This weekend was all about getting to know the goats and for them to get to know us. During different times of the day, I would find someone sitting at the barn, petting the goats or just being with them, so I would break out the camera that I kept in my pocket all day. As you can see in one picture, we even ate dinner with the goats! Don't worry, they didn't get any pizza! Right now the doelings spend most of their time in the barn because it is their safe zone. However, if one of us get up and walk across the yard, the goats are quick to follow. I have caught them playing on the spools we've left out for them, too. I will post pics of that next!
Star and Arabella are opposites in personality. Star is very outgoing, affectionate, and pleasantly aggressive and is adjusting very well, very quickly. Whereas, Arabella is my more gentle doeling. She doesn't necessarily question everything, but is a bit more timid. She just hasn't felt comfortable enough to come out of her shell yet. And understandably so! How crazy would it be to leave your home and be the center of attention of a bunch of strangers!
The first day of feeding was very scary for me because neither would eat at first. So at Scott's suggestion, I got them to come out into the yard and play a bit, to hopefully work up their appetites; wouldn't you know it--it worked! They have been eating since! Weird thing is, their schedule from Left Foot Farm is twice a day at twelve hour intervals. At my house, they are demanding food three times a day! I feed every six hours, starting at 8a.m. til 8p.m. then they don't get anything until the next morning. I am wondering if they are eating more often because they are out and about playing? Oh, and might I clarify: they are bottle-fed. They eat about 10 oz every time I feed. I would like them to actually eat a total of 40 oz of milk a day, but they seem to be doing fine at 30 oz a day. In their formula I put 1/2 teaspoon of Probios powder in the milk. It's like vitamins and an immune booster. It does their body good, lol!
The milk they drink is cow's whole milk. A lot of people have been stunned to learn that goats can be raised on cow's milk. Well, it's true! They thrive on it just as well as goat's milk. Actually, in some cases, feeding a goat another goats' milk has lead to diseases. This seems to be the case more frequently when it's a goat drinking another breed of goat's milk, like a nigerian dwarf goat drinking from a boer goat. At least that's what I read.
The first day of feeding was very scary for me because neither would eat at first. So at Scott's suggestion, I got them to come out into the yard and play a bit, to hopefully work up their appetites; wouldn't you know it--it worked! They have been eating since! Weird thing is, their schedule from Left Foot Farm is twice a day at twelve hour intervals. At my house, they are demanding food three times a day! I feed every six hours, starting at 8a.m. til 8p.m. then they don't get anything until the next morning. I am wondering if they are eating more often because they are out and about playing? Oh, and might I clarify: they are bottle-fed. They eat about 10 oz every time I feed. I would like them to actually eat a total of 40 oz of milk a day, but they seem to be doing fine at 30 oz a day. In their formula I put 1/2 teaspoon of Probios powder in the milk. It's like vitamins and an immune booster. It does their body good, lol!
The milk they drink is cow's whole milk. A lot of people have been stunned to learn that goats can be raised on cow's milk. Well, it's true! They thrive on it just as well as goat's milk. Actually, in some cases, feeding a goat another goats' milk has lead to diseases. This seems to be the case more frequently when it's a goat drinking another breed of goat's milk, like a nigerian dwarf goat drinking from a boer goat. At least that's what I read.Emotionally, I am on eggshells, waiting for something to go bad and I just need to realize and appreciate the moments of good. I worry about cocciodisis with the girls, I worry about if I will do something wrong and make them sick. I worry about whether or not they are getting enough alfalfa. . . I am trying to learn to just chill.
So all in all, it is well thus far on the Little Red House Farm. I have a lot to write down in my homesteading calendar of things that are happening to remember for future reference. It's good stuff!
No comments:
Post a Comment