HIGH LONESOME RANCH, INC
Birch River, West Virginia 26610
Jim & Marcy Lilly
hlrinc@yahoo.com
About Us ...Animals on the Ranch ... Beauty Recipes... Canning... Farm Animals... Favorite Animal Links ...Favorite Pet Links ... Frugal Recipes ... Home Remedies ... Kennel... Low Carb Recipes ... Favorite Homesteading Links... Homesteading Letters... Living Without Electricity ... Homeschooling... Homeschooling Links... Countryside Magazine Articles 1995 and 1997 ...First Year On The Ranch
PLEASE HELP PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF WV ANIMAL OWNERS It is our duty as citizens (local, WV and U.S.) to know the laws. It's time to spread the word to the WV animal owning population that there are people out there trying to create laws that have the potential to affect every aspect of all animal ownership. Please join our group, and help preserve your right to keep animals!
For those of you that raise any type of animal, be sure to arm yourself with the facts against the proposed NAIS program that the government has in mind... websites to review Please remember that the Animal Rights activists are not your friend.
Goats say "maaa"
Goat kids will follow you
around like a dog if you bottle feed them. One of the first animals we raised
were goats. The kids had so much fun having the goat follow them everywhere.
They are a curious animal - poking their nose into whatever you are doing.
Kids love to help milk goats.
Goats do not like to be out in bad weather. They especially hate getting wet. Our goats will put their heads in the barn, or under an overhang and think they are out of the rain... as long as their head is dry they are happy!
Goats each have their own
personalities... although the type of breed does dictate a few traits, each goat
is
different.
Goats love to climb - they climb our woodpile, get on our porch at night, and have even gotten on top of our car (much to my husbands dismay)
Goat milk is used for human consumption. In fact, more people in the world drink
goat milk than cow milk, although in the US the opposite is true. Goat milk is
similar nutritionally to cow milk, but it contains smaller fat globules and as a
consequence it is easier for some people to digest and it does not require
homogenization.
Goat milk is also used to feed many other animals. Usually, they are bottle
feed, but goats will fairly easily adopt young ones. We had one goat feed
piglets, until they became so obnoxious that the goat had to climb on the wood
pile to get away from them... but it was funny to see the piglets chase after
her and then squeal in frustration as she looked down at them from her perch.
We have used goats milk to bottle feed piglets, bunnies, raccoons and skunks. We
have found that goats milk is pretty universal for our baby animals - exotic or
domestic.
Bottle Feeding.
Most goats are bred in the fall for Spring babies. So, if you are interested in
finding a baby goat, the Spring is the best time. If you plan on bottle feeding
them, make sure the breeder shows you the correct way to hold the bottle, how
much to give and what to do if there are problems... and be prepared to feed the
baby 4 times a day to start out with.
Age
Amount
Times per day
1 - 2 days
½ - 3/4 cup
4
3 - 7 days
1-1 ¼ cup
3
2 - 6 weeks 2- 2 ¼ cups
2
6 - 8 weeks 2 ½- 3 cups
2
8 - 12 weeks Weaning time for most goats, except Angoras at 4 months.
Wean by introducing alfalfa and grass hay into the diet gradually, starting at 1
week of age. Introduce pasture at 4 weeks of age.
