Bullying
Lill Roberts
G’Day Everyone,
I’m reading with interest what is being said about pecking orders and ‘biffing’. Mal, you mentioned that after shearing the order has to be restored because the goats don’t recognized each other. Could something similar happen after kidding? Our does are becoming quite aggressive with each other. I’ve also noticed that the does who we thought was ‘top dog’ has been relegated. She was the one who didn’t have any kids. Would that have something to do with it?
Thanks to Val for the info about the weaning of kids. Some sources said to take the bucks out as early as 6 weeks, but that seemed a bit soon to me. (Despite some of the little bucks taking their sisters for ’a ride’, so the speak.). Thanks also for the photos. We’ll try you way of hoof trimming next time and see how we go.
The heat here has been taking its toll and there is very little activity during the day. The grass is growing madly and we have been moving the electric fence to give the does and kids new areas to graze. My goat discussion group are coming here on Thursday, so we’ll have to do the big tidy up. I was hoping that the group would help with the ear tagging, but they have opted for helping with drenching. I’ll still pick the leader of the group’s brain about tagging.
Oh yes, that reminds me. If we use tags with our PIC on them, do we still need to tattoo? I would have thought the PIC would have been sufficient. What does everyone else think? If I do need to tattoo from where do I obtain a prefix?
Sorry about all the questions. I know I should be disciplined, but I could resist attaching a photo of our two oldest kids. The one on the left is the one who we thought was going to be abandoned and had the tongue hanging out. (The hansom one in the middle is my beloved husband).
Best wishes
Lill
Valerie Donald
I have been waiting for Jan to answer this one as she is the boss.
When you actually go in to register your animal, it asks what tattoo
in left ear & then what tattoo in right ear, Ear tags are not
permenant where as a tattoo is. Ear tags can be pulled out or broken
off. I have one doe here who is split all the way from where her ear
tag was to the tip of her ear. so her ear is completely split in two.
I have also had at other times the tag has actually broken off. So
tattooing is important for stud animals. I would say just pick
something out for your prefix. Mine is 3VL but I suggest just one
letter as they are expensive to buy. Back in the old days the 3 was
for Victoria & 2 for NSW etc. It might have just been for dairy goats
I just don't quite remember. Say for instance you had 3LR or similar
but that is using 2 letters
Your kids look beautiful but not sure about the one in the middle
Val
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Mal
Regarding tattooing, I'm with Val, tattooing is permanent and ear tags
are to easy to lose, cut off, rip out etc.
I even "rediscovered" 2 of Val's old does (as in 10 years old) way out
in western Victoria thanks to the tattoo's, the ear tags were long
gone and the person I got them off (she was giving them away) had got
them from someone who got the from someone etc.and had no idea of
their origin.
The PIC identifies which property the goats were born on but not the
individual goat - ie: your PIC eartag will be the same on every goat
so how do you know which is which and who bred off who etc. For my
stud animals I use both with the tattoo number matching the individual
ear tag number.
For example Slaty Creek Dash is tattoo'd "SCA 06D" and her eartag has
my PIC on one side and 006 on the other, that way I can identify
individual goats without checking tattos but if the ear tag falls out/
tears off I can still identify the goat and retag (just for the record
my tattoo method has 3 parts - SCA for Slaty Creek Angoras, 06 is the
number order they were born and the D stands for the NLIS year they
were born in. Their registered names also start with the NLIS year
code so last year we had Dash, Delta, Dharma etc and earlier this year
we had Ella, Emily etc. next years will be Fredrika, Felicity,
Fiona ....... you get the idea.
A little over the top maybe but it works for us.
With regards the bullying, it will re emerge at any time there is a
change in the norm, put them in close quarters they'll go for it, if
someone looks or smells different they'll go for it, the does with new
babies are definately more territorial than normal so that will set
them off as well.
The only thing you may need to check is that the bottom of the ladder
is getting access to feed etc. Otherwise it's all part of the fun.
Goats are Sooooooo much more interesting than sheep!
Mal
Lill Roberts
Thanks to Val and Mal for all the information. It's been very useful to me.
Like Cindy, I'll be looking for a tattoo 'thingy'. It's not clear to me if
I can just use any prefix which I like, or if it has to be 'approved'. We
have decided to call our property 'Della Downs, so DD as a prefix would be
good for us. Is this OK Jan?
We have ear tags with our PIC on the back and individual numbers on the
front. So it sounds to me that I should tattoo 3DD and the number on the
tag. Is this right? We decided not to go for names starting with the same
letter. In my dotage I know I'll muddle them all. Using the does name as a
starting point works better in my brain. Val's done some of the work for us.
We are keeping an eye on our two little grey does who were the bottom of the
pecking order. The kids are right into the food. We have to be very
careful. Some of the food containers we use at feed time are cut off
plastic barrels. On our slopes these can be pushed over and several times
we have found a bleating kid underneath an overturned feeder. We turn the
feeders over when they are not in use. We have two kids who would much
rather the alpaca feed to the goat feed.
I hope everyone is coping with the heat. I wish we had more trees for
shade, but the goats are happy under our 'artificial' trees which consist of
4 star picket hammered into the ground, topped with a sheet of mesh, then
covered with shade cloth. It will do until the trees grow.
Regards,
Lill
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cinz
Well, you sound much more organized than me with your tattooing, but
the infor Jan and Val and Mal have supplied is soooo helpful, isn't
it? And yes Mal, goats are much more interesting than sheep. My
goaties are all chuffing along well at the moment. One had a grass
seed in her eye but she is all good now. Pebbles is stil being bottle
fed. Only twice a day now. She is the sweetest lil thing ever! The
other does are quite nice to her most of the time, maybe a shove or
two when its hay time but otherwise they include her in everything
else. (whatever else goats tend to do)
The name thing for the goats is a bit tricky. I guess its just a
personal preference. Maybe we should ask the goats, but then maybe a
blank stare is too hard to spell. It has been so so so hot here
today. I think it got past 42c coz thats what my car told me it was
and that was at about 4.30pm I really feel for the animals when its
that hot. My goats have plenty of shade, as long as they resist eating
it, but its still horrible for them. My chooks were all looking a bit
worse for wear. Beaks open, wing away from their bodies, all except
the very young chicks who seemed happy to run around and around
chasing each other. Hmmm, sounds familiar, humans perhaps?? Its now
about 9pm and Ive just come in (away from the mozzies) from watering
my many plants. Boy were they in need of a cool drink. A bit like me
really. Anyway, I hope you guys and your babies are coping with the
heat and hope you dont see any bushfires this season.
Take care of you, Regards Cinz :))
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