Getting the Goats Home

I now have first-hand experience with transporting goats. For furture refference they travel very well in a trailer! In fact I think they enjoy the sensational of the wind blowing through their beards!

We picked the goats up in a hired trailer. For some padding on the journey home I placed some straw bales in the trailer. The goats happily jump up into the trailer. We tied their lead ropes onto the side and away we went.

Getting into urban Havelock I did notice we did get some stares and strange looks. Back at home the kids were very excited with their new charges. They were walked them around the neighbourhood and were introduced to everybody, nibbling any passing shrub on the way.

We haven’t sorted out an enclosure yet so we are just tethering the goats on the lawn near some overgrown shrubs that require some pruning. If it rains they happily stand in the garden shed for protection. Goats don’t like rain as apparently their coats contain no oil to help water proof them.

These girls look so skinny. Their hip bones and ribs can be seen through their coats. I know that dairy cows have prominent hip bones but this is a bit extreme. Hopefully now without twin kids feeding off them and lots of rough grass (which they prefer) they will start putting on weight. I have also bought some Brood Mare Mix. This is a mixture of grain such as maize, wheat, barley, oats, sunflower seeds and Lucerne all mixed up with molasses which I am told many dairy goat owners feed to their milking goats. Have to admit the stuff smells good enough to eat.