Goats&moregoats: KickinUpDust Farm Journal

Southern by choice · Dec 2, 2014

The shutter sound sound on the camera can sound very much like the tick of a hot fence. LOL
Usually the herd queen is the hardest to win over. It is good the dogs yield, however if a goat gets completely stupid a dog can give a snarl and that is ok. Generally it has to be a lot of aggression from a goat though.

Don't remember where the dogs came from but so you know most LGD's lose considerable weight in the warmer months, only when it gets pretty cold and they are in predator season (winter) do they gain the weight. They barely eat in the summer. Dogs in very hot climates are usually smaller and thinner.

My males are very large... they lose 20-30 lbs in the summer months.
My females lose about 20. Winter comes and we increase feed and give a lot of raw meat... deer, deer legs, scraps, slaughtered chickens that we gather meat year round and freeze. Goat if we have any-LOL from the freezer.

Can't wait to see pics!

kinder · Dec 2, 2014

Very nice journaling, gee-wiz and I thought I had a busy year.

. Some of us people aren't happy unless our plate is full../ and then some... I like to call those people,..The Givers. :love

goats&moregoats · Dec 2, 2014

Southern by choice said:
The shutter sound sound on the camera can sound very much like the tick of a hot fence. LOL
Usually the herd queen is the hardest to win over. It is good the dogs yield, however if a goat gets completely stupid a dog can give a snarl and that is ok. Generally it has to be a lot of aggression from a goat though.

Don't remember where the dogs came from but so you know most LGD's lose considerable weight in the warmer months, only when it gets pretty cold and they are in predator season (winter) do they gain the weight. They barely eat in the summer. Dogs in very hot climates are usually smaller and thinner.

My males are very large... they lose 20-30 lbs in the summer months.
My females lose about 20. Winter comes and we increase feed and give a lot of raw meat... deer, deer legs, scraps, slaughtered chickens that we gather meat year round and freeze. Goat if we have any-LOL from the freezer.

Can't wait to see pics!

Thank you for the info on the camera shutter..lol, had me stumped. The dogs are from here in Vermont only an hour Northeast of me. Yukon (male) seems to be fine. Both are active, but Tahoe (female) acts like she is cold a lot. Especially when I go out in the am. I put extra hay in the area they sleep in. They appear to have picked a corner in the three sided barn.

These two have never been inside a house according to the paper work of previous owner. I also put a pallet a crossed the corner of the barn they choose to sleep in to give added protection against the wind and weather.

All my chickens are currently layers and productive. Should I buy some from the store and give it to them for a while do you think? I was told from the Rescue person to give them 4 cups food in am and 4 cups in pm, should I increase this? Food is always gone in am, but not in pm when I go out at 5 to refill their dishes.

Southern by choice · Dec 2, 2014

Do not feed the eggs raw.
Although a raw diet is great (not grocery store raw meat), raw eggs are not good for dogs. Raw eggs have an enzyme called avidin. Avidin affects Biotin, which is a B vitamin, and also Trypsin is interfered with in the intestines causing deficiency as well as mal-absorption.
Cook eggs and maybe 2 eggs each per week.
Increase feed and leave it out if possible.

We really struggle with this issue as our dogs (5 of them) live full time with goats and poultry and they steal eggs constantly. We have tried a variety of things... soon our new barn will be built and the chickens will be able to go everywhere but we will be putting up hotwire so goats and dogs cannot go into the old building where the chickens will be going back to... We will have eggs again!

goats&moregoats · Dec 3, 2014

Ok, TY. Didn't plan on giving them eggs for the very reason that my chickens sometimes go in the goat barn and lay in the feeder...lol must be better than their nesting in the coop. Any how, didn't want them to start eating the eggs. At this point I do leave their feed out so they can eat it until it's gone if they choice, the goats show no interest in the dog food. Well Poppit did one day, but she didn't eat it, just thought I was putting grain in the dog dish. lol. Tahoe let Poppit know (not aggressively) with a very quick snap of the jaws (not even close to goat ) that the food was not for goats. End of Poppit investigating the dog dishes. Will increase another cup morning and night for a while. Ty for your info.

jodief100 · Dec 5, 2014

The dogs look good. I give mine as much as they want, twice a day. What they really varies. Some days they will eat 6 or 7 cups and others they barley eat 2. Hubby thinks they "self supplement" with things they catch in the fields. I occasionally find a stripped carcass of a possum or coon. They won't eat goat. Even if I cook it for them. Deer, beef, chicken, lamb they eat. Won't touch goat.

goats&moregoats · Dec 5, 2014

jodief100 said:
The dogs look good. I give mine as much as they want, twice a day. What they really varies. Some days they will eat 6 or 7 cups and others they barley eat 2. Hubby thinks they "self supplement" with things they catch in the fields. I occasionally find a stripped carcass of a possum or coon. They won't eat goat. Even if I cook it for them. Deer, beef, chicken, lamb they eat. Won't touch goat.

Going to check and see if a meat packing company here is still in business and see if I can get some scraps.

goats&moregoats · Dec 6, 2014

So today has been an unusual kind of day. First I have a very(fat!) prego goat that appears to have lost her mucus plug, but not suppose to kid until Jan. I thought she had a large utter for this stage, but upon hand inspection: her belly is so big it is pushing on what utter she has making it appear larger than it is. Discharge on tail though, so I put her and he life time buddy in another barn/pen. Will see what progresses. She will give me quads or very large triplets. Did get to see and feel babies moving around. Annebelle has a pretty large tummy as well, but all hers is hanging low. Thinking two or three.

Cassie, Poppit and Hazel are all round. Single from Poppit( I hope). Thinking twins from Hazel and triplets from Cassie. Only a month to go!!

. Providing that Haze doesn't go way early or was bred when I got her.

Then Tahoe and Yukon had it out over dog food. She dumped the dish on the ground and then decided it had to be protected even from Yukon. So discovered she is definitely the dominant one.

and to my surprise(not chicken savvy yet) I own three Easter Egger Roosters. As long as they stay friendly, they are safe and free to stay.