# The banner I put by the road for the neighbors



## KirDay (Nov 10, 2018)

I finally (after over a year of lurking) introduced myself yesterday In my post j I posted a picture of the banner I hung on my fence. Turns out a couple of you think it's a pretty neat idea so I decided I'd re-post it here with some details. I honestly wish I had thought to post the 'working' version of the sign here before I ordered it because I'm sure you all are going to come up with some nice tweaks... but this is my sign as it is.

It's been a HUGE help because I live in the suburbs and we the goats get lots of visitors who want to treat them.

close up of the banner on the fence









This is what I ordered on vistaprint - I'm handy with a computer so it wasn't too complicated I wish I could send you to a template but I kind of made up as I went along (and spelled raisins wrong in the process (embarrassed)) .

They are always running sales so I am pretty sure it was about $20


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## KirDay (Nov 10, 2018)

Changes I'd make - Spelling of Raisins - Adding "Branches" to my list of toxic parts. 

What do you think should be changed?


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Put up an advertising banner for your friend. It may get them some more business, or lead to your goats helping out around town.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

What friend? Obviously something I have missed. 

Can it comfort you that I did never notice the spelling mistake? 

Maybe add, perhaps in smaller letters, for grown ups to read, that NON SPRAYED twigs of these trees can be consumed, followed by a list of secure species like pine, apple, and what might be available. This to prevent overfeeding, not that your goats are fat for the moment, but you DO want to prevent urine stones! And repeat once more that the twigs must be non sprayed! 

As a matter of fact, I think it is very nice that the goats can find a nice food source at the far end of the pasture! They will enjoy the walks. But maybe, MAYBE it could be wise to have a camera there, so you can see if someone is poisoning your goats on purpose ... Similar things do happen.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Looks great and to the point.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

:clever:


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

It looks nice. But i would not like people comin by and feedin my animals. :/. They will fill up on treats and not eat what they need to thrive and grow. If somethin does come up you do not know what has been fed and how much.... cause we all know goats are always starvin and will stand there as long as someone is feedin them. Sorry to be a debbie downer but while it is a good idea to tell people what is ok to feed them i would not want stranger comin by and feedin mine.


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## healthyishappy (Mar 6, 2019)

Sfgwife said:


> It looks nice. But i would not like people comin by and feedin my animals. :/. They will fill up on treats and not eat what they need to thrive and grow. If somethin does come up you do not know what has been fed and how much.... cause we all know goats are always starvin and will stand there as long as someone is feedin them. Sorry to be a debbie downer but while it is a good idea to tell people what is ok to feed them i would not want stranger comin by and feedin mine.


I completely agree!!!!
I would never let people feed mine!


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Yes, at least try to get into good contact with the visitors. In my experience, this is easier when they come the first times, not when there is already a problem. Invite teachers and parents for information sessions???? (Letting the children meet the goats more in person?)


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I would take rabbit food off the list. Some brands contain animal fat and aren't suitable for ruminants.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

goathiker said:


> I would take rabbit food off the list. Some brands contain animal fat and aren't suitable for ruminants.


Animal fat in rabbit food????? How do they make the rabbits eat it????


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Agree with SfGwife - nope - please don't feed, or touch the goats. I would see where this might be a bit beneficial if you have a problem with people dumping bad stuff.


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## DaGoatandPugLady (Nov 19, 2018)

I’m too OCD! I wouldn’t let people feed my goats but I do like the sign and I even learned some safe things to feed my babies


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I suspect it isn't a matter of allowing the goats to be fed but a problem of people feeding without permission and a way to try and at least get them to give the goats something that is ok for them.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

It's a great sign, and if you have a wonderful neighborhood with people you can trust, it's a great idea. I have to admit, I also worry about people feeding them too much/too often, or people not feeding them something safe, messing with them, etc.
If I were to allow people to feed them I'd honestly have a little mailbox or something with feed in it, baggies, bowls or something so it's rationed and ask that while they can have lots of things, this is what you prefer for your goats to eat.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

DaGoatandPugLady said:


> I'm too OCD! I wouldn't let people feed my goats but I do like the sign and I even learned some safe things to feed my babies


OCD? :bookgoat:


HoosierShadow said:


> If I were to allow people to feed them I'd honestly have a little mailbox or something with feed in it.


Kirstin has one.


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## DaGoatandPugLady (Nov 19, 2018)

Trollmor said:


> OCD? :bookgoat:Kirstin has one.


OCD = Obsessive Compulsive! LOL. I am so OCD about my goats, I don't think I could allow strangers to feed them!


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

ME TWO, LOL I'm overly OCD about my kids! (goaties)
Obsessive, Compulsive, Disorder


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## KirDay (Nov 10, 2018)

Our property is right up against a decently busy walking path/road so there is no way to stop people from feeding the goats, and I need the goats to be social because they have end up in people's back yards doing berry bush clean up. They need to be good around people and easy to transport.

Yes, I have a good sized waterproof tub below the sign that is full of "treats". Once I put out the treat bin people mostly stopped bringing their own stuff (I agree that I worry about having people feed them stuff from home but that's why posted the list and the treat bin). The "Treat bin" I provide is just goat chow and alfalfa pellets which is their normal dinner. We check it every night before feeding to see how much is gone. Some nights the bin is empty and the kids just get free choice hay for dinner. On rainy days or weekdays they won't get as many visitors so we just feed them what's left of the bin. Because they are all young goats they bloat up fast if they have been chowing down so it's pretty obvious if they got overfed at the bin.

I appreciate all your input.

I like the camera idea! I have one pointed at their shelter, but I should get another one pointed down the side where people walk.


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## KirDay (Nov 10, 2018)

Here is a better picture of the treat bin. It has a measuring cup inside and the sign says "1 cup of treats per person". As you can see their fence is right on the road so there is no way to stop people from showing them love. The treat bin has done a LOT to limit people bringing treats from home. I love having social goats, but yes, I do get anxious that someone might hurt them (either on accident or out of malice).


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I just had the best idea ever! You need to get a candy machine that you put quarters in for candy and set that out filed wit the grain. That way you can get paid and your goats fed at the same time lol I’m always shocked at the fair and our zoo where they have a petting zoo, at the tiny amount one quarter will give a person and how much they are making off of this. 
But ok I’ll be serious. At first when I was reading I was thinking oh heck no! No one is messing with my goats. But then I started thinking about all the posts I see from my one city friend that buys carrots to feed the horses at the bus stop, or picks random things for them because her son LOVES horses. Or the time one of our neighbors decided to toss their oleander clipping over the fence because they thought it would be a nice treat for the cows. So as much as I don’t want anyone feeding my animals anything If I was living in the area your living I think the sign is a much better idea then setting up camp to watch them 24/7 (Which I would not be able to do) and screaming at people. So good job thinking outside the box! Sometimes we have to do what we really don’t 100% want to do to keep them safe.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Honestly, this urge to feed an animal you meet eyes with is one of the most precious and valuable qualities of the human mind.   Should be appreciated, and encouraged, and I think your sign-with-a-box-and-meausure-cup is a good way.  

But maybe, if your economy and the local bylaws allow, a 24/7 camera delivering pictures to your screen, and maybe a movement alarm delivering to your cell phone. Then you will perhaps be able to make friends with the most frequent "feeders", and get able to teach them what goats really need.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Kirstin Davis said:


> I like the camera idea! I have one pointed at their shelter, but I should get another one pointed down the side where people walk.


Sorry, I saw this only now.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

You said your goats do berry bush cleanup for other people? Around here that is only heard of and not practiced. Mine do it, only in yards close by.


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

I tell people who haven't been here before that they don't feed anything to the goats unless I hand it to them. There's lots of toxic plants including cherry all over the place. 

But for your purposes, if this seems to work, all the better!


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

Trollmor said:


> OCD? :bookgoat:Kirstin has one.


OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

My sign consists of 5 words:

Please don’t feed the animals.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Great idea! I think I'd remove cereal from the list of OK foods, and add that and all other grain products like bread, muffins and pasta to the forbidden list, along with avocados.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Trollmor said:


> What friend? Obviously something I have missed.
> 
> Can it comfort you that I did never notice the spelling mistake?
> 
> ...


A camera could be helpful if a human or goat is injured too.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I agree with a lot of what people said above, and I want to agree with the statement that a camera would be a great idea, but security cameras can be expensive and limiting. But if people _thought_ they were on camera, they probably wouldn't break the rules. Behold: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074FWWBNC/ref=twister_B07K778D2S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


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## healthyishappy (Mar 6, 2019)

MellonFriend said:


> I agree with a lot of what people said above, and I want to agree with the statement that a camera would be a great idea, but security cameras can be expensive and limiting. But if people _thought_ they were on camera, they probably wouldn't break the rules. Behold: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074FWWBNC/ref=twister_B07K778D2S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


That's what I was thinking too!


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## JearDOE Ranch (Aug 23, 2018)

I don't think I would change anything with the sign. Putting your feed out there as treats I think was the best idea. I'm sure the kids in the neighborhood love it, and it's nice of you to let them be involved. We don't live in town or have any neighbors, but we do get asked by people if they can bring their kids out to see and pet the goats. It's good they have an interest in them.


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## Iluvlilly! (Apr 6, 2019)

MellonFriend said:


> I agree with a lot of what people said above, and I want to agree with the statement that a camera would be a great idea, but security cameras can be expensive and limiting. But if people _thought_ they were on camera, they probably wouldn't break the rules. Behold: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074FWWBNC/ref=twister_B07K778D2S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


:neat: That is a smart idea!!!:goodjob:


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

JearDOE Ranch said:


> ... but we do get asked by people if they can bring their kids out to see and pet the goats. It's good they have an interest in them.


Indeed! 

(But I do not think a dummy camera will do much good. They are too well-known - even I know of them!)


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## KirDay (Nov 10, 2018)

Dwarf Dad said:


> You said your goats do berry bush cleanup for other people? Around here that is only heard of and not practiced. Mine do it, only in yards close by.


Yes my friend Amy owns West Side Goat Girl (http://www.sauviegoats.com/) where she contracts out her herd to do vegetation management (primarily it's blackberry management but occasionally ivy). She's out on jobs a lot and doesn't have time to care for the newborns or keep them safely isolated from the rest of the herd. Initially I was only supposed to keep the kids for a few months (until they were big and smart enough to hold their own with the herd) but my family and out neighborhood fell in love with the goats so we kept them through the winter and then when those kids joined the big herd we got a handful of buckling cast off's from a dairy farm (only 1 of her does kidded this spring).


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

I thought that those may have been her kids, too. Will you let her have those for her business then get some more kids next year? It sure would be a cheap, for her, way to increase her herd.


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

I agree with the people who would never allow anyone else feeding their goats. I would have a double fence if necessary. No one better feed mine. For their health and welfare I take care of all feeding - treats and trimmings are only supplied by myself and husband.


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## Drmike (Jun 23, 2019)

After I caught someone sitting in their car pressing the horn continuously at the goats. After I caught someone shouting and screaming hysterically at the goats. After seeing someone trying to feed the goats god knows what.... I put up a sign telling people not to disturb the animals, a wire fence, a row of trees an electric fence and some opaque plastic sheets (to kill the view) between anyone and my goats.

If some fool ignores the sign climbs over the wire fence and pushes through the trees I truly hope they get the crap zapped out of them by what is a very powerful electric fence !


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