Keeping your goat's udder in top condition is very important! Here are some ideas/recipes for making an udder wash to keep your dairy goats clean, and their udder functioning!
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After doing our own research on Herbs, and contemplating whether or not it is worth it to us to try an Herbal De-wormer, we have decided to take the plunge!
It has always surprised me why people seem to be so casual about allowing their goats to kid in their pens unassisted-- especially after selling our first doe 'Red' (the Nubian-Boer ding bat) to a family we thought was equipped to handle goats. We were shocked when we learned that the following spring she died during labor. And even more disappointed (a more 'polite' word than the emotion I had actually felt) when the family blamed the doe for not being capable of 'kidding easily', rather than taking responsibility for their own neglect!
Kidding, as many experienced goat owners know, is NERVE RACKING, you never know what to expect, and if you have owned goats long enough, there will come a time when a doe may need assistance; hence why good goat owners use kidding pens, mark down breeding dates, and anxiously dread--I mean await the arrival of their kids. On the whole our does have been very good mothers, and have all had smooth labors. But, for what ever reason, this year has been rough on our does... We are often asked this question, and to us the answer is black & white, but for you skeptics out there, we want to share our experience so far...
After hearing about this stuff for about 2 years, and seeing it work in other herds we have finally entered into our very own 'Chaffhaye Trial.' I am happy to report that there is a feed store that actually carries this stuff, so we do not have to drive a ridiculous distance to get it!
As a new goat owner, you are probably starting out like the rest of us—dazed and confused by breeders flashing their ‘bloodlines,’ ‘strong dairy genetics,’ ‘dual-registered,’ ‘correct’ goats around on their websites and on local sales boards… this is my experiance, and where it lead me (skip to the point at the bottom if short on time)
When purchasing a Goat, you can never ask too many questions. However, you can ask too little. The whole point of asking the seller questions is 1) to gain a better understanding of the type of care this goat has been receiving; get a snap-shot of its health, 2) give yourself the opportunity to observe the animal and examine it before you bring it home, and 3) determine if this is the animal you want to bring home and add to your herd.
Love'em or Hate'em Bucks seem to get the short end of the stick no matter where they go. On our farm, however we love our boys as much as the girls.. our most popular boy being the infamous 'Duke-Bronson,' who was kind enough to provide us with the pictures below.. All joking aside, a buck is necessary if you plan on having milk, and want to avoid the hassle of stud servicing your does. But before you run out and buy a buck there are some things about them you should consider before purchasing a buck for your farm...
Selecting a good dairy goat comes after you decide on what breed you want to start out with. If you choose Nigerian Dwarfs, make sure you study the breed standards as outlined by the NDGA or other registry. Also look at pictures of LOTS of goats within your chosen breed. Pure bred goats will have a more consistent ‘look’ about them, and will be easier for you to select a good looking goat. A hybrid will have mixed features, and unless they are being bred toward a specific and obvious purpose you will have a more difficult time finding a goat with all the right traits. Mini dairy goats are the only ‘hybrid’ I would recommend for beginners as they are bred to the same standard and must have the same appearance as the full sized goats. To Start, after deciding what breed of goat you would like to start your herd with, you will want to look at the breed standard as outlined by any of the breed registries (ADGA, TMGR, AGS..for example.) Understanding what features your goat should have will help you identify features that are amiss. If you are a visual learner, research several pictures of your goat breed on the internet. Look at goats from every angle, look at healthy goats, then do a search for ‘sick’ goats and compare the images. You will notice immediately that the images and/or videos you may find of sick goats should stand out strongly in your mind, and the animals are exemplified by having or being: |
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