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Pygmy Goats


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A long story cut short - we wanted pygmy goats, we were given one, bought two (all girls), phoned the farmer about chickens and were told he had another 3 goats which had to go by friday ( or else!).  Now we have 6 goats 5 girls and one boy and would like to rehome one adult girl and the baby boy [:)]

The baby boy will be weaned from mum in about two months time - end of May.  If you are interested and live not to far from the Poitiers area 86, please contact me. We would like to give the goats to a good home where they can munch brambles to their hearts content. Thanks.[:)]

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Hi

Firstly 'I don't believe it' as Victor would say, we want a couple of goats and have literally just moved from your area!  I guess the next question how easy are they to transport and I wonder if there is a way to get them here?  We are about 2.5 hours from Poitiers now but I would love to give them a home.. ..I've got acres  of brambles just waiting for a goat!  Is it Mum and baby you are rehoming or simply another female and baby..

Panda

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Hi Panda, the goats transport relatively easily in the back of a car, the older one has "been there, done that" the baby is better moved in a medium sized dog cage. (We can lend one for the transportation). Which major town are you nearest? Would you like a photo or two? Baby boy only arrived on monday and needs his mum for another 2 months but he is already nibbling leaves. The older female we want to re-home is not his mum. Anything else you would like to know?[:)][:D]
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Hi

That's sounds promising then, we have a scenic so the boot is quite large.  I would love to see some pictures if you have some.  Do you want to rehome both in May or are you thinking you need to move the female sooner than that?  What is their current shelter like, I would need to erect something suitable, not a problem but would like to know what they are used to.  How do you restrict their movements currently is you land totally closed off?  We need to get on an fence various areas but would again be interested in what they are used to.

Panda

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I will take some photos today and hubby will upload tomorrow hopefully. We can keep all of the goats for the moment, they dont like to be alone, so both should go at the same time. You are welcome to come and see them before May.  I would suggest you contact your vet about neutering the boy, ( costs about 60 euros) this can be done when he is 4-5 months old.  I personally wouldn't breed the girl because she has an unusual teat arrangement -3 on one side + 1 on the other, only 2 is normal.

At present they live in a wooden house surrounded by a fence with partial electric fencing too. They need a dry shelter, hay for eating, straw for bedding, fresh water daily and a pellet supplement which you can get from most agricultural feed merchants. There are many sites on the internet which list plants poisonous to goats. Also you need to trim their hoofs every 4-6 weeks, this is done with secateurs and isn't too scary once you have done it the first time.  [:D]

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Hi

Looking forward to photo's and it would be better for me to take them at the same time and May would be perfect.  I have no intentions of breeding so will have the deed done on the boy.  I will go and read up on poisonous plants, we have 20 acres of land so could well be something nasty out there.  I will look at getting a small shed or something like it, we have one largeish shed which might adapt although the chickens live in there too and they might not like house guests!  I am very excited by the prospect, I'm sure I can manage hoof trimming, perhaps you could give me a lesson!  I will likely be in your area before may and so will PM you for contact details so we can arrange things properly.

Thanks

Panda

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Rusheslake

I presume you have a lake seeing what your login is, do the goats go in?  We have a small lake (1 hectare ish) which will border the area for the goats, does that present any issues, I don't really want to have to fence on that side if it's avoidable. 

Thanks

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[quote user="JMW"]Hi Panda, the goats transport relatively easily in the back of a car, the older one has "been there, done that" the baby is better moved in a medium sized dog cage. (We can lend one for the transportation). [/quote]

I have a childs car seat I don't need anymore if you're interested[:)]

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[quote user="rusheslake"]Dont think our paying anglers would appreciate swimming goats...!!! seriously goats like dry land.. but they need to be enclosed they reek havoc with garden plants... washing.... tables chairs... more or less everything!!!!!![/quote]

Bluddy kids.  Always up to no good.

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Just re-read the bit about 'baby in the dog cage' didn't quite come out right did it?  Meant baby goat! Joys of having baby goats, they just discovered how to jump up and down on corrugated sheeting. Also our chickens live with the goats quite amicably.[;-)]
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  • 6 months later...

Hi Julie

I don't have you number anymore but wanted to pass on some sad news of the goats that thanks to you we gave a home to some months back.  We had a visit from 2 huge hunting dogs, as you know we live in woodland so this happens from time to time and we thought nothing of it.  I even walked along the road trying to find the owners but there was no one about so I left the dogs and went up the lane and into my house, the dogs weren't follwing me.  I then saw the dogs outside and close to my house, I made sure my pup and old dog were in and thought they will wander off again in a minute. 

Our son went out to check that they were gone so we could let our dogs out and he comes in and says that are down near the goat field.  With a feeling of increasing dread I ran over to find they had killed 'Billy', it was only a matter of minutes since they were by the house and such a shock.  I am in tears as I type and feel responsible for not thinking about what they could do. Sadly, Billy loved to play with our dogs and so probably didn't try to escape.  Nanny is now freaked out but thankfully seems unharmed.  She will be lonely now though, anyone out there need to rehome a goat?

Panda

 

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The dogs were tagged and the owner has just been to collect them,.  He was clearly upset, difficult not to be with a weeping woman staring at you I guess!  My neighbour who is a sheep farmer dealt with him, in no uncertain terms.  The incident will be reported.  Thankfully my neighbours sheep were in a higher field and so they didn;t see them otherwise it may have been much worse.

 

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Hi

Thanks all for the good wishes, Nanny now has a new companion, Charlie.  A lovely older male who was being kept in fairly tight conditions with many other goats and so alongside keeping Nanny company he now has a few acres to roam in and is very happy.  Nanny was wagging her tail and generally acting all 'girlie' within minutes, is now also eating well again. 

I am now very wary of the hunters and they get a hard stare from me if they come within 500 meteres of my house, I am making myself very visible and walking my  boundary to ensure they know where they are not wanted.  Again though this week I saw a distressed deer tyring to get into our land and so I am worried this will not be the last time.  At least now the new goat has very long horns and is much more aggressive toward my own dogs and so may stand a chance if faced with the same issue in the future.

Panda

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