Total newbie with probably a silly, no brainer question...

[samssimonsays]

I caution folks on feeding sweet feeds, salt blocks, sulfur, or hard mineral blocks. Simple is usually best--grass hay, water, minerals.

Beyond that, you might think about what they will have access to eat aside from what you provide. Here is a link to a list of potentially dangerous plants that you should avoid feeding your goats.

In general, avoid letting them have rhubarb, azalea/rhododendron, and yews. Take a look around where they will be and note the types of plants growing. Many of the items on the list require the goat to eat a lot of before they would have an issue, so if you see there might be a problem with say TONS of milkweed, you might work to reduce it.

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/goatlist.html

Thank you very much We would be fencing mostly just our weedy back lawn and such. lots of dandelions but that is about it. We do have a lot of raspberry bushes on our property though.

 

[Marge23]

https://fiascofarm.com/goats/poisonousplants.htm

Here is a good list of plants they cant have and good treats for them. This website has lots of good information on most things as well. I shaved my goats last year for showing. And i do their hooves just whenever they look like they need trimmed. About once a month or so. But i haven't been into goats for very long and only have a few so Im not good on all the specifics, but I do read tons and Read lots of opinions!! As for collars I just have dog collars, but take them off when I'm not moving them. I put coats on my goats when it gets really cold. Nothing too crazy. Fleece works best for me. I just cut the back legs wholes and put a button on the chest to keep it on. I also have a couple cheap dog coats for them too that are thicker. Honestly I'm am scared to use a heat lamp, but i fill a couple milk jugs up with hot water for them to lay on. Also they LOVE to drink hot water in the winter. They drink it while I'm pouring it into the buckets! So thats just some of the things that I do. Good luck with your babies. Alpines are cute!!

 

[samssimonsays]

https://fiascofarm.com/goats/poisonousplants.htm

Here is a good list of plants they cant have and good treats for them. This website has lots of good information on most things as well. I shaved my goats last year for showing. And i do their hooves just whenever they look like they need trimmed. About once a month or so. But i haven't been into goats for very long and only have a few so Im not good on all the specifics, but I do read tons and Read lots of opinions!! As for collars I just have dog collars, but take them off when I'm not moving them. I put coats on my goats when it gets really cold. Nothing too crazy. Fleece works best for me. I just cut the back legs wholes and put a button on the chest to keep it on. I also have a couple cheap dog coats for them too that are thicker. Honestly I'm am scared to use a heat lamp, but i fill a couple milk jugs up with hot water for them to lay on. Also they LOVE to drink hot water in the winter. They drink it while I'm pouring it into the buckets! So thats just some of the things that I do. Good luck with your babies. Alpines are cute!!

Thank you!!! I will have all of this in notes I am transferring from here to my evernote app! This is awesome! My dad is going to come over and help put our fence up hopefully middle of the month/end of the month and then we will be able to fix up the area for them in my rabbit barn and build them a daytime shelter and should be set to go for the end of May when they can come home!!! I am oober excited now! LOL

 

[samssimonsays]

Well ... I went with a friend to look at baby goats for HER barn and low and behold... I put a down payment down on two more babies! A full Alpine who will be wethered because I am not ready to have two pens and the smelly boys from what I'm told... and a little girl half Nubian half saanan! this Will make 4... not two. Oops...

So, meet Thelma and Olaf!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

and so it starts....

CONGRATS!!!!

 

[samssimonsays]

and so it starts....

CONGRATS!!!!

Hahaha! Yes. It does... that'll be 4 BABIES as well... what did I just do?

 

[Southern by choice]

Yep... that is the perfect start to a goat hoarder!

Congrats!

 

[Marge23]

Congrats!! Cuties!

 

[samssimonsays]

Thanks ladies! Super excited now I have to start construction ASAP on a fence and shelter... so much for being Oh so prepared before I bought any!

 

[samssimonsays]

Well, the date is set to install fence posts! We are doing the route of tposts, hog wire and then the wooden posts to mount the gate to. We also have where it will be going planned. No solid major shed or building yet... but we have all summer for that. And next summer. Can not WAIT! Hubby still thinks it is two... He actually freaked out because they are ready to go end of May... said no and that if we had several months it would be no big deal... soooo... Day taken off and a friend is coming over with tpost installers and we will do the major stuff while he is at work when he wont have to do any of it all will be well!