Moody
Loving the herd life
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2014
- Messages
- 495
- Reaction score
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- Points
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I just got a 5.5 month old lamancha doeling with no papers and a approx 4 month old registered alpine buck. I planned on breeding them in May for an October first kidding.
I was excited to get them because we just finished our barn but our fencing around the barn is field fencing on 2 sides so we need to complete the other 2 sides. I finished out a 8x8 stall in the barn for safety at night and planned on tying them out in the wooded areas during the day. I thought they were sexually mature at 8 months or so but have since learned it can be as early as 3 months so my plan to house them together at night had to change. We divided the 8x8 into 2 sides but that buck was trying to leap out of a 4 ft high fence! So we added fencing to the top and he is kept in but I guess he was able to leap the pallets we used to divide it into two halves and he was with her for up to 3 hours this morning. Hopefully not pregnant this time, too young. I'm already fighting this guy on the fencing and I have had him for 3 days. Is that because she is likely in heat? He won't be that hard to contain normally right.
When fencing is complete I will have a 16x16 or 32x32 (16' fencing panels) buck pen and leave the does in the pen with barn. I will find 2 more goats, one female and one male to keep these two company. Please tell me that my buck pen will be high enough to keep him in. I think they are 4ft tall. The buck pen could be portable so they could have fresh forage every week or so, would those panels work for a moveable fence?
Our field grass is very tall so we cut some to use as bedding and to eat at night. How often does this need cleaned out? Can I throw grass and all into a huge pile for compost? What about the manure pellets they leave in the fenced area around the barn? Does that ever present a problem? Too much poo on the ground causing worm infestations? I'm thinking it is 75-100 ft on each of the 4 sides so that is the approximate size for 2 maybe 3 goats with separate housing for bucks.
I was excited to get them because we just finished our barn but our fencing around the barn is field fencing on 2 sides so we need to complete the other 2 sides. I finished out a 8x8 stall in the barn for safety at night and planned on tying them out in the wooded areas during the day. I thought they were sexually mature at 8 months or so but have since learned it can be as early as 3 months so my plan to house them together at night had to change. We divided the 8x8 into 2 sides but that buck was trying to leap out of a 4 ft high fence! So we added fencing to the top and he is kept in but I guess he was able to leap the pallets we used to divide it into two halves and he was with her for up to 3 hours this morning. Hopefully not pregnant this time, too young. I'm already fighting this guy on the fencing and I have had him for 3 days. Is that because she is likely in heat? He won't be that hard to contain normally right.
When fencing is complete I will have a 16x16 or 32x32 (16' fencing panels) buck pen and leave the does in the pen with barn. I will find 2 more goats, one female and one male to keep these two company. Please tell me that my buck pen will be high enough to keep him in. I think they are 4ft tall. The buck pen could be portable so they could have fresh forage every week or so, would those panels work for a moveable fence?
Our field grass is very tall so we cut some to use as bedding and to eat at night. How often does this need cleaned out? Can I throw grass and all into a huge pile for compost? What about the manure pellets they leave in the fenced area around the barn? Does that ever present a problem? Too much poo on the ground causing worm infestations? I'm thinking it is 75-100 ft on each of the 4 sides so that is the approximate size for 2 maybe 3 goats with separate housing for bucks.