Does anyone else...

[OneFineAcre]

Find it difficult to bite their tongue when someone joins this forum who is "thinking" about buying a farm and getting livestock in 6-8 months still doesn't own any livestock but is now an expert on the care and feeding of livestock ?

 

[mikiz]

Depends, are they claiming to be an expert or just giving an informed, well researched opinion?

 

[OneFineAcre]

Depends, are they claiming to be an expert or just giving an informed, well researched opinion?

Just opinion
I would call it neither well informed or researched
Since they have no actual experience and offer nothing to validate their statements I think it would be best they preference with " I don't actually own goats but I think you should.,.."

 

[mikiz]

How do you know they have no experience?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I've always said that there are 3stages of animal ownership.

1. You know nothing.
2. You think know everything.
3. You finally know enough to know that you don't know enough!

Hard to get to #3 without a lot of years of experience. Just my opinion....

 

[mikiz]

The learning is the fun part, why would anyone even want to think they know everything?

 

[OneFineAcre]

Well it's pretty easy to read through their posts from when they first joined and they said they had no experience
And then when they compare a human child to a goat.,,,
Candy to feed ?
When someone humanizes livestock they prove their opinions to be neither well researched nor informed

 

[OneFineAcre]

I've always said that there are 3stages of animal ownership.

1. You know nothing.
2. You think know everything.
3. You finally know enough to know that you don't know enough!

Hard to get to #3 without a lot of years of experience. Just my opinion....

Ownership being the key word there
Feel bad for people who join and get "advice" from people who don't own any

 

[frustratedearthmother]

True!

 

[mikiz]

Humans are animals too you know
Maybe they're just terrible at communication.

Done beating around the bush, since it's so obvious.
For once I thought I found a place people could learn, give their findings, or give ideas, and not get bashed for it, apparently not.

I can tell you most of what I've given as advice comes from people who HAVE years of experience, or from academic studies, never once (that I can recall) have I said it was my personal experience nor have I claimed to be an expert.
I do have hands-on experience with livestock, I even have a certificate to prove it.
Just because I can't afford to keep the animals I've spent the past 15-20 years learning about doesn't mean I don't know anything at all.

I feel sorry for the people who need to ask the questions that a quick google will bring up 100+ entries on how experienced farmers or animal owners have dealt with it, what worked and what didn't and why.

I will never know everything there is to know about any livestock, nobody ever will, but that doesn't mean I can't help find the answers or give another outlook on things.

Shall I put an "i do not own livestock" disclaimer in my sig to keep the expert keepers happy?