Buck Aprons

[shellymay]

@redfish, that is soooooo great thank you for posting the info I can see these as a big hit for many farms

[mzgarden]

Excited to check this out. We so like to keep our little herd together and we like our boys and girls both. As long as everyone is polite, they seem to be happier when they can be together.

Adding to this - I sent them a few questions about the aprons.  Hoping they'll answer quickly.  I'll share what more I learn.

[mzgarden]

Ok, I sent my questions and got a very quick and nice response to each question. See below in case you find it helpful. The information after the * came from June McLean at Bacchus Pet Supplies.

1. Have you had any issues with them getting tangled up when the goats pile together to sleep?
*Surprisingly no. I had the smaller aprons on the bucklings all summer and into the fall before they were sold (7 of them), and even the smaller bucklings where the apron may have been a little larger on them, had no problems getting up and down. It just folds right in. They jumped and leaped and played without hindrance.

2. Watching the video, you appear to be in some pretty dry country, are there any concerns in snow or very cold/wet (below freezing) temperatures? I'm thinking about the goat and strap getting wet in very cold weather - and wondering if the strap is likely to trap wet against them?
*My large Boer buck has been wearing his for most of the winter (2-1/2 months about). We get below zero here and snow as well. I haven't had any problems with the wetness and freezing, and he likes to stay out in the weather screaming at his girls instead of keeping dry in his house. I've never seen where the strap froze to his body.

3. How long do you suggest a goat wear an apron continuously - 1 week, 1 month? Just wondering if there's a suggested time period to have it removed?
*I kept mine on for months, on purpose because I too wanted to know if there were any problems with long term wear Before I put it out on the market. The only thing I've notice with the bucklings was that the hair matted a little along the back, but there were no sores just cowlicks.

The strap is not tight. You don't want it tight. You want it to have freedom to move and right itself if it should go a bit askew. As soon as they move the weights will bring it back to center. You will notice a slight banging against the front legs when they walk but have seen no irritation or that they even noticed it. The weighted material is not solid or overly heavy.

4. How often do you find you wash the aprons after they've been wearing one?
*I try to scrub them a bit once every couple of weeks, but I've gone as long as a month and have seen no problems. The material is waterproof and it's the same material they use for backpacks.

My buck is in his own little pasture with his friend, so I keep it on him, aside from the experiment, for extra protection (in case he gets out) and it has been a blessing not to have to scrub down his front legs ever few weeks to keep him from getting urine scald. Not a pleasant thing to have to do.

[shellymay]

Thank you for that info, I find it very informational and helpful.....but secretively I am glad I have sheep as the rams

don't pee on themselves or anything else 

[mzgarden]

@redfish, to avoid hijacking this thread, could you take a peak at a new thread I'm starting relative to offering your buck for breeding? Thanks.

[Deleted]

Wow, a year and a half later, and I'm looking at Bacchus' Johnson Shields.

I'm ordering one for our buck, and another for our ram, who really loves the goatie girls - too much!