I have a 9mo doeling who loves to be pet but is a bit sassy when she doesn't get her way. If you stop petting her and she wants you to continue or your too slow giving her something she wants she'll give you a light headbutt or rear up/ back up like she's going to headbutt you. I don't want to...
Hi all, this is my first year with goats so I'd love some insight.
My nigerian dwarf doe gave birth back in April and I brought her home at the end of May. I've been doing my best to learn to milk, but it was a long, hard learning curve. Anyway, I was getting nearly 1 1/2 cups each milking...
Hey everyone, so i have a 4 month old doeling who is becoming a lap dog. Within the last few weeks she's been playing on the chair i have in their pasture so that i can sit and pet them. I got into it the other day and she jumped into my lap and laid down. It was super cute but i can't help but...
Hi everyone, I am new to goats and am wondering if i should shave my two NDs a little to help them beat the heat. I realize their hair protects from the sun and flies but i live in Missouri and right now the temps are rising above 100 degrees. They shed their under coat this May but i didn't...
Hi all, I've heard you should introduce feed changes slowly when you get new goats and i want to make sure i am giving enough grain to keep her in milk. Right now I'm giving her dumor sweet feed, alfalfa pellets, a handful of boss, as well as Timothy hay, and sweetlix magnum milk minerals. I've...
Hi all, I'm adding Nigerian Dwarfs this year. I already have two options for does in milk and would love some input to help me make an educated decision. The couple who runs the farm is slowly decreasing their herd each year as they are getting ready to retire. The two options are as follows...
Hi all, I'm adding goats to the farm this year and have it narrowed down to two farms I'm interested in. They are in my state, so no problems there, but I'm getting ready to email them and wanted to know if there's any advice anyone would like to offer. I just want to make sure i sound like an...
Hi everyone, so I have a friend who wants two pygmy goats and wishes me to house them. I have also been planning on adding Nigerian Dwarf goats to my farm and thought it would be a good idea to get them all at the same time so I can have a decent size herd to start and no one will get lonely...
Hi all, I'm finally getting some Nigerian goats next year but a co-worker of mine wants me to house and care for two pygmy goats as well. While I think this is a good idea because there will be more in my starting herd I do know that these two breeds have different dietary needs. My first...
Hi all, does anyone use Basic H as a de-wormer? I ran across some information today that talked about how you can use it for sheep and cows, even dogs, as a de-wormer. They said 1.5t to a gallon of water every few months. Does anyone know if you can use this for other ruminants like goats or...
Hi all, I want to add goats to my homestead but haven't gathered up enough courage yet to take the plunge. I haven't spoken much to any goat vets but how does it work with the vet when a goat is pregnant? Do you pay the vet monthly in case they need to come out and help you or do ultrasounds...
New to rabbits here. I won't be raising them for meat, mainly for my enjoyment and their manure. I would sell extras as pets but if i wanted to get into show is pedigree important or just registered? Or does a rabbit need a pedigree to be registered like a goat does?
Hi all, I'm working on an idea and was hoping to get some advice from others that have experience with rabbits. I have a small fruit tree forest and am putting in a market garden this year. I wanted to add a new farm animal to my homestead and was originally looking at goats. However, I don't...
Hi everyone, I'm new to turkeys and goats but I'm playing around with the idea of having them share pasture. I know housing chickens and turkeys together can come with its own challenges, such as them sharing diseases, especially Histomoniasis/Blackhead. Then I had this idea that perhaps I could...
I am buying my first goats and I do not understand what the `milk` numbers are. Are they pounds of milk per year? Some kind of ranking system? Do i want a high number or a low number? Any help would be appreciated. I also don`t quite understan `age fresh` fully. I realize it is each freshening...
Ok, so I've tried to get into contact with three different farms, one of which claims to be open to tours and teaching new goat owners, and i cannot seem to get anyone to communicate with me. I have only emailed them at this point or Facebooked, but still it's been weeks and am surprised to have...
How do you get your goats to assimilate to their new home? I know they can go through stress during a move which can be dangerous for their health. I know I need to just sit with them when I do finally bring them to my property and slowly build a relationship with them. I was planning on buying...
Hi everyone, I'm looking into getting some Angora rabbits and want to keep them inside. I have two cats and a dog (Teddy Bear Shih Tzu), so basically the cats are bigger than the dog. They're all really good with animals as I have raised several sets of chicks and ducklings around them without...
Hi all, I'm new to rabbits and fiber. My mom and i enjoy crocheting and so I've started to look into farming fiber. I thought starting small, such as a few angora rabbits, might be a good way to get our feet wet. However, as i did research i realized while the investment in rabbits is far less...
Hey all, I want to add dairy goats to my homestead next year, maybe even start a business with them, but all I have is book knowledge. In theory, I know what to look for in a goat, what to ask the breeder, what's considered sketchy, but is there an easy way to find good breeders? If anyone has...