We have a farm in northwest CT but currently do not have goats. I've been looking for dairy goats for a few months and while I have loved meeting and looking at pictures of Nigerian Goats I haven't been able to find any so I was considering Nubians. Well, as luck would have it I met a lady who has three Nigerian Dwarf Goats she needs to get rid of due to immediate downsizing. She has a weather, a doe, and a female kid. My question involves housing and protection for these little guys. I was sort of resigned to getting the Nubians and had adequate housing for them with some of our other livestock with very little modification. I'm assuming I don't want these little guys in with my draft horses or cattle...correct? And I don't want to give them free range of another pasture because while I can provide the correct fencing I don't have anything to protect them from coyotes...correct? So, what kind of housing do these little goats need EXACTLY? I have a few large barns, I can create a pen off one of those but I want to do it correctly. How high should the fence be to keep them in and keep coyotes out? How big should the pen be to keep them happy? What else do I need to know or have in place before I bring them home?
Any advice would be very helpful! Thank you!!!
Replies
I am in Winsted. If you would like conversation just between us the website offers friend requests and if you accept it is like semi private email. I sent you one in case you are interested. I don't know how far you are from Roxbury, but there is a farm with Nigerian Dwarfs down there that has some friendly people to ask questions too as well. Just an FYI, I don't know if you have looked for a vet or not but they are very limited in our area. I heard there maybe one in Bantam, the next closest are Brookfield and Granby.
Sarah
Thanks for the advice on the sound. I have been walking one on a leash in and out of the barn (and around the yard) and hope the other two follow. It hasn't been impossible but it definitely hasn't been smooth either!
S. Rhoades said:
I am also in the northwest corner of CT. I am new to goats and am loving it. As far as getting them into the barn. Pick a sound that works for you and use it. If you read around this sight some people clap. I have also heard of clicker training (it is a dog training technique). I feed my kids grain at night to get them in. I shake the bowl and they go running for home. Once they pass the tempting apple trees, they put themselves to bed. It has taken less then four weeks to accomplish this. I started with a leash and shaking the bowl, i can now get them to bed without a leash and just shaking the bowl. I hope this helps.
Sarah
Size is really more important than age when deciding when to breed. A lot of people breed to kid around a year, but I know one herd that regularly has 10 month olds kidding and another that won't breed for kidding before 14 months and yet another who doesn't kid until they're two years old. I totally go on size, but am hesitant to ever have anyone kidding prior to a year. This question is asked a lot, and I just eyeball it, but I need to get out there with a scale and a measuring stick so I can give a better answer. I usually decide to breed them when I look at them and say, "Wow, you're almost as big as your mom!" By that, I mostly mean height, as they get tall pretty fast.
erica mathews said:
I have another important questions as well I am hoping you can answer for me. Of the three goats I'm bringing home the female kid is the doe's first. The kid is three months old and is still nursing from the doe. Can someone tell me what the process is for weening the kid and starting to milk the doe? I'm sorry for my naivety...I assure you I am eager!
I am also wondering at what age you'd start breeding? A year?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
She brings her goats into the barn at night. If you use an igloo style dog house for them in the pen, just be sure to remove the bottom. Otherwise, it will fill up with poop and pee.
Congratulations on your new goats! There are some excellent breeders in New England with top milkers and national champions, so there's no reason you shouldn't be able to find some great quality goats. Check listings for the American Goat Society and the American Dairy Goat Association, and you'll find plenty of members within a few hours of you. We drove all the way from Illinois to Massachusetts five years ago to get bucks, so I envy your location!