Happy New Year from M. R. Goats!
We are trying a few new things here on the farm in 2012. Starting in January, we will be utilizing this blog to help keep you posted of the happenings around the farm.
M. R. Goats, Goat Rancher Ad
Starting in February, we will be running an advertisement campaign in the Goat Rancher Magazine. For the past year, we have had a breeders ad in the Goat Rancher and it has paid off for us. We are hopeful that the new ads will be just as fruitful. This is our current breeder ad.
We have also started something new in regards to feeding our goats hay. We purchased round bales and decided to give them a try. This also required me to purchase a bale spear for the bucket of my tractor.
Feeding hay the easy way
We are definitely experiencing a reduction in the labor required to feed hay. We are feeding 1 round bale per week per group of goats where we were previously feeding 1 square bale per day per group to the goats.
Seems like each group has their own preference on how to eat the bales.
Tastes better on top
This yearling NZ doe always jumps directly on the top of the new bale and digs right in. Barry, the LGD made a dry place to lay and guard the goats out of some excess hay in the round bale.
We are slightly concerned that the goats may eat the middle out of the bales and then climb inside of them only to be crushed by a collapsing bale, but we believe the reward of only feeding hay one day a week out weighs the risk of loosing a goat to a collapsed bale. We are only feeding the round bales to the groups of adult does and bucks.
Eating out the middle
This group of goats decided that eating out the middle of the bale first was the way to go. These bales were first cut hay cut mature and late in the year but the goats seem to be enjoying them regardless.
We do however continue to feed square bales to the group of 4 NZ does and their 8 kids that are in a separate pasture for the last 3 weeks since kidding. It is too big of a risk to have a young kid nested inside the hollow center of a big round bale. These kids were born outside in sub freezing temperatures and are doing great.
Happy New Year!
M. R. Goats 