Pulled the trigger on a boehr billy!!

[eccentricfarmer]

Well the new goat has been picked out and approved of! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Born in May 2008. Have not seen out side of the crate was transported in yet. He is going to the neighbor's for a bit until i can finish his new pen for quarantine and then one for his 'girlfriends' [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]. Full blooded boehr with a little black gene mixed in for good measure so he can throw lots of colors. I guess that is worth more but i am learning yet.

This is totally exciting and something i have been working towards for about 15 years. Been reading up, but will take any and all offers of stories and info. We have lots of ethnic markets here for goat, so i am anticipating a good market, but will cultivate that soon enough. First things first.

Pinch me or tickle me, this is soooo exciting!!!!!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ALBALD1]

Sounds like your pretty knowledgeable already. I know the boers seem to go pretty high in the local ads here. I think a quality buck is the key. I don't know a whole lot about goats. I've got just 3 mixed goats for brush control. However, based on what I've read, good quality meat goats can be a money maker. especially if you have a good local ethnic market. Good luck.

[eccentricfarmer]

Thanks, i will need it. Still cleaning the barn out, and creating their pens. I have a neighbor who has had them for a while and they are being VERY helpful and i have been reading as much as i can.

Still hoping for some others to jump in with forums etc for discussions, whining, venting, whatever!!

[weldingisfun]

Welcome to the Boer goat world! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
We have been raising them for nearly 10 years now. You seem to be doing the right things in getting ready to start your new endeavor, reading and talking to folks. Keep it up. The rest all comes from experience. One of your challenges will be different from ours and that is the weather. We are in Central Texas.
Visit our Website and read "Our Story". Best of luck to you.
http://www.walkinghgoats.com/

[eccentricfarmer]

Thanks for the 'hello' and the info. Do not have them on site yet, too many other things got in the way. Have the barn area almost cleaned out (first time on this farm in over 3 years!) and next will be the power for the lites and waterers (20 below can be here soon enough) and then the fencing. We have lots of coyotes here and a couple donkeys. Sold a donkey to the neighbor and now it is going after the goats there. Even going thru fencing to do it!! They are not happy. But the donkey did not grow up with goats or sheep and it is older and i had heard that is a concern, have to get over there and see if anything can be done. Going to the goat conference up here at the end of sept so trying to stay on track to get them here by the beginnning of next month.

On the flip side, one less bull in the pasture, yummy yummy!!!

[Bird]

When I had goats, I bought a young donkey gelding at the livestock auction and put him in with the goats. He could see and hear other donkeys about a quarter mile off. So he paced up and down the fence like a caged lion for a couple of days, then he attacked one adult goat, picked her up by the neck, slung her back and forth, and broke her neck. Then while I was chasing him, trying to catch him, he picked up a kid by one hind leg while he was running from me. He finally dropped the kid with no damage done. He went to the auction the next day.

A neighbor had 5 donkeys (one jack) in with his cattle. They were all pretty gentle, but he decided they ate too much grass and hay and weren't worth having, so he sold them. Then he lost so many calves, he went and bought another pair. Well, that jack attacked cows, chased them all over the pastures, bloodied a couple of them, etc. so he sold them, too.

Having a donkey in with your goats is a good idea if you get the right donkey.

[weldingisfun]

The donkey really needs to be a jenny and raised with goats to be a good guard animal. Also, you only want one donkey with your herd. If you have two or more they will stay together and ignore your goats. When you have just one donkey, your goats will become her family and she will take care of them. Sometimes a gelding will work but that is a gamble. Never put a jack with goats. Words of experience.

[eccentricfarmer]

That is really good to know, there are a couple jacks here, mule and horse. Even the cows/bulls do not mess with the mule and horse(stallion) when they are eating, so i am guessing they had some discussions of who was going to be top critter. The dog is the only one who plays with the bunch and gets away with it. Owner did not want to geld any of the males due to losing a couple when the vet came over and did it. BLM critters so a bit wild.

Looking forward to the goat conference in Alexandria MN in a week or so.

Also am getting orders for goats already and have not even bred the does yet!! Well actually i am having the billy do the breeding, want good looking kids. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

[Bird]

If your goats are anything like the ones I had, they'll establish a "pecking order" very quickly. Our first goat was a female pet that a neighbor gave us when they sold their place to move out of state. Then I bought a male. Later I bought several at an auction. Now you can put food out for cattle and they'll all eat together, but when I put food out for the goats, that danged billy goat would fight the others off until he had his fill. He would not allow them to eat with him. Then that first nanny would eat and she'd fight all the rest off until she had her fill. The only one she'd allow to eat with her was her own kid. If they weren't penned separately, they stayed with that pecking order.

[eccentricfarmer]

Was wondering about the pecking order since every other critter seems to have one. The little billy is staying at the neighbors right now and the older bigger one was dominating it to set up the order. Neighbor was concerned had gotten me a happy, gay goat!! Too funny. ROFL!!

Planning on 2 pens at this time one for billy and another for the does with a shared feeding trough for grain and hay. A V made out of cattle panel for the hay and heavy wood trough for the grain under that and thinking of using a little plywood to cut the sight lines off a bit on the fencing. The waste hay can fall into the trough for economy.