Animal hobbies

[AdamsCreek]

I am thinking about raising possums. Several years ago there was a great market for exotics. Any one out there who might want to partner. I need someone that is good at marketing them.

You might try and get ahold of Marcel Ledbetter
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=STuus60gHxY

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

Very nice goats and horses BootJack. I "inherited" some goats. Seems like there's constantly something wrong with a few of them. I'm pretty dang good as a "cow vet". But these friggin goats are a different story. I try to do everything right but once they get puny I have a hard time getting them well. And it seems to happen very quickly. I ain't quite got them figured out. But it looks like you do! Very healthy looking.

JMJ, a few things we have learned about goats that have a major impact on overall well-being-
1. They need copper. Lots. We make sure ours always have free choice high quality loose mineral, and give them each a copper bolus 2 times a year.
2. They need thiamine. If your goats don't have access to browse for stemmy/ woody forage, they may not get enough. Any time we administer any vaccinations, de-wormers, or illness treatment, they get a dose of vitamin B complex. When kids are born, they get selenium (we are deficient) and B complex before they are dry.
3. They need parasite control, especially if dry-lotted.

Ours are almost exclusively on dry lot or in small paddocks. We make up for not having browsing by doing the above, and making sure they have stemmy hay.

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

BootJack I really like those goats... Very nice. I don't know jack about horses but they look awful nice as well!

Thanks Holm! We have tried to stay away from the fads in the Boers (breeding for wild colors, focusing on "whether type", etc) and focused on making a herd of very maternal females that are line bred to one buck. They are big, growthy, functional and stylish does. Oddly enough, even though we don't really play in the whether game, we have proven we can. We had goats sweep 5 county fairs this summer, including carcass contests. We can consistently put a 2.5 to 3 inch loin eye on a goat and have them ready for kill at 90 and 90 pounds (without a treadmill or any of the other stuff they do. Just genetics and feed!).

 

[JMJ Farms]

Very nice goats and horses BootJack. I "inherited" some goats. Seems like there's constantly something wrong with a few of them. I'm pretty dang good as a "cow vet". But these friggin goats are a different story. I try to do everything right but once they get puny I have a hard time getting them well. And it seems to happen very quickly. I ain't quite got them figured out. But it looks like you do! Very healthy looking.

JMJ, a few things we have learned about goats that have a major impact on overall well-being-
1. They need copper. Lots. We make sure ours always have free choice high quality loose mineral, and give them each a copper bolus 2 times a year.
2. They need thiamine. If your goats don't have access to browse for stemmy/ woody forage, they may not get enough. Any time we administer any vaccinations, de-wormers, or illness treatment, they get a dose of vitamin B complex. When kids are born, they get selenium (we are deficient) and B complex before they are dry.
3. They need parasite control, especially if dry-lotted.

Ours are almost exclusively on dry lot or in small paddocks. We make up for not having browsing by doing the above, and making sure they have stemmy hay.

Thanks a bunch BootJack. The selenium and parasite control I was aware of. The thiamine and copper I wasn't. But I'm smart enough to listen and heed good advice. I will implement both quickly and see if I can make a difference. Thanks again!

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

JMJ, if you have a hard time finding the copper bolus (we did!), check Walmart online, no lie. They are cheap and will be there fast. BTW, if the hairs on the end of their tail kind of split like a fish tail, its usually a sign they are copper deficient.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Mrs. raised Golden Seabright bantams for years. I wore out a Winchester Model 12 keeping them from becoming some kind of varmit turd.

 

[JMJ Farms]

JMJ, if you have a hard time finding the copper bolus (we did!), check Walmart online, no lie. They are cheap and will be there fast. BTW, if the hairs on the end of their tail kind of split like a fish tail, its usually a sign they are copper deficient.

Will do! Been drenching them orally with Cydectin pour on. Have had several that look fine today and then diarrhea tomorrow. I haven't had a fecal sample analysis but I'm guessing coccidia. Just ordered some Baycox from Australia. I've got a lot to learn about goats. One hindrance is that I really don't have enough time to look after them. But maybe that's fixing to change.

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

For wormer, Valbazen works great. If they have a constantly wet nose with little to no discharge, a rough looking coat and overall lack of thrifty-ness, they may have lung worm. Lung worm requires Ivermec injections (two rounds) for the whole herd (they spread it back and forth as they graze, and will pass it back and forth with cattle if grazed on the same ground). It may be worth having a fecal sample checked out just to see what battles you actually have going on....

 

[skyhightree1]

Hunting dogs

 

[Jogeephus]

Beavers. Not by choice. Just got pushed into it. Been trying to teach them to fly. Very time consuming hobby.

 

[greybeard]

I don't think any of my animals have hobbies.

 

[Dave]

Does watching the deer and killing rattle snakes count?

 

[JMJ Farms]

Does watching the deer and killing rattle snakes count?

No rattlesnakes this far. They usually ramp up around here in late September early October. Did kill a really nice copperhead this morning at the kennels. One of the biggest I've ever killed. He was probably 30"-36" long. Most of what we see is usually around 18". He very good color. Would have let him go but he can't cohabitate around where my ankles travel daily. And I ain't into relocating venomous snakes.