Nigerians in Nigeria

Someone recently asked me to put photos of my goats as I am actually here in Nigeria, so I thought I'd add some others in case anyone is interested in what they look like - back to their roots, as it were!

Farming practices here are very different here:

We are living on a large college campus and a number of the staff/local neighbours have goats - but as is typical here, most people don't have much land for them. So, in rainy season, goats are tethered wherever there is grass, and in dry season (now) they are just let wander to forage for themselves. This causes a lot of aggravation as people object to goats eating their flowers/dry season veg gardens.

Nowhere is fenced, so goats from anywhere can wander in and out. This means that any buck can impregnate your does whether you want it or not, when you are not looking -but since its pretty much the same goats that are wandering in the same area, there is a lot of inbreeding.

Our 2 acres are not fenced, some goat owners tether their goats on our land, which means that it is not possible to have a clear roatation for good worm prevention - the goats in this email are not mine but were tethered in our garden, and the untethered buck is one that just wanders in and out and I suspect will be the father of our next generation!

No-one milks their goats and they think I'm mad to be trying! Cows are milked but not goats or sheep. So I have no-one I can ask here about milking, hence I am appreciating this blog a lot!

I have decided to tether my goats even in the dry season, so they are not wandering off, annoying my neighbours. It is not ideal as they are not getting exercise - I dream of moveable fencing - sometime it may happen!!

Katharine,

Is there any chance you could take take some photos of one of those buck aprons - without the buck - so that my wife and I could get an idea of how to make one. The photos of them on the buck are great, but I am just not imaginative enough to work out how they are constructed. Is there even a standard pattern that everyone more or less knows about and follows, or does each person try and rig some sort of bib, as best as he or she can? How many straps are there and where are they placed on the bib, and how is the bib attached to the straps, are just some of our questions. Of what material is the bib made? (One photo looks like it is oil cloth, but I wondered if people use whatever material is available, and whether the buck or other goats tend to chew on the bib or the straps.)

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Many Regards,

Michael

Replies

Katharine Norton February 28, 2015 at 5:34am

Hi Michael, I hope you got to see the links ok, I can't post photos as they don't use them here that I have seen (Nigeria).
Glenna Rose February 24, 2015 at 3:04am

There is a picture of one towards the end of the page at:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/goats/436357-goat...

http://alfavet.bg/products/1297431743_1.jpg

An olor is a piece of cowhide or plastic tied onto a male goat like a skirt. It is used by Kenyan goatherders to prevent bucks from impregnating the female goats during times of drought.^[1]
Michael Garwood February 23, 2015 at 11:14pm

Katharine,

Is there any chance you could take take some photos of one of those buck aprons - without the buck - so that my wife and I could get an idea of how to make one. The photos of them on the buck are great, but I am just not imaginative enough to work out how they are constructed. Is there even a standard pattern that everyone more or less knows about and follows, or does each person try and rig some sort of bib, as best as he or she can? How many straps are there and where are they placed on the bib, and how is the bib attached to the straps, are just some of our questions. Of what material is the bib made? (One photo looks like it is oil cloth, but I wondered if people use whatever material is available, and whether the buck or other goats tend to chew on the bib or the straps.)

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Many Regards,

Michael
Katharine Norton February 13, 2015 at 3:13am

The discussion about goat condoms reminded me of something else - aren't their aprons that people tie on does as well to stop the kids drinking?
Glenna Rose February 8, 2015 at 9:03pm

Here is one (goat aprons, goat condoms). I remember seeing this before when we discussing it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7648860.stm
Patty Meyer February 7, 2015 at 2:10am

I can't remember off hand, but I did also just read today that they use them in Germany as well. If I run into the info about exactly where in Africa, I'll let you know. I agree with Julianne that they look like thier legs are longer than the Nigerians I see here. Mine have much shorter legs. Actually, I wish they were longer. Looks quite a bit easier to get a container under for milking. :)

Katharine Norton said:

Patty, what country are they using the olor in? So interesting that the male temperament is so different when he runs with the females!
Katharine Norton February 6, 2015 at 1:29pm

Patty, what country are they using the olor in? So interesting that the male temperament is so different when he runs with the females!
Katharine Norton February 6, 2015 at 1:28pm

Yes, Debbie, they are used for meat. We had some at Christmas, our neighbour brought it to us, it was SO good!
Deborah Niemann-Boehle February 6, 2015 at 12:48pm

This is very interesting! Thanks for sharing! If they don't milk them, do they just use them for meat or what?
Julieanne Cook February 6, 2015 at 12:04pm

Maybe it's just me, but your goats seem to be "leggier" than the ones I've seen in the US. I too thank your for sharing your experiences with us, it's so interesting.

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