NH homesteader
Herd Master
- Aww poor thing! Glad she ended up OK!
Mine maybe got a leaf and I ran out yelling haha.
Just Need a few Questions Answered
- Thread starter madelynmccabe
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Mine maybe got a leaf and I ran out yelling haha.
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
For taming them it just takes time, yes they hate being held. Alpines and saanen are always friendly, mini mancha and nigerian are always being dodgy....least in my herd lol. They will try to climb on your head if you have anything they might want but freak out like your gonna murder them if you try to pet them when they dont want it.
Definitely no invisible fence cause im pretty sure no matter how much training is done they goats are not gonna give two flips about a collar beeping at them, if a goat sibling bawling for 20 minutes doesnt bother them i dont think a beep would.
You might think about planting some fast growing goat safe bushes/plants if their intended pasture is all grass...they dont like grazing which mine tell me about all the time.
My chickens and goats and ducks dont seem to have any issues living together.
At the very least the Alpine buck is out daily. He wanders the property. We can let the whole herd out and they will stay mostly on our property of course thats 20 acres and we still have to beat them back from the road. We have been trying for a year to teach them that by the front yard and garden are not pleasant places to be and they still come up and walk around on my deck and even try to come in the house...the dogs definitely are not letting that happen. They only like the little kids/lambs lol.
Definitely no invisible fence cause im pretty sure no matter how much training is done they goats are not gonna give two flips about a collar beeping at them, if a goat sibling bawling for 20 minutes doesnt bother them i dont think a beep would.
You might think about planting some fast growing goat safe bushes/plants if their intended pasture is all grass...they dont like grazing which mine tell me about all the time.
My chickens and goats and ducks dont seem to have any issues living together.
At the very least the Alpine buck is out daily. He wanders the property. We can let the whole herd out and they will stay mostly on our property of course thats 20 acres and we still have to beat them back from the road. We have been trying for a year to teach them that by the front yard and garden are not pleasant places to be and they still come up and walk around on my deck and even try to come in the house...the dogs definitely are not letting that happen. They only like the little kids/lambs lol.
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
Well, I can relate to your concern, anxiety, and desire....when we got our 3, Star....an 8yr pygmy doe, was a production pasture goat and was as 'Skiddish' as they get....we kept them in the pen...and I cut some sweet gum branches and would toss em over the fence.....then, I began taking them into the pen and I would stand there until they started eating and would slide my hand to them so that my hand was holding the bunch of leaves she was chewing on.....things continued to progress and she began to warm up to us....we would put 20' leads on them and walk them each day....we have 20 acres....the only problem is when she is in estrus...so, for that reasons we have a lead on her...but it drags the ground in case she takes off....she is the 'Herd Queen' so the 2 wethers will Run with her....there are a few bucks close by and ya never know what 'Scent' is in the air....LOL....but they all have their own ways and personality...it isn't a matter of them 'Doing to Suit' you, but to work out your 'Relationship' with them....they only 'Know' goat and they certainly are going to act like it....not to say they aren't very Smart and trainable, but they are going to Challenge your 'Position' from time to time...because, they are "All About' what they Want....be it Food, Attention, or 'Position in the Herd'.....it took 8mnths of working with her to get her to the point she is at now....and she will stand still 'Staring into Space' for as long as ya are scratching her....hang in there and notice the 'Baby Steps' the 'Reward' will come a little later....Hope this Helps ya!!
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madelynmccabe
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I'm back with another question! This will be the goat's first winter and it is supposed to be in the low 20s next week at night. They have a heater with a thermostat that comes on at 35 digrees and goes off at 45 digrees. They also each have a fleece blancket that they love and is pretty warm. I have coats for them but they are very heavy duty. So, should I put the coats on them or will they be ok with the heater and their blankets. Their house if a 6x6, so not too big if that matters. Any advice will be appreciated!!!
They also have about 2in long hair that is very thick.
They also have about 2in long hair that is very thick.
NH homesteader
Herd Master
Um my goats have no heat and have made it through several winters. It gets down to - 20 here. I would say your goats are lucky! I don't dare tell mine there are goats with heat, lol! As long as it isn't drafty they're good without coats.
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
What part of the country do you live in? If 20 degrees is super cold winter for your area, i guess yes.
To be the meanie perhaps....
Your goats should not have a heater or blankets/coats on unless it is around 0F and they have no shelter. Keeping goats hot/warm all the time and keeping a indoor space warm all the time is a recipe for disaster. The goats need to acclimate to cold weather. I understand these are your babies but you are doing them more harm then good.
What happens if the heater stopped working when it was cold out? Are you going to bring them in your house...ok great bring them inside...if they are inside more then a few hours they will get acclimated to whatever the temp of your house is say 60F, then your going to put them back outside(as you got a new heater) and the goat shed is going to be 35F. So they went from toasty to super toasty to freezing cold. It isnt really reasonable to put a heater, a fleece, and a coat on a 8-10month old goat esp with a low of 20F. The only time i could see this is if you live someplace tropical where it is like 140F in summer or something.
To be the meanie perhaps....
Your goats should not have a heater or blankets/coats on unless it is around 0F and they have no shelter. Keeping goats hot/warm all the time and keeping a indoor space warm all the time is a recipe for disaster. The goats need to acclimate to cold weather. I understand these are your babies but you are doing them more harm then good.
What happens if the heater stopped working when it was cold out? Are you going to bring them in your house...ok great bring them inside...if they are inside more then a few hours they will get acclimated to whatever the temp of your house is say 60F, then your going to put them back outside(as you got a new heater) and the goat shed is going to be 35F. So they went from toasty to super toasty to freezing cold. It isnt really reasonable to put a heater, a fleece, and a coat on a 8-10month old goat esp with a low of 20F. The only time i could see this is if you live someplace tropical where it is like 140F in summer or something.
Goat Whisperer
Herd Master
I agree with @misfitmorgan !
I understand yours are pets- and that's great! BUT you can really do more harm than good when using all this supplemental heat!
I know a lady who pretty much seals up her barn, has lamps on constantly during winter, coats, etc. Her goats have constant respiratory issues. I mean constant! I've told her over and over everytime she gets upset that they are sick and she won't listen.
It is just a disaster waiting to happen. The temperature change from outside to inside their shelter sets them up for pneumonia. Goats have all that hair for a reason! They will grow in enough hair/coat to keep them comfortable. Having straw or hay in the shelter to bed down in is sufficient. You also have a relatively small shelter, that bedded down will be plent tosty for them!
The only time I use a lamp or coat is for newborn kids, or very ill goats. I know they are your babies and you love them- but this can do more harm than good.
I'm not saying this to pick on you, but to warn you. Unfortunately some won't listen and think it's "mean" not to give extra heat and the goats suffer
I understand yours are pets- and that's great! BUT you can really do more harm than good when using all this supplemental heat!
I know a lady who pretty much seals up her barn, has lamps on constantly during winter, coats, etc. Her goats have constant respiratory issues. I mean constant! I've told her over and over everytime she gets upset that they are sick and she won't listen.
It is just a disaster waiting to happen. The temperature change from outside to inside their shelter sets them up for pneumonia. Goats have all that hair for a reason! They will grow in enough hair/coat to keep them comfortable. Having straw or hay in the shelter to bed down in is sufficient. You also have a relatively small shelter, that bedded down will be plent tosty for them!
The only time I use a lamp or coat is for newborn kids, or very ill goats. I know they are your babies and you love them- but this can do more harm than good.
I'm not saying this to pick on you, but to warn you. Unfortunately some won't listen and think it's "mean" not to give extra heat and the goats suffer
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madelynmccabe
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Ok. Thanks guys! And @misfitmorgan in my region of the country it is usually in the 100s all summer and it has been in the 70s until just 2 weeks ago. The temperature all of the sudden made a huge drop in the past few weeks. We are not in the tropics but this is a subatiatial temperature drop for them.
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
Ok. Thanks guys! And @misfitmorgan in my region of the country it is usually in the 100s all summer and it has been in the 70s until just 2 weeks ago. The temperature all of the sudden made a huge drop in the past few weeks. We are not in the tropics but this is a subatiatial temperature drop for them.
Actually it really isnt. Most places in the fall or early winter will experience daytime temps in the 50-70s and nighttime temps in the 10-30s this is normal for fall/winter weather. Your goats are perfectly capable of tolerating this just fine even without coats or heaters. Believe me if i could keep my goats warm all winter and not damage their health i would be doing it too, i think most of us would. I doubt any one of us looks outside with snow on the ground and the wind blowing and thinks...wow it's cold out there, good the goats deserve it. Of course no critter does but going from warm to cold to warm is going to cause respiratory problems. Respiratory problems/infections are usually quite severe by the time the owner notices the goat is sick and gets them vet care.
I know you care about your goats, i can tell and i just want you to understand providing extra heat for them is going to hurt them more then it helps them in the long run.
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Fullhousefarm
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Now, the Floridian on cold winter weather... You northerners can scoff.
Our show goats are usually clipped in the winter, since our show season is Nov-March with our two biggest shows in January and Feb. Now, we don't clip them as close as many do, but they don't have their natural long hair for sure. They have three sided shelters with a half wall across the open side and we will put a tarp up if it's windy, rainy, and getting below 35' or so. Some also have big dogloos and I've seen 3 70# doelings all pile into one together. our three bucks (not clipped) cuddle too. They are dry and bedded with shavings or straw in cold weather. I will put a coat on a clipped goat *if* they are shivering, but that only happened once last year with a thinner clipped goat.
I've used a heat lamp for two nights (off during the day) for a clipped Nigerian that had triplets when the weather was the coldest in years at 28-30' at night and very windy. I kept it 3' from the ground, so it wasn't even close to them, just enough to keep the doe from shivering- because she was after the birth.
Our babies cuddle together at night (we pull babies at night to milk in the AM after 2 weeks) and do just fine with a small dog house or bin to snuggle in and come out and play at down in the cold weather as happy as can be.
As long as they are healthy and have a dry bedded area out of the wind they should be fine. Throw in some extra hay for munching and they will be happy! Ours get frisky and playful with eh temperature drops.
