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Barnyard Buddies:  All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)  |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 22 2011 : 08:29:17 AM
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hey angie, i am the opposite. i require 12 hours to not be sick. i wish i could stay up and have longer days. so i would say i need boys. betty boop is hopefully getting closer to kidding. no date so its a surprise. i took care of my mom for 10 years in our home. big job filled with a lot of love lessons. you are a fine farmgirl for helping the folks. its a good thing.kris i am glad you are ok from your crash deal. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2011 : 07:32:18 AM
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Het ladies... I need advice. I moved my does to another stall, they are due in a little over a month and the weather is really cold here. Like -10 to -15 overnight and highs in the single digits during the day[wind chill]. So I moved them into a stall that I can close up, I put in a heat lamp and now they wont eat. They also have heated water at all times. They are all eating hay! Could this be because they cant see or really hear the "boys" where they are? Is is from the cold? I am not sure what to do!? I know what to do for not drinking. But not eating is scaring me. Please help with this.
Sherrye- I already have my MIL, living in our main living space. SHe has been with us for 4 years. I also adopted my SIL, she is the one I now refer to as my oldest DD. We really only use one room in our basement so it is no big deal to move them in as for space. But we are going to live with other challenges. I am really exhausted. But we all communicate good so I hope we can make it thru all of this.
Kris- I have not seen a post from you since the accident, are you ok?
ok, got to, we are working on the basement and cleaning. I hate doing it on Sunday, but we need to get everything organized and done.
Stay warm and Dry!!!
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2011 : 2:40:07 PM
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Angie, I am fine. Thanks. Sounds like you are busy. that's so good of you to have your parents there.
And about your goats, they might not be used to being penned up. Especially all together. And all pregnant too. Wow, lots of hormones going on right now. And did you say they WERE eating hay? I think as long as they are eating hay they should be good. And if you watched them I bet there is one who is the "queen" and eats all the grain. I have 2 does and Abby is the pig goat. If I am not right there she knocks Sandy out of the way. I only feed grain on the stanchions or Abby would get it all.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2011 : 01:06:43 AM
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Kristen- They are eating hay and drinking well. So I was not as worried, but I Did want them to eat the grain. Tango, The older doe is queen. I tie her to the side of the stall wall. Feed everyone and when she is done I un tie her. This stops any pigness!The are use to a barn with an open stall and a small paddock to roam freely. So I did think of this, so I propped the stall they are in open, but tied it enough that the horse can't push it open and push them around. She is very pushy with goats. And now they ate dinner lastnight. I hope this will do it. Thanks for the advice. I am going to worry until we have our five babies out and running around! And of course then I'll worry about the kids! Oh and I am glad you are fine.
Well, now we are moving right along... I had to move the two DD together, so MIL could have the front bedroom, so my DS could have the end bedroom, so the basement bedroom will be empty. Man is this allowing some purging to go on. I am going to have a personal property auction in the spring. Between all of our houses, it is just too much. Well enough of this on that.
Stay warm and dry.
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2011 : 11:29:49 AM
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Angie you said your does were not eating grain. Locking them up will upset the does for sure. During the later part of their pregnancy you need to be careful of ketosis. Sometimes when does stop eating this could be the reason and also worms. Check their eye membranes and make sure they are pink. You might also let them stay out in the main barn during the day and only lock them up at night.... just a thought. I hope they are okay and just the change has them off.
We have been really cold here also and it snowed a bunch again. Two nights ago we were at minus 7 degrees. I ended up going out about 10.00 that evening and gave them more hay because they were so cold. The weather this winter has been rougher on the animals and me. I even had a little bit of frostbite on my nose. I didn't realize it until that evening. Now its peeling.
Crazy winter here for Ohio.I live on a hill and driving and bringing hay has been challenging and sometimes outright dangerous. I managed to get out and get hay this past Saturday and almost didn't get up the hill again. But I made it and the girls are set for another month.
Angie do you have a grade B dairy? Would love to come out that way this summer. Will have to see how far you are from me and see if I can get away again. I sure would love to check it out.
Kristin glad you are okay. Also praying for lots of doe kids. My girls are starting to really get big.... I am afraid some of them will have trips and quads again. I hope not because them I will be bottling again. I know the new ones I get will have to be bottled but don't want to do anymore. The kid replacer really was expensive last year.
Sherrye you need to go to Kristin if she has a bunch of boys this year and trade her for some does.....lol.
well I'm outta here for now.
Keep warm and safe everyone.
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 - Jan 24 2011 : 3:45:58 PM
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Good idea, Linda. Hadn't thought about trading for does. It sounds like you are freezing up there. I was just reading Jenna W blog, coldantlerfarm. She's in NY state. -23 the past several days. SHe had some chickens died last night because they went back outside after dark. And a rabbit not doing too good. Her pipes are frozen and her truck wouldn't start. Poor girl. And all by herself on this 6 acre farm. I feel for her. Then my hubby just called. He was talking to his friend and he had heard we are in for a heck of a blizzard in Feb. Worse than the one we had in the early 90's. I didn't want to hear that. I did hear that the winters are going to be getting colder and colder and summers hotter and hotter.
Linda, did you get your bucks already? I wish you could post pictures of them. I'd love to see them.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 01:08:39 AM
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Linda- the vet was here last week, she said tehy were all of perfect health, She did fecals and they had the fewest worms she has seen in years!!! She took fresh fecal from boys and girls and in all of it she found three eggs!They are eating now. I think it was being locked up. I have it rigged so they can get in the stall and the horse and llama can't. My horse is very pushy with goats. I plan on locking them up at night if it gets worse. I just want them to be warm.
I have no graded farm yet. I am just begining, so right now it is all about how to grow my heard. I wish to someday be a graded farm. Since i love in Amish country we have a lot of grade B farms around here.
Any way thanks for the info. and suggestions.
Stay warm and dry.
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 06:47:47 AM
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Well the really cold weather is gone for now and its hovering around 36 degrees in the daytime. Walking out to the barns this morning was like a skating rink on hills. I had to put sandpaper around my shoes and tape them to keep from wiping out. I don't like the dreary grey skies and drizzle but at least the girls aren't freezing. My chickens finally left their barnyard area and have ventured out to the goat barn area.
Kristin I will not be getting the bucks until the beginning of April. The does that I chose from start kidding later in Febuary. So I have a bit of a wait but thats okay I am still saving money to buy them. I already put a deposit on them so they are partly payed for.
So glad your girls are fine Angie. Wow those fecals were fantastic !! What kind of a worming program are you using if you don't mind sharing?
I would love to have a graded dairy but financially I don't think it will ever happen. The place I live on is so hilly and not much flat space. Having a barn with water and sinks and all the stuff that goes with it would be a physical feat in itself not to mention the money. But I do dream about it often.
When we bought this place 19 years ago my husband thought is was so pretty but didn't think about what the hills would be like to deal with down the road. Everything we do is hard because of the hills. If I had it to do over again we would have never moved here. I wish we had the money to move. As we have gotten older its been getting so much harder to keep up.I use to have cows, sheep, and a horse but the steep hills made it very dangerous to put out hay rolls and after the tractor almost ran over me several times( because I had to jump off) I knew I had to sell them. Now I just have the goats, chickens, pyrenese, and of course the rescue dog and my 8 cats. I am still very grateful that I can have the goats and chickens because of the wonderful milk and eggs. But mostly because I just love to be around them. They are truly special.We are also lucky to have land and a home when so many people are losing them so I really shouldn't complain. We really are blessed. Well enough rambling.
Well I need to get I have end of the month bills to make out and get to the mailbox.
Stay warm and safe.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 07:41:34 AM
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I just got a call and all the blood work on my goats came out perfect. We are CAE negative! WOO HOO!!
I am so relieved!
I cleaned pens and spread fresh straw, cleaned all buckets and spread old straw in the chicken pens. That is my way to spread it out and keep chcikens warm and dry. Most the time they eat it too!
My worming program is ...
First and I think foremost I clean up manure like weekly. Winter does make this harder, but spring I clean it all well. I compost all manure. I use a rotating "pasture" and lot method. So like one day bucks stay in their "pens", while horse and llama get the big lot and the girls and kids get the up front lot. Then the next day the horse and llama get the big lot with the girls and the bucke get the up front lot.Then I go a day that no body is on pasture, just feed lots and pens. I just keep doing this.
There is two reasons I do this. All of these animals eat differently allowing my little bit of land a break. Second by the different animal feces, my cleaning up and the differnt worms from each it keeps reinfestation less likly.
The other thing is the horse, llama and pig are on a rotating worming schedule. My goats get Goat worming pellets for four weeks every summer and winter. They also get pour on every spring and fall.
I also dust with DE, and lime weekly in spring and wet summer. I dust with ash in fall and winter. I also work hard on my fly and mosquito repelent methods. I think the best thing is orange,lavendar and citronella oils in a spray bottle with warm water and garlic is a great help. There are no lights on at night spring,summer or fall. I use to have lights on. But learned this actually attracts bugs ie, june flies,bettles,mosquitos and so on. I have a big sucker in the barn also. It is a lighted fan with a vacum, they get close they get gone!
That is all I do. I don't know what helps or what works but that is what I do.
Stay warm and dry!
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 09:11:38 AM
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I milked this morning after not for 3 days. I got about a pint. They are just drying up. I sure hope they are pregnant. The girl who's buck I had borrowed called and said she's pretty sure 3 of her does are pregnant so far. Sandy sure looks like she is. Abby not so much. Which is ok. She's almost 9. But she has the best milk. I will miss that. So I guess it's back to cow milk from my friend til I get babies in a few months.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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lsarah
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Lori
Greenwood
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 10:29:41 AM
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Hello everyone! My name is Lori and I live in Arkansas. We just got our first two dairy heifers Sunday afternoon and I am excited!
.JPG)
The one on the left is Elsie and she is Jersey/Milking Shorthorn and the one on the right is, of course, Jersey, and her name is Daisy.
We have raised cattle for-ever and we also have hair sheep, mini donkeys, wool sheep, and crossbreed goats (not dairy - just amusement!) I know it will be a while before we are able to start milking, but I am trying to learn while I have plenty of time!
She works with eager hands...Proverbs 31:13
http://www.sarahkatefibers.etsy.com
www.sarahkatefibers.blogspot.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 3:24:37 PM
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Hi Lori. Your girls are so pretty. And I love their names. How old are they? They look like fine dairy calves and I am sure they will grow up to great milkers. Have you seen their mothers?
Angie, looks like you have a great routine and it's working for you. Keep it up. And yay! on the CAE free!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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lsarah
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Lori
Greenwood
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 4:28:45 PM
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Well, thank you! I am mighty proud of them. Yes, we did see their mothers. These are 7 months old. They came from a small 40 cow dairy, and I thought the peaceful, quiet man we bought them from got a little misty eyed when we loaded them up. It was sweet. He told them "Bye Babies" which was about 2 of the maybe 15 words he said the whole time we were there.
I sat down one day and figured up how much I was spending on milk and butter for my family and told my cattleman husband, and we quickly realized that it would cost less to feed dairy cows than to continue to purchase dairy items. Not to mention how much stuff I don't make because it would take up most of what is left of a gallon of milk, etc.
~Lori
She works with eager hands...Proverbs 31:13
http://www.sarahkatefibers.etsy.com
www.sarahkatefibers.blogspot.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2011 : 6:36:57 PM
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oh lori, you should be mighty proud. how fun. 2 milkers. you will have lots of fun training them too. are they halter trained yet? i have a white park i am going to train to milk. she wants to be friends. she was pasture raised. so it will take a little more work. she is cute too. i just love calves and cows. i wish we were cae clear. i was VERY disappointed to find betty boop cae. i will pull her babies if they are girls. i have my bottles nipples and real colostrum. she is getting closer i think. i so hope she has boys. i do make cheese butter sour cream cultured buttermilk ice cream and of course MILK LOL love my milk and my belle. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2011 : 02:44:05 AM
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Welcome Lori, those calves are adorable! I love cow too!
Sherrye, I am so glad we are CAE free too! I was scared. Tango, my four year old doe was a little bit of a rescue, so I feared the results. I asked my vet about pulling the kids if I had a positive. She feels it makes no difference. She feels there is a 50/50 chance no mater what you do. She also said If you want to test for CAE wait till the kids are weaned and have been for a month or two. This is when the test is more acurate. I know this is all debatable. Just thought I would share her thoughts.
When my vet called, I talked to her about all my goats not eating well. She feels it maybe a thing with the food. Like maybe the food is not fresh or has an issue. So I washed all the feed containers in the dishwasher, got fresh new food [we were almost out anyway]and the girls finished theirs lastnight. I think maybe it was something with the food.
As you all know our goats are kin. They can smell things we can't and as she reminded me, they are good at sorting food unlike some of the other farm animals!
Well busy day!
Stay warm and dry!
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
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Edited by - amomfly on Jan 26 2011 02:54:06 AM |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2011 : 05:22:27 AM
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Angie sounds like a good program and its definately working for you. So glad your does are CAE free. My friend years ago ended up with some positives and they were her favorite does. She kept them anyway because she could not part with them. She just handles things different with them.
I have tested negative for CAE and Johne's over 18 years now and hope to stay that way.
Sherrye if she has does I would pull them too because it might work and you have nothing to lose. My friend has had about an 80 percent success rate so far. Goodluck to you on them.
Lore what cuties! When they start milking you will be swimming in milk for sure. I wish someone lived close to me so I could get fresh cow milk when the goats are dry. I love making butter with the cream.
Well woke up this morning to snow again. I guess that little break is gone. My girls are never going to leave the barn at this rate. I hear them singing through the baby monitor this morning. The preggers seem to sing the loudest.I love to hear nubians sing its like music.
Everyone have a good day......I'm off to do chores.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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lsarah
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Lori
Greenwood
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2011 : 09:39:32 AM
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Angie, Sandy is a very picky goat. She will NOT eat a pellet and will pick through the feed and leave them if there are any. I always wondered how she did it. And they are very particular about their hay too. There are only a few places I can get hay that they will eat.
I woke up to some snow flurries here too this morning. But it didn't last long, thankfully. It's windy and really cold though. I hope you all stay nice and warm today.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2011 : 09:45:44 AM
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Lori, I didn't see your question. CAE is Caprine Arthritis Ensephelitis, not sur ehow to spell that last word. But it affects their joints. I really don't know a whole lot about it. But both the does I have kept are positive. I have no idea how they got it either. Abby was a show goat and I got her from a vet. She was CAE negative when I got her. I got Sandy along with her mother and brother when they were just a few days old. All my other goats tested negative. Maybe it was a fulty test, I don't know. But I have never worried about it. Abby is almost 9 and she is fine. I have never noticed her limping. She is the alpha doe still. I only ever pulled kids the first year I had goats. I said I would NEVER do that ever again. Way too much work and I think the kids are so much healthier nursing their mothers theirselves. Just my opinion. I hope others will tell you more about it. I don't think cows get this.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2011 : 02:51:24 AM
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Ok here is what I looked up and now, this is from goat world...
Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) is a retroviral infection of goats which may lead to chronic disease of the joints and on rare occasions encephalitis in goat kids less than six months of age. The CAE virus is intimately associated with white blood cells; therefore, any body secretions which contain white blood cells are potential sources of virus to other goats in the herd. Since not all goats that become infected with CAE virus progress to disease, it is important to test goats routinely for infection by means of a serology test which detects viral antibodies in the serum.
What are the major means of spread of the virus?
The CAE virus is primarily transmitted to kids via colostrum in the first few feedings after birth. Blood (e.g., contaminated instruments, open wounds, etc.) is regarded as the second most common way of spread. Contact transmission between adult goats is considered to be rare except during lactation.
What does a positive or negative mean?
A positive result means the goat has been infected with the CAE virus and has made antibodies reactive with the CAE antigens used in this test. This goat is regarded as potentially contagious for the virus, especially if lactating. The antibody against CAE is not a protective antibody, and although strong antibody reactions may be detected in this test, infectious virus can still be spread in milk and blood of this goat. As many as 90% of positive goats may be free of clinical signs of the disease, and remain so for years or life. A young goat which has received heat-treated colostrum containing CAE antibodies may also test positive for several months because of passive transfer of maternal antibodies. We recommend retesting these kids between six and nine months of age to determine their true status. A negative result means that this goat is either not infected, or has been recently infected and is producing amounts of antibody too low to be detected. While the latter case does not appear to be common, it is a good reason to retest all negative goats when not in a closed herd. Goats that are negative should be periodically tested (twice a year for the 1st year, and annually thereafter). Predictability (or reliability) of a test result is often used to assess the overall accuracy. For the CAE cELISA, the predictability of positive and negative test results is very high.
How often should I test my animals?
Twice a year initially followed by annual testing is suggested for herds which are primarily negative, with testing before kidding recommended. Any new animals brought into the herd should be quarantined and tested twice (at least 30 days apart) before introduction with other negative animals. In addition to CAE infection, new goats should be tested for Johne’s disease, and Brucellosis as a biosecurity check. For herds with both positive and negative animals, negative animals should be tested more often to adjust the milking order so that negative animals are milked first.
That is not everything, so check it out. This is a goat disease.
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2011 : 05:47:32 AM
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thanks angie, this is very helpful. betty boop tested positive. she is due soon. she is going to surprise me. is i can i will pull the babies if they are does. if boys we butcher anyway. this is very helpful. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2011 : 06:09:40 AM
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Thanks Angie. Very good info.
I have not milked in several days because they haven't had much. So this morning I milked and Sandy had a few squirts that the cats got. Then Abby was like she had shut the factory down for the winter. I had to pull and squeeze and finally got about a pint from her. The pigs got that and man were they some happy porkers. Yum.
It's a beautiful day here. I need to go out and rake up all the wasted hay from a round bale from last year that's out in the front pasture. I noticed that it's all spread out from the chickens and smothering the grass out there. And I want to get some sheep and put out there soon. So I need to get to work.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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lsarah
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Lori
Greenwood
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2011 : 06:19:44 AM
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Thank you for the info! So much to learn.
The little girls are getting used to us. The Jersey is letting me pet and rub all over when she eats, and will come up an sniff of me and "taste" my fingers and chew on my sleeve when I come in the pasture. The black one only lets me touch her when she is eating, but even then I only get away with it if she doesn't realize what is going on. They are so sweet. I can already tell we will be great friends. I have only had 2 other cows in 20 years that I have enjoyed this much.
ps - We changed the black one's name from Elsie to Sylvie. The kids could not remember Elsie for some reason.
~Lori
She works with eager hands...Proverbs 31:13
http://www.sarahkatefibers.etsy.com
www.sarahkatefibers.blogspot.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2011 : 07:33:04 AM
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i bet your having a blast. to have kids to join in with you is such a treat. yipee oh kris no milk. i know your friend has a jersey to help get you by. so your getting sheep. do you like the meat or are you going to do fiber? happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2011 : 07:29:04 AM
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I have been reading and tryinh to prepare for the big kidding event that will begin in a month or so. Any suggestions from all of you?
I am getting supplies together, and reading and rereading!
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep) |
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All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)
