Sassafras was first
Then Norris
Oh yes they like to play king of the castle
Monday 29 August 2011
The Goats Have A Play-Pen
We read that goats liked to climb on things and that they do. Heres some of the fun they had with two over-turned cupboards and an old tyre.
Sunday 28 August 2011
Goats!
So we are now the proud parents of four goat kids. We bought them off friends of Kathryn's dad, they run a dairy farm called Yondover. The kids cost us $30 each and we got two boys and two girls. Although they are dairy goats the plan is to keep the boys for meat in about 8-9 months and to Breed the girls with a boar buck when we get one. Dairy goats crossed with meat goats apparently give the best meat.
Prior to receiving our kids we needed a kid enclosure. We fenced off an area about 8m x 4m that already had an existing shed. We used some old gates that were laying around and some welded mesh (about 5cm squares).
The shed is about 1.5m x 2m and around 1.2m hight at one end and 1.5m at the other, it has a mesh section on the high side to allow some ventilation. Inside the shed we have a cardboard box for them to sleep in and they do that well. If they aren't playing they are in the box sleeping together.
Kathryn went to pick up the kids with her family and in a cardboard box brought them home in the back seat of the ute. That night kathryn bottle fed them twice (including getting up at 4am to make sure they didn't get hungry). The next day put some holes in the side of the shed to push the teats through so the kids can suckle as they desire. Although the kids seem smart enough when we are there to go over and have a drink we aren't sure if they are doing it if where not. The milk we are using is commercially available goat and sheep milk.
When we were working around the goat pen they bleated at us until we paid them some attention. They followed us around the pen and played with each other. Maggie (the boarder collie cross) didn't really know what to make of the kids but knew they were interesting, she did some barking and some sniffing before promptly going to sleep against the wire mesh of the pen. All in all they are very cute and we are looking forward to what comes next.
Prior to receiving our kids we needed a kid enclosure. We fenced off an area about 8m x 4m that already had an existing shed. We used some old gates that were laying around and some welded mesh (about 5cm squares).
The shed is about 1.5m x 2m and around 1.2m hight at one end and 1.5m at the other, it has a mesh section on the high side to allow some ventilation. Inside the shed we have a cardboard box for them to sleep in and they do that well. If they aren't playing they are in the box sleeping together.
Kathryn went to pick up the kids with her family and in a cardboard box brought them home in the back seat of the ute. That night kathryn bottle fed them twice (including getting up at 4am to make sure they didn't get hungry). The next day put some holes in the side of the shed to push the teats through so the kids can suckle as they desire. Although the kids seem smart enough when we are there to go over and have a drink we aren't sure if they are doing it if where not. The milk we are using is commercially available goat and sheep milk.
When we were working around the goat pen they bleated at us until we paid them some attention. They followed us around the pen and played with each other. Maggie (the boarder collie cross) didn't really know what to make of the kids but knew they were interesting, she did some barking and some sniffing before promptly going to sleep against the wire mesh of the pen. All in all they are very cute and we are looking forward to what comes next.
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