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Barnyard Buddies:  All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)  |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 12 2011 : 8:06:24 PM
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Hi Kris,it's getting alot colder around here too,we had our pipes freeze and had a break in one of them so we've got that fixed and hopefully better insulated for the next nasty cold snap.
I bred all my does in October and then in November they missed thier heat cycles so I assumed them to be bred but I turned in the buck with them because I sold his brother and didn't want him to be lonely so I put him in with the does and figure it's extra insurance in case they did miss.
My bucks were also looking a bit slight in weight so I'm feeding up my remaining buck,he also had urinary calculi earlier in the month so I think that he lost a little weight from stress.
Some of the better bucks lose a little condition in the winter anyways since they have other things "on thier mind" so to speak and this little buck,he was all about breeding does but now he's coming out of rut and starting to gain and grow a bit,he's still pretty young.
I sold my two Nigerian Dwarf does today,hard to see them go but I didn't really need them and am trying to reduce the feed bill and also just focus on raising Nubians,one of the does I was real attached too but she got a good home so I can do without her but it's hard to see them go sometimes.
Sounds like you're going to have a busy household for the holidays,it sounds wonderful Kris,I'm sure you'll all have a great visit!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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BC girl
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Rose
Duncan
BC
Canada
6 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2011 : 10:03:49 PM
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Hi everyone out there, have been enjoying reading you daily goat stories !!......its been cold and dry here for a few weeks now, about -7 in the early morn (thats celsius here), so not much thaws out during the day, lots of water hauling to animals.
...My two young does are getting close to a year old, and I have a tog buck lined up for one in January, and the other doe, she is alot smaller ( she is a tog, saanen mix), I am thinking about breeding her to a Nigerian Dwarf. She is fairly small for her breed. Has anyone out there bred regular tog crosses to Nigerian Dw, is it an ok thing to do? I am hoping for smaller babies, and it to be easier on her for breeding and birthing.......how do the babies turn out, I thought they might make a good mix for pets for the size, but still be pretty good milk producers............would love to hear from anyone who has crossed Nigerian with standard milking goats. .........thanks, Rose |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2011 : 1:02:17 PM
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Hi Rose,it's nice to meet you here,I have never seen a Saanen/Toggenburg cross,I bet they're pretty and from everything I know of Toggenburgs and Saanens they are both good producers so maybe you might have some real good milkers when they freshen.
I have seen alot of Nigerian Dwarf crosses with standard breeds,mostly Nubian and LaMancha and they all turned out very cute and as nice goats,it all depends on what you want for your herd.
I wouldn't be too concerned about your smaller does size,alot of people hold them over or are nervous about breeding them because they look so small but I routinely breed does at eight months as long as they've made a minimum weight of eighty pounds and they continue to grow throughout thier pregnancy and kid just fine,I agree that they do look small and it seems like they're too young but goats are remarkable in thier reproductive capabilities and their maturation rates!
As long as you pay good attention to a proper diet before and during pregnancy your smaller doe could be bred to the Toggenburg buck you have lined out and will be just fine to kid standard sized babies in the Spring but if you really want some miniSaanenburgs (I was trying to be creative there) then breeding them to a Nigerian buck would probably produce some nice kids too if you like to experiment.
The more you diversify and mix breeds though the less marketable the offspring are though so keep that in mind if you plan on selling any offspring but if they are just for your own personal enjoyment and you like to try new things then I would say go ahead with your idea though if your only concern is to have smaller babies to prevent kidding issues I really wouldn't worry about that at all,the goat books go on and on about kidding problems and really nerve alot of goat owners but they are relatively uncommon and oftentimes we worry overly just to have these little kids pop out just fine!
Let us know what you decide to do with breeding your does.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2011 : 06:46:19 AM
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Hi rose welcome to the forum. How is everyone doing? Its raining here today and believe it or not its going to be 60 degrees today. Several days ago we were down in the teens at night. Now it feels like spring not winter.There's suppose to be a cold front moving in and it will be cold again.I hope it snows a little for Christmas. I have the tree up finally and plan to make a few cookies.
I am pretty sure my 5 does that were bred have taken. They are starting to look pregnant especially the ones that are due the end of Febuary.Three of the does will be first timers. I used the 2 new young bucks from Kansas that were bought earlier this year. Those 2 boys are starting to calm down just a little bit. They sure do stink.......I hope they stand out in the rain a little bit today and maybe rinse themselves off. They probably won't but it sure would be nice.
I wormed all 15 of the goats the past 2 days and put collars on the ones who broke or lost theirs or are finally big enough to have one on. I use the breakaway from Hoeggers. The preggers got safeguard and herbal wormer. The rest were wormed with Valbazen this time. I am getting ready to go to the feed mill to pick up a load of my winter feed mixture. Its different from the spring and summer mixture. It has alot of different stuff in it. Rolled corn, oats,steam rolled barley,natural dairy pellets but less of this for winter,flax meal,distillers grain,black oilers,millo, alfafa pellets , yeast, ADE,zimpo 40 (zinc) and molassas. Its about a 14 to 15 percent protein and they seem to really like it. I started mixing my goat feed in with the chicken crumble and they really like it. I am actually getting eggs this time of year.Not alot but 5 or 6 a day. I know my oldster chickens probably don't lay anymore. Some of are now 12 years old. I just lost one of the old ones the other day. She ate her treats with the rest and died a few hours later. She was a pretty hen a partridge chantacleer.
The doe Luna I am treating for mastitis is looking better. I have 5 days left of a 20 day antibiotics treatment. Her udder feels pretty normal. I guess when she freshens I will then know how much damage she incured. I have never had a case of mastitis come on so fast and hard like this did. It was very scary.
Sherry I know you are still fighting with your cow. My doe is getting a sulfamethazone type pill twice a day for over a long period of time. I was wondering if your vet had put her on that yet or not.Hope you can get her better.
I will have a house full x-mas day. I will have a total of 15 family members. I am pulling my hair out because they all live in the city and not use to manure or mudd.Its not like its around my house or gross but my barn is not far from my house. I live so different from them and sometimes some of them have that look on their faces when they look around outside at the animals.A few of them always say why do you have so many goats and chickens I don't understand it. I always reply back....I really love having them and I like the fresh eggs and milk. They make the comment why don't you just buy it at the store.A few of them understand me and are fine with it. My mother is the worste offender.She doesn't like my lifestyle at all and tells me just about everytime we talk. Twenty years is a long time to here that. You would think she would tire of it. But I am not changing unless circumstances make me. I am quite a peace in the country with my animals and family.I will shut my mouth sorry for the venting.
Hopefully they will enjoy the food and not pick to much. The kids always enjoy the farm and I always take them to see the girls.That makes it worth while.
Everyone take care and stay warm.
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 - Dec 15 2011 : 07:03:58 AM
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Hey Linda. I know what you mean about your place. The other night we went to my granddaughter's band concert in Trenton, over the mountain. It was SO noisy there. The church was on the main road and cars zipping by and trains going through. Horns honking and people yelling. I was so ready to egt back to the country! Peace and quiet. Well, til I get in the house because of all the animals talking to me. But after they are all fed and happy, it's total peace and quiet. I don't get people who don't like the country. Sounds like you have been busy there. It's been warm here to this week. No heat on here!! It's supposed to rain later today or tonight and some off and on tomorrow. I hope you get your goat cleared up. You have had a time with that one. Good luck!
Well, the bucks are going down the road but the guy has to make some more shelter for them. He has the 2 does and 3 wethers there with just a very small shelter. I told him he could bring the does here with the bucks but he said he would just do a cattle panel with tarp over it for them. That's fine. And it will give me a break from them for 6 weeks at least. I still haven't paid for John Henry yet. Darn, I need to send her some money soon.
Kathryn, I just read where you had some frozen pipes there. I hope you got them all insulated. I really don't think we are going to have many freezes here this winter. I am ok with that! We're going to be more wetter than freezing. I do think I'd rather have the ground frozen than muddy.
Rose, I don't know about NDs but when you breed a Nubain with a Pygmy you get a Kinder goat. They are mid sized and really nice goats. I had a Pygmy buck once and a friend used him with her Nubian doe and she had twin kids. They were so pretty.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2011 : 08:50:36 AM
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Has anyone of you farmgirls every used Milo(sorgum grain) in their feed mixture.I have been doing some research on it and they say its about the same as corn except milo is a little higher in fat and protein but a little lower in vitamin A. I wonder if this would be better in a grain mixture instead of the corn or would it better to use both.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2011 : 3:42:20 PM
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Linda,I feed milo mixed with corn,oats and barley to my goats and they seem to do well on my mixture,I haven't had any problems,they seem to do better on it than just the cob alone,I don't know if that helps you.
I know what you mean about people looking down on all the animals,I get that occasionally along with the nosy or veiled critical questions,I've been telling people for a long time that if they can't tell the difference between a home grown tomato or a farm fresh egg versus the ones purchased in the grocery store then they're just as well off purchasing them at the grocery store and I'll remain quite content raising my own.
People are so removed from farm life anymore,used to be that even most city people had memories of their grandparent's farm but now few people have that farming family background and thier only experiences with animals are in relation to them as pets so it's real hard to break through that,I try occasionally to break through the veil but with people who are just poking fun or looking for reasons to confirm thier already skewed perceptions I don't bother with them.
Anyways,I had an interesting goaty experience today,a lady came and brought her two Alpine/Nubian does to be bred to my buck,we had been at this for a couple months trying to get these two does bred but she's new to this and kept missing thier heat cycles until they were no longer interested,well today she brought them for the third time and they were both madly in love with my buck right off the bat so I turned him out,he right away bred one doe and as he was romancing the other one,who was a bit more nervous,the lady squatted down next to her doe,petting on her just as my buck let loose and sprayed her like a firehose with rank buck urine,she had it in her hair and running down her back,I saw it coming but didn't have time to warn her.
She was quite disgusted,I was trying hard to keep a straight face but when I was filling out the service memo and collecting the agreed upon fee she was semi-complaining about the price of breeding service but that she couldn't find it any cheaper or closer so she went with me because the "other lady" she talked to wanted $50 per doe and I was charging $40 per doe,I kind of thought that was a little nervy to say so I quipped "well,the urine spraying is a free bonus service I offer,I won't charge you for that",smiled at her real big and handed her the service memo.
Oh and I was nicer yet,I gave her a trash bag to put over her car seat for the ride home!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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MamaBulla
True Blue Farmgirl
209 Posts
Kris
Midland
NC
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2011 : 7:41:52 PM
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Oh, Kathryn!!! You're goat story has me cracking up!
So sorry I haven't posted in a while. We FINALLY closed on our house and have been moving from our friend's house into the new house and trying to get settled in. Penelope the baby goat is doing amazingly well! I was honestly getting worried about her and how little of the bottle she had been taking, and then all of a sudden... Whammo! She finally found her appetite yesterday and actually finished 3 bottles yesterday and again today. Woo-hoo!
The farmer I got her from gave me a bunch of colostrum from another doe and suggested I mix it in with her regular milk replacer to give her some extra health benefits, but I haven't done that yet. It's still in the fridge... I may start mixing that in tomorrow, but there's a part of me that's thinking, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," now that she's finally getting the hang of things. He still hasn't had any more doe kids born yet, but I'm the first one on his list when it happens. For now, Penelope is enjoying the luxury of being a house goat. If only she could be potty trained! We're pretty good about getting her outside right after she comes out of her kennel and after her feedings, but I'm sure a good carpet cleaning is in our near future. LOL
Once the inside of the house is somewhat organized (POD comes Saturday with all of our stuff from Florida), I'll need to get my butt outside and start prepping an area to become the goat yard. We're on almost 2 acres, most of which is wooded. Folks before us must have kept something because there's some old fencing that we may be able repurpose for the goats, and there's a bunch of old, rusty barb wire that I need to cut back and dispose of. I've got my work cut out for me, but I'm really looking forward to spending the time outside and seeing the progress that will be made.
Linda, good luck to you on Christmas! And good for you for continuing to live the dream even when some of those closest to you just don't get it. (( hugs ))
Kris B.
Kris B.
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Farmgirl Sister #3679
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BC girl
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Rose
Duncan
BC
Canada
6 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2011 : 10:44:20 PM
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Thank you Kathryn for your thoughts on crossing my doe to a Nigerian Dwarf. The tog buck I have lined up for my other young doe ( tog/alpine cross:Poppy ) is great for her........ But my little tog/saanen cross doe ( Star) is related to him, its her grampa. And Star's mom and dad are siblings that BOTH came from this buck.......so really dont want to use Mr buck for breeding Star. I thought it might make a nice cross with a ND, not sure if I will hang onto the offspring if they happen, or sell them. Alot of people here also just have goats as pets, so a medium sized goat kid might appeal to them, but still milkable if they like. She isnt a year old till early march, and was trying to wait till that year before breeding her, so not sure if she will have a heat that late (in March). I've only noticed one heat in her so far and she is very quiet about it.... Where as Poppy is dead on every 21 days with her heat, bawling her head off for 3 days.......... I dont know anyone around with Dw Nigerians, except one lady with a wether, and one lady that lost 2 of hers to bear, so had to sell the rest before it happened again... Its good to hear you have seen lots of NDw crossed with standard, so they all look fine, and no problem, and with nice colours.
Thanks Kristin for getting back to me also. I've never heard of a Kinder goat!!! It prob doesn't matter if I breed Star to a Nigerian, or a pygmy, but what I have read of the two, the Nigerian is bigger, longer legged, and better for milk production. ...I guess it depends on what is available for a buck around this neck of the woods too. (alot of Nubiens here ). Kristin, where is Chickamauga (?) where you dont need heat ?!?!?....I've had the wood stove going for over
2 1/2 months now. We are warmingup a bit here, but still down to at least to freezing at nite.
Kathryn, that is halarious that your buck took aim and fired !!!.......Don't know what would be worse, that or a skunk !?!?!??!?
I've been trimming lots of Salal for my goats for treats these days, they love it. And fir boughs too !!......
Kris (from NC), your baby sounds great, in the house, that would be soooo fun !!When I got Star at just over 2 months, she was on a bottle, so was very very freindly. I really missed giving her the bottle after I weened her, but had to do it at some point. She is a very mellow goat.
bye for now, Rose
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2011 : 06:21:36 AM
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Thanks Kathryn as I laugh reading your story....you crack me up. I ordered a bag of milo and its suppose to be in next week.
My bucks have pulled off some nasty behavior when my famly had been here and the comments fly. I am use to it and I just smile and go on. Its not like I can make them stop and they are always worse when they have an audience.
Kris glad your doe is nursing so well that is such a relief. I was getting worried about her. Congrats on moving to your new mini farm. I bet your are super excited. Have fun getting your place up and running.Its a lot of hard work but its good and satifying work thats good for the soul.
Well I am off to the feed mill in Ky. Its about a 40 minute drive but this mill will mix whatever you like and they have been so good to me. I am going to take them some homemade cookies for their Christmas present and some hot cocoa. They are such a great bunch of fellas.
Take care
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2011 : 3:00:03 PM
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Hi Ladies!
I hope everyone and everyone's critters are all doing well,it's so nice to be in touch with you all and hear about all your animals and farm happenings.
Kris I am so glad to hear about your new place,it sounds lovely and your little baby sounds adorable,good to hear that she's picking up momentum with the bottle,I think the colustrum is optional,you could always freeze it for next year,I always keep a small bottle of colostrum frozen that I refreshen each year in the case that I or another goat keeper in my area might need it,it's good to have on hand.
Rose if you could locate a Nigerian buck I think they would make good babies,the Kinders are real cute too,I've seen a few of them and milked one and really liked the build they have and the quality of the milk,pygmies,Nubians and Nigerians all have high butterfat content to thier milk so the two combined make a great goat and with your Saneenburg (being creative here again) doe you might get some good producers with a good butterfat content as well by crossing them with the ND,you won't know until you try and you might get some good goats,if they're not what you want then you can trade them off and try something else.
Nubians seem to be the most widespread breed of goats,they're what I have,I had some Nigerian Dwarves too but I just traded them off to a young gal who is showing in 4-H,there's one doe I really miss and kind of regret selling but I'm trying to reduce my herd down to just breeding purebred Nubians and so I'm trying to make room for next year's kids and also cut my feed costs so I can afford a nice buck with good bloodlines from another herd located close to here.
I love the bucks and am so used to thier behavior that I hardly notice the less than decent brhavior they sometimes exhibit but I do get amused when I have visitors and they see some of this stuff for the first time and Linda,like you said,they sure like to perform for an audience!
I thought my younger buck was slowing down for the season as he was acting alot less bucky but I brought in those two does the other day and it seemed to refresh his memory so he's back to saturating himself,blubbering and chasing the does around again so I'm moving him out of the doe pen.
I'm pretty confident now that all my does are bred and that they were just having a slight false heat because it didn't last long at all,they didn't really have all the signs and they're starting to look a little bigger in thier right side which would be consistent with thier October breedings.
Well ladies,I'm going to go get some hoof trimming done on these horses while the weather is nice,my Daughter's new Arab hasn't had her feet handled much and is very jumpy about it but needs a trim so I'm going to go work with her and will check back with you all later unless I get kicked over the head or otherwise tenderized by little mare,take care!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2011 : 8:03:41 PM
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Rose, I am about 25 miles South of Chattanooga, Tn. Very North Ga. I have lived here 33 years and the winters are not usually too bad here. The last 3 years have been really cold though compared to this year so far. I have heard that we are just supposed to have a wet winter, not so much freezes or snow. This time last year we'd already had several snows and freezes and it was a mess. So I am loving this so much. Not the mud though. Where my sheep are is a mud bog right now. Very slippery. I have a lot of loose hay I need to rake up and put down on the paths. Today was warm but tonight in the low 30's. Then warm again tomorrow.
I hope to take my bucks to their new girls up the road tomorrow. My sister and family will be here next week and she will be bringing her Bull Mastif and a 3 month old Great Dane puppy. And her daughter will be bringing her very full grown pony, I mean Great Dane too. So I will let them go in the back yard when they need to go out. I will have to call the vet to see if they have doggy drugs for my poor Bubba. He will not be liking this at all. SO I hope they have something I can give him to keep him calm while they are here. Plus I have my 14 year old Sophie, a little tiny old Rat Terrier and 1 year old Stella Bella Luna, the crazy hyper Border Collie. So it will be a crazy week here at Outback Farm.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 20 2011 : 4:01:49 PM
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Hi Ladies,
I hope everyone is well and enjoying the holiday season,Kris it sounds like you've got quite the houseful of people and dogs,sounds like a good time!
It's been cold here these past couple days,we had one really nice and warm day (Saturday) then yesterday it turned cold and snowed but not near as bad in our area as it was down South of us where they had multiple wrecks and had to close the interstate going from Pueblo into New Mexico.
I was worried about it getting cold and freezing our pipes again so I crawled under the house and added more insulation,set up a heat lamp and heater and then it turned out not to get too cold.
I spent all day treating and checking on my Daughter's Arab mare who's been colicking,none of these things seems to happen when it's nice out,it's always in cold weather!
Kris did you get your bucks down the road to thier next stop?
I took a little time today to look at a buck and a doe for sale out in Yoder,a little South from us but he was real slight and the lady didn't have thier papers or any kind of health records though she advertised them as being registered and disease free,I thought I would at least go look at them though and wanted to get away from the place and worrying about that little mare for awhile.
Well,I hope all you ladies and your critters are doing well!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 07:44:26 AM
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you girls have sure been busy. i am just now gearing up for my does. i am bringing one more boer doe home. i gave her to our gkids. now with a new baby mom wants smocchie the goat and daisy gone. we took their ducks and chickens too. she is a houdini goat (smoochie). so we shall see if she will stay here. i am breeding for may babies. it works well weather wise for spring farm tours. i froze some of penelopes pasteurized milk last night. i am going to thaw and make soap. i want to find useful ways to use her milk. we are going to treat her still with the herbs and maybe even the suggestions here. i am going to breed her i think. we will see. i am bringing maudie cripple cow home. the gal decided she is too sick for cows. i am sad for her. so maudie will be bred by my little man jersey dexter bull at least i hope so. she could not handle a full size bull on her back legs. so far we have had enough work on side things to feed our stock. if penelope got well we could. her milk alone would bring 25.00 dollars a day. so heres still hanging on to hope. hoping kris is ok??? how is your ram? hoping you are all having good weather we are 9 degrees this morning. BUT clear dry and sunny so beautiful day. sending hugs love and a howdy to you all. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 11:24:49 AM
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Hi Sherrye!
I think your soapmaking is a great idea and maybe in the meantime while you do that your cow will recover,I am sure she will get better one of these days with all your good care and love and in the meantime you can make some wonderful soaps.
It is hard to keep these animals though when they have chronic issues,I try to make real practical decisions when it comes to keeping or culling because they sure take a bite out of the budget when they don't pay thier way.
My mom was upset at me for selling my Nigerian Dwarves and my excess bucks,she relates to all animals as pets even though she grew up on a farm and she'll keep the most decrepit,old non-laying hens until the dang things are about bald and falling over because she can't bear to part with anything and though I admire her dedication,it just isn't always practical and the larger the stock the more critical it becomes that they provide something for thier feed and the labor involved in caring for them.
Sometimes we just have to get creative and I think your soapmaking is just the ticket to hold onto your cow until she recovers.
Well,I'm still nursing that colicking horse and we're kind of waiting for the recent dose of banamine,water and oil to take effect and if nothing happens here soon I'm going to load her up and haul her to the vet clinic,my mobile vet has been out and he thinks that we can afford to wait on her a little longer.
Once we get to the vet clinic it is anyone's guess what will go from there but if it comes down to surgery I've made the decision to put her down and have a guy ready to come out to bury her.
It's not the cost so much (though we're fairly hard up right now) but the odds that horses have of recovering from the surgery,you can spend thousands of dollars on surgery and have a fifty percent recovery chance and then if your horse does recover thier system is compromises and as horses do they can colic again several months down the road and there you are again...
Well,the weather is nice here but supposed to get nasty again tonight.
I hope all you gals are doing well and enjoying the holiday season,nice talking with you and hearing what's going on at your places and with your animals.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 12:21:19 PM
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just to jump in since i am short on time BUT MANY a sick cow was fixed from a bumpy ride. maybe she has her stomach twisted a little. sometimes riding in a stock trailer will bump it ok again. just a thought. i just signed up for a buck brannaman work shop. i was so excited to find out they are just down the road. yipee i will be observing and learning as i go. since i have no horse LOL happy days sherrye june to july 2nd.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4262 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4262 Posts |
Posted - Dec 22 2011 : 04:37:11 AM
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Hi Everyone, Merry Christmas. Hope the horse is on the mend, Kathryn.
Not a whole lot going on here. Got to get feed today and a couple things at the grocery store. Maybe make a couple batches of some kind of goody, and call it good. Sherrye how long till you would dry up penelope? Would dry cow treating her, and letting her rest do anything? I got about 3 months left before I dry Connie up. She is down to a gallon a milking. It is her first lactation. All the critters are doing well here. Having a mild winter so far. I have some apples to give Connie for her Christmas present. My dad always gave each cow an extra scoop of grain for Christmas every year. So I kind of keep that tradition going! Everyone will get a treat.
take it easy
Michele |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 23 2011 : 2:41:25 PM
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Hey y'all. It's been a mess here latley. I just got in from hauling concrete blocks and boards out to the front lot for paths so we don't have to walk in the mud pits. It's a mess out there. I feel sorry for the sheep. So now they have permanent paths. Last week I bought 2 bales of straw and laid nice pretty paths from the gate to all 2 stalls. The chickens thought I laid all that out just for them to scratch in and they promptly went to work scratching it all over the place. Darn chickens! And also put some in the stall for the ewes and they all lay outside in the mud. I can't figure these animals out at all.
Earl the ram is getting better, slowly. I gave him the other shot of LA200 yesterday with the help of a friend. His temp was only 102 that morning so the vet said not to give him the Banamine shot. But this morning I heard him coughing as I was leaving for town. But when I got home, I went right out after I changed into my dirty farm clothes, and checked on him. He is so ready to get out of there but I want to leave him in for a few more days just to make sure. The nights are cold and then today we had some drizzly stuff. And it's so muddy all over. I don't want to take any chances and get him sick again.
I did take Tom Dooley and John Henry up the road to his "new" girls. Both these does are hard to get pregnant. Adabelle has never had kids. She's been with several bucks so far. Jessiebelle has kidded once and both died. She is really fat right now too. So I just wonder if either one will ever kid. I took both boys down there figuring one might do the job. We shall see. I'll leave them there a few months. Then Zarah and Penelope might be ready to breed when they come back.
Kathryn, how's the horse?
I hope everyone is well and that you all have a very happy Christmas.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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MamaBulla
True Blue Farmgirl
209 Posts
Kris
Midland
NC
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2011 : 4:33:15 PM
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Hi, all!
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that all animals are doing well... :o) My Penelope is doing great and is still a house goat as the farmer still doesn't have any babies. My friend's hay guy raises sheep and has a bunch of lambs due soon. I'm thinking about getting a lamb or two from him so Penelope has some herd sisters to hang with, but I have no idea how well they'll do together. I haven't really taken the time to do much research on goat/sheep co-habitation.
The weather has been pretty mild around here, but much colder than I'm used to having lived in southwest Florida for the last ten years. I think the biggest difference besides the temps is the mud. Wow! Not used to that... I'm still loving the change, though!
Kris B.
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Farmgirl Sister #3679
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2011 : 06:59:28 AM
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it surely is a busy time of year for everyone. i sure hope the horse is over the colic? then there is kris with the sick ram earl. i hope he is over his stuff too. kris i am glad penelope is doing ok. they are so sweet when raised that way. when we pick up smoochie from the kids it will be that way. we did go get my mini jersey back. they could not keep her. so i bought her back. she is a wild thing. her babies will be great though. she has the same horns as her mama did. she is open right now. i have a 1/4th mini jersey 3/4 dexter bull in the pasture. he is only 11 months. he seems unaware of sex so far. i am calling the artificial insemination guy Today. i am bringing the full size jerseys into heat now. he will use hormones. i have a A-2 white park bull across the road. my neighbor and i trade breedings. she also trades for a butcher pig each year. KRIS is it still raining where you are. we now have a big rain coming down. we are moving the pigs today way too wet for them. michele i think if i knew your dad i would sure like him. is connie open? all my cows are open. shame on me. well we are trying some. we bought a pair of white palm turkeys and another 2 rabbits. now i am looking at a pet sow. the lady wants $50.00 for her. i am pretty sure we will get her. she is 2 years. i so want piglets. well i probably wrote too much LOL hope all of you are having a happy day 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 - Dec 29 2011 : 8:41:08 PM
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Hi all. I thought I'd see what everyone's been up too. I have company and they are all in bed right now. I am tired too.
Kris, I have had sheep and goats together but they cannot eat the same feed if you grain feed them. Sheep cannot have copper at all. And they can't have the red mineral salt block either. Sheep have to have the white salt block. They can stay together if they just don't have any grain. So be very careful.
It hasn't rained in a few days. And should be dry and warm for the next 7 days. We need to dry out so bad. I am so sick of mud. Sherrye, sounds like you are adding more to your farm. I wish I could but don't have the room or the money. Hopefully I'll get some lambs and kids in the spring.
Hope y'all had a good Christmas. I am ready to get back to normal. I am going to be doing alot of cleaning and purging here in the next few weeks. Lots of junks gotta go!
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 - Dec 30 2011 : 06:09:22 AM
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hey there kris, i bet your tired. i saw where you were saying you had a house full. it is pouring rain now so its my turn we are building a new pen for the pigs. we moved the little ones over but it will not last. as the rain runs down the hill it floods the pens. so now i am buying another sow. yes i am LOL well we make money on pork. we feed free produce and sometimes free barley.plus the beef trim soup cooked daily for all them guys. i was going to keep one of my butcher girls. challenge is she just is too small/ we plan to sell some of the heifers also. i will not keep every one. well unless we do a share herd A-2 dairy. if we do we would be at least a year out. since no one is pregnant yet. papa and i think it is the future. folks want and will need real food. i just watched a movie called homo-toxic. very enlightening. Jehovah says in the bible He will bring to ruin those ruining the earth. the earth is sure getting ruined. so by having pairs of each animal i can try to get my own. those darn weaner pigs go for $150.00 here. i think fair pigs in spring should be affordable to all kids. i hate the rich can buy the best. oh my is it raining now. i think i will run out and see where every one is sleeping. i am looking for a boer buck too. i wish you lived closer so wondering too if KRIS has a new baby goat yet? i saw you were still waiting. wish we could see a pic of your kid. i think its a good idea to get penelope a buddy of any type she can only be sweet so she would love it. what a fun winter for you. kathryn wondering how your colicky horse is? i never knew it could take so long for them to get well. she has had a struggle. well i am a jabber box sometimes. hope you are all well warm and dry grace how is the weather in your neck of the woods? its always harder for you there. harsh climate. are your animals and your son doing ok? sending hugs happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2011 : 06:14:13 AM
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michele, sorry i did not answer your question. penny could be dried up. i am first trying the herb infusion. she freshened in end of june and is open. i will keep her. new decision. i made beautiful soap. yesterday when i went out BOTH calves were having breakfast. well bell was eating hay. her teats dripping. penny was in the stall feeding the kids. so i milked belle out. i think i am using hormone to bring them in. i know natural is always better. neither show strong heat signs. no mounting do i see. gotta check the girls happy days to you sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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mydakota
True Blue Farmgirl
152 Posts
kristi
redmond
oregon
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2011 : 8:04:21 PM
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I have not been on here in awhile. Seems like with work and home and farm the holidays were just a blur. But I just wanted to share what dear Hubby got me for Christmas. I can't think of another place on the net where people will appreciate it like you all will here. Dear Hubby got me a fully reconditioned Surge milker!! :-) I have been milking my goats with it for the last 6 days. It works great!! So excited!
HearthCricket Farm. Where the door is always open, and the coffee is always on. |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4262 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4262 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 04:04:39 AM
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Great present you got Kristi! It makes the milking chores alot easier.
Sherrye you keep busy! Good luck with all your plans. Sherrye did you use cow milk or cow cream to make your soap? I have done it both ways, with good results. I finally used up the last of the goat milk I had. So will use cow milk for soap now.
My Connie is bred, and should be due in May. I have yet to look it up, so will do that soon. I try to bred back on the second heat after calving. Connie went alittle longer, as I never saw her in heat. Okay just looked it up should be around June 5th. She calved last year in April. I will dry her up the end of March. Kris hope you are getting some dry weather. Kris in NC, how is your house goat doing? Spoiling her I bet!
Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Michele |
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep) |
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All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)
