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I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Outthinking Goats

Having goats...is a challenge at times. You don't have to necessarily be smarter than what you are dealing with...but rather, more STUBBORN.

You may remember the video a little bit back where I mentioned the little access gate I made attached to the main chicken pen gate that I made to keep out the goats and emus.

The reason I don't want them in there is because I feed the chickens their food in the pen. The goats and emus get their food seperate. The emus are not really a problem. The goats however must be kin to the pigs, because even though they have a pasture full of bermuda grass out back to munch on, they prefer to seek out the chicken feed.

So...here we have the pretty little access gate after the goats decided they had to be in the chicken pen.

 

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Nice eh?

I try to use things that I already have laying around here. I keep pieces of fence and things of that nature. I had this piece of fence left over from where I had made the pigs pen when we first got them. Perfect. Tall enough and everything. I cut a small entryway at the bottom. It didnt take long, and somehow Troy had figured out how to get through it. How he managed it, I don't know. I didnt see him do it, but he did. The fencing was to bendable so he was able to push through and bend it inward.

I stood there, thinking. Necessity is the mother of invention they say.

I have this little carrying cage I got with two other nicer cages a while back from a friend of mines sister. It was just a small old rusty cage that I never used for anything, but I kept it anyway.

Thinking about it...and came up with this. It already had a door in the front of it, so I cut out a door on the backside of it. I then attached the cage to the fencing the goat had pushed through, matching up that little cut doorway with the doorway on the little cage.

It isnt pretty, but boy is it functional! I have a solid doorway for the chickens that the goats won't get through. The chickens caught on right away to their new doorway. They just have to take turns going in and out, one at a time through the doorway. Here is what it looks like. Not fashionable, but very functional.

 

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With everything else, feed prices are going up as well. I have to really control the feed distribution around here to try and keep the feed bill under control.

I love my goaties, but they have got to eat more grass and less feed.

I am also thinking about getting my two boys fixed. I don't think the traditional way of doing it is going to work for me. I was talking to Joe, remember he is the goat man that I bought the emus from...and he told me what I already knew about how to fix male goats.

Basicly you have a clamping tool, and you clamp a metal ring around the top of the testicles where it meets the body and it loses blood circulation and eventually they fall off.

YES, it is VERY painful. He said the first day they are rolling around on the ground putting up a real fuss. After that he says they get over it.

I can't do that.

Goats stink for a reason. If I got them fixed, they wouldnt stink. The boys pee on their beards...Joe says its to get themselves ready for rut. Thats the stink, the pee on the beards.

These boys have no girls, but they still are wanting to go into rut. They stink, and they are getting on the emus nerves. They don't hurt the emus but they stick their faces in the emus tail feathers and snort and snuff and now Troy is putting his feet up on them. Eddie is not so bad. I haven't seem him do any of that, but he still smells. The smell doesnt bother me as much as their behavior towards the emus. I realize eventually the emus will be so big the little pygmy goats won't be able to bother them, but right now its annoying.

I do think the boys would be better pets if they are fixed.

We don't have the money right now, so either way it will have to wait. I am going to have them neutered by a vet though. I know it will cost, but I think its the better way. I do love my goat boys and I don't want to cause them any undue pain.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some good thinking on your part how to fix the cage opening. Where there is a will, there is a way. Smart chicks. I don't blame you a bit for having the goats fixed, they might soon injure the emus. Great shots of the chicks going through the cage openings. Hugs, Helen

Anonymous said...

You amaze me with your ability to fix things for your animals.  I still think the curtains for the chickens was the coolest.  I don't blame you about taking the goaties to the vet.

Hollie

Anonymous said...

I understand from people who have goats that they will eat anything.  Any kind of animal food, clothes haning out to dry, the dashboard of a vehicle if they can get in it...you name it ~ they'll eat it. Probably there's a Vet that will come out & "do the deed."  Or you can let them go and see if you end up with an "emoat." LOL !  I know that can't happen but I wonder what it would look like?   Linda in Washington state

Anonymous said...

wonderful idea!!!!  I don't think I could do that to the goats, either.  
Everyone is working so hard to watch their spending.  We have no choice. you seem to have a gift to make do with what you have on hand...

Take care and have a great evening!

Anonymous said...

In the country functional is more important then fashionable. You sure do a good job in doing these things. Paula

Anonymous said...

OMG,  for my age,  There is just too much sex going on at your house.                            Marlene
     Http://journals.aol.com/domsmom27/one-day-at-a-time

Anonymous said...

I like your ingenuity.  And it worked!  I'd always heard that goats would eat anything.  I didn't know about the peeing in the beard.  Gross and whew!  That's bad.  You could borrow some female goats maybe?  Goat ranch instead of Mustang Ranch. LOL  I don't know if I could watch or listen to them in pain like that either.  Maybe you can get a vet to do it quick.  Still not wanting that visual about them trying to hump and emu.  Is that what you meant about putting his feet up on her?  Or are they just being bullies?


Nelishia
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Anonymous said...

OH that would be painful!  Poor things.  Glad your taking yours in.  

Anonymous said...

What a novel idea! I'm glad you decided to let a vet fix your boys. The other way works, but I have heard stories of infection setting in. It's always a serene visit here hon, reading about the various animals. (Hugs)Indigo

Anonymous said...

I am happy to hear you are not doing the banding thing, that is just horrible.  Our vet did ours here on the farm and it was pretty quick.  Of course they were really little when they were done.  I like the cage idea, you are such a clever girl!  Looks like the chickens are used to it already too.  Goats can really be a pain in the butt when they want something.  Ours always ate the geese & chicken food too, they can't get to it anymore either.
xx
Lisa

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