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Barnyard Buddies:  All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)  |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 19 2010 : 7:31:04 PM
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Sherrye, I just have the 6 buck kids here. No grown bucks. This happened last year with all the bucks too. As soon as I got rid of them all the milk got better. Yes, there are wild onions all over but I think they have eaten them all now. The ones that were in the yard. And Sadie is jumping over the fence into the hay field again. I gotta fix that fence. How are you doing? I have been reading about your house problems. I hope your hubby finds a good job. That's too bad about that place hiring others besides the locals. That's not right at all. I hope ya'll don't have to move.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 12:16:19 AM
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| i have a dexter cow who will freshen in june. it will be a truly interesting experience to milk her as she is sweet at pie after you catch her but catching her can be a very long trial! i also have a nubian/kiko cross nanny who i need to be milking as she gives the sweetest milk i have ever tasted but i cant do it alone and hubby has yet to build me a milking stanchion. we are considering sending her to be rebred this week but dont want her to dry up in the process and if i take her 2 babies from her she will dry up. i would rather breed her in january for summer babies but with the severe weather that time of year it would be very difficult. we are going to order a used or rebuilt milker as sooon as i can find one. her babies, both girls, are the sweetest, craziest little sweethearts! the babies are names stripper (she wouldnt keep her sweatshirt on when she was first born and it was 30 below outside!) and tother and in "the other one" lol. stripper is very outgoing and frisky and tother is quiet and shy. we hope they give as good milk as their moma! they are 5 months old so it will be a few more months before i get them bred. the few times i have milked racheal (the momma) i have only gotten about 3/4 of a cup. i can feel that she hass a full bag but she just wont let her milk down. any ideas for me on that one? the other strange thing about these little ones is that stripper had very long thick soft hair and it appears that either her sister or mother are eating her hair! she looks like someone has done a very bad scissor hair cut on her! any clues on that one also?? peace connie |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 12:19:00 AM
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| oops i forgot to give the name of my cow lol. name is butter bucket! she has a furture boyfriend whose name is little nut. peace connie |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 06:34:30 AM
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Connie, those kids need to be OFF their mother asap! 5 months old is too long to have kids on a doe if she's a milker. I start weaning at 6-8 weeks. As long as a doe has feed when you are milking her she should be pretty still til she gets the hang of it. Without a stanchion it's a bit harder because she's so short. But I have done it that way soit can be done. Just tie her real short so she can't move too much and tie her in a corner so you can pin her to a wall while you milk. You should be able to milk her for at least a good 6-8 months before she starts slowing down. But the more you feed her the more she'll produce. But get those kids off her and you'll have some milk. As long as they are on her you will not get any milk.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 06:57:27 AM
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connie you are right. the goat is holding up her milk for her babies. i know that far into lactation the amount they give changes also. i made the mistake of share milking with the calf. she held up milk and especially the cream. with my next 2 cows i will bottle feed calf. i used the last of my cow milk in my coffee this am. buttercup is almost dried up enough to put out with the cow herd for summer. she will calve in oct. not the best time but how it is. i agree with kris. 2 babies that long mom is probably done with milk.i also used a corner and tie till i had a stanchion for my goat.
kris we are not sure what to do about house. its a hard choice. papa goes to klamath falls next week. looks like there will be some work ahead. now we need to decide what is best for us to do with that money when it comes.with the economy the way it is wonder how much work there is ahead. hard to commit to anything when unsure about income.when i put buttercup out to pasture i will start training maddie to milk. i have my doubts about her. she is heady likes to swing her head around. this is all new to her. she is a pasture dexter. we will see. the goats start heading home today. then i will send the buck home too. things will quiet down a little here.till i stir something else up.lol well i am going to pack stuff up while papa is gone to kf.i am getting rid of junk and sorting. today is finish cleaning my barn out and corral. getting ready for maddies calf to be born. she shows no signs other than a big belly so far.i am watching for the classic signs to see if i can guess when. she has no tailhead showing yet. no bag filling up no slab side so i have some time to work with her yet.if she does not work out to milk i will go to dairy here and see if i can get one. i am spoiled on raw fresh cow milk. happy days on the farm. when is your cow due kris? i forgot sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 10:33:44 AM
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Sherrye, Mazie is not pregnant yet. I will get a bull in June. I want a spring calf.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 4:34:09 PM
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i can relate to spring calves. buttercup calves oct.2 and isabella calves aug. sept. so will be in milk soon. hard to wait. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 1:33:16 PM
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Thanks Sherrye and Kristin. I was looking at Snackcakes feet today and noticed a deep line around each hoof.Its about 1/2 inch from where their growth starts. That means all her feet stress foundered....never seen or dealt with anything like this in 18 years of raising goats. I just noticed the line today when I was checking her feet. She still walks pretty well considering just gonna need horse nippers to trim her. Otherwise she is great.
Kristin you described this little buck as having a mushy chest. Does it feel like edema ? Also look really close and make sure he does not have some sort of hidden puncture that could be causing infection or even maybe a tick bite. Anyway I would start him on a course of Penicillin once a day for the next 3 to 5 days. If he has a respatory problem it would help with that. Does he have any other symptoms beside the chest and wheezing? Anyway let me know if you see anything else. Maybe we can figure this out. Wish I could see what it looks like.
Take care
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 1:39:57 PM
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Thought just popped into my mind. Is this swelling or mushy area just below his jaw like a goiter. I have babies that have those and they are what my vet and me call milk goiters. They form on babies who get alot of milk. Some people get this problem from a iodine deficiency and so can goats but most of the time on goats its just a milk goiter.It goes away usually when they get older and stop nursing. Anyway you also said he was weezy thats still going to need to be addressed. Anyway just thinking out loud here.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 5:48:54 PM
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Linda. no, it's his chest. Like right between his shoulder or where his legs start at the top. So how much Pen. should I give him? He's probably about 30 pounds. And where and how do I give the shot? Thanks so much for your help. And I am so glad Miss Snack Cake is doing so much better.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 8:08:28 PM
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Sorry just getting back to you. The lady a few miles from me had a Nigerian dwarf that had been pushing for over an hour and called me to come and help. What a nightmare. She had 3 inside and one had passed and was causing a big tangled mess. I can't believe I even got them out. That was truly the hardest delivery and she was so small. The other 2 babies are fine and thankfully the mother is too. I feel so wiped out emotionally. The lady that owns these goats has really big hands compared to me. She couldn't get in at all.I barely was able too. Anyway enought rambling on that I'm still keyed up.
I would give him about 1/2 cc sub-cue. This means you make a little tent with the skin and put the needle into the skin while its tented up and put the meds in. This way its only putting it under the skin and not in the muscle. I usually put it right behind and a little down behind the front leg. This would be on his side down low right behind the front leg.
Do you have anyone who can help you give the shot? If you go online or look in some of the goat catalogs or books they show you what a sub-cue shot looks like. Its the easier shot to give than a muscle shot. You can pick up the meds at a feed store.... a bottle runs around 10 to 12 dollars. Make sure it NOT the long term Penicillin. Just keep it refridgerated and shake it super good before you draw it up. You should use a 22 or 20 gage needle. If you would like to talk to me on the phone for more help just email me your number. Good luck with your little fella.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 8:12:29 PM
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Oh I also forgot to ask. Is he running a fever, are his gums and eye memebranes pink?
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 8:28:35 PM
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I have Pen. and LA200 and lots of needles. I can do the shots ok. It's just hard to pull out enough skin on these boys. So which would you reccomend giving him? And I will have to check his eyes and gums in the morning. The kids have not been wormed yet either. I know pink is good. He does always feel warm. I'll put him in the stachion and take his temp too.
Wow, what a night you've had! It's nice to be needed but that's so sad when they lose some. I hope momma and kids will be ok. Good for you for being there for her. And thanks for helping me.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 07:46:59 AM
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I would go with the pen. the La200 is not always good to give to little ones. If the Pen doesn't work I would recomend Naxel which you have to get from the vet. And you don't have to pull to much skin up just enough to get the needle under it.I know its not easy giving little ones shots. Good luck. Will check back later.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 08:02:14 AM
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kris how are your critters today? sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 10:30:45 AM
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Ok Linda, I just gave him 1/2 cc of Pro Penn. He's fine. I have the moms in the cow pasture so I can milk them tonight. I think this will be easier than trying to separate then at night. And they are almost ready to start weaning and moving them outta here. But I want Sadie's kid to be well. I might just keep the 3 white kids and put them in the freezer in the fall. I don't know. I have not named any of them. Abby's buck is going to a friend who will use him for a herd sire. So I have named him. Absolute Durango. Abby is actually Absolute too and somewhere on her papers I saw the name Durango, ither her dam or sire. I'll have to check again. But I thought that sounded good for a herd sire name.
And the baby chicks are following the momma around all over the place today. It looks like 1 Buff and 1 game chickie. So far. I have another hen on about 8 eggs in the garage. And I put 4 eggs under Miss Broody Buff. She's been on an empty nest for weeks now. So I put the eggs under her the 20th.
How's all your critters, Sherrye? Did you get rid of all the goats?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 12:52:58 PM
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kristin you know I was feeling around on my 13 babies today. They range from 8 weeks old to 4 day old. Some of the babies just above their brisket area, I guess the chest area they feel kinda mushy and fatty there. On mine I just think its kinda fatty and I know their is nothing wrong with them. Just a good diet of pasture, moms milk and creep feed grain. I don't know about the wheezing part but maybe he is just kinda fatty and loose their. Not all of mine felt that way either. Snackcakes baby sure is. Anyway good luck with him and hopefully the Pen will address the weezing part and he will be just fine.
Sounds like your on top of things.
Looks like your gonna have a bumper crop of chicks.
Well gotta get back to trying to clean my house. My inlaws are due in tomorrow and they alway sleep in our room so they can close the door because they hate cats. Actually they don't like the farm animals either. So I want to get that straightened up and get the couch and cots ready for us. Maybe I will just sleep in the barn with the goats and pyrenese. It will probably be more peacful........lol.
Take care.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 3:29:50 PM
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Thanks, Linda. The other kids don't feel like he does. But he plays and eats. He's a cutie. I hope you have a good weekend with your in-laws anyway. The barn sounds like a great place to sleep!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 07:30:17 AM
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Linda, I was just checking the buck and felt his throat right under his jaw and it's mushy too. So I immediately thought bottle jaw. I had enough Cydectin to give him today. I will go get some more and some Ivermec while I'm out today. I have not wormed the kids. I did 2 rounds on the does though. Shoot. So now I hope I haven't waited to long to save him.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 07:54:57 AM
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kris what is bottle jaw?
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 08:19:16 AM
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I'm not exactly sure . I do know that it's when they have an overload of worms and they are congregated in the throat-neck area under the jaw or at the jaw. It's very noticable. Right under the jaw is swollen and puffy and mushy. They are usually pretty lethargic and weak. I had a doe last year that had it. At first I thought she had gotten stung by a bee and was swollen. My friend, goat mentor, said no it's more than likely bottle jaw. hurry up and worm her heavy or she could die. I wormed her that night then again in the morning. By then it had gone down. I wormed her twice a day alternating the worm meds. I used Cydectin, Ivermectin and Valbazon. I then had to worm her kids too. Plus every other goat. I had a very bad worm year last year. I had 20 goats too. I only have 10 right now. I am going to sell all the kids and 2 does. So I will only have 2 does then. I hope this helps. I also looked online and saw some pictures. It's horrible. So anytime I see that now I panic. I will worm him again tonight and twice a day for the next few days. Also I will worm the other kids.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 1:03:54 PM
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| thank you for the replies Kristin and Sherrye. I apologize for the delay in writing back but my health keeps me fom the puter alot *sigh*. I know i need to get the babies off but until the weather started warming up it wasnt really an option. She gets plenty of hay (any ideas on how to keep them from wasting so much of it???) and plenty of sweet feed wich is probably why the babies are fat little piggies (they get grain also) We are going to order a self contained milker this week. Its a rebuild and i hope its a good one! We are also taking her to be bred on sunday and the folks who are keeping her for that time (i have no clue when she comes in heat! lol) are going to hand milk her so will be "killing two birds with one stone" so to speak. I dread listening to the babies cry for her *sigh* their pen is right outside my bedroom window.The 2 babies will not be bred until at least october. They will be 1 yr in november. We are hoping to have a better set up by this next fall but right now they are housed in 2 big plywood packing crates (like movers use)and until temps were above 20 below i kept a heat lamp on them. This winter with heat lamps on the goats, hens, and roosters, a heater in the cows water tank and having to plug the cars in to heat the oil and transmissions our last electric bill was almsot $300!! Hopefully we will have a small barn built by fall that we can put a small barrel stove (wood heat) in and save so much in electric! i will keep you posted on how the milking goes as i can. The next biggie will be convincing the cow that we are NOT going to hurt her by letting us touch her halter! she is fine once cought but lordie catching her takes HOURS to DAYS! Hubby is going to build a stanchion for her on his next 7 days off and she will only get here grain there but when we tried doing that with a small catch pen and she just refused to go in and eat her grain!! Wish us luck!! peace connie in alaska |
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miss kris
True Blue Farmgirl
118 Posts
kris
mi
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 1:20:50 PM
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It has been fun reading all the messages. I got goats because my husband is a milk drinker and store bought milk is bad for people. But wanted to wait until I wasn't working outside the home full time. I grow up on a goat farm but never was involved in a first time freshen. We have 2 grown goats, one is an older Togg (Nanny)and the other her daughter(Nibs)who is half Togg and half Alpine. Both are nice goats. I only want to milk one goat at a time so bred Nibs for her first time. I had hoped to dry up Nanny and bred her next year drying up Nibs.
Milking a first time doe has been something. So far, it isn't going so good. It is a blessing to have this site to hear and talk to other people who have done that and willing to help. |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 1:46:05 PM
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Kris, so glad you are joining in! These ladies are very helpful! I agree with what you said about milking a first timer. lol I am milking a first timer right now and she has such tiny teets. lol But is has been fun.
Hugs!
Channah
Farmgirl sister #1219
Just a small town country girl trying to live her dreams. :) |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2010 : 05:21:14 AM
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Connie, I sure hope ya'll get the barn done and a milking stanchion for the cow and goat. That helps so much to have a stanchion. They get into a routine then. And it's so much better for your back! I have a milk room where I have 3 stanchions. I only feed the goats when they are in them to be milked. I also use the room to do other things like worm and trim feet and udders. Give shots. Also has a refridgerator for milk and eggs and meds that need to be kept cold. And some hay which can get messy but it's there. So it really helps to have a room like that. I hope you can get the cow trained. You should be working with her now every day and get her trained to a stanchion or til it's built a place where she knows she will go to eat and be milked. They are so much creatures of habit and do not like change.
Kris, That's kind of what I wanted to do too but I like having a 2 month break. During that time I have a friend with Jerseys and I get milk from her. And it's usually in Feb. and March so that's nice not to have to get out early in the cold.
Channah, how's the little ones? I can't believe how much Esther looks just like my Sandy. And the black buck looks just like one of hers.
I just wormed all 6 bucklings this morning. I herded them all into the milk room with their moms and did it there. I am so worried about Sadie's buck. His neck still feels a little squishy but nat as much as yesterday. I used Cydectin yesterday and Valbazon on all of them this morning. I will use Ivermectin in 2 weeks but will dose Sadie's buck again tomorrow with it. I hate using such strong worm meds but they do the trick fast.
It rained during the night, a gentle rain. I am so glad. I was done planting so was hoping for some rain. But we could have some pretty severe weather later today. I just don't want the garden to flood like it did last year. I hope all you in the path of this storm are ok.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep) |
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All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)
