Common Misconceptions and Frequently Asked Questions

[Blackbird]

Thanks for clearing that up, I understand what your talking about then. If there is incorrect info it should be corrected.. Corrected by fact, not opinion.

 

[cmjust0]

 

[trestlecreek]

Not to stir,.....
The problem though is that there are very few facts in this and especially in medicine,...that's the nature of the beast!
That's where a lot of info posted is just an opinion or point of view... heck, scientists can go round and round over issues.....
Just have to find a happy medium I suppose!!

 

[kimmyh]

I understand where you're coming from, and I have found over the years that in those instances it is better to provide links to university studies that clarify the subject, and let the reader figure things out. Everyone wants to save face, sometimes they are wrong, sometimes they are right. I do NOT however provide links to individual web pages, because those are opinions-sometimes people forget that little fact.

 

[trestlecreek]

 

[cmjust0]

Everyone wants to save face...

You nailed it...IMHO, that's about 95% of the problem, right there.

As for me....if I'm patently wrong, I'm wrong, and I want someone to set me straight in front of the whole wide world, simply because I'd rather be made to look silly than to run the risk of being even partly to blame for someone doing something to kill or compromise an animal.

I think we'd all do well to allow our need to save face or look cool or smart or whatever to be overridden by our collective interest in the welfare of goats, where this particular forum is concerned.

 

[kimmyh]

I guess that is were we are different, I truly want someone to step up and let me know if I am wrong, but not from their personal point of view, with facts, from a documented source that I can take back to my vet and say, "Hey, what do you think about this?" I can't begin to number the wrong information that I have received on the Internet, but it is MY responsibility to take that information graciously, and have it checked out before I implement a change in my feeding program, or treatment protocols.

 

[cmjust0]

Perhaps I should mention that I don't even consider it a correction, per se, unless it's a correction by facts that I can look up and double check for myself. If someone "corrects" me by posting -- as fact -- something that turns out to be with their opinion, I'm usually not shy about pointing that out.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

No one is right or wrong....

Sometimes people ARE wrong.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, either...that's just a fact. It's actually not all that uncommon for misinformation to be posted as though it's gospel on this forum. I've seen it time and again...heck, I've even been guilty of it!

The difference between myself and some, though, is that when I'm corrected, I thank the person who corrected me whereas some folks here seem to be prone to report the person who corrected them.

Given that the topic of discussion here typically surrounds the health and welfare of animals, I believe a lot of us -- no, I *know* from PMs that a lot of us feel morally compelled to correct that bad information, or at least point out that it's opinion and not fact (as opinion is so often presented), and we do so on behalf of goats the world over.

Again...I'm not looking to stir up arguments, nor am I questioning anybody's moderating style. I'm just pointing out that, yes, sometimes people are just patently wrong, and if we're not allowed to correct them, goats will die.

While I understand that bickering and backbiting can kill forums in a hurry, so will bad advice and information...and dead goats. If this forum becomes known as a place where bad information is not only allowed, but encouraged, to stand unquestioned, nobody will trust it and it will fail just as any other forum would fail under the same circumstances.

I'm not sayin...I'm just sayin.

There are very few facts in which a person can be wrong about in the total care of livestock such as the topic here. Each person has their own way of doing things, and the TOTAL management of a critter has to work together. That point is drilled home on this very thread regarding grain and forage with concerns over urinary calculi. What works for one will not always work for another of the same species, or even on the same farm if the critter is the bully type that robs feed from another, or picky type that eats only what it wants, not the total diet offered. Also the other aspects of management play a role in what is required in the diet, such as total calories, if I have goats out in a Canadian Winter you bet I'm feeding them different than one of you in Florida. That doesn't make my way wrong any more than it make your way wrong.

And that's what we keep having to clean out of here. Someone posting as if FACT that someone else's way of doing total management is WRONG when in fact it's working fine for them. Debating minor points on a total management program changes everything in that program, everything is interlinked. That makes it easy to come up with some study to 'prove' your way of doing things as 'right'. Anyone around for any time in livestock management also knows that the next study out will disprove many before it and styles will change back and forth.

I stand by what I said, neither your way or hers is totally right or wrong. It's whats is working in your or her situation, or not working as the case my be.

What will not be tolerated here is the constant picking apart of each other and every little thing said.

If you have any further comments or suggestions to moderation take it to PM rather than the open forum as per the rules.