortunately he let them get pretty wild. Theyre kinda starting to trust me, but not much.

Any who.
They are some of the narliest looking goats I ever ever seen.
Horns all twisted which way and rude as all get out.
They chase my other goats everywhere. But never offer to hurt them.

So my question is can I band them or castrate them like a calf?
And is there anyway to band horns?

Wow! Congratulations on the new goats! You might want to be careful, since they've been used to being treated inproperly, But, Find out what treats they like most, Try anything from Cheerios, fruit loops, apple sliced (seedless), Or just a handfull of sweetfeed. Grover's favorite is Apples, Castiel's is Fruitloops. Maybe handfeeding will increase the trust between ya'll. Maybe if you can, get one alone, (not cornered), So you can work one-on-one. As far as their horns go, if you'd like to fix them, Once you get them more tame, you should try trimming their horns down. I do my pygmy's horns every other month, i let them be a few inches, but i don't let them get too long. Trimming the top of the horn is just like cutting a thick fingernail. Not painful, as long as you don't get too close. There are tons of websites and threads that give suggestions on where to stop, depending on the length, and signs of when to stop, before you cut they vein. Also, being gentle is very important. The horns are apart of their scull, and a fast cut may rattle them intensely and leave the goat wary to approach you. Also, If you do it gently, and with lots of treats, it may even strengthen the bond, since he'd get lots of one-on-one attention from you. But be wary, they may be difficult to hold on to. I recommend getting some type of milking stand (or build your own from scraps) so you can keep them in place while you do it. I use a pair of sharp nail pullers (image below), and cut the tips off. As far as banding goes, i've never done it myself, but from what i've read, Banding can be painful and can go wrong very easily..

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/banding-my-goats-horns.16935/

Here's a thread that may help

-You can pick them up at any hardware store, but you likely already have some sitting around.

 

[Eliya Sage]

Hey guys! Sorry i haven't been on in a while, my summer has been slightly hectic.
I was wondering if ya'll got any suggestions on something i'm considering..
So, as ya'll know, we have two wethers, And, we're going to get a nigerian dwarf doe we can milk. The plan was, wait. find the right one (one in milk, good breeding, fair pricing, good past experience with kids), and buy it, go down to a farm and breed her again once she starts drying up.. Well, I'm considering going a different way. I know pretty much everyone hates bucks because they're almost all mean and aggressive, But, what if, we got the doe, kept her with our wethers, for company, milk her, and when we see signs of her drying up, we bought a buck? He'd be kept with our pet wethers, as well as our future doe... and i've read if he's kept with the doe, the milk can start to smell, and or taste bad. Any experience with this? Logically, it makes sense. I know the reasoning behind all this, and i'm wondering if there is something i should consider? We'd be getting the doe for milking purposes (and or course also being a pet), so it'd be shameful to buy the buck and then that make the milk not be tasty.. I am just thinking, we're not rich, and getting a good buck to breed the doe, every time she needs it, can be very costly. It makes sense t consider this, and i would much appreciate any feedback on this matter.
-Thanks!

 

[Eliya Sage]

I keep reading "If the doe can smell the buck, they milk will taste goatie" and then "I keep bucks and does together, the milk tastes sweet, no problems here!", "It only matters where you milk them, if you milk them away from the bucks, the milk will be fine!", "I have to disagree, if the doe has been anywhere near the buck in the past 2 days, you'll be able to taste it in the milk!"
I'm so stressed out. It would save so much money to buy a buck with the doe. But is it really worth risking having the milk taste bad? Yes, i could always sell the buck if he made the milk taste bad, but i bond very quickly to animals and i don't think i would have the heart to part with him. Also, does anyone Notice a "goatie" taste in their milk, and not mind? Is it just, if you want milk that tastes like cow milk, you keep them far far away from bucks, but if you don't mind the milk tasting more "goatie", it's fine? do people drink "goatie" milk? Also, we're going to pasteurized our milk since it's much simpler than we thought, would pasteurizing the milk make the "goatie" taste go away? Also, if you boil the milk with like... Idk, some kind of spice or mineral or leaf, like mint, or something, would that take the "goatie" taste away?