Getting Started

[Smith360]

well I'm in no rush so I will wait,
So do you guys have any recommendations on wormers?

 

[SkyWarrior]

Hello! I have been stalking this forum for weeks and have finally decided to bombard you all with all my millions of newbie questions. I didn't know where to post this but here, so my apologies if I'm not in the right spot! Well, I have decided to get milk goats. I would like maybe a pair of Nigerian Dwarfs. I like them because they are easy to handle and their milk is supposed to be creamier. I also have stomach problems and I'm hoping goats milk will be easier for me to handle. Sooo here are my questions....

1. What feed and supplements do they require? ( We grow our own alfalfa/ grass mix hay)
2. What vaccinations and wormers do they require?
3. Can I house my goats with my small flock of sheep?
4. How often do they escape?
5. Do Nigerians have different housing requirements?
6. (Here's a stupid one) Are their certain feeds that will affect the taste of the milk?
7. Could I breed my girls with a boar buck? Would this cause complications?
8. How much milk will they produce daily on average?
9. Could we use the kids for goat tying, like for rodeo? Or would their little legs be to small?
10. Could we use the goat's milk to feed any bottle lambs we might have?
Thanks sooo much for answering my questions!

1. Hay and a small amount of grain. Minerals such as goat minerals or trace minerals with selenium. Do not use goat minerals if you have sheep with the goats.

2. CD&T, maybe rabies.

3. Yes, but if your sheep get scrapies so will your goats. You will have register both for scrapies tags.

4. Have a good fence with electric to back them up and they won't.

5. Not really. Just shelter (a place to stay dry and out of the wind) and room.

6. Could. But I haven't noticed.

7. Tricky. Smaller goats should have smaller bucks. I've done it with a full-sized LaMancha buck and a pygmy mix without problems. But then, I've had a small Alpine have problems with a big buckling. Basically the kid could be too big to come out.

8. Depends on the does. If I recall, ND produce 1/2 gallon on average at their peak. My pygmy produces about 1 qt to 1/2 gallon depending on the milk cycle.

9. Depends how big they will get. Some NDs are super-tiny.

10. Hmm, may or may not work. I would ask a large animal vet.

Oh trust me, that was just a warm up! the reason I asked is there is a large boar goat breeder just down the road and I'm not exactly picky whether I get purebred kids.

Oh more questions!!!

10. Would it be a good investment to buy a pair of $300 doelings ( they are registered and out of a milking line)?

11. Would it be worth it to keep a buck if I only had two does?

10. How old? That seems fair.

11. Bucks are stinky, smelly and need their own quarters. But you can do it.

Oh, and

 

[Smith360]

Thanks SkyWarrior! I'll post pics of the kids im looking at,