Hi there!

[chanceosunshine]

I'm popping on over from backyardchickens.com, where I have learned so much about caring for our poultry. I'm studying up now to learn about out next venture...goats. I have so much to learn and the more I do learn the more questions I have, which is why I'm here.
Our goal is to become self sufficient and we see goats as the next step towards that goal. I'm excited to dive in here and gather some knowledge and get me some goats!!!
So, "Hello!" to all of you and thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience with people like me!

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Hello and welcome to BYH from Florida

 

[chanceosunshine]

Thank you from NW Ohio!!

Hello and welcome to BYH from Florida

 

[Mike CHS]

Welcome. There are a lot of goat people on here and I haven't come across one yet that didn't love helping. We have sheep ourselves.

 

[chanceosunshine]

Welcome. There are a lot of goat people on here and I haven't come across one yet that didn't love helping. We have sheep ourselves.

Thank you. Sounds like I've found the right place for advice!

Sheep may be in our future. Do you raise them for fiber, meat or both?

 

[Baymule]

Welcome to the forum. We also have sheep, Katahdin hair Sheep for meat. One of the most important things you can do to educate yourself is to read. Read the goat forums and study. Ask any questions you have. Like you, I started on BYC. I studied coops and predators before getting chickens. As a result, I built a strong coop, even laying wire in a 2’ strip around the coop and run to prevent digging in. I never lost a chicken. Then I joined BYH, TEG and SS. I studied sheep and goats, settling on sheep. Then I studied the different breeds and was able to make a better decision.

Do yo want milk goats or meat goats? If you want milk goats, how many members in the family and how much milk will you need? Are you going to make butter and cheese? Extra can be frozen for when the does are not in milk.

Study fencing and shelters. Study browse, forage and what to feed them and how much. You will need a good dry place to store hay. There is LOTS of information in the forums and you can ask questions all you want! Welcome!

 

[chanceosunshine]

Welcome to the forum. We also have sheep, Katahdin hair Sheep for meat. One of the most important things you can do to educate yourself is to read. Read the goat forums and study. Ask any questions you have. Like you, I started on BYC. I studied coops and predators before getting chickens. As a result, I built a strong coop, even laying wire in a 2’ strip around the coop and run to prevent digging in. I never lost a chicken. Then I joined BYH, TEG and SS. I studied sheep and goats, settling on sheep. Then I studied the different breeds and was able to make a better decision.

Do yo want milk goats or meat goats? If you want milk goats, how many members in the family and how much milk will you need? Are you going to make butter and cheese? Extra can be frozen for when the does are not in milk.

Study fencing and shelters. Study browse, forage and what to feed them and how much. You will need a good dry place to store hay. There is LOTS of information in the forums and you can ask questions all you want! Welcome!

Hello, and thank you! We plan to do both milk and meat, but want to start with dairy. I tend to study a subject to death, but there's always so much more to learn. These forums have been valuable tools for me, especially BYC! I too have a skirt around the coop. It's like Fort Knox! I have an alarm set on my phone so I never forget to close them up at night. Human error is the only thing my chickens have to fear at this point, well, that and flying predators.

We'll be starting small with the goat milk, but we definitely plan to make cheese and yogurts and such. One site I read recommended breeding the does a few months apart so that you always had a doe in milk. I believe she was recommending three does for the equation to work out.

Thanks for the advice, I will keep reading and I'll be checking out the Katahdin, at least for my curiosity's sake!

 

[Mike CHS]

Thank you. Sounds like I've found the right place for advice!

Sheep may be in our future. Do you raise them for fiber, meat or both?

We also raise Katahdins.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

A big welcome as you join us over at BYH too! Don't forget to check our Sufficient Self and The Easy Garden as well. We can't wait to hear all about your journey with goats! The people here sure are smart and helpful - when we had a goat with some severe issues, they called it and I was able to treat her and get her to feeling well again. They also have been a big help with rabbits when we had them too!

 

[chanceosunshine]

A big welcome as you join us over at BYH too! Don't forget to check our Sufficient Self and The Easy Garden as well. We can't wait to hear all about your journey with goats! The people here sure are smart and helpful - when we had a goat with some severe issues, they called it and I was able to treat her and get her to feeling well again. They also have been a big help with rabbits when we had them too!

Thank you, HonesteaderWife! I will check out the other sites for sure. It’s really great that such great forums are available OFF of Facebook for people who don’t belong there. I only need more hours in the day to be able to visit all of these sites!!