Hi, new from SW VA

Jesusfreak101

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Welcome for Texas goats are awesome you be shock about how much fun they are. But just a few words of advice make sure where you put them has strong fencing, they can climb and also jump and will rub on everything lol. Also check your plants to make sure they aren't toxic most goats will nibble on some things but won't down right eat to much but better to know. Also a few things to look at getting before hand are wound spray, cooper bolus, viamten paste with probotic paste, seleinum gel. All of which depends on the age of goats they make a adult version and a kid version. I would also get hoof trimmers. Also I would get a collar/break away and leaf rope to train them on it. It's easier to teach them how to lead whem younger. I am currently training an adult female and her two kids we use lead for our situation. There alot to learn and it be fun while you do. We are all still learning and it never stops all questions are great questions there never a stupid question. Also if your going to milk you might want to decide if your going to hand milk or machine milk and decide and acquire your milking equipment before hand. Also when you buy the goats look at them confirmation. Look at the where the back legs meet (right below vulva called escutchion) it need to have plently of room for a udder. Ask to see mother and father check them out. Other thing to look at is the bottom of their hoofs. You want them to be wide not narrow. We had a doe that had narrow and she would get hoof rot regularly. Their coats should be shiny and health eyes bright. Pull their eye lid gently down and it should be bright pink not pale other wise they are anemic from worms and such.
 

ChickenMomma

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Thank you all for the warm welcome. We found a pair of registered nubians yesterday in NC that we put a deposit on and are going to pick them up in the next few days. They are only 8 weeks old, so we will have lots of time to get to know them and care for them before adding milking to the routine. We are working on our supplies now. We have a sturdy 4 foot hardwire cloth fence on a hill side that they can enjoy.
 

Mini Horses

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Welcome from SE VA.

Yep, my goats started kidding in Jan, should finish up late March or early April. 14 kids right now....probably will double that number by April.

Mine are dairy. GREAT milk and healthy for you. Milk, cream, butter, cheese, soap --- got it all. And yes, chickens. 50+? Also cats and OLD retired mini horses.

Seems we are getting a good number of VA members now. We may need to have a meeting one day in central VA!! It would be fun.
 

ChickenMomma

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We will be milking in a year or so we hope. I am very excited to make butter, cheese, soap, etc. and may need some help when that time comes!
 

farmerjan

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Just saw this so welcome from the Shenandoah Valley in Va. I am not a goat person, but have done my share of farm sitting for people with goats. My son and I have beef cattle, I have some dairy animals and use the cows as nurse cows and milk for the house. Also have sheep and chickens. Have raised hogs and turkeys and meat birds. I am a milk tester but job is slowing down with farms selling out and I am "retiring" slowly which is fine Just had an ankle replacement on Feb 6th, so am not very mobile right this minute. Plan to be fully healed and back to "normal" and ready to go when haying season gets here.
 

ChickenMomma

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Hay season sounds wonderful right now farmerjan. I don’t know about you but it’s freezing in our neck of the woods!
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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Hahahahaha....freezing there?? Try up here in NW PA...how about @Bruce ? He’s in Vermont. I’m in the midst of a blizzard..the snow is now up over our knees....it’s 4* with a windchill of -11*. And boy is it windy!! I drove to see my MIL and the visibility was poopy!! But, supposed to stop Monday?? Here’s hoping!! @ChickenMomma , anytime you want to visit, come on up, but bring your boots and skis!! :)
 

Duckfarmerpa1

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Well, at first I tried to shovel for them..but we just get wayyyy too much. We encourage them to come out by bringing extra food and goodies outside...on the nicer days. They are some tough gals I suppose...they do pretty darn good!! They’ve only had a few ‘off’ laying days and that was when it was around -10* ...Can’t blame them!!
 
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