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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 - Dec 31 2011 : 06:19:35 AM
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Michele, your calf will be born on my birthday if it comes then. You must sell alot of soap. I would think using cream would be so much softer than plain milk. It sounds really creamy. I need to make some more. I have bags and bags of froozen goat milk in my over stuffed freezer. They all need defrosted bad. And I guess now would be a great time to do it. It's supposed to be about 28 tonight so I could just put everything in boxes and it sould be fine. And we have not had rain in 4 days so far with no chance for about a week!!!!! Th mud is not so bad right now.
And Earl is doing great. He's back with his ladies in the big pasture. I will let them back over to the barn tonight because it will be so cold. But I think he's over being sick. I am giving him elderberry syrup every morning though, just in case.
Kristi, what a great Christmas gift!! He did good. How many goats are you still milking now? I was just telling Abby and Sandy how I sure miss their milk. I am getting some whole milk from Whole Foods that comes from Cruze Dairy in Knoxville. It's pastuerized but not homoginized so there is still cream on top. Whole milk is $6.69 a gallon and light milk is $7.99 a gallon. I thought that was strange. I am looking for a cow to get raw milk from. Or some goats. I hope mine a pregnant. If they are they will be kidding in early March. I know 3 of the sheep are. Earl is still after the big fat fluffy ewe. Or maybe he's just bored and looking for some fun? Silly ram.
Well, wishing you all a very happy new year with lots of lambs, goat kids and calves. And LOTS of good fresh milk too! And soap and cheese.
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 31 2011 : 07:32:47 AM
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howdy there all you farmgirls. we are doing great here. the rain stopped. it felt cozy for a day. now i am glad it stopped i am sad. the gal sold the pig before we could go get it today so back to shopping for a sow. i used the milk for the soap do you pasteurize and freeze yours fist. i do but what a hassle. when i dry off a cow i am a little sad. since beel just calves i have a while. kristi did you get a pump and everything? what rate are you milking the goats. i think i remember it being p pounds. hows it going with it? i love my machine. hope you all have a fine weekend 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 - Jan 01 2012 : 1:45:36 PM
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Hi Ladies,
I've enjoyed getting caught up on all your farm happenings,it sounds like you all are very busy.
Kris I'm so glad to hear your ram is better,I was worried about him but knew you were giving him most excellent care so thought he had a great chance of pulling through his funk.
Sherrye I'm sorry to hear you missed out on your pig,I'm sure another will come along,what breed/breeds of pigs do you raise?
I would love to raise some pigs but have always had so many irons in the fire with training horses and raising dairy goats and rabbits that I haven't yet really gotten arounsd to planning housing and looking for pigs to start with,one of my friends raises Tamworths and I thought I might get started with them since they are available and I would have support.
Anyways,the goats and all are doing well,my youngest Nubian doe came into heat these past few days and I hope she is finally bred,she is about ten months old and so I figure the timing is good,I had bred her once before but was worried that maybe I should have let her grow on a little bit longer so when she came into heat again I thought it was better timing so if she's took then she'll be due to kid in May while my other older does will be kidding in March.
Well,now the bad news,little Arab mare developed peritonitis and so we elected to put her down,my vet had been treating her aggressively for sand colic and was worried that she also might have ulcers or had possibly ruptured something because she wasn't really coming along,he did a peritoneal tap and confirmed that she had developed peritionitis,at that point he had her on fluid therapy and some antibiotics but she never came along and was getting really bad off so we just decided to put her down,she was suffering,her gums were so pale and she was sweating in big patches along her neck,it was terrible and I just wanted it to be over,my vet agreed and so we put her down and buried her here on the place next to one of my old Quarter horses and my old dog Moe.
I've never had such a trial with colic before,I've dealt with it more than a handful and was getting really alarmed at the duration of her troubles and so we did the peritoneal tap and that told us why.
During all this I got terribly sick from some flu-like funk and developed a horrible painful ear infection so it was an all around just awful week leading up to Christmas,I meant to get on and tell all you gals about the mare but just didn't get around very much this past week.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas,we still had a nice family dinner and forgot our troubles for awhile and my Daughter,though upset about her horse still managed to have a good Christmas with lots of gifts and family love to get her through.
Well ladies,I had better get caught up on some other things but I wanted to stop in and chat with you all for awhile,I'll get back around here again real soon,until then take care!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4263 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4263 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 04:07:45 AM
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sorry to hear of the loss Kathyrn. It is a hard decision to make, though part of life. Sherrye,
I usually don't make alot of soap. I make soap for us and sometimes gifts. This fall I did a bunch for my husband to use as Christmas presents. He works at a housing authority, and needed 60 bars for each of the residents. I don't pasteurize the milk before making soap. But what do I know! I have started using it partially frozen. The recipe I love does not call for freezing it. Our New Year was rung in with snow. Had a good 6 inches over night, and it snowed most of the day yesterday. It is still blowing out there. I plowed driveways yesterday, and will have to do it again today. Now we have plenty of snow for snow shoeing and cross country skiing! I was able to finish cleaning house, and got all the decorations put away. Last night I started on a hat. Presents for next year!
Kris that elderberry juice is good stuff. Glad it worked on your ram.
take care all
Michele
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 10:09:15 AM
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Kathryn, I'm so sorry about your horse. I'm sure she will be missed but is not suffering any more.
Michele, sounds like you are happy to see that snow. It sure feels like it could snow here any time. It's freezing out there. I just went out and cut some privet and honeysuckle for the goats and got some cuts. I always bleed when I work outside. But they are happy to see some green stuff. And the sheep act like they want to go back in their little pasture. The wind is really cold. But they all sit in the shade. I'm glad we didn't shear the wool sheep. The 3 Katahdin ewes are really getting fat. I hope they have at least 2 lambs a piece. But with their 1st they may only have singles. That's ok. As long as they're healthy and have no problems. I was reading a sheep blog and they were saying alot of their 1st time ewes are going to lamb soon so she wanted to get her lambing kits ready. I guess I need to get some things together as well. Ya just never know what will happen.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 12:18:54 PM
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Thank you ladies for the kind words about the horse,I was just heartsick about it but things are getting back to normal and we're looking ahead to have a better year than last year.
Kris it sounds like you'll be busy with lambs and kids,your does will be kidding about the same as mine,my older does are all bred to kid in March and this year I'm planning to take them from thier dams and bottle feed them so I'm getting some supplies together and building a little addition to my rabbit barn to pen the kid goats,I used to just shut them in from thier mothers at night,milked in the morning then let them all nurse during the day but I think bottlefeeding them will suit my plans better this year.
I hope all my does are bred too,I thought about doing the biopryn testing for pregnancy tests and my annual CAE testing just so I know for sure.
I finally took my buck out and put him in the pen with his Nigerian Dwarf friend Wilson,he was getting to harass those does too much and I'm sure hoping that they're all bred now,he was only in there as insurance as I have it wrote down when they were first bred,he's been so mournful though and wailing and carrying on,poor lonely guy.
Sherrye I don't pasteurize my milk for soapmaking either,I just use it raw and I don't add any fragrances or other stuff to the initial batch but instead pour it,cure it and then melt it down later and add my fragrance and other herbal stuff,this is called hand-milling,it seems that the soaps take to the fragrances better this way and I think the hand-milled soap lasts a bit longer for some reason.
Any failed batches (fail to trace and set up right) I make into liquid soap such as dish soap or laundry soap.
I enjoy soapmaking,I only make it a couple times a year and make large enough batches to last us through the year and some to give away but I'm thinking about making some castille and goat milk's soap for sale this year so may explore that this year.
I just got the Hoegger goat supply catalog and they have some pretty molds I may order to make some prettier molded soaps,I usually just make plain cut bars but might dress it up a little for sale.
Well ladies,it's nice to hear what you all have going on,I'm going to go get back to work on some things and I got a lady coming in a little while with her horse for some Dressage schooling,I still don't feel real great but all I have to do is stand around and instruct her with her horse,she'll be doing the riding so that's good,I don't feel like getting on anything right now.
Take care ladies and have a great day!
"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 - Jan 02 2012 : 4:55:35 PM
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Kris, thanks for the info on keeping goats and sheep together... I'm such a newbie to this whole livestock thing, I think I should just be patient and stick with single-species herding for the time being. Still no more kids from my original farmer source, so I'm going to start looking elsewhere. Kathryn, so sorry about the mare... :o(
We got quite an education in goats on New Year's Eve... We almost lost Penelope the house goat to azalea poisoning. It was horrible!! With help from friends near and far and an on-call vet who totally rocks, we were able to diagnose the problem, find a 24-hour Walgreen's pharmacy who held the last bottle of activated charcoal for me, administer that as the ball dropped and hope for the best overnight. When I finally got to sleep, I wasn't sure if I was going to greet the new year with a living goat or not. She was in bad shape, poor little thing. Kept falling over herself, couldn't walk a straight line, shaking her head, grinding her teeth all night long...
The next morning, you'd never know anything had happened. She seemed a little tired, but gobbled her bottles and jumped around like normal. I'm so thankful!! My husband ripped out both azalea bushes first thing yesterday morning! After all this, I'll be an old goat pro by the time we get a 2nd baby around here. Whew!
Happy New Year to all of you! I look forward to keeping up with everyone's goings-on. I haven't tried to post pictures to this forum yet, but I'll try to get a pic of Penelope up soon if I can figure it out. :o)
Kris B.
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Farmgirl Sister #3679
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 6:39:11 PM
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Kris, that was a close call. I'm so glad she made it. Azaleas are not a good thing for a goat. Last spring my older doe Abby ate a whole azalea bush except for one little branch. I didn't know that's what happened til a few weeks later. She was 3 months pregnant and had gotten out. I had no idea she had eaten that bush. The next morning she would not eat and was huge. Looked like she was 9 months pregnant. I called a vet friend who thought it sounded like ketosis. She thought it was odd that she was only 3 months along becasue that usually happens right before kidding. But I got all the things to give a goat for ketosis. Did that for a week. She pulled through and was fine and had twins a few months later. They were healthy. But about 2 weeks after that I saw that one little branch on the azalea and figured out what happened. So I keep them far away from those things. If she ever did get out again, I don't think she'd eat another one.
I do hope you get another kid for Penelope soon. That's one of my goat kids name too. Penelope Jane Belle. I love that name. I hope you are able to post some pictures of her. I'd love to see her. I need a new camera so I can post some pics too. It's been awhile.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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MamaBulla
True Blue Farmgirl
209 Posts
Kris
Midland
NC
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 7:11:00 PM
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Here's a pic of Penelope when she was probably about a week old... Maybe less. We took her to PetSmart where we bought her a cute pink collar with a faux diamond bling and a matching pink leash. She hates the leash! LOL
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 - Jan 03 2012 : 07:21:24 AM
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well right off i must say... your baby is sooo cute. it makes me want spring and all the excitement of kids. sure happy to hear penelope is ok. are you holding her? my computer has been in the shop. i got a bad virus. who knows from where? so back up and running again. every one has been so busy. to have to put down an animal is so very sad. it was obvious you tried really hard. will she get another one. i bet she does. glad to hear your training is going well. its good to hear that earl is all better.did you get snow kris? we have been moving animals around too. now we are building another pen for pigs. we have hamp and york right now. i found the tamworths and durocs seemed to root more. thought they all root when they grow up i usually buy whatever is out there when i need them. my boar is a hamp and my sow is a hamp. not on purpose. the sow was a butcher pig we kept. then major was a gift to us. i am calling about one this morning. a sow that might be big enough for major to breed. i need one more good sow. they are expensive for our budget right now. with all the produce i need the pigs to eat it up. i limit what and how much the cows get. now belle and penny would eat till they died if i let them. the kids and gkids came for dinner.we got to hold our new gson. he is 2 weeks old. looks just like his brother and dad. WOW noise level through the roof. so much fun. boy am i tired. i had my gdaughter for 5 hours. i am just learning how to use her new insulin pump. she is almost 4. so grown up and independent. this is good. she has been on insulin since she was 13 months. we were a good team. i am going to try making soap with out pasteurizing it. i hate doing that. the thought also was if the milk is frozen it works better when thawed. what do you girls do? do you freeze and thaw before. then to when you mill your soaps do you melt on stove with water? i am cutting her soap today. would you share your milk recipe? belle is out mooing at me. she says where is my hay? hoping all you girls had a fine week end. 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 03 2012 : 07:41:32 AM
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Kris, she is so cute. And so Nubian. I love those ears. I hope I get at least twins from my Sandy this year. And a girl. That would be so nice if she had a girl this time. 4 years in a row she has had nothing but boys. I bet she got lots of attention at Pet Smart. Not a lot of goats there.
Sherrye, I wish I had your energy. You are always doing something there. Even when you are sick. I hope you are better now. I would like to egt another pig. Because I love bacon and sausage and pork chops. And I am out not. I have a few roasts left. I love pork. But hate to raise them.
Abby and Sandy are head butting out there. I am wondering of they are pregnant. And the bucks are down the road. I may have to go get them back. I want kids! And milk!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Jan 03 2012 : 08:20:51 AM
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Kathryn so so sorry to hear about your horse. Sounds like you had a rough Christmas. But you made the best decision for her.
Kris so glad your baby goat is okay. You are so lucky everything fell into place at the right time. Its hard to get help for animals during the holidays.
I don't pasturize my milk when I make soap either. I have been making it for 20 years and its been fine as far as I can tell.
Is it hard to mill the soap? I have never really thought about doing that before. That sounds really interesting. I know I use 3 to 4 ounces of essential oils in a 9 lb batch. I bet it would take a lot less if it were milled.
I had lots of family during the holidays. A total of 16 for xmas dinner and some of them stayed until the next day. New years eve we went to my daughter inlaws parents for dinner and stayed up until the ball dropped. I was so tired the next day.... we didn't get to bed until 1:30 and I tossed and turned even though I was tired I couldn't get to sleep. I still had to get up at 7 to get chores done. I finally have caught up on my sleep some and have put christmas stuff away. It was good to see everyone but glad the holidays are over I am worn out.I was looking at seed catalogs last night in bed. I always enjoy looking at them after the holdays.
I had my little buck get out and breed 5 does that I didn't want bred. Three of the does are 10 months old which are to young to breed and the other one is retired and 13 years old as of today. I went to the vet and bought some lutelyse but he was not sure how much to give. I did some research since there was no info for goats on the directions that came with the bottle. It said 1 cc for every 100 lbs or 2 cc for an adult doe. Then I couldnt' find out when to give the shot. This is an area I haven't treaded into very often. Usually when there is an unathorized breeding they have not been this young or this old. So I was told 21 days after. Then after looking around on the internetI found where they said 7 to 11 days. Well it had already been 15 so I just went ahead and did it. Don't know if it worked but I pray to God that it works for the 13 year old doe the rest I can deal with. She has been retired for 4 years. She is on pain meds twice a day so she can get up and walk. She is very arthritic and I don't think she could make it through a pregnancy.
As for the little buck Elisha he is now in a pen with his half brother Blizzard. Its a secure pen I call the naughty box. Its electric fencing with woven wire on the outside. They have about 3/4 of an acre but its very secure.... keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully this won't happen again. He sure was proud of himself out with the girls. His half brother Blizzard was crying for him and thats how I knew he was out when I came home. Those 2 bucks are such stinkpots. They were starting to calm down some but since Elisha got out its kinda of got them going again.
Well gotta get some more cleaning done and water the plants in the greenhouse. Take care everyone.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 03 2012 : 2:16:28 PM
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Kris B. Your little doe is so beautiful,I love her coloring,I have mostly brown and black Nubians and think the blonde Nubians like her are so pretty.
You did absolutely the right thing in treating her with her poisoning,it is amazing that they can bounce back so quickly after being so near death,they are full of surprises.
Sherrye I love hearing about your pigs,I hope to get some someday but have so many irons in the rife with the goats,horses and other things that it might be awhile and I need to get some more education on them before I take them on.
Handmilling soap does make your essential oils,scents and colorings take to the soap better and you can use less because if you make your initial batch,cure it and then hand mill it your scents and colorings are not subjected to the initial chemical reaction of the lye and processing so your results will be much more predicable and longer lasting than adding your extras in that first processing.
To hand-mill all you need is a grater and a double boiler,I first heat any additional oils such as comfrey or calendula infused oils (just a couple examples),glycerin,rosewater and essential oils or scents in the double boiler to 180 degrees and then I add the grated soap,either a pure castille or my milk soap and then I reduce the heat to a simmer and blend with a very minimum of stirring (to prevent bubbling,foaming,etc..bad ju-ju) and then I look for the soap to become clear and watery,when this happens I add my remaining ingredients such as herbs,cornmeal,oatmeal,etc..and pour it into my molds,usually in my case I don't do the fancy molds so this just goes back into my flat and of course after molding and unmolding,cutting,etc..you allow the soap then to cure another two to four weeks.
Hand-milled soap will last longer,hold it's fragrance longer and require less coloring and scenting than adding these things to the initial process but there are some soaps I have processed with all the additional ingredients right off the bat and still have good results so you don't have to hand mill if it suits you better to cold process and add all your ingredients in the same process.
One thing about handmilling is sometimes the soap will not turn clear and watery but will become thick,sometimes it's just one of those surprising things that soap does in it's various chemical reactions,don't panic,don't keep melting and mixing,just add your additional ingredients and pour it right away,it will be fine,that sometimes happens,I don't know why.
My recipe for goat's milk is: (I'm assuming you know the basics about soap making so no safety advice and only basic steps are given)
12 ounces coconut oil
4 ounces palm oil
24 ounces olive oil
16 ounces.tepid goat's milk
5.9 ounces lye
Prepare your mold,melt the coconut and palm oils,blend in olive oil and either heat or cool to 120 F
Blend goat's milk and lye,stir to dissolve lye.
Blend the lye solution into the oils when the solution is a light brown (don't be alarmed it may be more or less so) Stir the mixture util the soap traces,at trace pour into your mold,leave to set for 12 to 24 hours or until soap is solid and firm to the touch,release soap from mold and allow to cure for 6 to 8 weeks.
My castille recipe is just simply:
14 ounces tepid water
5.5 ounces lye
40 ounces olive oil
You blend the water and lye,heat the oil to 120 F and when the two equalize in temperature (lye water is 120F) you blend the lye solution into the oil,trace and pour into molds,cure for 8 to 10 weeks,it's very important to give it a long cure.
Whew,Ladies,that's all I got,hope it's useful to you,sorry to be so wordy,my Husband tells me that for English being my second (actually closer to third) language that I sure use alot of it :)
"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 - Jan 03 2012 : 3:14:31 PM
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Thank you for the kind words about Penelope... I'm pretty partial to her! ;o) No, that's not me in the photo. I tried to crop it better before I posted it, but I guess I didn't save it correctly. That lady was at PetSmart and really loved my goat girl. She was bummed that she had left her phone in the car and couldn't take a picture of her, so I offered to take the picture and email it to her from my phone. Hopefully she's not in the witness protection program, and I just helped to blow her cover! Sorry, PetSmart Lady!!
I can't to see how her markings develop as she grows. She has this cute white spot on her front left ankle that I just love!! Don't laugh, but has anyone been able to housebreak a goat??
Linda, good luck with your surprise breeding situation... Whatever happens, I hope everyone stays healthy! Kathryn, thanks for posting the soap recipes... Once we start getting milk (not any time soon - lol), I really want to make our own soap and try my hand at cheese! A friend in Florida did a workshop on soap-making for the moms in our homeschool group, and it didn't seem too bad. I'm a little leery of lye, but I'm sure it will be fine with the right precautions.
Now I'm off to clean and mop around Penelope's kennel and MAYBE start putting Christmas away. Have a good night, everyone!
Kris B.
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Farmgirl Sister #3679
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2012 : 07:42:49 AM
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I.m thinkin' that Abby may not be bred. She's awful thin right now for being in her 3rd month. Usually she's huge by now. She is almost 10 years old. I have been feeding them a 12% all grain. And all the hay they can eat. I did have to get hay from the farm up the road and it's not as green as the hay I got from my friend. His dad died a few weeks ago when I was needing another load so I didn't want to bother him them and got it from someone else. It just not near as green. So I think I need to go back up to the 16% all grain for the does and just give the 2 doelings the 12%. Sandy seems to be looking bigger. So when I get the bucks back, I'll put Abby back in with John Henry.
Kathryn, I think I will make some of your soap soon. I need some more for markets. And I was taught the French Mill way. I make a base recipe then after it's cured I grate it up and remelt it then add the goat milk and herbs and scents. I tried making goat milk soap adding the milk to the lye but it burnt so fast. I will try again using half frozen milk, which I have half a freezer full of.
It's so beautiful here today. Tuesday it never got above 35 and yesterday got to 52. It was like spring! And last night was not cold. Today is amazing! Blue sunny sky. I was out there cutting honeysuckle off the fence for the goats ealrier. And some privet. Why is there alsways evil blackberry canes everywhere I need to be? I HATE blackberry bushes.
Hey Linda. How's the does? Did the shots work on the older doe yet? I hope they are all ok. And that the bad bucks are staying where they are supposed to.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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mydakota
True Blue Farmgirl
152 Posts
kristi
redmond
oregon
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2012 : 10:57:08 AM
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MamaBulla, what a cute picture! There is nothing cuter in this world than a baby goat.
Sherrye, I got an old Surge milker that is set at about 5 and seems to be doing a good job without upsetting the girls. I am only milking 2 now, but the first kids should be here in March. I was so impressed with my girls. I have always only hand milked them. The farm I bought them from machine milked, so I guess they had heard the noise before. Still, I thought it would take a couple of days to get them used to it. It did not. When I put it on Juliet, she couldn't even be bothered to look up from the grain box. Zilla did look up, but then promptly buried herself back in her breakfast and didn't look back again. It has been almost 2 weeks now and neither one has resisted it in any way. I am so glad. I didn't expect either one to be really bad, but I did expect SOME reaction. I sure appreciate you letting me come over and observe you using your milkers. That sure came in handy Christmas morning. :-)
HearthCricket Farm. Where the door is always open, and the coffee is always on. |
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MamaBulla
True Blue Farmgirl
209 Posts
Kris
Midland
NC
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2012 : 4:15:49 PM
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Yes, Kristi, I'm beginning to think you're right about baby goats' levels of cuteness!! Keep your fingers crossed, ladies! We may have found her another sister or two. I'm awaiting photos in my email, and we may be making a road trip tomorrow! :: happy dance :: If it happens, I'll be sure to post more pics...
Kris B.
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Farmgirl Sister #3679
Blog: farmgirlby40.wordpress.com
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2012 : 06:42:27 AM
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I can't figure out why Abby's not eating her grain. I got 16% all grain yesterday and gave her some this morning and she didn't eat but a few bites. Very unusual for that goat. She's usually a pig. She is eating hay and I gave them some privet this morning and she ate that. I just thought she needed some extra protein. She's got me worried now. She seems fine other than not eating grain, which she loves. Any suggestions? Or advice? Amybe I need to get her some probiotics? She is hopefully pregnant so I have to be careful what I give her.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2012 : 1:23:18 PM
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Kristin maybe she needs wormed....when they don't eat their grain and just hay sometimes its a sign of worms. If not then maybe it is the pregnancy.Probiotics sure won't hurt her its a good start. I know this past year I have really fought the worms more then I ever have. We had over 78 inches of rain this year and the heat really made it bad. Lots of people around me have complained and lost goats. I hope this next spring it will be better.
Oh did you make sure you gave some of the grain to the other goats to see if they would eat it too? Could it be the grain is weird and she doesn't like it because its new and maybe she will eat the 12 percent. If she will eat the old grain for you then maybe its just the new grain. Just a thought.
I don't know if the shots worked or not. I was told I would see a some discharge and cramping in the goats. I watched them very closely and didn't really notice a thing. The old doe had a little bit but I don't know if thats why or not. I hate not knowing. I just hoped it worked on the old girl. She sure has gotten so feeble the past 6 months. Thirteen years old is pretty darn old for a goat and she is sure showing it. She was pretty good getting around until she hit 12 years old and thats when I started noticing the change. Well I will just have to hope it worked and wait and see and then take it from there.
Kris I hope you get some more bottle babies. Its always fun starting out with new babies. Good luck and hope they turn out to be what you are looking for.The one you have now is really a nice looking doe.
Its been super nice here too. Its was almost 60 yesterday and sunny and its sunny and mild again today. Its really weird for January. I am use to very cold weather and snow. My girls are sure enjoying the weather. I am still getting a few eggs a day. I am so happy about that. I don't like the store eggs at all and try to put enough back and make them last until they start laying again. I bought a few new chicks this year and they are giving me anywhere from 2 to 5 eggs a day. Even some of the older girls are laying a little too. It must be the mild weather.I am sure once it turns off cold I won't be getting many eggs or no eggs at all. I have about 10 dozen in the fridge and if I play my cards right they will last until the beginning of March I hope.
Well of to start chores and check on the bean soup on the stove. Hope I didn't scorch it.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
Edited by - wooliespinner on Jan 07 2012 1:27:52 PM |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2012 : 2:22:00 PM
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Hi Ladies,
sounds lie you all are busy,I've been pretty busy here too,the weather has been nice so I've been riding and getting some training work done on this young colt I've taken on and yesterday a lady trailered in her horses for trimming and shoeing and after I got that done I was tired so I spent the rest of the day pressure canning some rabbit meat and crocheting on a doily while all that processed.
Kris I sure hope your doe is doing alright,I have one doe,Nellie who just never seems to keep her body condition and isn't a real vigorous eater either,I've never quite got her figured out and this year I'm trying to put some weight on her and doing the "is she or isn't she?" guessing game about whether she's settled or not.
Last year I had ketosis troubles with her due to her weight,she lapsed into it in the last month before she was due,I treated her with propylene glycol and whatever I could get down her and she hung on well enough then gave birth early to two weak buck kids who I brought around by feeding a mixture of colostrum and coffee (it's unconventional but works,Grandma's remedy) and then they went on to thrive and Nellie recovered instantly after kidding.
It's kind of early for ketosis to be bothering your doe,usually it's a late term thing but the first sign is lack of appetite but I don't think this would be a problem yet so I agree with Linda that maybe she needs a good deworming or maybe the grain switch made a difference and she's not too savvy for it.
What kind of mineral supplementation does she have available?
I make sure now that my does have a loose mineral mix that is high in copper and I also give seaweed meal and baking soda available free choice,I quit using just the mineral blocks because I think the blocks inhibit consumption too much.
Linda I'm not getting any eggs at all from my chickens,I know what you mean about the store bought eggs,I can't hardly abide them at all either.
I hope all works out with your does and that you have success with your injections.
Are you aborting them all or just your older gal?
I'm not saying that you're wrong about anything but I wanted to let you know that I regularly bred my does at ten months and they all have turned out well,I haven't had any problems and alot of breeders do it that way though I understand this may not be your preference and I used to hold them over until one year I started experimenting and tracking growth rates or kidding difficulties in my younger does and since then I have routinely bred at ten months.
I kept track of thier growth rates compared to does of the same age left open and their growth rates were unaffected and the same for both the open and pregnant does and I haven't ever had any kidding difficulties from my does bred to kid at fifteen months,I think the risk is pretty much the same whether a doe is bred to kid at fifteen months or if they're held over.
I make sure before breeding that they reach the minimum weight of eighty pounds but if they don't then I hold them over either until they reach the weight or I leave them open for that breeding/ kidding season and then breed them the next season.
It all depends I guess,we all do things a different way and goats can sure vary a bit,I'm just sharing my own experiences but in my herd and another who I work closely with I've found that most of the does bred to kid at fifteen months compare well with does left open in growth rates but found that does bred much younger than that (accidentally,never purposely bred) will absolutely lag behind in growth rates.
Anyhow,just a little of my home research if anyone is interested,both ways work of course,breeding them at ten months or holding them over,it all depends on what your goals are with your herd and if you do breed them at ten months you want to make sure you adjust thier feed to accomodate both the pregnancy and thier growth or else a person could have different results than what I and other people's herds have had breeding at that age.
Anyways,I'm sure it will all work out,I hope your old doe hangs in there,that is pretty old for a goat,I had one I kept up to eleven years and had retired her around nine years old,she was a French Alpine and even after I quit breeding her she would still produce a small amount of milk throughout the years,she was a great old gal!
Well ladies,I hope your weather is nice and your barnyards calm,we're getting some cold blowing in here so I had better get to getting some chores done.
"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 - Jan 07 2012 : 3:13:15 PM
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Linda, it's a definite... We're going to pick up our two newest Nubians (say that 3 times fast!) tomorrow... Yay! They were born just before Christmas, so they are 2 or 3 weeks younger than Penelope.
Here they are:
This is one of the pictures the owner sent me, so I can post better pictures once they're home.
Kris, I hope your goat finds her appetite soon! Kathryn, I love hearing about home remedies! Interesting mix with the colostrum and coffee... I'm a pretty big fan of coffee and think it could probably help just about anything. ;o)
Kris B.
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Farmgirl Sister #3679
Blog: farmgirlby40.wordpress.com
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2012 : 4:23:03 PM
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Kris B.
they are beautiful,I love the varying colors of Nubians,most of mine are dark colored with bold white splashes,I think that sorrel and white one in the picture is so beautiful,I'm glad you're able to get some more,are they both does as well?
"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 - Jan 07 2012 : 4:49:58 PM
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I thought to so, too!! Yes, they are both does. :o) Can any of you guys recommend some good goat books? I'm certainly learning by trial and error, but I'd prefer less error.
Thanks!!
Kris B.
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Farmgirl Sister #3679
Blog: farmgirlby40.wordpress.com
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2012 : 5:47:27 PM
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Oh my goodness, they are both so pretty. I am so happy that your little Penelope will have some friends to grow up with. How far away are they?
After I dry the does up I go to a lesser % grain and they do ok. So she has had 10% then I upped it to 12%. Then I thought since she was looking a little thin I should go ahead back up to the 16%. These goats are so persnickity. One day they like it and the next day they don't.
I was going to go ahead and breed Zarah Belle in the spring. She'll be a year old in April. She's pretty big right now but she broke her leg at a few months old so I want to be sure it's good before she carries kids. And Penelope Jane will be a year old in late May. She is not very big but she has some smaller breed in her. So she may not get very big. I still want her to be bigger. My bucks are not big. John will be 1 in Feb. and Tom in April. I am going to try to have milk all year one way or another. I hate being without fresh raw milk.
What should I worm with if she's pregnamt? I know Safegaurd is safe. And I have Ivermec. I'll check to see if I can use that.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2012 : 10:33:55 PM
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Kris B some of the books I recommend are Gail Luttman's "Raising Milk Goats Successfully" and Pat Coleby's "Natural Goat Care",there's also Jerry Belganger's "Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats",that one is also very good but the two I listed first are the ones I like the best.
Kris both the ivermection or Safeguard should be just fine for pregnant does,I've been told that the Safeguard isn't the most effective dewormer but I'm not so sure if that's true in all cases as I've used it in my rotation and had good results with it,in fact I just dewormed my does the other day with the oral suspension and they're all bred,no problems except one doe got a little scoury.
My buck isn't very big either,I'm actually planning on purchasing a new buck and breeding a little more size into my herd,my does are fairly small as Nubians go and so I plan on buying a new buck and maybe some new does this coming year from a nearby award winning herd,they're expensive and I was saving up money for some additions I wanted to purchase sooner but the recent vet bills wiped out my extra funds so I'll wait a little longer and it might give me a bigger selection anyways with the Spring kids coming.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep) |
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All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)
