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Keeping exotic rams/goats
#3984863
01/23/13 07:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13
Taylormade
OP
Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13 |
We are seriously looking into buying some goats/rams and putting them on a friends 500 acre HF ranch. It has a 30 acre lake and several creeks along with about 250 other exotics . We where wondering if the property could hold and grow a starting herd of rams and goats starting with about 15 and hopefully growing.
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: Taylormade]
#3984936
01/23/13 08:19 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,953
don k
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,953 |
Sounds like you are already over stocked.
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: don k]
#3985038
01/23/13 08:50 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13
Taylormade
OP
Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13 |
You might think so but every animal taken off has a huge set of antlers and is very fat and healthy. We thought that that might be a problem but it didn't affect the population at all.
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: Taylormade]
#3985094
01/23/13 09:06 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,811
TxAg
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,811 |
I'm with Don, sounds like that place is way above carrying capacity already. I would not want to pay that protein and feed bill.
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: TxAg]
#3985253
01/23/13 09:51 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 721
Txnrog
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 721 |
No one likes hearing that they are 'overstocked' and there are different degrees of overstocking, and obviously different opinions, but hard to imagine a scenario where an animal per 2 acres can exist without heavy browse lines and august football field grass unless you're raising all muntjacs, duikers, and such.
If you do the math, the common species of sheep & goats don't make sense if you're having to primarily feed them. A sheep will eat about $0.25 worth of protein feed a day, so almost $100 per year. Then figure what you'd get for them at a sale - it quickly becomes a loosing proposition.
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: TxAg]
#3986837
01/24/13 03:48 AM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,044
Eland Slayer
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,044 |
I'm with Don, sounds like that place is way above carrying capacity already. I would not want to pay that protein and feed bill. Depends.... He hasn't said what part of the state this ranch is in. If it's in Kerrville, then yes.....it is probably overstocked. If it's in east Texas....not necessarily. Or they may have 100 acres of irrigated fields on the place....who knows?? Taylormade....care to tell us more info about the property??
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: Eland Slayer]
#3987454
01/24/13 12:41 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13
Taylormade
OP
Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13 |
Absolutely,( sorry I'm not that much help, I am New to this and only 16) the ranch is located in Huntsville Texas and does have about an 75 acre irrigated field
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: Taylormade]
#3987459
01/24/13 12:44 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13
Taylormade
OP
Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 13 |
They have has the property for 7 years now and still haven't had a problem with starvation except when we had a huge drought two years ago where they lost about 5 animals
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: Taylormade]
#3987541
01/24/13 01:27 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,953
don k
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,953 |
They have has the property for 7 years now and still haven't had a problem with starvation except when we had a huge drought two years ago where they lost about 5 animals With that many animals on that amount of acerage what do they do about parasite control?
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Re: Keeping exotic rams/goats
[Re: don k]
#3987860
01/24/13 03:00 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
They have has the property for 7 years now and still haven't had a problem with starvation except when we had a huge drought two years ago where they lost about 5 animals If they had an issue during the drought then damage was done to the habitat. The damage was not repaired with that many mouths on it. So the next drought that number is multiplied. I would still want to see pics of the animals or the land before I made a judgement though. One thing you have not mentioned is what are they doing with animals at this point? Just raising them to look at, sell breeders/stocker or hunting? They have has the property for 7 years now and still haven't had a problem with starvation except when we had a huge drought two years ago where they lost about 5 animals With that many animals on that amount of acerage what do they do about parasite control? This ^^^^^^ with that area being damp/wet enviroment it is going to be an on going battle, with a possible train wreck in the future. The 2 species you are introducing will only be the most vulernable or worst host species on the place for parasites.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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