SimplyNewt ~ Newts Walk With The Goats

simplynewt

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I was going to use my BYH Page for this purpose but the more I thought about it, the more I like responces and you lack that ability with a BYH Page.

So I started this journey with the goats in the late summer of this year. I live in Central Alabama where the ground is hard with limestone and I am on 3.5 acres with a creek that runs down the whole length of my back yard. I am in my last semester of school in getting my Industrial Maintenance Technology Degree and this has been keeping me from doing the yard work needed to maintain 3.5 acres. This summer I have seen more snakes than usual and contribute this to the lack of keeping the brush knocked down along the creek.

After some long consideration and lengthy discussions with the spousal unit, it was decided to purchase some goats and that would eliminate the brish around the creek and thus eliminating the snake population due to the lack of cover offered by the overgrown brush around the creek. So we set off to visit a local auction to purchase 2 pygmy goats as advised by the gentleman I am renting the land from who also has several goats he attends to. Pygmys are small and they will not be cumbersome in managing during the winter months.

Once we got to the auction, something I have never been to before, it took alot of time just to understand what in the world this guy was saying. I could only make out bits and pieces at first and after a while, finally got the hang of the auction. So much so that a Nubian came out and I tapped my wife and said watch this. The goats prior to this was going for $45 to $60 dollars so when the Nubian got up to $30 - I raised my card. The auctioneer pointed at me and acknowledged my bid. He did some more rambling and to my surprize, not another card went up. I kept saying "C'mon someone has to beat me!" To no avail, he yelled "SOLD" and pointed right at me. I looked at my wife and the best she could do is snicker.

This is the start of my walk.
 

simplynewt

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We did not get back to the auction until a month later. They have it every 2nd and last Saturday of the month. When we finally got there, we browsed around looking specifically for Pygmy Goats and seen none. I asked asomeone who worked there if there was any Pygmy goats anywhere and he pointed out a doe with her two young kids right behind a door to the stall they were in. You had to get up on the fence to see them. I did and thought darn, I hope the wife doesnt see them...too late. She was looking over my shoulder.

Ohhhhh, I want both of them she exclaimed and to make a long story short, that what we got. I went there with full knowledge of what to expect from the auctioneer and I had better get those two baby goats or I was told to plan on sleeping out in the pen with the Nubian. I originally wanted only two goats and ended up with three. They all were roughly around 6 months old when I got them and I am blessed to have them (and my wife is happy). Here they are...

TheGirls.jpg



The Nubian we call Buttercup. The white pygmy we call Delilah and the Black Pygmy we call Caylee.

And the walk continues.
 

Queen Mum

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Oh my goodness. That Nubian is one boney looking goat! Either that or the picture is just not very complimentary. But it sounds like you are liking the walk. Welcome to the Backyard!

s7862.gif
meheh heh, meheh heh, meheh heh, meheh heh, meheh heh, meheh heh
 

Roll farms

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Welcome to goats and BYH.

Hate to make you stop and ponder on your walk...but since your goats came from the sale barn, I would have a vet out / take them to the vet and have (at minimum) fecals ran to check for parasites, and shots for CD/T given (unless you're comfortable doing that). They'll need a booster shot of the CD/T 3-4 wks later. It prevents the most common goat killing diseases. If the fecals show a heavy worm load they'll need dewormed and monitored for a while to see if the deworming worked, and if the fecals show heavy coccidia loads, they'll need treated for that, too.

I love goats and I want YOU to have as easy and wonderful a walk as possible.
 

elevan

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I second what Roll Farms has said. They are lovely but you want healthy and lovely so that you can enjoy your walk :) And sale barns aren't always known for the healthiest critters.

You said the one pygmy is black? Is it the lighting in the picture or is it actually chocolate? Just curious.
 

simplynewt

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The Nubian came from the Auction "wormy" so we started her on a wormer right away. I had heard that when you purchase animals from an auction that you should assume that they are "wormy" right away. When we got the pygs, we also got them on a wormer and now they are all doing fine and getting fat. They did a good job of eating up the brush around the creek (their intended purpose) and I am now looking forward to the winter months and what to feed them until spring.

I called Caylee a Black goat but she just might be chocolate. She sure doesnt act as sweet as chocolate. Out of the three, she is the mischief maker. She wants to get into everything and try it out as a resting place. Case in point...

CayleeResting.jpg


I had this chair set up around our new chicken run so we could watch the chickens and went into the house to get some refreshments. Upon returning, look at who is sitting in the Captains Chair! :th So I grabbed a stump and sat down to a cold beverage and an excellent chicken show. :pop
 

elevan

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Oh yeah that's a better pic...she's chocolate :)


Here's some info on quarantine procedures for you: http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2607-basic-health
Quarantine procedure preferred is 60 days isolation (30 days minimum)
*testing during quarantine
--OPP & CAE
dont test if under 6 months of age may get inaccurate results
--Brucella Ovis
bacteria that affects testicles and fertility in rams (not goats)
found mostly in western USA
*Foot rot may be wise to assume you purchased it and foot trim and foot soak
foot rot is a bacteria it is not caused by damp conditions or lack of hoof care
it is solely transmitted animal to animal
most common disease in sheep
there are 20 sub types of foot rot some much worse than others
foot rot does NOT live in the soil for years that is a serious myth at most it is there a
couple of days
--foot soak: 10% Zinc Sulfate
*Quarantine Drench to help avoid introducing drug resistant worms
--isolate animals to barn, dry lot or a sacrifice pasture not used for other sheep
--use more than one dewormer class, one of which should be cydectin and the other
probably leamisole (Prohibit)
--manure sample worm egg counts should be negative prior to turnout with other animals
do sample 2-3 weeks after deworming
--release from quarantine onto YOUR INFECTED pastures
you want the animal to pick up your non selected worms
And on Parasite Management: http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2607-parasite-mgmt
 

simplynewt

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Thanks elevan for the info. Will research it and proceed accordingly. Just wanted to get my foot in the door this evening and share some of my hard work and interest that I have aquired over the summer months.

More of the walk to come. Thanks everyone for the warm welcome thus far.
 

Queen Mum

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She's chocolate? Be careful not to expose her to too much heat or her horns will melt off. She's probably so pushy because she's avoiding that overheating thing.
 
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