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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 - Jan 11 2012 : 1:49:42 PM
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Kris I'm glad your bucks are looking better,they can sure turn around real fast,sounds like they're going to be in just the right place,I've been trying to feed up my Nubian buck to get him back into condition,he's been so worried about getting everyone bred and being a buck that he sometimes will grab a mouthful of grain,run to the fence and bawl at the girls then grab wisps of hay here and there but not really eat vigorously,hopefully he'll get settled down soon.
My hand is doing real well,just sore but it's closing up good and doesn't seem to be infected at all and Pony's nose is alot better,I gave him a tetanus booster just to be on the safe side.
Kris B there's alot of breeding schedules that will work,alot of people hold the does over to breed until thier second year and alot of people breed them early on,I do a combination of both,if a doe has reached a minimum of eighty pounds (preferably a bit bigger) and is healthy I will breed her around ten months to kid at fifteen months but if she is a bit smaller than that I will wait and breed them later or wait until the next breeding season,both ways work,if you do breed them at ten months then you want to pay very close attention to thier rations and make sure that you feed them enough to support both thier own growth and that of thier kids or else you will run into trouble such as retarded growth rate of your doe and possibly ketosis or other kiddng ailments.
Sometimes I will breed a young doe at ten months and then milk her through the next breeding season,leaving her open and then breeding her again the following year,some does will milk through without kidding and sometimes they will dry up naturally,I have one Nubian doe who just dries up like clockwork in the Fall and others who will milk through,I had best success at this with the Alpines that I used to have.
If I have alot of young does running around and don't really need the extra kids or milk supply then I will definitely let them run through to thier second year,there's no real black and white rules on whether you should breed them or hold them over,with goats you have to keep a close eye on what works and doesn't work for your herd,they can vary widely from herd to herd even within a certain breed and what works for one breeder may not work for another breeder's stock,that may not make alot of sense but with my own research and closely observing and working with other herds I have found that to be true so don't be afraid to experiment conservatively and keep good records of growth rates,weight gain,heat cycles,milking cycles and all that and you will eventually develop your own rhythm in maintaining your herd.
That's kind of vague but I like to be real open-minded,if something's not working,change it and try to do better next time,if something is working then let it be :)
I write down everything going on with my herd so that way I can make more informed decisions as I go,over time I have changed my methods according to what I have learned and recorded,we have to adjust to fit the situations and so I don't really stick to a set way of doing things but try to make the best decisions possible with the information my goats give me.
As far as papers go,papers don't always make a good goat so you can work within them or not depending on your goals for your herd but I do try to raise my goats with mind to registration with ADGA and to improving my herd and so working with breed associations can help you fulfill that goal as well as make your animals more marketable if you wish to sell stock as well.
With your unpapered doe,Penelope,by ADGA rules (this may apply to AGS too) if you breed her to a purebred registered buck you can register her offspring as being half American Nubian and then the offspring from them when bred to a purebred can then be registered as 3/4 and so on until the third generation (I hope I have that right,please correct me if I'm wrong) can be registered as full American Nubians and these are just as desirable and good as having purebred on thier papers,in fact I have seen some American Nubians that rival alot of the purebreds in milk production and vigor.
Papers don't always mean quality,you can get great papered goats or real degenerate poorly bred one pint bucket kickers that have papers,it's all in how the breeder maintains thier herd and makes breeding choices and what thier particular goals are for thier herd.
Well this is long,I just wanted to give you a few ideas there,I know I didn't answer all your questions but I'm sure we'll all get them answered for you here,I just wanted to share my immediate thoughts.
Take care ladies,enjoy your day,it's windy and cold here but no snow so I'm going to go saddle up and see what kind of trouble this colt and I can get into :)
"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 - Jan 12 2012 : 3:46:33 PM
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Well, it sure is different out there tonight. Sleet and snow and going to be down around 24. I put the bucks in a stall in the goat barn where they'll be nice and warm and dry. The gilrs are all next door. I hope no one gets out. They shouldn't. So they are all taken care of. All the sheep are in the stall up front. I shut them all inside. They didn't like it but I will feel better at least for Earl inside. Darla and Lucinda would have been ok outside with all that wool. But they can keep Gracie, leelah, Fiona and Earl all toasty warm.
I have been trying for over an hour and a whole big box of newspaers to egt that fire going and it just won't stay lit. I am really upset. Because when it gets below 40 my central heat goes wonky and wants to go into auxilliary heat, which costs an arm and a few legs to run. I have that Edenpure heater right below the thermostat so that helps alot. So maybe it won't. But then if the power goes out, I'm screwed. Oh well, it's not supposed to stay this way for long. And in fact, may not even be as bad as they say. At least the critters are all ok. Gotta go get the dogs in now.
Kris, I like to breed my does in Oct. or Nov. for spring kids and good fresh grass and bushes. I only have 2 does to breed right now and will try to breed the younger does in the spring. I want milk all year. You just have to do what is good for you. With your does just a few weeks old, they might be ready to breed in 12-16 months, depending on their size and weight. And with first timers, it might be good to go with a smaller buck.
And I try to wear old stained clothes around here. I am always changing clothes to work here, then to go to town, then back into the farm clothes. I always seem to be dirty here. I started wearing my husbands old Carhart jacket. I love that thing. It is warm. And the sleeves are a big longer so I don't need gloves, which I hate. And I am wearing my first knitted hat since it is not all that pretty. So I hope no one evr sees me out and about while doing chores.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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MamaBulla
True Blue Farmgirl
209 Posts
Kris
Midland
NC
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2012 : 5:18:37 PM
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Thanks for all your ideas, everyone... So is there a downside to only breeding one doe one season and then breeding two does the next season? Maybe I'm just trying to justify another girl or two. ;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 12 2012 : 8:27:42 PM
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Hi Ladies,I hope that all is going well for everyone,Kris I hope you get that fire going,how frustrating that is,we have an old woodstove that is beautiful but just seems to hate me,I love it when it gets going though.
Kris B I don't see any downside to breeding one doe one year and then holding the others over,you won't be overwhelmed with a bunch of kids at once and you just have one doe milking,if one doe satisfies your milk needs then going that way would work well.
I try to keep it so that i have milk year round but this year's circumstances just didn't work out with our big move and family strife so I let my does dry off,sometimes I'll pick a doe and not breed her in the Fall but just milk her right through the Winter,that way I'm not having to milk a bunch of does during the winter but still have enough milk for the household and then of course I get more milk in the Spring when my bred does freshen.
I've had a real bewildering day around here,my doe Ginnie ate her grain ration this morning then later in the day was acting depressed,grinding her teeth and not eating her hay,I started suspecting pregnancy toxemia (ketosis) and dosed her with propylene glycol and have been drenching her with molasses water and oatmeal gruel and getting her out to exercise.
Well,I went to check on her a little while ago and she's got a white discharge from her vulva so I wonder if she might be kidding,if so well that's a couple months earlier than she should be,i thought it was kind of early for ketosis so i wonder if those bucks might have gotten to her when i thought they got to my Nigerians.
I don't know at this point,I'm keeping a close watch and hoping that all is well with her,I did think she was getting real large for three months so maybe she's been pregnant all this time and maybe just accepted service in October out of the goodness of her heart?
I don't know *exasperated sigh*,I will let you all know how it goes,better go check on her,take care ladies!
"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 - Jan 13 2012 : 06:06:26 AM
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Kathryn I hope your doe is just going to kid and is not going to go early. The buck hopefully just got with her early. Let us know how she is doing today. I so hope its not ketosis. Maybe your just gonna have some cute kids earlier than you thought.
We had more rain yesterday then it turned to snow. We got about 1 1/2 inches and the wind is absolutely horrible. I could not sleep last night because it shook the house so bad and I could hear the hay tarp at the barn whipping like a wet towel. It was 12 degrees when I went out this morning and the wind chill was at -2. My girls were sure ready for their grain and I gave a little extra to warm them up. Thank goodness the heated buckets were working and they have warm water to drink. By the time I got in this morning I could hardly move my cheeks to smile.
Our wood stove had a hard time keeping the house warm last night. My bedroom was around 56 degrees this morning. My windows in my bedroom are so terrible that when the wind blows hard my curtains move.We have been saving money and Lowes home inprovement store is going to be installing windows in the next few weeks... I can't wait.The windows we have in now are Anderson and they they are almost 50 years old. One of th windows in my sons room cracked completely across and is about to fall apart if it weren't for the tape.
The fire is finally cranking now and its alot warmer than it was when I went out to do chores. Hope you all are staying warm.
Kris I took old candle wax and poured it in paper egg cartons and use that to start my fires when they are being stubborn. Its amazing how two little wax egg carton thingamajigs work.I just cut them off with the scissors and light them and it melts over the wood and helps it burn.
Well catch you all later..... I am going to go and make myself a hot breakfast.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
Edited by - wooliespinner on Jan 13 2012 8:56:56 PM |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2012 : 06:57:12 AM
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Kathryn, how's Ginnie this morning? I hope it's not as cold there as it is here. Water buckets are frozen solid. I sure wish I could have heated buckets. My little barns aren't hooked up for electric. So I have to haul water to them when it's like this. I hope she's ok.
We are getting some little snow showers this morning. It's kind of pretty how the sun comes out a little and everything just sparkles. But I hope it does not stick. It probably will up on the mountain. Linda, I will try that with the egg cartons and candle wax. Goodness knows I have plenty and can spare them because I have worthless chickens and NO eggs to put in cartons. It sure does help to have that fireplace going when it's this cold. It's just an open fireplace but it makes a big difference. My hubby went to a place the other day to look at wood stoves. They are only about $3500.00 is all. How do people afford new stoves? We can't. I am still looking for a used one. I am having nice hot oatmeal for breakfast. Yum!
So I went to let the sheep out and they fell out of the stall like a big huge wool blanket. It was so funny. But they were all fine. I gave Earl some elderberry syrup. They are all back next door for awhile. I am going to just keep the goats inside for the next several days. I don't want them to get sick either.
I hope everyone stays warm and dry.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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MamaBulla
True Blue Farmgirl
209 Posts
Kris
Midland
NC
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2012 : 08:03:25 AM
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Sounds like everyone's getting hit with this cold spell. We couldn't believe how windy it was last night! I wouldn't even let the kids take the dogs out last night in case a tree limb came down. I took the risk instead. Kathryn, hoping to hear good news about your doe!! Stay warm, everyone!
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 13 2012 : 09:45:33 AM
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Hi Ladies,
No kids last night and the discharge from Ginnie is gone,I was starting to really hope that was it and now I am not sure at all what is going on with her except that today she is getting up and moving more coordinated it seems,at least she runs when she sees me coming,worried that i'm going to dose her up with something.
Today she is running a fever and has a nasal discharge and the other does seem fine but they didn't finish thier grain or even touch thier hay and I have some nice hay that they usually tear right into so I'm wondering if they all are getting colds and if Ginnie has developed into full blown pneumonia OR Ginnie could also have aspiration pneumonia from all the propylene glycol drenches and other stuff I've been drenching her with,I wonder if some might have gotten down her windpipe,I would have done it by stomach tube but trying to stomach tube an unsedated goat is not an easy thing so I went the oral drenching route.
In short,I have no idea,last night she was laying down with the others and breathing hard,shivering and had some muscular twitches and so that leads me to believe that it is in fact ketosis but today with the elevated temperature and the thick nasal discharge I'm wondering if she actually just has pneumonia or if she has both because I can't explain the muscular twitching.
So today she seems worse in a pneumonia sense but better as far as a ketosis state,I hope that makes sense so for the now I am treating her aggressively for both,giving her an expectorant and an antibiotic and also treating her as for ketosis because that won't hurt her.
I feel like an idiot,as long as I've been at this goat raising thing I feel like I should be alot more definitive.
I wish I had some of the ketone test strips but I cannot find them anywhere,that would help me know for sure about the ketosis,I just thought from all her symptoms yesterday that it sure seemed like that was the problem,I had problems with this last year with Ginnie and Nellie.
We have had very fluctuating weather,it goes from warm to cold and back again and so that is the right conditions for pneumonia.
Kris the woodstoves are so awfully expensive to buy new,I want one of those woodstove cook ovens "vermont bun baker" advertised in the MJF magazine but I'm afraid to go online and see what they cost.
One good thing about having hoarder parents is that my stepdad was always buying woodstoves and storing them out in the shed so I have a nice old woodstove I got from him and there's a wood cookstove there that I just need to pick up and install.
My Sister took a really nice woodstove and then left the thing in her house she lost to foreclosure,I wanted to strangle her,still sometimes do when I think about it,I don't know what she was thinking to leave that stove behind.
My chickens are useless too but I have gotten two eggs this week,I think due to my motivational speeches where I discuss Dutch ovens and cleavers with them and tell them how much I'm looking forward to building a whizbang chicken plucker and trying that new French recipe for Le Poulet,etc..
Well I had better go take a look at Ginnie again,so far today I've given her penicillin,a big dose of decongestant and a dose of propylene glycol,when she sees me she runs into the shed like "Oh no,it's her again!",her coordination always gets better when she's trying to avoid me.
To her credit she is a fairly good patient as far as goats go,she drinks down her drenches as long as I give it to her slowly enough and I know that greasy propylene glycol has got to be nasty,I accidentally got some up my nose (we won't go into the specifics but those who have wrestled with goats in the middle of the night will understand I'm sure) and boy that was nasty.
Well Ladies,stay warm and take care,I will let you know how it goes.
"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 - Jan 13 2012 : 1:53:05 PM
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Kathryn, that sounds like my ram Earl when he was so sick. He had a fever of almost 105. I had to give him 2 huge doses of LA200. I had given him pen. but it was not strong enough. I also think this crazy up and down weather is so bad for these animals. That's why I am being careful with the sheep and goats. Right now Abby is acting strange. I went ahead and gave her a shot of Bcomplex just to see if that will give her a little boost. And some warm mollases water. She loves that. She just stands in the corner. The 2 bucks are right next door so maybe she's not liking that. I hope all you goats will be ok. I hate when they are sick.
And I have looked at that Vermont bun oven too and want one really bad. They are not all that expensive really if you don't get all the soapstone lining and pedestal and wood box. All that runs close to $6,000. But just the wood stove is around $2800, which is actually way cheaper than that store hubby went to. Way cheaper.
I have had those same talks with my chickens, but it doesn't work. Hopefully in spring they will start back laying. If not, I think it's cheaper and a lot less messy to just buy eggs from the boy up the road. Then I'd have an extra sheep stall.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2012 : 3:38:39 PM
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Abby was laying in the corner in the back of the goat barn awhile ago. I am worried now. She does not have a temp. And no coughing or runny nose or weezing. Just puny.
And I got the fire going! It feels so good.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2012 : 5:38:24 PM
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Kris I hope Abby gets to feeling better,it's just a rough time lately on these animals,I think it has alot to do with this crazy warm and cold weather,at least it's been somewhat nice today as I go back and forth treating Ginnie.
I have been pumping propylene glycol and electrolyte down her as well as an oatmeal gruel and yogurt and after the first dose of yogurt I let them out of the pen and we went walking for awhile,exercise helps these ketonic does and at that point she seemed alot better,she was walking well,looking alert and even chewing a bit at some of the weeds so I was getting hopeful that she was coming around but a little while later I go out there and she's standing and shivering/tremoring so I gave her more water,more oatmeal gruel and am going to give her another dose of that propylene glycol and then keep an eye on her.
She's showing a little interest in eating and nibbled a few wisps of hay but still not enough to really tell me she's turning the corner unless she's eating when I'm not looking.
The other does are doing well,I gave them some echinacea and poke root tincture and am just keeping an eye on them to see if they show any signs of a cold.
From my further reading and understanding pneumonia can be a secondary infection following ketosis so I think that explains her nasal discharge and temperature,it has now actually dropped low to 101 so that has me worried as well.
Anyways,I'm keeping a close eye on her,she has the discharge again and she had heat cycles around the 18th of August and I was still having trouble containing those little bucks about that time so it's very possible she's due to kid and maybe this ketosis will resolve soon,I'm just hoping as those bucks were still pretty young but it's a possibility and I'm clinging to that hope because this would all resolve somewhat if she would kid.
I couldn't imagine that stove would be only $2800 without all the extras,that makes it much more affordable,I have a wood cookstove at my Mom's house but I think I would love to have that Vermont one in my main kitchen and maybe put the other one on a summer porch or the addition for canning,cheesemaking,etc...that would be nice.
I'll have to start pinching my pennies and saving up my egg money.
The last colt I was working with left today and went home,the owners were real pleased with him and I'm kind of pleased to take a little break from training for awhile,I feel a little burnt out after this month and maybe I might take a break before all the Spring cattle work begins,there's always colts to ride then and get them used to the working life so I'll make up for the break then.
Well,I had better wrap this up before I write another dang book here,I don't want anyone glazing over and saying "oh,there she goes again :)
I will keep you all posted on Ginnie,I'm awful worried about her and kind of nerved after losing that horse,I can't imagine losing Ginnie,don't tell Nellie but she's my favorite doe.
"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 - Jan 13 2012 : 9:18:43 PM
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Its way past my bed time but its been a long day. I had called the electric company because part of an insulater cracked off and hit my shoulder 3 days ago. I could here it arcing today on the pole in our backyard. They came out and had to go up the road and shut the power off. Needless to say the greenhouse cooled off so fast I had to carry everything into the back room of the house. Some of these plants are in huge pots. The house cooled off very quick since the blower on the buckstove insert wasn't able to run. They worked on it quite awhile and replaced insulaters and wire and other stuff I have not clue what to call it but it was black and fried whatever it was. Anyway he informed me that the big grey thing on the pole was close to burning up and said it had been bad for awhile. He said good thing that piece of insulater fell off so that you called us. We were very close to really having a disaster. By the time they left and turned the power back on it was around 46 degrees in the house. I have been fighting getting the temps back up and the plants back in the greenhouse. Its finally 64 in the back bedrooms.
I also noticed part of my greenhouse panel was pulled up from the wind and my heat was flying out the top this morning. Its was barely above freezing. We hubby silaconed it back down and clamped it. I threw an old sleeping bag over the top tonight to make sure it stays down and help insulate it a little. I am tired from being out in the cold and worrying if my elecric was going to burn up at the pole. Thankfully tonight everything is close to being back to normal and I am so grateful for that. I thanked God at the supper table tonight cause it could have been so much worse. Goats are tucked in for the night and so are the chickens. It is snowing softly and the wind is blowing but much less than before. Its about 16 degrees and I hope it doesn't get any lower than that.
Kathryn just a thought about your doe. You mentioned she had muscle tremors. I had a doe do that 3 years ago and was treating her for ketosis also. It ended up being milk fever. I crushed up a chewable caltrate calcium pill and mixed it with vanilla yoguart, 1 Tab. of honey or sugar and watered it down with a little bit of milk and drenched her 3 times a day the first day and then twice a day for a few more days and then down to once. She reponded within 4 hours and showed lots of improvement and the tremors went away.After that she would eat one of those chewable pills a day without mixing it up. She decided she liked them.
I am not sure thats whats going on cause I am sure not a vet but it wouldn't hurt to try.
Goodnight.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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MamaBulla
True Blue Farmgirl
209 Posts
Kris
Midland
NC
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2012 : 05:35:53 AM
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Linda, Brrrrr! I hope your plants do alright!
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 14 2012 : 06:32:00 AM
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Well. Abby is still alive and outside soaking up that nice warm sun out back on the hill. She drank alot of warm molasses water and ate a little grain this morning. She was still in the same spot when I went to check on her. Her poop is still solid little poop balls. I have no idea what's wrong with her. At this point, I hope she is not bred. If not, I will not try again. It may just be too much for her right now. So I will continue to help her along. It's supposed to warm up today. The sun is out and the sky is so blue.
Linda, why do things like that happen when it's SO cold? I hope all your plants are ok and everything's working good now.
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 - Jan 14 2012 : 07:27:55 AM
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all you girls have been so busy glad things are looking up. with the does being sick and freezing weather and broken heaters and cut hands oh my. the nubian buck i was going to use is coughing. so i am waiting a week. we will see how he is before he comes here. it has been crazy weather here too. so a cold is not a surprise here this is our last day of good weather they say. so i need to clean stalls etc before the snow comes tonight. sure battling the decision of penelope. she eats a ton and is still mastitus ridden. her previous owner wants time to decide what to do with her. i may breed her back dry her off. then pull baby right away when born. then see if penny is better still hoping the little bull will breed the heifers i hate winter babies. looks like i am going to have winter calves at this rate. i was thinking about you kris being cold last winter. i remember thinking how hard it was. you had coats and socks and stuff on in the house. did you get that fire going? i am spoiled. papa keeps me good and warm. my disability is harder to deal with if i am cold. your post on winter gear. wow thats me. a ton of layers when i go out. then a hot flash under there. yuk. if our snow is not too wet and cold i am going to start training the heifers to go in for milking. i have a milk shed in pasture. they sleep in it now. i am milking here till spring so i can go practice with the girls. that way i am in a shelter. i made the best beef stew last night. EXCEPT way too much garlic. so now the pigs get it. bisquits were great. i am buying a guinea hog today. he is about 3 months old. it is a boy. i hope to train him up to be sweet they are a endangered heritage breed. i will use him to breed to sweet pea. with a smaller pig to sell folks can afford it. lots of folks want pork. they cant afford $350.00 for a half a pig so smaller might be the way to go. it works well for us with beef. an angus can cost $1000.00 or more for a half. our dexters are $500.00 a half in your freezer. i too hope your plants are ok???? they get so stressed when they are moved around and chilled. if they were mine i would give them a vit. B boost in tepid water. just a thought. its just now getting daylight. the cat girl peter is in. the yorkie itty bitty is pacing to go out. soon a cow will moo while in the background the roosters crow. then a quack quack to greet the sun. i am sooo happy to be a part of the farm life the sweetness of the life is intoxicating we would be out after dark if we could. folks see it as work. we see it as life and playing hard. we have had no winter. so we are spoiled. it may be coming now. our new ducks found the pond a few days ago. what a joyous event we had tried to show them on a day it was not frozen. they were scared. so now they know. its froze again. its a huge pond well now i am rambling on pretty tired here. so i have been here just mostly reading posts and resting. sending hugs to you all and a happy farm day to you. 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 - Jan 14 2012 : 07:32:24 AM
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i am sorry i meant to ask about the girls. how is ABBEY today? kathryn how is ginnie too? i have been trying to think to help either of you. well you know more than me. so i have no ideas. i am so hoping they are better. hoping that they are both well and up and around sending hugs to you both and your girls. 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 14 2012 : 08:11:30 AM
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Linda I hope all your plants are okay,that all sounds like a hell of a wreck there,I hope your shoulder is okay too?
That sounds like it could have been really dangerous,I'm glad they got it fixed and hope things are going back to normal for you now.
You know I thought about the milk fever and think I will try your treatment with the calcium tablets,I've used them before as well as powdered seaweed to treat milk fever so I will go and get some today and give that a try with her.
I've treated some of my Alpines for milk fever,I had one who I could count on for having milk fever everytime she kidded,she was such a good producer and I always tried to tinker wit her diet to prevent it but she got the drop on me every year with it,I could never figure her out.
She has a history of having ketosis but the tremors are something I didn't experience with her or Nellie last year,they just got depressed,ground thier teeth and quit eating and after treatment with propylene glycol they perked up,this time around I've given Ginnie plenty of propylene glycol,electrolyte and plain water,oatmeal gruel,molasses water,yogurt and probios,in short,anything I can dump down her that I think will help I've been using!
She is up and nibbling around on hay today,she doesn't want the real rich hay I have but was chewing at the wisps of bleached dropped hay on the ground so I got her some of the horse's grass hay that's been a little coarser and gave that to her,she ate a little bit of that,it's strange that she would want that hay but I'm trying to encourage her to eat whatever she will take willingly so for now if that's what she wants I'll let her have it,sometimes once they start eating it seems to kickstart everything again and they gain momentum so I'm hoping this is breaking.
The tremors are still there,the discharge from her vulva is inconsistent,at times non-existent and sometimes thick and opaque so I'm thinking it's possible she will kid and that would be consistent with her heat cycles in August,so I'm hoping.
Sherrye I think that's a great idea about raising the smaller pigs,I think making bulk purchases of meat more affordable will help your sales alot,there's alot of people want to buy meat that way but have trouble coming up with the ready cash so I think that will work out real well for you.
I'm sorry Penelope isn't coming along with her mastitis treatment,I bet that is real frustrating,a cow is a big investment so I hope you can find out some way to make the most of the situation.
Kris I hope you're staying warm,I empathize with you,we're not using any propane this year and are relying on our woodstoves and some electric heaters and heating bathwater over the stove so in between fires we get pretty chilly here too,I hope all is well with you!
Well ladies,I will check back in with you,Linda I'm going to try your calcium tablets with Ginnie,I'm holding off on the propylene glycol for now because it can suppress appetite and of course is stressful so while she's eating I'm going to wait and later on I'll try the calcium drench,thank you for the thoughts,I've been exhausting my mind trying to think of what else to do here to help her.
"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 - Jan 16 2012 : 09:50:29 AM
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Kathryn hope your doe responds to something soon. Have you wormed her lately? Sometimes when one thing is wrong others seem to follow and they end up dealing with multible problems. Worms like to get them when they are compromised. I really hate parasites and wish we could get rid of them permanately somehow.
Sherrye sounds like your getting your pigs lined up and settled. I hope the heritage boar works out. I think the heritage breeds are really neat. I have some heritage chickens and they are really cool.
The electric and the plants are doing fine. So far so good and no arcing on the pole so I think its fixed good this time. That day just plum wore me out. Some of my rosemary plants are like bushes in the greenhouse and weigh a ton so they were hard to move. But they are all back in and doing great. Some of them are getting ready to bloom. I can't wait they are so pretty when they bloom right in the middle of winter. I have a pineapple sage that is blooming right now with scarlet flowers. They are so brilliant they almost look fake.
Some of my does that are due in the middle of Febuary are making little udders. This will be their first time. They sure look cute and are showing pretty good now. Another one of the does that had been lutlysed cycled today. That makes 3 now that it worked on. I have 2 more to go and am relieved for that. I don't even have the stall space to house that many moms seperately with their babies. I have 5 does that will kid between Feb. and the Beginning of April so thats enough.
My husband cut up the cedar branches so I could take them to the goats yesterday for a winter treat. They sure love fresh cut cedar. While the electric company was here they cut a bunch of the old cedars down so they could clear the lines better. When we had the high wind and rain it made one of the cedars sag and lay on the line and started making that frying sound. So now they are clear and the goaties are getting lots of cedar treats. There breath sure smelled nice this morning. They even like stripping the bark off and eating that to.
We were super cold and windy for several days. Today it clouded up and now its blowing like the dickens and raining. What a crazy winter we are having.
Take care.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
Edited by - wooliespinner on Jan 16 2012 09:58:00 AM |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2012 : 2:35:58 PM
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Linda I'm glad to hear that your plants survived and that they got your electric pole fixed,your pineapple sage sounds beautiful,I bought one for my Mom last year,it was a variegated one and it grew huge,the bees and butterflies loved it and you could smell it coming up the walk,I wish she had dug it up and brought it in when the weather turned cold!
Are you going to burn some of that ceder wood indoors?
We had some last year that we burnt in our stove and it smelled heavenly.
My Ginnie doe is kind off and on still,she's getting up and getting around a bit,I've been taking her out to walk her with the rest of the herd and she does well at getting along with us but she still tremors off and on,grinds her teeth and isn't interested in eating at all so I'm still terribly worried about her.
I did get some ketone test strips and she definitely has pregnancy toxemia but I am still giving her the calcium drench because like you said,other ailments can become secondary to the initial one and that's definitely true of milk fever and ketosis alternately.
So I'm giving her propylene glycol still,yogurt and probios occasionally along with some oatmeal gruels and plenty of elecrolyte solution.
The ligaments around her tail have definitely softened and she's showing some mucous streams here and there as well as her udder starting to feel a little fuller so I'm hoping she will kid soon and that should help improve the situation some though maybe not completely restore her right away.
Nellie is a little affected too but she's still eating so I've been treating her less aggressively and she's showing some of the same signs as Ginnie.
They both did this last year and kidded within a week of showing symptoms and starting treatment,I hope this will not be like this every year,I wonder just what it is that is predisposing these does to ketosis,if it's my feeding regimen or something,I don't know,maybe it's time to reevaluate.
They were wormed with Safeguard at the beginning of the month and I was going to repeat that treatment in four weeks but here we are so I'm going to give them another dose of either that or the ivermectin just after they kid.
What do you think?
Go with the Safeguard or the Ivermectin?
I do the Safeguard alot less frequently than the ivermectin and thier parasite counts have been low by worming quarterly with the ivermectin but I didn't do a recent fecal check,just decided to change it up a little.
Well,this is long again,I will wrap it up here but will keep you posted if anything changes,I hope all you ladies are doing well and that all your animals are doing well!
"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 - Jan 17 2012 : 4:31:34 PM
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Well, we are about under water here. In just about an hour there are lakes all over out front. I just got the feeding finished when it started sprinkling then it poured. Now all the rest of my wood is soaked. I have some inside but that'll have to do.
Kathryn, how's Ginnie? Any kids yet? Abby's better. I really don't know much about parasites. And I have heard that Safegaurd is not that effective on worms. I really like Cydectin.
I stopped at a little farm on the way to the slaughterhouse to get bones today. I had seen a Jersey cow out in the pasture and I wanted to see if they were milking her. There was a guy there and I asked him. He said he was wanting to. But that the cow only had 2 tits. Yeah, he said tits. He said she was having some problems with her so I said I'd check back later. NOT! Poor cow. He did say he had fixed up a milking parlor out in the nice red barn out back. His family used to run a huge dairy years ago. Owned 100's of acres. But I think I shall pass.
I GOT 2 BLUE EGGS TODAY!!! I bout fell over when I saw them in the nest box. I shouted when I saw them. It's a miracle! My $13 eggs.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
Edited by - kristin sherrill on Jan 17 2012 4:33:20 PM |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2012 : 10:50:04 PM
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Hi Kris,I'm glad that Abby's better,did you worm her with the ivermectin?
I've heard too that there is widespread resistance to Safeguard and that it isn't very effective but have used it off and on through the years as part of my rotation,I do quarterly fecal egg counts and so far the detectable numbers have remained low so I tend to worm quarterly and additionally if there are any problems.
I'm going to quix my vet about this next visit and see what I can find out about it and what he recommends.
Well,about Ginnie,I can't believe that I was so off about her possibly kidding,I thought with all the problems that she's been having with the ketosis symptoms that she was actually bred in August which would coincide with a heat cycle I recorded and also with one of the great buck escapes.
Well,I took her to the vet tonight,he did an ultrasound and said that she was still a ways out from kidding,I told him she was bred on October 11th and due in March and he asked me if there were any other possible dates so I'm not sure anymore,he did confirm that she was pregnant but that he could not confirm a time frame or give me a number but that she is somewhat consistent with the October date but could be a little later or a little earlier so I'm just going to have to wait and see I guess!
In any case,I guess I have more time before I have kids so that's kind of a relief but he said she could be suffering from ketosis and that treating her with the propylene glycol is good and that i should continue,he said that her lungs were very congested and so told me to raise the dose of Procaine G and also prescribed Naxel as well as a shot of banamine and said to aim to get her eating within the next day or so.
So we're treating her aggressively for pneumonia and hope that the ketosis symptoms will clear up,he said he actually recommends propylene glycol anytime an animal seriously goes off of it's feed and is depressed,I've only ever used it for ketosis so this was new to me but he said that under stress it can be very valuable as a treatment to keep them going and get them eating again so I learned something new.
He did stress that I must have her milk tested before human consumption because of the Naxel,he was very insistent upon that and so I'm going to have to do that but he said he expects her to recover well as long as she starts eating again and if not we'll have to figure something else out I suppose.
It's a relief to hear that he expects a recovery for her because sometimes ketosis has some very grave results and I was getting really worried.
We've been kind of hard up since the vet bills for that arab mare so I was really hoping to avoid the vet visit but I got so scared for her and so frustrated with not seeing any changes that I gave up and hauled her in,the total bill wasn't too bad with the ultrasound being the most expensive thing,running $60 but now I have a better idea of when to expect kids.
I tell you I feel really dumb,just when I think I have a good handle on these things hey get the drop on me,you wouldn't think I've been at this for awhile after this last week,I could just die of shame.
The vet did say alot of nice things about my doe and said he knew I was taking good care of her and that the propylene glycol was the right thing to do,etc,etc..so that makes me feel a bit better :{
Kris I bet your eggs are beautiful!
I had a few Americaunas few years ago and they were some of the best layers I have ever had and of course the colors are so fascinating and varied,I would love to get some again but right now I have so many chickens and the marans have a deep dark chocolate colored egg so that suffices for now.
I would avoid that cow man too,he sounds a little funny.
Are you looking for a local source of milk or looking to buy a cow?
Well ladies,I'm going to bed,I'm not working with all my faculties,I'm worn out,I will let you know what's going on and I look forward to hearing how everyone and thier critters are doing tomorrow,take care!
"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 - Jan 18 2012 : 07:22:53 AM
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We had such bad weather the past 2 days. My internet has been down for 2 days. It was still down early this morning and just came back online at 10:00. We had so much rain and lightning in the middle of January if you can believe that its crazy.The creek at the bottom of our driveway thats across the road went out of its banks. My driveway washed out again. Looks like the Grandcanyon with its deep gullies. My husband is going to have to drag our gravel back up the driveway its piled up at the bottom. Our temps were near 60 yesterday and dropped last night to 22 degrees. The wind howled for 2 days and drove me crazy. The power kept going on and off but stayed on enough to keep the little greenhouse going. It was more a nusiance than anything because I kept having to reset the clocks and the freezer alarms. I am tired of this windy, rainy , crummy weather. Its not good to have the temps change so drastically for the animals outside. Its hard on them and can cause them to get sick easy.
Kathryn glad you know whats going on with your doe. I am glad he gave her the Naxel its really a good antibiotic and should clear her up. Hopefully with the banamine shot and new meds her appetite will come back strong.
Kris I would pass on that cow too. Keep your eyes open something hopefully will come your way that will fit the bill. I wonder if she was just born with 2 teats or was the other 2 just not working?
Don't feel bad my tarps blew off and my wood is wet too. I just throw it on the fire wet and it burns just fine as long as I have a good fire going.
I had another one of the does I luted cycle yesterday. So another little doe is safe.She was hollaring so loud I could even hear her through the heavy rain and wind. She has a set of lungs on her. I think my Nubians have the biggest mouths on the planet. The 2 new does I got from Kansas are very quiet when they cycle they don't make a peep. I guess my girls come from a boisterious line.
Well I hope everyone stays safe, dry, and warm.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2012 : 07:57:19 AM
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sure is good to hear ginnie and abbey are better i read on keeping a family cow the cmpk burns their throat. thats partly why they hate the stuff. it does do wonders for them when they need it. i hope you stay dry and warm kris. wet wood is a real bummer. it is crazy winter days. we now are under snow and high winds. brrrrr cold. still so far this year has been dry. so we need some moisture here. linda i am going to use lute on my cows. i am having trouble getting them bred. is it a fairly easy injection to give? does it burn going in? we have decided to switch the cows around. bring the breedable heifers here. take the calves to pasture. then i can see the mounting. if they do not breed back in the next 6 weeks i will wait. hate winter calves. well kris i have a 2 teat cow. yes they give less milk but they are also less prone to MF since less production. i do still wish she had 4 working. when my heifers freshen next year i will have lots of time milking. for now i have been lazy. if i dont feel like milking i leave flower with mama. calf can take it all since its only 2 teats. she is the best cow i have ever known. kathryn, i am always leary of myself when i start thinking i have things figured out. BAM something comes up. i am always learning new things. one of the does in the bunny house has pulled her hair and made a nest. do you know how long till babies? i am soooo excited. i hope it works first off the ones out running free are doing great. major the hog went to butcher yesterday. i was happy it took only one bullet. he hung at 585 pounds. so about 300 or 400 ponds of meat from him. i told papa the land here can re-balance. he was a heavy keeper. we bought a boer guinnea hog. he is so cute. i may need to put him in the mud room. its cold out side. he has a heat lamp in a metal hut. it may not be enough. very stormy here. he is friendly and comes when i call. he weighs about 30 pounds. looks like a over fat doxen. LOL the cat that we got from someone dumping her is in heat. so she will go get fixed. yowling day and night. ugh i need to get my chores done. no no i dont want to go ut there. windy rainy snowy wet warming enough to melt the snow mess. you all know the drill. the clothes like kris said i walk like a stick. 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 - Jan 18 2012 : 6:26:05 PM
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well yipee yipee yipee. we have our rabbits set up in a community house. we have boxes for the mamas. well one mama just had babies. i can see 3. this is her first i am so excited. i hope they do well. they are fat and good size. she was out eating today. my friend opened the door to look and she was attacked. they know me so no problem. any thing i should know. this is our first litter. happy days here. 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 18 2012 : 8:14:08 PM
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Sherrye, I do know that you should not touch newborn bunnies. The mother will kill them. That's so neat that you have rabbits too. I have had them before and they are alot of work. Well, more work than goats and sheep anyway. I wish you luck and lots of bunnies!
No, I am not looking for a milk cow. Way too messy for me and as bad as the ground is with just sheep and goats, it would be so much worse with a cow. I was just looking for milk while my does are dry. My friend who has a few cows is having a time with them so I just buy it at the store. I found some pasturized but not homoginized whole milk from a dairy in Knozville. It's strange that the whole milk for a gallon is $6.69 and for light milk is $7.99. Hmm...
And I got 2 more eggs today! One green and one a light brown and smaller. So that would be from the newer Buff hens that should be laying now. So I am excited to see some eggs finally. Even if it's just 2 a day. I guess I'll keep getting the laying feed. I've got to make a run to the feed store Friday.
We are supposed to get about 2-3" of rain on Saturday. I am NOT looking forward to that at all. man, I am about tired of all the mud. I know what Linda went through last year with all her rain now.I need to get a dump load of gravels just so we'll have dry paths to walk on. Or a concrete truck load. That would be even better. I think if I get any extra money, I may just do that.
Kathryn, sounds like Ginnie will kid about when mine do. I am so glad she's on the path to getting better. It never hurts to know what you are dealing with.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep) |
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All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)
