# What is your typical daily routine



## Cali2013 (Jun 2, 2013)

Could you share with me your typical daily routine with your goats? 

This is what I thinking. Feed a flake of hay in the a.m. (goat pellets, too?) before letting them out to graze. Once they finish let them out to graze and play (all day?), bring them in in the evening and offer a flake of hay again, then shut them up in the barn all night. 

Another question. I have chickens and when I leave, I shake my treat can to get them back in the coop, safe and sound so a dog won't be tempted to jump my fence and get them. Would I do the same for nigerian dwarfs? Shut them in the barn stall when I'm not at home or okay to leave them out grazing?


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I get out and get everything ready for the girls to be milked and for my horses to eat around 6:30. Half an hour later I get them out of their stall, milk them, and then but them in their small pen with a flake of hay for an hour or so. Then take them out and let them into the bigger pasture to graze till sundown. At that point we put them up in their stall for the night.

I have Nigerian Dwarfs too and we have the fort Knox of farms (we're very protective of our horses and goats!), so when we leave during the day we don't pen them up or anything. But, if you know there are dogs in your area that could get them or if the pen isn't sealed enough I would. 3 dogs killed the first two goats I ever had almost 6 months ago. It was awful, and since then we don't take any chances around here.


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## canthavejust1 (Oct 12, 2012)

I go out at 6 am and feed babies and open the barn for the big girls to graze and leave the babies to go in their playpen if they choose. I have kids so I milk at 8 am and pm. After they board the bus then go to bed  if im leaving for any length of time I put them in. It never fails that one gets out while I'm gone...but never when I'm home...the brats! I feed at 8 then shut everyone in for the night after milking.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

7 to 8 am -- stuff the feeders with hay, set out fresh water and minerals. Let out milkers one at a time, milk. Put Ebony (Lamancha) with the Juniors in the side pen. Reunite mommas and babies in the main pen.

12 pm -- Refill feeders if needed. Give everyone their "DE snack" (DE rolled into a ball with molasses).

5 to 7 pm -- Everyone gets their Alfalfa dinner.

7 + pm -- Evening milking (Ebony). After milking, stuff the barn with hay and water, separate babies, shut everyone in for bed.


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## Cali2013 (Jun 2, 2013)

When asking for hay at the feed store, make sure it is alfalfa for the goats? Or is all hay alfalfa?

ETA: BTW, I appreciate all your help with my obviously newbie questions. I know a lot about chickens but no other farm animal...LOL!


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## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

I get up at 4:30, out to the barn by 5:00 or a bit earlier to milk/feed. I'm fortunate that the goats are a family project, so my sister and I milk while Mom takes care of other things like filling water buckets, feeding out bottle baby, giving everyone hay, etc. The goats (except the babies who are being separated at night right now so they go in a stall in the barn) have pasture access 24/7 but mostly stay inside the barn or under the lean-to at night. Then we come in, filter the milk and put it in the fridge, wash the milking equipment, and I head out to work. I only work a few hours in the morning, and then a few hours in the afternoon (at a before/after school program) so I'm home most of the day. I do a check on everyone about noon, refill water buckets if needed, etc. Evening milking and feeding is at 5:00. At 9:00 someone goes out to bring in the babies, refill hay racks, and do one final water check. 

Not all hay is alfalfa. Alfalfa is good, you could also do a grass/alfalfa mix hay especially through the summer. Just make sure it's good hay - green and fragrant, not brown, dry, and dusty.


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## SugarBush Farms (Apr 19, 2012)

In the morning I give the babies and does a bit of feed, give them a flake or two of hay, and brush down my show goats, milk the doe, check hooves and trim if need be, check water, fly spray them if the flies are bad and rearrange the climbing toys in their pasture so they have something new to do.
The bucks get a flake of hay, water, and and I check their hooves and check them over for anything(cuts, scrapes, bites, etc), unless I have to go someplace immediately afterwards- then they just get hay and water and I check them later.

At night I milk, feed the full rations, check water, give them more hay, and brush my show does again.

I try to work on training them for show at least once a day, sometimes in the morning sometimes at night.
My goats who are clipped for show I'll put a spray on sunscreen on them in the morning if they have any problems with sunburn or sun fading.


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