As an update for the Citizenry, I have grave concern about Anglo Nubian dairy goats, as they have more influence on humans than any Obama regime.
For readers, they know I have trials on various flora and fauna to ascertain the viability of survival uses.
As dairy cows are a might big for most people, and as goat milk is more friendly to the human digestive system, I was led to the Nubians........you know them in commercials on television as the goats with ears which hang down, unlike the European species which has them erect.
My two wards in Em and M, now have taken complete ownership of me, and I no longer need to think as they do the deciding for me.
Emma is a sweet cuddling personality. She has a soft little laughing call. Martha on the other hand scolds and demands things last week as I'm already late for what she warrants is vital to the moment.
I have discovered now at 4 months that goat bladders are not like baby bladders in they do not pee as often or all over the place on the suggestion. I have kept them in the my house in a kennel I constructed, and as long as there is no waste, they have no odors.
I take them out at midnight and at 6, while leaving them outside with the adults, which is their mother and sister, who have not been as friendly this year as last year, in Em gets bunted to which I slap them back in retaliation.
Em cries and runs away which she should not have been that close to begin with.
I have been using excuses to keep the kids around here, as my puppy died in December and I tend to like thing around to keep my mind off things.......so have had turkeys instead of goldfish and baby chickens from my incubator, keeping the void filled.
Our feeding schedule was four times a day at 6, noon, 6 pm and 10 pm, with cutting back to three feedings, two and then one at three months. This year as the doe was producing so much milk and I was in need of extra work, I fed them at night a bottle.
It is necessary for their stomach development to not over feed on milk, as they have to build a digestive tract which gets it's protein from grass and shrubs and not dairy.......and Nubians if you feed them more than a quart of milk a day, will get a milk goiter which is more unnecessary concerns than necessary.
We burnt the horns off at three weeks as I was behind schedule and Hoegers was a bit late in sending their chute, which was not big enough for my girls...........I hate cauterizing horns as the kids scream, jump around even restrained, and they will bleed as I found out this year.....so you just burn that tissue to stop it.
There are details online if you care to do it, but do it early I guess and let a vet do it for more expense if you are not a cold hearted SOB like myself who still cringes at this.
Hoves need a bit of trimming which is easy, as long as you do not over trim as you will make the hoof bleed if you get to rambunctious in this too.
Worming is coming in late fall as I finally have these animals cleaned up. I use ivomec which is for horses, once again it is on other goat sites the details, so study up there.
This is more a million dollar experience stuff here in the blessing is in the details. Nubians are notorious for being vocal in informing you how much you need an education in which end is up.
I have found mine also exhibit thee worst 3 year old trait in when they want something, they will be bad.......and they know how to be bad from finding plastic to tissues when they are young.......one found a packet of rubber bands I had and was stuffing them down her throat when I caught her and pulled them backout.
Their teeth are like razors and twice they drew blood as I was busy pulling things out of their mouths.
In reality, they are very high octane, but can learn to regulate it well. They will though get into recliners and make them bounce as they dance around.
By 4 months though they become more goatlike than human, and settle quite well......as in being almost dog like really.
The doe from last year likes to rub on you, to the extent of about tipping over a chair you have on your lawn as you let them graze......just being friendly.
Last night she was chasing Em around, because Em was getting attention and she wanted it all.
So at 10 I go fetch the children to come in for the night........been using excuses like storms and the excessive heat to justify it, but they a really are good kids in every way........with your just having to pay attention as when potty breaks end at midnight M likes to go visit Mom if I do not keep track of her.
Mom does not really mind, but being awoken out of a sound sleep in having a goat jump on your bed is something I do not make a habit of.
In that M is Mom's girl and Em is my girl, as we each bottle fed them and they have now taken ownership of us.
The worst problem is these damned mosquitos, which are so thick this year, that I have to spend time in my porch killing them as they ride in on the goats no matter how much brushing I do.
That of course is a good thing.
I do marvel at the intelligence of these Nubians in playing psychological games to get what they desire. They know their names, know phrases and know they like to antagonize by moving away just as I am about to catch them.
On in that, they need dog collars to be controlled, and they are quite docile if trained early........again M is like her mother in liking to lead me, while Em is more sedate.
They do not like spray planes nor are fond of vehicles.
Of course, I'm not fond of them either as one night a recreationist came blowing by me on the road as I held the kids and soon slammed on the brakes and backed up screeching at me from 100 yards, "EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!! ARE THOSE GOATS?????"
I replied they were.
To which I heard, "I TOLD YOU THOSE WERE GOATS", and she floored it to which I reckon she is still on inertia going south yet on the gas consumed in that moment.
This woman sounded like one of those comedy characters on Mad TV.......some people should be confined to television and not allowed in the company of civilized goats.
Goats really get a bad rap I have concluded, as they actually know what they want, and most people are too stupid to not outsmart them.
The biggest problem I have is being attached to them as mine are very loving which might surprise owners of Nubians, as they do act aloof but they know where you are at all times, and God forbid you deny them attention at the time of the day you are supposed to be allocating them their time.........as they will raise hell sounding like they are being tortured in being denied your company.
With stockade panels, the cattle size of five feet high by sixteen feet long with a hutch, they really are quite manageable. I do believe they tolerate those panels and could clear them too if they very well pleased.
I have mine in a little pasture lot of about 80 by 120 feet.............I think that if one would provide shade a 32 to 64 foot movable stockade panel enclosure would work too........along with fresh water as goats like fresh water and in heat you better have it for them with shade.
If you are the 15 minute of fame type, then eat your grass and twigs instead of having the goats do it, as animals require attention........but since my earliest memories I have had a Mom who deluged me with pets which in most cases were culls from piglets to kittens. I just like having animals around, as my Principal once said of his beef cattle, "I need the sanity they bring".
Yes worms due to the previous owner selling me infected animals killed two of my goats which still bothers me greatly. I used the natural remedies and ended up with dead goats, so use the chemicals and save them and yourself some grief.
It takes hands on or existential experience to deal with all animals whether it is lions in Kenya or goats in you pen. They all have personalities, bad days, and handling techniques which you will learn the expensive way.
I feed my goats a sort of prairie, weed, road ditch hay, as they like the brush plants, and will waste a great deal of feed, and find they like laying in the feeder to greet you. The best you can do with most animals is negotiate on the major points and then let them have their way on things they decide are their Constitutional rights....like having trimmed my beans and corn too close to the panels in the garden..........as like Chesapeake retrievers, you just have to let an animal get away with some things or they are going to pay you back in thee worst way by eating your couch or knocking you over just to make a point as they did my Mom last year.
Goats will shiver in the first real below zero cold, do better in groups, and always need allot of bedding.......they can not take high heat exposed to the sun.......they require attention, and I provide mine 365 day attention as I detest the people who have dogs and lock them in a kennel most of the time.
I actually like hand milking as it is one of my sane moments in dealing with this wicked world.
What the hell else you going to do? Watch some damn sports on television, blabber on the cell phone, sit in a chair letting someone else live your life?
I prefer to learn things even if I don't care to learn things...........and I learned that by being too kind in not getting a horn burnt off completely in the bud stage had a growth smack me in the nose as she was just being a goat and decided to jump up for a tree branch.....and I bled with a few choice words, but at least it didn't take an eye out.
Three years now with this project, and I'm just getting to the expert status of knowing how to deal with this breed.....as I said, I was put here to fulfill life and not to just watch others sitting around watching others live their existence.
...........Oh and I found that some horse pellets, even like goat pellets in formula, bloated M horridly so I was busy carrying her around and making her walk for two hours to get things moving one night till midnight.........always something new just like people.
agtG
I never had a damn thing but what I had, I had to leave it behind
You're the hardest thing I ever tried to get off my mind
Always something greener on the other side of that hill
I was born a wrangler and rambler and I guess I always will.........
