# New farm arrivals



## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

Got a couple new additions to the farm.



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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

They are cute!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Only one picture!? That's just teasing us.


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

Yay! How sweet! What breed? Doelings? I love my nigerian dwarfs! Congratulations!


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

I'm in East Tennessee. Here's a pick of the two I added two months ago:









Jacqueline Frost and Heather Grayjoy

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## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

There pygmy goats, some pix of the rest of the herd.



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## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

And the guardian of the herd, Larry B. Llama. 



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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

OK, I have a stupid goat question. I have never had a goat so be kind. When we move I have been thinking about getting a goat, in addition to my cow that I already have planned. With goats can you put a harness on them and tie them out? We only have cattle fence (barbed wire) which I have read doesn't work for goats, but I want to be able to move their graze on a daily basis. This would be in addition to a stall/shelter. Thoughts, opinions. Oh, the pictures are too cute. The little white one looks like it's wearing a harness, or is that just its markings?


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

They are wearing the harnesses I brought them home in. I did take them off before allowing them in their coral so they wouldn't get hung up anything. I do tether my Billie goat to a tire and move it around when I'm home. I need to install more fencing too! My senior doe, Rosebud Nibbles, will be two June 15. She and her wether Charlie Nibbles get to run free while I'm outside. They stay with me and don't wander far. My Billie, Henry Nibbles was my first goat. Here's their pics:

















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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

Tenntrucker, you have an awesome herd! I love the smaller goats. They are friendly and so much fun! I walk my doe on a leash like a dog! Lol! The neighbors love her! When I took Charlie to the vet to get fixed at 4 weeks old, he was on his harness and leash. Everyone fell in love with him!! The cat and dog owners weren't sure what to think about him! Lol!


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

Grakita, I forgot to answer your question. I tether my Billie with a collar, not a harness. I hook him to the tire or cinder block with a wire dog tie out. Don't leave your goat out unsupervised, though, because a dog or other animal might harass him or he might get tangled up and can't reach the water bowl. They really appreciate getting moved around. Goats are herd animals so it's best to have more than one. If you tether both out, be sure they are far enough apart that their cables can't tangle 


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Standard barbwire fence won't even slow a goat down, electrifying some wires or adding a couple smooth or poly wires may work but is not really the greatest for goats. For a movable pasture the woven poly/wire mesh and a small solar fencer can be a good alternative to tethering imo. If you use step in posts you can move the pasture in minutes.


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

Tenntrucker, did you raise your guardian llama with the herd or purchase as an adult? I will be needing a guardian. I'm torn between a LGD, llama or donkey. Is it more important to purchase a trained animal raised with livestock or a baby you can raise yourself? I'm still in the research phase. I currently own goats, guineas, and have a barn cat. I plan to add over the next several years a livestock guardian, chickens, ducks, dexter cattle, and american guinea hogs.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

If you go electric with goats you really want something like this;








or even the smaller poultry netting. You also want a decent voltage, horses require less voltage than any other livestock.


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## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

Pygmy goats are so much fun, like a pet dog they just love attention. Mine will come up to you to be petted. As far as putting one on a rope, it will most likely eat the rope.

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## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

HomegrownGal said:


> Tenntrucker, did you raise your guardian llama with the herd or purchase as an adult? I will be needing a guardian. I'm torn between a LGD, llama or donkey. Is it more important to purchase a trained animal raised with livestock or a baby you can raise yourself? I'm still in the research phase. I currently own goats, guineas, and have a barn cat. I plan to add over the next several years a livestock guardian, chickens, ducks, dexter cattle, and american guinea hogs.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


He was grow, but still on the young side around 3 years old. But he's been very good with the other animals. He's like a hawk, always on the look out.

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## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

tenntrucker said:


> He was grow, but still on the young side around 3 years old. But he's been very good with the other animals. He's like a hawk, always on the look out.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Survival Forum mobile app


Even got this fellow in the pasture, and all get along very good.

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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

I just 'liked' darn near every comment on this thread - I'm just really appreciative of this firsthand information. We're looking into Nigerian does when the time comes to add to our homestead (right now we just have chickens, dogs, and cats).

grakita, your question isn't stupid, glad you asked it 'cause I'm learning, too.


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

HomegrownGal said:


> They are wearing the harnesses I brought them home in. I did take them off before allowing them in their coral so they wouldn't get hung up anything. I do tether my Billie goat to a tire and move it around when I'm home. I need to install more fencing too! My senior doe, Rosebud Nibbles, will be two June 15. She and her wether Charlie Nibbles get to run free while I'm outside. They stay with me and don't wander far. My Billie, Henry Nibbles was my first goat. Here's their pics:
> 
> View attachment 8229
> 
> ...


All of that glass reminds me that when I had goats, I used to let the boss girl out to run free when I was home ( Her name was nibbles) One day, I went in the house and 2 minutes later she slammed the top window of the front door and shattered it everywhere. I don't know if she was mad because I went in, or if she just saw her reflection. Either way, I had a lot of glass to clean up and a door to fix.


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## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

HomegrownGal said:


> Tenntrucker, did you raise your guardian llama with the herd or purchase as an adult? I will be needing a guardian. I'm torn between a LGD, llama or donkey. Is it more important to purchase a trained animal raised with livestock or a baby you can raise yourself? I'm still in the research phase. I currently own goats, guineas, and have a barn cat. I plan to add over the next several years a livestock guardian, chickens, ducks, dexter cattle, and american guinea hogs.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


We have found donkeys can be mean amd kick the goats. We got Larry quite by accident. I was looking at Craigslist and come up on the listing for Larry, guy was need to get rid of his animals for health reasons and only had larry left and came down to $150. So I looked at my son and asked him, "ever had a llama? Well lets go get one, and have never been sorry. Larry is neat to have around, when the goat are out of the pen, larry is pacing the fence. It funny to watch him, if he can't see the goats he will stand straight up on his back legs looking for them.

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## tenntrucker (Jan 8, 2014)

UncleJoe said:


> We had a llama for awhile too. Got along with everyone except the dogs. Don't have any pics of him on this computer.


Thats the point of having one! Keep dogs and coyotes run off from the goats.

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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

HomegrownGal said:


> Grakita, I forgot to answer your question. I tether my Billie with a collar, not a harness. I hook him to the tire or cinder block with a wire dog tie out. Don't leave your goat out unsupervised, though, because a dog or other animal might harass him or he might get tangled up and can't reach the water bowl. They really appreciate getting moved around. Goats are herd animals so it's best to have more than one. If you tether both out, be sure they are far enough apart that their cables can't tangle
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


Thank You. We have so much brush, I thought that a goat/s might be more fun than a bush hog.


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

A few months ago I added ducklings to my homestead! Twelve cayugas, two Peking, two duclaire, and one brown Swedish!

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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

HomegrownGal said:


> View attachment 10441
> 
> A few months ago I added ducklings to my homestead! Twelve cayugas, two Peking, two duclaire, and one brown Swedish!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


I like the contrast in colors. We added 6 muscovy ducks a couple weeks ago.


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

Sweet! I've not raised muscovies. Before I bought my homestead I had call ducks, Peking and mallard. Never more than 5 at a time. With 17, I'm looking forward to discovering who my drakes are... I'll keep one or two. I have a friend who loves duck meat so a few drakes will be headed to their table.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

I'm subtracting from the ranch.

Lucky the Rooster and the 8 BO hens are going to be butchered tonight.

2 1/2 years old. I'm almost out of feed, winter is here and they haven't laid an egg in 3 weeks (for the city folks Lucky has never laid an egg)

I'll get a new herd of 12 (no roosters) in April. And again for the city folks, yes hens will lay eggs without the benefit of a rooster.


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## AdmiralD7S (Dec 6, 2012)

HomegrownGal said:


> Sweet! I've not raised muscovies. Before I bought my homestead I had call ducks, Peking and mallard. Never more than 5 at a time. With 17, I'm looking forward to discovering who my drakes are... I'll keep one or two. I have a friend who loves duck meat so a few drakes will be headed to their table.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


I've wanted ducks but have always wondered how domesticated/feral they were. Don't need a lap duck, but would need to be able to pick them up as I don't want to use a shotgun at butcher time. What's been your experience?


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

AdmiralD7S said:


> I've wanted ducks but have always wondered how domesticated/feral they were. Don't need a lap duck, but would need to be able to pick them up as I don't want to use a shotgun at butcher time. What's been your experience?


My first batch is not tame at all, but are relatively easy to catch. We butchered six drakes a couple weeks ago and I caught them in just a few minutes. Basically, move them from big pen to smaller kennel-sized pen. Then, cut a hole in the bottom of a feed bag and grab each duck in turn. Put their head and neck thru the hole and use the feed bag to trap their body.

The muscovies on the other hand, eat right out of it. I feed them mealworms just about everyday. I think they will be fairly easy to catch as they get older.


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## AdmiralD7S (Dec 6, 2012)

Toffee said:


> My first batch is not tame at all, but are relatively easy to catch. We butchered six drakes a couple weeks ago and I caught them in just a few minutes. Basically, move them from big pen to smaller kennel-sized pen. Then, cut a hole in the bottom of a feed bag and grab each duck in turn. Put their head and neck thru the hole and use the feed bag to trap their body.
> 
> The muscovies on the other hand, eat right out of it. I feed them mealworms just about everyday. I think they will be fairly easy to catch as they get older.


How do you keep them from flying? Is there a top on your pen, or do they have penguin blood?


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

AdmiralD7S said:


> I've wanted ducks but have always wondered how domesticated/feral they were. Don't need a lap duck, but would need to be able to pick them up as I don't want to use a shotgun at butcher time. What's been your experience?


I herd into a smaller pen and use a cheap dip net from walmart. works well.

I also use the cheap deer netting from wally world. It's great for temporary pens and mass escapes.


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## HomegrownGal (Feb 11, 2013)

Mine are easy to catch also. I raised them from ducklings. They love to eat "wormies" out of my hand! Lol!


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

AdmiralD7S said:


> How do you keep them from flying? Is there a top on your pen, or do they have penguin blood?


Most livestock ducks can't fly. Muscovies, call ducks, and a few others can, but Welshies, Runners, Pekins, etc can't. Their body ratios are too far off.


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