You can ask a dozen different goat owners what the best way is to care for their herd & you will get twelve different answers. I highly recommend you do a LOT of reading before you bring your first goats home. Even different authors will have different opinions about what is “right”. All I am presenting here is a brief summary of the way I do things based on my goats, my location, my water (yes, it can make a difference) and my experiences.
First, goats are herd animals. They need the company of other goats, so you'll need room and shelter for at least two. If you get goats for milk, you will most likely breed them every year (but oyu dont have to breed them every year, more on that later). If , like me, you can't resist keeping some of the kids, your herd will quickly grow larger than you initially planned. It might be wise to consider this when planning your pens & shelters.
When you are ready to bring them home, Mini Nubians are not only easy to handle, they are also easy to transport. Even my adult Minis can fit in a large dog crate in the back of my Subaru wagon. No trucks or trailers involved. Try doing that with a full size Nubian :)
Shelter and Fences
The first thing you need to have lined up & ready before you bring your first goats home is a safe place for them to call home. Goats do not need elaborate housing but they do need good fences. Please keep in mind that the fence is not just to keep your goats in, but to keep predators out, not just wild ones but domestic predators too. Dog attacks can be both tragic and expensive. You never know when they might happen. Be prepared. Good fences do not have to be fancy fences. My fences are quite a hodge podge of recycled materials. They might not be pretty but they work. One piece of advice for anyone using t-posts & field fencing, make sure the the wire is on the INSIDE of the t-post. I know conventional installation is with the t-posts to the inside & the wire on the outside. But goats are going to stand on the fence whenever something on the other side looks tasty or interesting, or rub & push against it just cuz its fun. Having the wire on the inside gives a larger surface area of resistance & the fences will last longer.
Mini Nubians do not need fancy shelters, either. Although doll house barns can be cute & fun :). All they need is a shelter that is well ventilated but not drafty, to protect them from the elements: sun, wind, rain, and snow. I have a nice little goat barn that I designed myself & a friend built for me from cedar timbers from my parents property, recycled tin roofing, and recycled redwood fence.
When I have to keep the bucks separated during the breeding season (do not want to play "who's your daddy here :) the bucks use an X-large Dogloo for their shelter. I give them straw to bed down in & even in the worst of storms, they snuggle right down. Always dry & warm & happy when the sun comes back out. I think just about any larg dog house would work just fine.
For any three sided shelter, or even a dog house with a large entrance, you need to make sure that the open section faces AWAY from the prevailing wind, or you will end up with cold & wet & unhappy goats. Cold & wet goats can lead to sick goats, so do what you need to do to prevent that form happening. Most goat books will tell you that a miniature goat needs at least 10 square feet under shelter and a minimum of 130 square feet outdoors. I have the luxury of having more than that, so I cannot say from experience if this is wise & healthy for the goats; It does seem like a good guideline.
Goats love to have things to jump & lounge on. I have a “platform” in my goat pen built from plywood. They love to play queen of the castle. They also love to sleep in the sun on it, which can also lead to more Queen of the castle antics....just not enough room for the whole herd :) Utility spools make great goat toys, as do log rounds or cinder blocks & planks. The more play structure they have the less room they need for exercise. Plus they are just so danged cute to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment