The following 3 people have been instrumental in the establishment and
well being of my Boer goat business:
Leslie Bader Robinson: www.leaningtreefarm.net
Terry Brown: www.caprioleboers.com
Coni Ross: www.crranch.org
well being of my Boer goat business:
Leslie Bader Robinson: www.leaningtreefarm.net
Terry Brown: www.caprioleboers.com
Coni Ross: www.crranch.org
| WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY 1st YEAR WITH BOER GOATS |
First of all, I want to thank all of the knowledgeable, helpful people on The
Boer Goat and The ProfitableMeatGoat yahoo email groups. Their help has
been incredible - don't think I'd have a live goat left if it wasn't for their help
and guidance.
Boer goats are the most enjoyable livestock I have ever been involved with.
They are such fun and, for the most part, easy to work with. The most
important things I've learned are:
1. Check pregnant does very carefully. They may look fat but unless you put
your hands on them every few days, you will not know what condition they
are really in. A great link that explains how to body score pregnant does
and the importance of doing so is:
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/animal/meatgoat/MGBrdKidd.htm
In the last month of pregnancy, if you see a doe with the slightest limp, my
experience has been that they are starting to get pregnancy toxemia and
treatment needs to begin immediately.
2. Keep all hay and bedding cleaned out of pens during winter. My goats
are in an old dairy barn and the loafing area is raised up above the concrete
alley way where the hay mangers are located. I clean the alley way every
other day. The loafing area I bed with straw in the winter because it gets
pretty cold here. I clean out the straw every 5 days, sprinkle barn lime on
the ground and then add fresh straw. If bedding and hay gets old and
especially, if it gets damp, lice become a real problem, as does heel mites.
3. The most important thing, I guess, is to carefully observe your goats
every day. Anything out of the ordinary, needs to be checked. As much as I
enjoy these goats, they are very sensitive critters and you have to pay
attention to what is going on out in the barn.
Boer Goat and The ProfitableMeatGoat yahoo email groups. Their help has
been incredible - don't think I'd have a live goat left if it wasn't for their help
and guidance.
Boer goats are the most enjoyable livestock I have ever been involved with.
They are such fun and, for the most part, easy to work with. The most
important things I've learned are:
1. Check pregnant does very carefully. They may look fat but unless you put
your hands on them every few days, you will not know what condition they
are really in. A great link that explains how to body score pregnant does
and the importance of doing so is:
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/animal/meatgoat/MGBrdKidd.htm
In the last month of pregnancy, if you see a doe with the slightest limp, my
experience has been that they are starting to get pregnancy toxemia and
treatment needs to begin immediately.
2. Keep all hay and bedding cleaned out of pens during winter. My goats
are in an old dairy barn and the loafing area is raised up above the concrete
alley way where the hay mangers are located. I clean the alley way every
other day. The loafing area I bed with straw in the winter because it gets
pretty cold here. I clean out the straw every 5 days, sprinkle barn lime on
the ground and then add fresh straw. If bedding and hay gets old and
especially, if it gets damp, lice become a real problem, as does heel mites.
3. The most important thing, I guess, is to carefully observe your goats
every day. Anything out of the ordinary, needs to be checked. As much as I
enjoy these goats, they are very sensitive critters and you have to pay
attention to what is going on out in the barn.
| LINKS/COMMENTS |