NEW MEMBER HERE

Welcome KnittingNan! I'm a Nan, too (unless your 'Nan' refers to a name like Nancy - then, I'm not a 'Nan' - lol). It's nice to meet you! Janice

I guess I never really introduced myself, but have received such nice messages from a few of you already. I just liked the name of this team even though I have no goat, nor do I plan on getting one. I actually am an "old goat" and proud of it!!!

Edited by: BONONSENSE at: 2/21/2012 (00:26)

Nice to meet you,LL. I love this team! I think it is refreshingly real & fun.

OMGoodness! I think I've found a spot I love! Thanks Tabbyarts! So far, I've read everyone of your comments and have laughed out loud at most because I see myself in each one!

Talk to you soon!

LL

Welcome new members! It's great to meet all of you!

SAMI I am a Newer member also! Glad you are here! You will enjoy this team,very kind supportive members here! Diana

Hello- I just read about your team & I was drawn ...I will be honest-I am a City-Dweller now-we moved from rural Va. to the Big Apple ...kind of the Green Acres Thing in reverse-lol. I do love goats-& all creatures (well-not snakes...they use to get in the house & it wasn't a good thing) I am full of things that "Get my Goat"-#1 is Haters of any kind...ggrrrrrrrrrr.....I am looking forward to getting to know you -& feel free to drop by my page anytime-I love company!
~Sami

We left Washington when we retired. It is a beautiful state I loved the Cedar trwws. We lived in Hansrighy on the tip of the Kitsap Penusla looking across yhe Sound at Whidby Island.

Welcome. It's nice to meet you!

Welcome! You stumbled across the best team on Spark People. You will not find a more active, caring, supportive team anywhere else. Glad to have you aboard.

Jean,I am new to the team too,it's nice to meet you.I live a State North of you in Washington near Shelton in a rural are and really enjoy the trees and the variety of brush.You will like this team,they are wonderful kind supportive members here. Diana

Hello, I just joined tonight. I live way out in an Oregon wilderness area my only pet is maggie my Dog . I retired about 4 years ago.The nearest town is 65 miles away so I spend some time at spark to feel civijlized and enjoy your company.

Edited by: IMNAHA at: 10/28/2011 (21:37)

People can be so vicious! One of the members posted a story about show goats whose feed was tampered with and disqualified. It makes me unhappy to realize that sometimes it is parents!adults! teaching their kids to CHEAT! THAT JUST GETS MY GOAT!

Your welcome Toby,when we started our goat herd we had a pregnant mother and daughter show quality goats and the folks around where we live were not very helpful and we felt so alone and alienated.We came to the conclusion they felt threatened by our goats because of the quality lineage they had and didn't want competition at the local small town fair that is in July.Our oldest daughter joined 4H and showed one of the offspring Rapunzel,she was a darling sweet heart and very beautifully colored and they even tried to keep us from being able to show,we persevered and she showed Rapunzel and won high awards,but continued to feel prejudice,as these same people all were in charge of the goat barn and monopolized the fair and were in control where the goats were placed,they got all the nice spacious spots and we got a small pen next to a mean nasty goat,I am sure on purpose.It was the most horrible first experience for us and our daughter doing 4H,what a negative example for 4H,we should have filed a complaint with the National 4H organization,we just moved on. Obviously I still have hurts I have not visited in a very long while.We had some of our precious goats die because of these people that didn't want to help us and advise us.The vets in the area wanted to charge an arm and leg and didn't help either and they only did smaller animals.Educate yourself well before you start and find out about local vets that will help you with your hooved pet goats.

NOPE! I ain't skeered! We just need to know what to anticipate and design accordingly!
These stories will only help, in the long run.
THANKS!

Toby,about destructiveness of goats,they are very curious and they can get places you wouldn't think possible and they can figure out how to open things to escape and when we had goats the first place they ran was to my rose bushes and try to eat them,lol! I can still see us chasing them away from the roses.We used field fence and they destroyed it by standing on it.Use chain link or heavy gauge field fence with less space between for them to stick there heads through and get stuck.The more preventative stuff you do the better the experience.You cannot use treated wood for there house they are chewers and the rub against the building.We had a Lamancha buck named Worf and he was so abusive to his goat house and kicked and weighed 175 pounds and really did some serious damage to his house.They have very strong heads(Skulls) and even without horns they can hit at amazing force and can be dangerous if they try to butt you.They do it to each other and you just cringe.You start with bottle babies and they will be better to raise and more social and easier to deal with all around.Just raising and owning goats you learn so much about these fun,amazing creatures,they are so unique and different and can be very sweet and loving.I am so glad we had the chance to raise goats and goat kids.I hope I didn't scare you away from goat ownership,they are a lot of fun and are so cute.Go to a farm that is raising goats and see how they have there farm set up and talk to them about goats,most people will be happy to show you and tell you about goats and how they successfully raise them and you can see how they are raised in there environment best.Hope this was helpful? I will ask my dh if I missed anything.I you want milk,buy a goat that is in milk and learn how to milk the doe and you may be able to have milk for more than a year before you have to breed her again.Never have just 1 goat they are communal herd animals and need companionship of other goats.Determine what you want and if you want milk for yourself than 1 goat is plenty and get a whether(castrated buck male) for company for the doe(female).

Hey Diana and team members! There is a little-used thread dedicated to all the funny and sweet things your goats do or have done. But I want to know what to expect in terms of destructiveness!
I was told by a neighbor that they can chew up the corner of the building that we were going to build their pen against. And I've heard horror stories of them eating clothes off the clothesline.
This sometimes occurs after an escape routine! We might get some goats this spring. I'm not certain yet. We have many projects to complete on our OWN structure.

Welcome, Diana. So glad you joined us. Where do you live (state)? I can't imagine not having my goats around - hope you get yours back soon.

Diana,

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! I am so glad you joined us. This team is very active and here you will get the daily interaction you need to keep you motivated and to keep you active. Please jump into any post that interests you. It sounds like you have your hands full. I am sorry about your goats but maybe someday you will be able to have goats again.

Hang on honey, cause this team is non-stop!!

Hello,I just joined you Saturday and am a disabled mother wife and we have 3 great kids and many pets.Cats,dogs,chickens and ducks.About 4 years ago we raised dairy goats,Lamancha breed and enjoyed drinking goat milk!The feed prices doubled a few years back and we sent them about 2 hours away to dh cousin's place to eat there blackberries on 7 acres.We really miss them and hope someday to have goats once again.It' s pleasure to meet you all! Diana