How to care for your...
On this page, I will post how to care for your miniature horses, or pygmy goats, or nigerian goats, or dogs. I hope that this is useful to you. And DON'T MISTREAT YOUR ANIMALS. IT IS A FINE OR A JAIL SENTENCE!!! It is mean, too.
Miniature Horse
SPACE and SHELTER
Miniature horses can be raised in a very small space if necessary. A twenty foot by thirty foot pen will be more than adequate with exercise and feeding. We like our horses to all have a shelter they can get into if they choose to do so. Many will stay out in the worst weather, but it is by their choice. If you have an acre of pasture then natural exercise and grazing should take care of your horse nicely. Some type of shelter is still desirable. We have both three sided sheds and sheds with a partial fourth wall. Remember that the air flow for miniatures needs to be lower than for the big guys. Miniatures that are stalled in full size horse stalls can quickly get sour because they can’t see out. If you are building stalls in a barn an eight by eight stall is adequate for normal use. Sides can be solid for thirty inches and then two foot 2” by 1” rabbit wire on top of that is sufficient for most miniatures. If the sides and back are solid and between four and five feet high be sure to have the front open above thirty inches.
Chain link is not a good choice for fencing as it gives and stretches. The average opening of the links is also an ideal size for the miniature to get a foot caught. We like the four foot high sixteen foot long panels like you can buy at the larger home improvement chains. Three metal posts and you have a section of fence in place. A nice feature is that if your space needs change this fence is very easy to move. This is safe economical fencing. There is fence made especially for horse, but this is much more expensive although it is very nice. I would like to have a six to eight foot space separating each paddock but space and economics mean we have common fence between many of our pastures and pens.
If you have a stallion you will need to make some arrangement so that he can be kept separate from the mares when you want. Some stallions are quiet and get along well with geldings or immature stallions in the next pen, but most do not. As they approach the one year mark it is best to separate the boys and girls. Many a two-year old filly has had a baby because no one thought the yearlings were old enough to breed successfully.
FEED and HEALTH CARE
We like a pelleted feed. I would really prefer a 12% but the one we use, Strategy, is 14%. We feed one “niblet corn” can (10oz) of feed in the morning and one at night. We feel our horses do best when fed twice a day and since we feed our show horses at least twice daily this works well for us. Also we have limited pasture so hay and supplemental feeding is essential. If we see a horse is gaining too much we cut them back some. If they are too thin we increase the ration. There are occasions when we feed a particular horse something very different. You must let the condition of the horse be your guide.
Our hay is a well fertilized coastal Bermuda. We want hay that is virtually free of weeds and coarse grasses. We hay all of our horses twice a day. One and one half bales takes care of sixty horses and twenty miniature goats. Someone can always tell you where to get cheaper hay but buy with care. Several years ago we bought some “cheaper” hay that had a lot of coarse stems. Our vet bill for colic quickly made it the most expensive hay we had ever bought. Fortunately we found someone with cows to buy it from us so we didn’t loose all our money.
Our feeding method makes it very easy for someone to feed our horses when we are at a show. Everybody gets one can except mares with babies who get one can for the mare and one for the baby. Since we are usually only away for two days, there is little danger in over-feeding or under-feeding in that length of time.
Miniature horses need all of the same vaccinations as the full size horses. This shouldbe done on the same schedule as for the full size guys. Paste worming is done every sixty days for full yearlings and up. We worm weanlings every four to six weeks. A fecal sample taken to the vets every couple of months will let you know if your worming program is working. People who use the continuous wormer really like it. We tried it a few years ago and were not real happy with it especially for the weanlings. Remember you must feed horses individually to use any medication that is put in the feed.
Hoof care and dental care are about the same as for the big guys although I believe that miniatures tend to have more dental problems. Not that there are lots of problems but regular dental care helps keep horses fit and feed costs down.
The miniature horse is just that, a horse in miniature. They are not fragile. A true miniature horse doesn’t have a pony personality. Almost everyone can tell stories about a “mean” pony they knew as a kid. A big horse trainer friend says the nice thing about miniatures is they are smart like ponies, but kind like horses. Intelligence and temperament are hereditary. When you visit a farm look at how the other horses act. The one you are buying will probably have the same characteristics.
Info thanks to www.hiddenhollowminiatures.com. Thank you.
Nigerian Goat
P.S. My nigerian goats have china blue eyes.
Feeding
Most breeders feed a 16% - 18% protein dairy goat feed or dairy ration. The feed must not contain urea as this is toxic to goats. Appropriate feed is easy to obtain in suburban and rural areas. The quantity of grain feed is in proportion to the stage of growth for the goat. Free choice hay or pasture should always be available. Fresh clean water in clean containers and mineral salts should also be available at all times.
Hoof Care
Regular hoof trimming should be done about every 4 - 6 weeks. A correctly trimmed hoof should have the same shape as a kid's hoof.
Vaccinations
Annual vaccinations recommended by your veterinarian for your local area should be administered to keep your goat healthy and in top shape.
Worming
Worming should be done several times a year. Your veterinarian can show you what to use, and help in setting up a schedule for your herd.
Housing
Goats should be housed in clean, damp free shelters, not air-tight buildings; they also need to be well ventilated. A 4 x 4 foot enclosed shelter per goat is adequate.
Exercise
Goats need access to an exercise yard of at least 250 square feet per goat.
Pests
Pests like flies and rodents need to be under control.
Info thanks to marina.fortunecity.com. Thank you.
Nigerian dwarf goats are dairy goats.
Pygmy Goat
P.S. My pygmy goats' are brown.
Food for Pygmy goats includes:
Grains that can be fed such as oats, corn, goat ration and sweet feed. It is important to include goat ration and sweet feed to ensure that the goats get the vitamins and minerals they need. Each Pygmy goat should be fed ¼ cup of grain twice daily. Grain should be fed in a trough off the ground to prevent the grain from being soiled by the goats.
Forage that can be fed includes alfalfa hay and grass hay. Feeding alfalfa hay is important for the roughage and calcium that it provides and grass hay is an excellent source of roughage and vitamin A. It is important to feed hay in a hay trough located off the ground where it cannot be soiled by the goats. A mineral/salt block should also be available to the goats and should be off the ground as well.
Water is important for the health of Pygmy goats.
Water should be available at all times. It should be kept clean as possible, and changed when needed. It should be in a bucket, located off the ground, but within reach for the smallest goats in the herd.
Shelter for Pygmy goats can be anything from open pasture to barn stalls. Requirements that best suit Pygmy goats are:
A structure that keeps the goats out of the sun, wind, rain and cold.
A pasture that provides good forbs and browse, and plants such as dandelions, clover or brushes and vines, not just grasses. The type of fencing used is important also. It is best to use 48" cattle wire, because it is stronger and will last longer than other types of wire.
Other care that Pygmy goats need will be:
Vaccinations, such as the 3-way goat vaccination that covers type C & D Perfringens of Enterotoxemia and Tetanus, should be given annually.
Wormers, such as Ivermectine and Panacur, should be given every 3-4 months. Pygmy goats will need their hooves trimmed every 2 months or so.
Pygmy goats are very enjoyable to watch, especially the kids and young does and bucks. They enjoy playing, like any goat, so keeping them entertained is somewhat important. In order to do this, place a picnic table with benches in their pen and watch them pretend it is a mountain as they jump back and forth on it. They also enjoy rocks and boulders that are large enough for them to climb on and jump off. These items will keep them entertained for hours, and usually anyone who is watching them as well.
Info thanks to www.howtodothings.com. Thank you.
Pygmy goats are meat goats.
Dog Care
Dogs and humans have been best friends for long. While dogs give unconditional love, loyalty and friendship to their owners, we are responsible for their proper care, food and water, shelter, safety, regular veterinary care and exercise. Here are some tips to take good care of your dogs:
*Collar your dog and attach an ID to it with the dog's name, your name, address, and telephone number. These tags are a great help when a dog gets lost to take him safely back to his home.
*Legal requirements for adopting the dog and obtaining tags are quite essential. Get your dogs vaccinated against rabies and other diseases at the correct time.
*A valid-license and a rabies and ID tag does not mean that you can let your dog roam freely anywhere. Once off your property, the dog must always be on leash.
*Proper shelter for a dog may include a fence yard and a doghouse for large and active dogs. However, most dogs crave for companionship and do not like to be alone for long periods of time outside the home. The family should spend some time with him too.
*Regular veterinarian check-ups will keep your dog healthy.
*If you do not want to breed the dog, get it neutered, which is just a routine surgery. It helps your dog to live longer, be healthier and have fewer behavior problems.
*A nutritionally balanced diet with constant access to fresh water is as good for your dog, as it is for you.
*Trained dogs behave better and share greater bonding with their owners. Use positive reinforcement training techniques to train the dog.
*Walk your dog twice a day to exercise your dog and keep him physically fit. However, the level of exercise depends on the breed and age of the dog.
*Be as loyal and faithful to your canine as you expect him to be to you. Any persistent behavior problems should be brought to the notice of your veterinarian.
Info thanks to pets.iloveindia.com. Thank you.
