# Ready or Not....... Shouldvknwnbetter- Fall



## Hens and Roos

so we have been kicking around the idea of adding a couple of goats to our mix of critters we currently raise.  Since winter came faster than we were hoping for, we decided to hold off, research more over winter and look at this idea come spring.  Great plan right   Well that all changed this afternoon......in about 2 hours we will be adding.......






this cutie, she is a Nigerian dwarf about 1 month old.  I'm guessing that our adventure is just starting!


----------



## madcow

Just adorable!  Goats are like potato chips, you can't have just 1!  At a month old she must be bottle fed.  You've got a lot of feeding ahead of you to do.  Congratulations on your new addition!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Very nice

She will need a friend so you better start looking


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep, so at 5 weeks how much milk per feeding and how many feedings per day- just got home with her and getting her settled in.


----------



## cindyg

Didn't she come with instructions?  Very cute goat, but for sure she needs a friend.


----------



## Baymule

She is sooooo CUTE!!!!


----------



## Southern by choice

Well you can keep her in the house til she gets a buddy. You will just need to be the "other goat" 

What will you name her? She is precious!


----------



## goatgurl

she is so cute!!!  congratulations and i echo what everyone else says.  she is gonna need a little girl friend


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yep she came with instructions just like my kids did, but my youngest is 9 years old now 

she is hanging out with the rabbits- in her own area, seems to be settling in nicely.  Hoping the rabbits teach her to eat hay.  That's what I have 3 kids for  and Thanksgiving break starts at 11:30 am tomorrow 

DD wants to name her Melanie...will see how it fits , it took DS(9) 3 names before finally choosing his rabbit's name- Jack Frost(our avatar picture).

okay so we have an Aussie that we need to introduce to her....suggestions welcome


----------



## goatgurl

first I'm guessing the aussie is friendly but a litte hyper so have the aussie on a leash, and just let them sniff.  baby goatie won't know to be afraid so she will be fine.  aussie may be excited but should be ok too.


----------



## MsDeb

Overdosing on ADORABLE!!!!  Congratulations on  your new addition.  What a fun Thanksgiving weekend you will have!


----------



## Hens and Roos

goatgurl said:


> first I'm guessing the aussie is friendly but a litte hyper so have the aussie on a leash, and just let them sniff.  baby goatie won't know to be afraid so she will be fine.  aussie may be excited but should be ok too.



yep that pretty much describes her, will have more time over the next few days and extra hands to help!


----------



## Hens and Roos

MsDeb said:


> Overdosing on ADORABLE!!!!  Congratulations on  your new addition.  What a fun Thanksgiving weekend you will have!



thanks, she did good overnight and the since she gets 3 bottles- each human kid gets a turn , hopefully they are this excited about cleaning her pen...


----------



## Hens and Roos

So at this point we have very little background information on her.
Born: Oct 19th 2014

Vaccinations...was told yes but not sure what....guessing she should get a CD&T right away

she has small horns growing.....needs to be dis-budded...at 5 weeks old what is the best way?


----------



## MsDeb

From our first really bad experience say that if you  have very little info on her get her to a vet that knows goats as soon as possible.  We just took the guys word for it when we got our first goat and learned the hard way.  At least have a fecal sample done for parasites. (Not a "panic mode" situation, but I'd guess a "get done right after the holiday" situation. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.)


----------



## goatgurl

nope you're not wrong MsDed she can wait till next week to go to the vet unless a problem pops up.  unless the horn buttons are to big you can probably disbud her.  very traumatic for you and her but she'll quickly forget it but i promise you never will.  one of the necessary evils of goat husbandry.  @Hens and Roos how did things go with the aussie?


----------



## Hens and Roos

so we have reading about the different methods available for de-budding...what have other found that works the best?

@goatgurl we ended up introducing both dogs to her and it went very smooth.  Both the aussie and cocker were very interested in her and very careful when checking her over.


----------



## Southern by choice

Depending on the size they will probably still use a disbudding iron and then cow dehorhers. More than likely if they are already through and growing they will sedate her. 
Generally it is no longer called a disbudding but a dehorning. 
Depending on how large the little horns are she may have holes and head will be wrapped but they will be small and heal quickly.

I know that is a lot of "depends" but it really does depend on several factors of how they will proceed.


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay, that does make sense, I have a few calls in to see about getting this taken care of.

so I picked up a bottle of CD/T, the bottle says 2ml SQ.....is this correct for a ND?  Also will a 21 gauge needle be ok or should we have a different size? 

friends of ours have a soon to be wether who is an only and they are willing to let him be a winter buddy so we can get better prepared for adding another one or two (getting fencing/housing set up)- how does one go about introducing them....it will be a win-win situation for both of us if this works.


----------



## goats&moregoats

Just enjoying the abundance of goat cuteness. Needed a lift and that picture did the job!  TY. 
Is the wether close to her age?  Make sure the other goats is healthy as well. Usually adding goats together right away is not a good idea unless you know both goats are free from everything. Lice, (generally spring problem), hoof rot, parasites and any other diseases.
As far as introducing them: put them in a pen together and watch them. Just have to make sure if the other goat is older that he is not overly aggressive. There will be some pushing and head butting, pecking order establishment.  If he is disbudded and not to much older than there won't be much of a problem.

I have to watch mine because the majority have horns.

Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of goats. Won't be long and we will be reading about you adding more.


----------



## Hens and Roos

he is 4 months old, a fainter x Nubian and is small.  we will make sure to do an intro while our friends are present as neither of us want either goat hurt.  they have had goats for years and are willing to help us as we learn, nice thing is they are only a few miles away from us!

lol...on adding more- we will be adding at least 1 maybe 2 so that all 3 kids can show them as 4-H projects(my DS12 doesn't always come right out and tell me he wants to show so I try to make sure he can if he wishes- his sister and brother are more vocal about this...


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Yes, a 21g needle will be fine. I have used 22, 20, & 18g needles, all the goats have been fine. I try not to use 18 on kids cause that is a pretty big needle for a little Nigi kid. The 2ml is correct. It is the same dosage for adults, kids, standard & miniature goats unless the bottle is marked otherwise. If you do a YouTube search, you will find lots of videos on how to give it. I prefer to give it Sub Q but I know others give it IM.

Your little doeling is adorable! 

I can see it now..... In five years from now you will have over 30 goats.... Don't fight it.... just go with it


----------



## Hens and Roos

@goatwhisperer- DH says he sure hopes not!!!!  lol.. we would have to move as we don't have enough acres for that.  thanks for the answers- DH is good at giving shots(he grew up on a dairy farm)


----------



## Hens and Roos

so we have a vet set to come on Monday and take a look at Melanie for de-horning her.   We are actively looking for another doe as a permanent friend.

have a question.. when you come across the mini goats- how do you figure out how tall and big they will be?  For example saw an ad for a mini mancha, what could one expect.

Okay found the website that indicates that a mini doe should be between 22" and 28" in height but what is a healthy/ideal weight?


----------



## Southern by choice

First- is this a F-1 (first generation) and f-2 or higher?


----------



## Hens and Roos

no idea...ad didn't say


----------



## Southern by choice

Thought you were still logged on..

ok so if an F-1 look at the parent stock. How large is the Lamancha?

If they have other grown mini's out of similar sized or same breedings that will give you an idea.

There can be a wide range, as you know. 
Our Lamancha does are on the smaller side. 100-115 They are on the lower end of the height scale.  Depending on what registry you are looking at a Lamancha doe should stand a minimum 28" at the withers.  In my opinion  I want my mini's to be MINIS! LOL 

Our current minis as an example...
Bred doe due Jan she is 18months. Stands 23 1/2" she will end up about 24-24 1/2" at maturity. She weighed 60-65 lbs before being bred.
Doe- just shy of 18 months... cannot find my log book right now but I am pretty sure she was 19 1/2" and weighed 40+ lbs maybe 47? Not sure.
2nd doe was FAT!   She had feed in am and hay and forage and still nursed off of momma! Now that she is off momma she will thin out a bit.. she looked more round....

2 mini mancha bucklings... I will be weighing tomorrow but they are at this time pretty much the same height as my Dwarf Bucks.
Mini boys are 9 1/2 months old. maybe 45-50 lbs 23"

I have some pics that may be helpful but I have to resize them before I can put them up.

So... if a doe is 32" and 130-150 lbs than typically the offspring will be larger mini's. 

How old is the doeling?  Our first mini doeling was a single and she grew tall really fast, I thought to myself "she's not looking too mini" yet she did turn out to be. She is example 1
Doeling 2 was a twin she grew wider faster than taller! LOL She is a beautiful mini. Jer brother was gorgeous.


----------



## Hens and Roos

the ad lists her as 8 months old


----------



## Southern by choice

sent you a pm.


----------



## Fullhousefarm

Make sure you find out what the goat's requirements are for your local youth shows. We could only to 1-2 shows a year here with unregistered goats unless we showed market goats. Other areas are different. 

Our State fair is an ADGA sanctioned show and requires ADGA registered goats- so you'd have to purchase one who has registered parents and paperwork.


----------



## Southern by choice

Minis are not registered through ADGA so if you want to show you should consider this. There are MDGA shows, but only a few. They are doing more virtual shows now. Many just don't like the bio-security risks.


----------



## Hens and Roos

our kids would show them through at our local 4-H fair, according to the information they don't need to be registered animals.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So yesterday she had her horns removed...seemed like they grew over the weekend!  She did just fine, the vet came to our place.  Here are a couple pictures-they are a little blurry- she wasn't very cooperative!


----------



## Southern by choice

Haha I see her milk face! LOL
Now that is so cute... standing on the stump!


----------



## Hens and Roos

so any suggestions on how to get Melanie interested in the water bowl since we are cutting back on her bottles?


----------



## goatgurl

she should figure out the water bowl thing for herself.  if you are worried that she isn't getting enough fluids just give her a water bottle.  no milk, just water but you really shouldn't have to.  she will drink when she is thirsty.  so glad her dehorning went well


----------



## Hens and Roos

it looks like she is starting to figure out the water(unless my human kids are playing in it).... she is doing very well- bouncing off the walls(literally)!  DH and I watched her the other morning.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So while we are working on finding another ND doe to add, friends of ours are letting us borrow their wether baby as a

  friend for ours.  Right now they are in separate pens to let them get use to each other.  Melanie isn't so sure yet....he looks different then the rabbits who use to be her neighbors!


----------



## Baymule

Too cute!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Keeping our fingers crossed, we put down a deposit/reservation for a doeling- due end of March 2015.  So we are working on planning another fenced in area(bigger space)....what type of fence material would work best and what height? - rolls vs panels? and hard wire/woven wire?


----------



## Southern by choice

YAY! Is it Celeste's kids?

With nigies the kids are itty bitty so when they are small you will need maybe  a 2x4 woven NOT welded. For the most part a 4x4 goat fence works great just remember new kids can slip through so having something  (even netting for the bottom 18") to prevent that is good.
My goats at 40 lbs could get through cattle panels... yoou'd think their fat bellies wouldn't let them but if their head fits it seems the rest does too. 
You can also put hot wire at the bottom if you want.


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep, she would be the doe!

Okay- why woven fence and not welded?  We are pricing out roll vs panels.


----------



## Southern by choice

The welds snap and break. Goats climb and rub and when they do those welds snap. Not worth wasting your money on.
Lots of people start with that and inevitably end up replacing it. Not worth saving a penny today when in time it will just be money thrown out the window.

THe 4x4is a bit costly and the 2x4 in very expensive but after having goats for years truthfully, I wish we would have bit the bullet and just done 2x4 to begin with. We have field fencing . I HATE IT!
When we move.... all 2x4 no climb!


----------



## Baymule

@Hens and Roos  I too used field fencing. Never again. It breaks and tears up easily. NEVER AGAIN.  I do not have goats, but if they are as inquisitive and hard to keep in a fence as everybody says they are, field fence is the next to the last stuff I would use. The LAST wire I would use is welded wire. It is total crap. We currently live in town, were given a Great Pyrenees several years ago and used 3' welded wire to raise our 4' chain link fence to keep her contained. She has chewed it up in her favorite places to hit the wire and bark. Not only that, but the place we just bought had a dog pen made of welded wire and it is broken apart, loose wires everywhere, and we paid a couple of day laborers to take it down and haul it off (among other trash). We were delighted to get rid of it.

We bought a house on 8 acres and we will fence the whole place in the non-climb 2"x4" horse wire. Yes, it will cost, but it will keep our animals (even the chickens) IN and everything else OUT.

Suck it up, do it right the first time and go with the horse wire if at all possible. You will be glad you did in the long run. Or....you can use the other wire, see it get torn up, messed up, broken in places, HATE it and have to keep putting up with it because it is too much trouble and costly to take the first mess down and put up the wire you should have used in the first place......just sayin'........


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks for the feed back- this is good to know- we really only want to do this once and have it hold 

So is 5ft tall enough ?


----------



## Baymule

We will be using 7' T-posts which leaves 5' above ground. We will use 4' horse wire and top it with 2 strands of barbed wire to make a 5' fence.


----------



## Southern by choice

None of our goats go over a 4 ft fence. Some bucks (standard breeds) will hop a 4ft like it is nothing. Your Nigies should be fine.
@Baymule  you may want to rethink barbed wire at the top... better to put a strand of hot. Barbed wire and goats and sheep do not go together well. Not something recommended for either sheep or goats.


----------



## Sweetened

I recently aquired a jumper who cleared my 5ft fencing from a STANDING position. He was sold days later... pitty, lovely buck. They are out there, but i do t see it being an issue with nigerians!


----------



## Baymule

Southern by choice said:


> None of our goats go over a 4 ft fence. Some bucks (standard breeds) will hop a 4ft like it is nothing. Your Nigies should be fine.
> @Baymule  you may want to rethink barbed wire at the top... better to put a strand of hot. Barbed wire and goats and sheep do not go together well. Not something recommended for either sheep or goats.


I have horses as well, the barbed wire is for them. otherwise they will lean over the fence, because what's on the other side is ALWAYS better than what they have.


----------



## Southern by choice

I thought it might be for the horses... wouldn't hotwire work just as well without the danger of cuts?


----------



## Baymule

They are in a fenced area topped with barbed wire now and almost never have a cut from it.


----------



## jodief100

Quantum will jump a 4' fence from a standing position, but he is a horny, 150 lb Kiko buck.  Jack will climb a 4' fence but only when he thinks HIS goats are in danger. 

We had old field fence from the previous owners.  After years of  pulling out heads and patching holes where they busted through, hubby ripped it all out this summer. All new fence is 4" x 4". Works great EXCEPT when I have a buck on either side of it.  Then they smash the dickens out of it.


----------



## madcow

We have woven, twisted fencing that is made specifically for goats and haven't had a single problem with it since we put it up over 2 years ago.  The goats rub against it constantly and have loosened up a post or 2 from the ground, but the fencing has held up beautifully.  Got it from TSC and it was about $215 for 200 feet of it.  Worth every penny.  Doubt we will ever have to replace it.


----------



## Hens and Roos

madcow said:


> We have woven, twisted fencing that is made specifically for goats and haven't had a single problem with it since we put it up over 2 years ago.  The goats rub against it constantly and have loosened up a post or 2 from the ground, but the fencing has held up beautifully.  Got it from TSC and it was about $215 for 200 feet of it.  Worth every penny.  Doubt we will ever have to replace it.




We will have to check this fence out- we have a TSC not to far away.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We don't have a lot of extra space but need to figure out a better hay feeder- watched the wether just about unload all the hay this morning into his pen.  The feeder is shared between the 2 goats on the divider panel so if he pulls everything out she has nothing = unhappiness (she is not shy about telling us either).  As much as I don't want to, we may need to put the feeder on the outside of pen (trying not to take up the walk way area) giving each one their own.

Too bad goats aren't as good at keeping the hay cleaned up like the rabbits are


----------



## goatgurl

goats can waste hay something awful.  can you make it harder for him to get the hay out.  i have one feeder that has 2x4 wire on it and the goats could just nibble the hay out of it.  it hangs on the wall and the hay comes down by gravity.  it also has a trough below it to catch what they pull down.  that one works great for the wasters at my house.


----------



## Hens and Roos

making it harder for him to get it out is probably what we need to do and add a trough.  Our girl has to pull the hay out through the chain link fence but the actual feeder is on his side as we were using this feeder for our rabbit colony which we moved to make more room.  With the cold and snow here, DH hasn't had a lot of extra time to help me make something better.


----------



## Southern by choice

I got so sick of this I started feeding it out of a bucket on the ground.
Sometimes I just put it on the ground. Spoiled goats would go ahhh it touched the ground I can't eat it... Now it's oh look, alfalfa on the ground YUM YUM!

Of course I don't put out a lot for the ones I do this with but it was getting so bad I'd say at least a flake maybe even 2 were getting wasted.


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep there is by far and away more hay in his bedding than in her bedding, I am so tempted to add a rabbit into each side to clean up the hay! DD and I had  Melanie  out yesterday while we were doing chores and I had the rabbit pen door open and she jumped right in, checked the rabbits out then got back out and went to her own pen.  The rabbits weren't bothered by this at all...... it was kind of cute.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So this morning, I introduced JJ (one of our rabbits) to Melanie while doing chores and just for a few minutes.  She wasn't sure what to make of him, gave him lots of room and watched him. Then after a few minutes she got brave!  He wasn't bothered by her at all- he is our oldest rabbit(coming up on 6 years) and nothing phases him.


----------



## Hens and Roos

even though our 2nd little doeling wont arrive until mid- April, I'm interesting in hearing how others have introduced new and little with bigger.   We are figuring that we will have to keep them separate to start.


----------



## Bucking Adoeable Fainters

I don't think you will need to do anything. Your little gal will be so happy to have a friend and that little kid will be missing its mommy, poof, instant friendship. Over lunch of course. I always do introduction over food and out in the turn out/pasture as apposed to the in house/barn/ cage. That just ends up being territorial. Shes still so young, I really don't see there being an issue. Very happy for your little girl and you!


----------



## Hens and Roos

It's been a bit since we posted a picture or two...so enjoy!




DD was trying to take the picture but Melanie kept walking into the camera so DD took it this way instead!  Will try and post a picture of Melanie's buddy later today...in the process of switching laptops and having lots of fun.....not!


----------



## Bucking Adoeable Fainters

Grrrrreat pic!!!!! I love it! And it has a cute story, stuff for grandkids one day!!!!!


----------



## Southern by choice

Look at that face! Absolutely needs to be kissed!

Yes! I kiss my goats. Should I? No.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Now that's a face you could fall in love with.


----------



## Hens and Roos

anyone watching the puppy bowl......there are goat cheerleaders


----------



## Hens and Roos

thought I'd provide an update:  We had a doeling reserved from a farm north of us, the doe is due mid April.  Beginning of the week(right in the middle of our crazy snow falls), we received an email from them, they had decided to get out of the Nigerian Dwarfs but they would hold the doe we put a deposit on till she kidded for the doeling OR if we wanted they would sell us the bred doe(s)!  Then we employed chicken math in the goat world.

Meet the girls


 

Coco's 150 day is 2/13/2015
Obie's 150 day is 4/15/2015
Maggie's 150 day is 6/28/2015


----------



## SA Farm

Congratulations! How exciting


----------



## Bucking Adoeable Fainters

Holy goats!!! Sooooo exciting!!! I Looooove when things work out like that. Congratulations!


----------



## OneFineAcre

That's awesome.  I like your math. 

Ready or not is right.....Looks like you better be ready.


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep... no turning back now.  Coco and Obie had ultrasounds done the other day by the people we got them from...confirmed pregnant but unable to tell how many.

Coco- the 1st one due is more standoffish of the 3.  She was dam raised by someone other than where we got her from so she will take a bit to get use to us. 

Our plan is to take it slow and easy with them.


----------



## Hens and Roos

I know someone had posted pictures/instructions of a warming barrel that could be made for the little ones to use but I can't find the thread.  Would someone be able to point me in the right direction so I can show DH what we should probably have on hand before the end of this week! Thx


----------



## goatgurl

i do like your chicken math.  lovely ladies!  so excited for you


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Here ya go:  http://onpasture.com/2014/03/03/dont-burn-down-your-barn/


----------



## Hens and Roos

Awesome, that's the one, thanks!  DH is planning to pick up a barrel today.


----------



## Southern by choice

The biggest problem will be finding bulbs... with everything going to fluorescent not sure where you will find regular light bulbs.


----------



## bonbean01

True Southern!  We still have regular bulbs here and there in our area, but no more 100 watt bulbs...that is what I use in my little brooder...whenever I see 60 watt bulbs, I stock up!


----------



## Mike CHS

I have enough of the old style bulbs to last my lifetime and probably more.  I just have to find out if those things have a shelf life.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We have regular bulbs here but they are starting to change them over.


----------



## bonbean01

Stock up now Hens...and I'm thinking...no shelf life?  Last forever if unused?  I hope!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

I would think they would last as long as no one drops them!  We use a 75 w red flood bulb for our chicks and that gives more than enough heat


----------



## Hens and Roos

So Coco has reached day 145- not sure there is any difference in her behavior or how she looks(since we have only had her about 1 week).  Of the 3 does, she is by far the most skittish- we can pet her a bit but try and touch further or her touch sides- not happening!  She is eating/drinking just as the other 2 are.

@Sweetened- good luck with your girls!


----------



## Sweetened

Im looking forward to seeing her amd her babe(s)


----------



## luvmypets




----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> So Coco has reached day 145- not sure there is any difference in her behavior or how she looks(since we have only had her about 1 week).  Of the 3 does, she is by far the most skittish- we can pet her a bit but try and touch further or her touch sides- not happening!  She is eating/drinking just as the other 2 are.
> 
> @Sweetened- good luck with your girls!



Some goats get snotty and don't want to be messed with ... then just before they kid they get all lovey. Some get all lovey after they kid and they are back to their lovable selves!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Good luck!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Day 147- as of chores this morning- no visible change that we can see- she came right over for her grain with the other 2 does.  Of course we only get a quick look while she is eating.  No udder development that we can see.

So how many days past day 150 can they kid?


----------



## Southern by choice

norm is 145-155 nigies usually go on the 145-150 mark... some big goats go to 160


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Hens and Roos said:


> Day 147- as of chores this morning- no visible change that we can see- she came right over for her grain with the other 2 does.  Of course we only get a quick look while she is eating. * No udder development that we can see.*
> 
> So how many days past day 150 can they kid?



Does she have an udder at all? If she doesn't have an udder, get ready to bottle feed. 

I believe you said the vet confirmed she was bred?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Does she have an udder at all? If she doesn't have an udder, get ready to bottle feed.
> 
> I believe you said the vet confirmed she was bred?



we can't see an udder- she is pretty shaggy and doesn't like to be touched.  We are set with a bottle as we have one from feeding Melanie.

Yes she and Obie were confirmed pregnant by the vet a few days before we picked them up.  They couldn't tell how many though.  These 2 are both FF.


----------



## Southern by choice

Can you stand behind her  and try to get a pic without her noticing?
I say that because our goats seem to like their privacy and we have to nonchalantly walk around like we aren't doing anything and sneak a shot. LOL


----------



## Hens and Roos

I can try(probably have to give them a bit of grain)- just a whole behind shot or ???, her tail pretty much covers things up


----------



## Southern by choice

Aim lower so we can see any hint of udder. LOL
Some goats just don't show a lot til just before and then go booom.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So here are a few pictures I was able to get earlier today...not the greatest as she isn't very comfortable with us yet and the other doe was trying to get attention from me.  If you see anything that we should be watching please let us know....cause at this point we are clueless!

Butt shot:





Side shot 1




Side shot 2(sorry not the best)


----------



## Hens and Roos

day 148- no change that we can see , chowed down with the other 2 when fed this am.  Currently they are spreading around a bale of straw I added this morning for bedding since we will be getting colder mid-week. It's a game of patience


----------



## Sweetened

I was very surprised by gretel. We went in at 8am and checked her, and by 11:10 when she broke her water, her already tight and larger-than-last-year udder had DOUBLED. If flora is pregnant, she will be putting over a gallon of milk in that udder in a day or less. I have heard some does fill while birthing, some after as well.

I feel like i see a small udder there, but shes fuzzy!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yep, she has her winter coat on for sure....the few times I have looked outside at her she is staring outside chewing her cud.

my DD texted me at her lunch time to check if she had anything yet!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Day 149- while Coco was eating I was able to look her over(but not touch) and can see udder development- teats showing now and yesterday nothing.  She was rubbing her back along the bottom of the hay feeder as well-not sure if she is just itchy or ?.   

Good thing I'm not standing out in the open checking them- the neighbors would think I'm nuts (they might already but are just kind enough not to say so).  It's great that I have kids in 4-H 

Obie by far is the most friendly of the 3 does but she was a bottle baby- thinking we may have some competition when Melanie joins the group late spring!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Do you have some clippers?  We usually clip our's udder and backsides before they kid. Keeps blood and tissue from getting all clumped up in the hair.

This is when we clipped her turns out it was 7 days before she kidded.





And this was the morning she kidded She kidded on day 149


----------



## Southern by choice

I was thinking the same thing but then remembered you are in Wisconsin... where it is frighteningly cold.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We do have clippers- just gave the 1 dog a clip but she is a house dog and not outside to long.  We are to get below zero the next few nights with negative wind chills as well- they are protected somewhat from the wind but thinking that clipping her would cause some stress.


----------



## OneFineAcre

You do what you think is best, but I'd get some off of that udder. We just did udder and just a little streak on the back of her legs.

Of course yours have more hair to begin with, probably because of how cold it has been there.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> You do what you think is best, but I'd get some off of that udder. We just did udder and just a little streak on the back of her legs.
> 
> Of course yours have more hair to begin with, probably because of how cold it has been there.


 
we may end up doing that, it will probably take both DH and I to do so.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> we may end up doing that, it will probably take both DH and I to do so.



If you don't have a milk stand you better be getting you one soon.


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep, DH is in the process of making one!


----------



## Southern by choice

None of ours have been too difficult with first time shaves... but @OneFineAcre  is right you will want a stanchion! 
We like a surgical blade but a #10, #15, or #30 will do.


----------



## Sweetened

We also don't shave udders for reason of insane cold -- BUT, no one here has a mane like that on their udder either.  I'd probably trim a bit out of sheer desperation, but not do right down.


----------



## Southern by choice

We left ours hairy this year. LOL
Goats don't like their teaties frozen either.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Day 150- she seems more restless this morning, came up and ate her feed with the rest but yet on the move so to speak.  I'm pretty sure I saw her side move a couple of times and her girl parts might be slightly puffy- of course she wasn't holding her tail up at all for a good look!  She is also being more vocal.

Lucky for me- this week I have been working at home and have been able to monitor her on a regular basis.


----------



## Sweetened




----------



## Hens and Roos

Got the warming barrel in place so that is ready.

About 11:15 am saw what appeared to be some discharge hanging out- tried to get a picture but that didn't work and now I don't see it will continue to check on her.

Coco actually came up by me and let me pet her for bit- I have to watch Obie and Maggie because they like to head butt her- not hard but she sure seems to be on the bottom.  Of course DH told me that he saw Coco giving both Maggie and Obie what for the other day...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our doe Maggie was sold to us as exposed(She was with the buck on 1/29/2015)- outside of having an ultrasound done is there any other way to tell if she is bred?  Can urine be check?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

It sounds like Coco is getting closer! 
Do you know how to check her ligs?

For Maggie-
http://www.biotracking.com/goats


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> It sounds like Coco is getting closer!
> Do you know how to check her ligs?
> 
> For Maggie-
> http://www.biotracking.com/goats



I have read about checking her ligs....it's a matter of getting her to let me touch her there long enough to check, hoping that once we spend more time with her-she will not be so skittish.
Thanks for the link- I will take a look at it- didn't know if one could use a Home Preg. test


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## SueD

Hens and Roos said:


> so we have been kicking around the idea of adding a couple of goats to our mix of critters we currently raise.  Since winter came faster than we were hoping for, we decided to hold off, research more over winter and look at this idea come spring.  Great plan right   Well that all changed this afternoon......in about 2 hours we will be adding.......
> 
> View attachment 5907
> 
> this cutie, she is a Nigerian dwarf about 1 month old.  I'm guessing that our adventure is just starting!


Oh, she is a beauty!!! I see mischief written all OVER her face!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

SueD said:


> Oh, she is a beauty!!! I see mischief written all OVER her face!!



thanks she is for sure full of mischief......I will show a picture tomorrow.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So our adventure increased our number by 1 this afternoon.

Coco gave birth to 1 buckling- he was born around 4 pm today- he is about 4 pounds.  The doe did an awesome job and had no issue with me being right in her space and providing support.  Given how cold it was outside(and now it's -4+ wind chill) and him not figuring out how to nurse soon enough we took him inside.  Coco had no issue with me milking her out and we got about 6 ounces from her.  He has had a couple feeding and is now sleeping comfortably on blankets in our kitchen.  We will try and see if we can get him to nurse first thing tomorrow morning.


----------



## mikiz

Ohhh he's a sweetie! Fingers crossed he gets the hang of suckling tomorrow


----------



## Sweetened

Awh! Congratulations!!! He is beautiful.


----------



## Southern by choice

Congrats on  your first kid as well as your first kidding!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks! I appreciate all the help and support-you all are the best- we are learning for sure! 

Rascal did great over night was actually very quiet.  I got up 2 times to feed him.  This morning we will see if we can get him to nurse his momma.

if you could keep your fingers crossed for our Aussie-Ellie that would be greatly appreciated. We know she has anxiety to thunderstorms and in the middle of us helping the doe with kidding and the goat crying out very loud- Ellie went nuts in her crate trying to and ended up getting out through the front of the crate- in this process she caught her right hind leg in the wire- she broke her femur in several places so she spent the night at the vet clinic and we are waiting to hear from them as to the next steps.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Congrats on the new kid!  But poor Ellie - hope she recovers with no permanent issues.


----------



## Sweetened

Aww!!! . Keep us posted


----------



## Hens and Roos

Well- it looks like we have a bottle baby- took Rascal out to see if he would nurse off mom but no luck- she was more interested in licking him then letting us try and get him to nurse- it's cold here today -9 degrees with wind chill below that.  Milked 1 cup from her this morning and will milk her this afternoon and evening.

what does everyone use as far as cleaning the udder before milking and is there a teat dip put on after milking?

At this point we are waiting to hear from our vet and come up with a game plan.


----------



## Sweetened

Ill be honest, unless their teats are visably dirty or dirty to the touch, i dont wash them. If its for our consumption, i milk out the first two squirts onto the ground or into a bowl for the cats and then milk nornally. Me, i wouldnt wash teats for a kid, they dont worry about it when theyre on it! I do however, clean bottle nipples multiple times a day.


----------



## SA Farm

Congrats on the new bottle baby!
So sorry to hear about Ellie! Hope she recovers well


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats on the new baby. Sorry about your dog, I hope she is OK.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks for the info. @Sweetened 

How often should he poop?  He did early this morning

Ellie is currently in surgery and her leg will be amputated above the break- she will come home later this afternoon.  Our vet figures she will recover just fine.


----------



## Southern by choice

We do wash udders here. 
We lost a Kiko doe due to e-coli that got up in her teat and she got bluebag mastitis. That was from her kids.. we weren't milking her as she had just kidded.

We use a warm soapy water with a drop of bleach to wash, then strip in a cup and milk. Afterwards we use to dip with the same wash (but out of another container that we would pour into dixie cups... so a new cup for each doe) but we now use "fightbac". I liked dipping the teats better but the fightback is easier.


----------



## Southern by choice

Sorry about Ellie.


----------



## norseofcourse

Glad the kid is doing well, and best thoughts that Ellie heals up fast.


----------



## babsbag

Poor Ellie   I know they do fine with 3 but still 

The baby is adorable and so tiny...and cute. As far as washing, I do it just like @Southern by choice. If the babies are nursing and I am milking too then I don't clean the teat after I milk as 99% of the time the kids are right there to nurse ASAP but the rest of the time they get cleaned before and dipped after.


----------



## OneFineAcre

We used to just wipe off with a damp cloth
Our friend the vet who breeds Toggs told us that was all he did only using  fightbac when at shows ( germs they weren't normally exposed to)
Then we hosted a meeting of our goat club and the speaker was Dr Anderson the mastitis guru at NC State
Realized how bad it could be
Now we wipe with an individual damp cloth for each goat spray with fightbac before milking and again after


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks for the information on milking- it is good to know.

Rascal is doing well- takes the bottle very well- not sure there is any point in taking him back to mom- as he shows no interest in nursing from her.  We milked out another 8 oz of milk and Dh finished building the milking stand so we will try that out tomorrow.  Kids are off from school so I will have extra hands to help.  This will allow me to get into a routine with Ellie's needs.

Ellie is now home and on restrictions for 14 days- she is still somewhat out of it from surgery and will need close watching. Given her level of activity and the seriousness of the break- this was the best option for her.  We are happy to have her home- it could have been a much sadder outcome.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Forgot to ask, does anyone leave the milking stand in the area by the goats or do you take them to another spot to milk?


----------



## Hens and Roos

So school is off today- I have extra hands to help out DS(13) helped with chores and milking Coco this morning- we used the new milk stand DH made-it worked out really well and all 3 does wanted to be on it! 

DS(9) is entertaining Rascal-by letting him climb all over him  not sure who wore who out!

DD(15) has the hardest job of watching Ellie to make sure she doesn't lick the stitches area- as long as DD is hanging out by her, she stays quiet.  The stitches must be itchy as Ellie tries hard to lick- we have a cone but Ellie's figured out how to get that off her in minutes.  She has multiple meds to take and is still somewhat out of it.

Off to clean rabbit cages since I can!


----------



## babsbag

Yeah for the helpers around the farm, always nice. Sometimes I think I should have done country life when my kids were young and not start when I was 50. I could sure use the young help sometimes.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yes, they are extremely good help - especially today with Ellie being 1 day out of surgery.  The pain meds are making her out of it so to speak and very much in need of comfort.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Congrats on your new boy! SOOOOOO CUTE! 

So sorry about Ellie Hope she has a fast recovery!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So we weighed Rascal today.  He is 5 lbs 14 oz


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## Hens and Roos

So here is Melanie- she's the one who started this all! My DH walked into our shop and busted her.....


Her hay feeder is about 2 feet off the ground and her closest climbing piece is 3 feet away- still not sure how she ended up here...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Guess we are in a holding pattern these days so to speak(less excitement is ok by me)- next doe isn't due until 1st part of April. 

Rascal is doing well- will weigh him later today to see where he is at weight wise.  He sure loves his bottle!  Lets us know about 15-20 minutes before he is due for a bottle....doesn't want us to forget him  in all the craziness here!

Have to get him dis-budded in the next couple of days. 

Ellie is on crate rest with a cone to prevent licking as she opened up a couple of places between her stitches yesterday morning just as the kids were getting ready for school.  Took her back to the vet, added antibiotics and medicine to keep her quiet to what she already is getting.  Probably will have to stay pretty quiet until the stitches come out.   Makes getting all the chores done a little bit of a challenge as she must be watched per vet orders.  I think I need a nap


----------



## bonbean01

Poor Ellie...poor you!  You'll get through this and somehow I missed what happened to Ellie and just caught up...sorry that happened, but glad she is home recovering from surgery.  Rascal is adorable and Melanie just looks like one typical goat...I see where our neighbour's goats end up and you have to wonder how they managed that???  hahahahahaha!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So Rascal was weighed this afternoon.....6 lbs. 15 oz., he is a week old.  Is this a typical weight gain for kids?


----------



## Hens and Roos

So at what age does one offer availability to hay for the babies? 

Rascal has started checking out and chewing on his bedding/sides of the pen, so we added some hay for him to check out.


----------



## Sweetened

I have kept fresh hay in since i had them because i also noticed bedding nibbling. The 5 week old wont drink water, wont touch hay, wont drink from a bowl, but will pick up and chew on every little dust spec and piece of wood around the wood stove and it drives me INSANE. I have noticed the babies munching on straw bedding but not checking out water or hay. They are like.. 5 days old?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Well Rascal likes the hay- has a great time spreading it around  and nibbling on it a bit.

So Coco(his mom) has become very vocal since having him- she has only seen him once since she had him- is it possible that she is looking for him?  Our weather is still very cold to take him back out.


----------



## Sweetened

Gladys, since we pulled her triplets, is very vocal; at this point i dont think its related


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay, good to know


----------



## Hens and Roos

tomorrow Rascal will be dis-budded, we are having the vet come out to do it so we can watch another one.  of course our vet has requested that he not be fed before hand so this should be fun


----------



## Hens and Roos

so we are waiting for the vet to arrive- DH is hoping to get home so he can see how this is done.  Rascal is doing okay despite missing a few meals but man does he have set of pipes- especially if I get out of his sight  i'm not getting much done...


----------



## Hens and Roos

DH made it home in time to help out with Rascal- he is now resting and coming out of the sedative that was given.  We have to now just watch him and make sure there are no issues.  Poor guy


----------



## Hens and Roos

Rascal is doing pretty well this morning- he's happy to be getting his bottles again  Working on figuring out what the green stuff(hay) is and if he can eat it.

Ellie had her stitches removed this morning and was given the all clear(cone came off for a while but back on cause she's licking a little too much).  She is laying at my feet right now relaxing- was giving her a bit of time before letting Cora(our cocker) out of her crate....hoping this goes well 

Took some updated pictures of Obie and Maggie.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Finally got a few minutes to crop the pictures I took the other day:

Here is Obie- day 150 for her is April 8th- the kids are hoping for 2 kids 






Here is Maggie- day 150 is June 28th



She really didn't want to cooperate and so DH had to help out.

At this point we are still looking to find a non-sweet feed to switch them over to- if we can't find one- what can we mix together as far as grains?


----------



## Sweetened

Id say maggie has trip!

IF we grain, we just do sunflower seeds and oats. They go nuts for it.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Sweetened said:


> Id say maggie has trip!
> 
> IF we grain, we just do sunflower seeds and oats. They go nuts for it.



Do you find that the sunflower seeds and oats provide enough for them, in addition to hay and loose minerals- for all stages(bred, milking)?

IF Maggie is bred-she isn't quite 2 months along according to the date given.......


----------



## Goat Whisperer

You really need to watch the Ca : P ratio. I wouldn't feed that to any bucks/wethers. I would also keep some AC on hand......


----------



## Hens and Roos

By AC- you mean apple cider vinegar correct- we do have that on hand and add to all animal water

Which one not to feed to any bucks/wethers

Rascal's doe is due for her CDT shot today- will giving her this have any effect on the milk we get from her? Right now Rascal gets all the milk.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Sorry, I was hoping to expand on the other post but got busy 

Let me start by saying you want a 2:1 Ca/PH

I wouldn't feed the Sunflower seeds or the oats to any males, and I would still be very careful when feeding it to the does. BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) has a crazy Ca: P ratio, it can be as high as 1 to 13! 

This is a good thread @Renegade posted about BOSS
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/boss.24007/


Most oats you will get from the feed store on average run at 0.06% C to 0.45% PH *I believe*

AC= ammonium chloride, it will help treat the stones.
http://www.jefferspet.com/products/ammonium-chloride

BOSS and oats can be great! I have fed a little bit mixed with feed but its not something I would do for very long, and like I said I would NEVER give it to bucks/wethers.

Have you been able to find any good goat feed locally?

If you have any other questions, just let me know!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks for the clarifications- we are currently using goat chow(which is a sweet feed) because that is what the does were on when we purchased them.

I am still looking to find a non-sweet feed(I'm waiting for some information from the mill we get our chicken feed through), my concern is that we keep the does at a good healthy weight.


----------



## Hens and Roos

with the weather getting nicer here by us, we have been taking Rascal outside to hang with his mom and the other 2 does.  He loves to jump around and has a blast.  Coco(his mom) remembers him and is very gentle with him-sniffs and licks him.  The other 2 does not so much- while they aren't overly mean to him, they will put their head down and butt him- doesn't seem to phase Rascal at all and he actually teases those 2.  DH says he's at the rubber goat stage.

When DH got home this afternoon- we took him out again and let him hang.  When I went to milk Coco, DH brought Rascal over and we actually got him to nurse from Coco- he sure beat me with the milking .  Rascal thought that was great!

We brought him in for the night and will see how tomorrow goes


----------



## Hens and Roos

Sat morning I had extra help to milk.  They had a milking race....Rascal won 






He really enjoys being outside and doing goat things .  We took him on a nursing home visit today- our 4-H club goes to visit-he was a big hit with the residents, he did good- only peed once(DD was on clean up)


----------



## babsbag

Can you get Purina Goat Chow? It is called Noble goat and they make one for milkers, and one for non-milkers. I believe the non-milker one has the AC in it. Also, Nutrena makes a goat feed.

I feed straight alfalfa to all my goats all of the time. Then the milkers get a 16% sweet feed on the stand with about a cup of BOSS, sometimes some beet pulp, and if they are losing condition I will toss in some ultra high fat conditioning feed too. I used to feed the Purina Goat Chow but with 25+ goats I streamlined my feeding and only feed grain or any pellet feed on the milk stand.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are currently feeding Purina Goat Chow-Goat Feed.  I did see on the Purina website about the one for milkers- have you used that specific one?  We would have to special order it.

My goal is to offer only on the milk stand but we aren't there yet.

Rascal did just fine outside over night.  He is nursing off mom and seems to be getting enough to eat as he isn't crying.  I also only milked out 1 side and ended with about a cup(was normally getting about 1.5 cups in the morning).  Of course after today, our temps are going to drop down again


----------



## Hens and Roos

Rascal is adjusting to life as a goat now , he is proficient at nursing from Coco(his mom)-he does a good job as I didn't have to milk this morning.  We will weigh him later today to make sure he is getting enough to eat.  Coco has become a lot quieter now that he is with her- except when it's time for feed to show up


----------



## OneFineAcre

Glad things are going well


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks...I'm having a blast !

We decided to bring him in tonight as our temp is to drop to 27* overnight.........

We did weigh him and he is 12 lbs 4 oz and 4 week old tomorrow!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Thanks...I'm having a blast !
> 
> We decided to bring him in tonight as our temp is to drop to 27* overnight.........
> 
> We did weigh him and he is 12 lbs 4 oz and 4 week old tomorrow!


If he is 12 lbs you don't need to worry about 27 degrees 
That is pretty good size 4 week old nigerian


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay thanks, that's good to know for going forward.  He hung out inside last night  back out already this morning.


----------



## jodief100

I would just leave him out.  Bringing him in and out is harder on him then just staying in the cold.  At four weeks he is eating hay and has a good rumen.  He will stay warm just fine.  He is adorable and I am so glad he is back with his momma.


----------



## Hens and Roos

At this point not sure how much hay he is eating....we've seen him mouth the hay but not able to watch him all the time.

He will be staying outside going forward, I have reclaimed the area of the kitchen he was using 

DH has to make another hay feeder so that the 2 bossy does can't prevent Coco(his mom) from getting hay to eat...such stinkers!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Tried my hand the other day at pasteurization of 3 cups of goat milk- it went pretty well- next time I will have a lot more ice on hand to help with cooling it down.  We all tried some- tastes creamy.

Now to start working with the microscope we ordered to learn how to run  fecals.  My DD says the scope is like the ones she uses at school....maybe I'll have her do the checks .

Finished making maple syrup yesterday- we ended up with about 17-8 oz jars- which isn't a lot, the tree sap wasn't running much this year.  So working on clean up of all the equipment used.

Have to work on getting the registration of the 3 does changed over to our name with the ADGA.  Maybe this week I will have some time to wade through the information.  Trying to figure out what possible tattoo choices we want and a possible farm name. 

Also have to look up what we need to do to get Melanie tested.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Guess winter isn't done here yet....last night/this morning it has been snowing(still is ), we have between 2.5" to 4" depending where you are....DH is out on snow removal....good thing we didn't put all the equipment away yet!

I'm thrilled to see that Coco(FF) is doing a very good job of taking care of Rascal- went to do chores and she had him inside the dog house that we added this past week(they already have a protected shelter).  She peeked out and then his little head popped out- kind of cute!

Have to get hay later today as they are on the last bale(besides the 6 goats, we have 23 rabbits eating hay also), waiting for the roads to improve.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Anyone have pictures they can share of creep feeders- we need to set up something that only Rascal can get at so he has access to feed.  Our does will work things over if they think that there is food to be had!

He is now 5 weeks- should he be getting pellets?  If so how much and are the medicated goat pellets we are feeding Melanie work?


----------



## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> Anyone have pictures they can share of creep feeders- we need to set up something that only Rascal can get at so he has access to feed.  Our does will work things over if they think that there is food to be had!
> 
> He is now 5 weeks- should he be getting pellets?  If so how much and are the medicated goat pellets we are feeding Melanie work?


 
I don't have pictures but the plans we will use are at this link.  Easy to build and breaks down for storage.

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/resmgmt/publist/Leaflets/Sheep/352-13.pdf


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks for the link, I will show it to DH so we can figure out something workable!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are back on kidding watch, our second doe due is Obie- today is day 143- as of this morning her udder looks like this:






we took a few days off(Sat thru Tuesday) and took the kids to St. Louis- we went with 5 other from our 4-H club- we went to several museums and the Arch.  Friends of ours watched the dogs and did chores for us.  We had a great time and it was nice to get away!  Now back to work.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Day 145 for Obie....don't really see any changes except...... she is being more bossy...running around and ramming the other goats and trying to eat their food 

I also have to keep a close eye on Ellie(our Aussie) as she will pick up on the labor before us as we learned the hard way with Coco kidding.  I am actually taking Ellie with us when we leave the house just to be safe.


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## Pearce Pastures




----------



## Sweetened

Hens and Roos said:


> Do you find that the sunflower seeds and oats provide enough for them, in addition to hay and loose minerals- for all stages(bred, milking)?
> 
> IF Maggie is bred-she isn't quite 2 months along according to the date given.......



Sorry for the delay on answering this. Like i said its super rare we grain at all, and BOSS is given in 1/4 cup amounts on occassion, maybe once a week at best. Our bucklings and wethers are strictly hay/grass/browse.


----------



## Southern by choice

Sweetened said:


> Sorry for the delay on answering this. Like i said its super rare we grain at all, and BOSS is given in 1/4 cup amounts on occassion, maybe once a week at best. Our bucklings and wethers are strictly hay/grass/browse.



You need to be careful with BOSS and oats. It can really throw off the Calcium Phosphorus ratio.


----------



## Hens and Roos

right now our does are getting the same grain that they were on when we got them- very limited amounts.  After doing some checking- sweet feed seems to be what is available...

our little buckling is not getting the sweet feed...cant get to it as the older does block and inhale it down!  He is getting milk and hay and a small amount of the same pellets Melanie is eating.


----------



## luvmypets




----------



## Hens and Roos

our weather is getting warmer and now we have to put up fence, this is what we should look at getting right? Will this be tall enough?

Non-Climb Horse Fence, 48 in. x 200 ft.


----------



## Southern by choice

Yep.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Obie would like to announce the arrival of her doeling (2 lbs. 6 oz.), doeling ( 2 lbs. 15 oz), buckling (4 lbs. 2 oz.)- started delivery at 5 pm today and did a very good job-all kids presented normal.






Moved Obie and kids to a pen by themselves so that the kids can figure out the nursing thing- it seems like they have it mostly figured out.  This way we could provide them with some extra heat....our temperature is dropping down and is suppose to get to 28* and out of the wind.

Have to come up with names now.....Obie's official name is: Serfling Farms Celeste

Ellie also came through just fine as well!


----------



## bonbean01

Congratulations!!!!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Congrats! SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!! 

Can't wait to see more pics, doeling #2 looks just like one of my bucklings 

Good weights as well! I bet momma goat was huge.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Sooooooooooo

how many goats are you up to now? I am almost afraid to ask


----------



## Southern by choice

Goat Whisperer said:


> Sooooooooooo
> 
> how many goats are you up to now? I am almost afraid to ask


----------



## Hens and Roos

Welllllllllll.......if I use chicken math....3 does   (who once they kid produce milk for us) plus 5 kids 

We will let Obie take care of them but watch to make sure everyone is doing well and getting enough to eat.  I am guessing that her kids will be handled on a regular basis just like Melanie and Rascal still are 

Well see about getting some more pictures of each one


----------



## Hens and Roos

I know that everyone has goats for various reasons but I was wondering how do you determine which animals are keepers. At this point, we are planning to milk ours and our kids will be showing them at fair for 4-H.  What types of characteristics does one look for both in the doelings and the bucklings (especially to determine if they should be wethers).  We are able to look at the pedigrees for our 3 does but I'm sure there is more than that.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats
Those are great weights for triplets
Evaluating little ones is tough
That's why we tend to keep our kids longer


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep another question:  with the triplets- what type of weight gain are we looking for to know that they are getting enough to eat?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Congrats
> Those are great weights for triplets
> Evaluating little ones is tough
> That's why we tend to keep our kids longer


what do you look for in adults?


----------



## OneFineAcre

I'll share some thoughts when  I'm on my computer 
Too much to type on phone


----------



## OneFineAcre

@Hens and Roos 
I didn't want to bombard your thread with pics, so I put some things you can consider in evaluating goats on my farm thread.


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks, I saw that and will more than likely read and re-read while we watch our goats grow!

The babies are bouncing around today and they all seem to be doing better with nursing- Obie seems to be as well.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture we took on Sat of Obie's kids:




hoping to get weights on them today to make sure they are getting enough to eat.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> yep another question:  with the triplets- what type of weight gain are we looking for to know that they are getting enough to eat?



At first make sure none is getting pushed away too much.  There will inevitably be a dominant one and one that is the bottom of the order. Sometimes when you see the two more dominant ones nurse, grab one and hold it to make sure the smallest get's their chance.

Good weight gain is doubling in 10 days to 14 days.  With triplets would be more toward the 14 days.  As long as they are close to that you are OK.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Here is a picture we took on Sat of Obie's kids:View attachment 8823
> 
> hoping to get weights on them today to make sure they are getting enough to eat.



Very nice


----------



## Hens and Roos

So as of today the kids weigh:
Doeling 1- 3 lbs (gained 10 oz)
Doeling 2- 3 lbs 8 oz (gained 9 oz)
Buckling- 4 lbs 14 oz (gained 12 oz)


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> So as of today the kids weigh:
> Doeling 1- 3 lbs (gained 10 oz)
> Doeling 2- 3 lbs 8 oz (gained 9 oz)
> Buckling- 4 lbs 14 oz (gained 12 oz)


I think they are doing great.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I think they are doing great.


we see all 3 nurse at different times- at this point no one is being pushed around but that may change as they get older/stronger.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Raining here today, suppose to rain pretty much all day- kind of throws a wrench into the plans for getting things done outside... I know we need the rain 

Right now Obie and her triplets are in their own area- how long should we wait before letting them back with the group.  The kids are moving around pretty good but not sure how they will do with Rascal who look huge compared to them...


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Congrats on the new kids!! Love the colors!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Obie is penned with her kids in an area where she can see my kids( human DD, DS and DS) waiting for the bus each morning.  They will stand next to her area and when they walk away to get on the bus, she starts calling to them to come back.  My kids think it's cute, DD was there when Obie kidded.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Aww! That's cute!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We moved Obie and her triplets back in with the group but into a pen so that they have time to adjust to each other.  Of course Obie would like to head butt the others....


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay question for all you that have had goats way longer than us.......

when DD and I did chores tonight we let Obie(and her triplets if they wanted) out into the rest of the area with Maggie, Coco and Rascal(Coco's 7 week old buckling). 

 Obie immediately went after Rascal trying hard to head butt him and not in play- both Rascal and Obie had a strip of hair standing straight up on their backs and Obie was trying hard to chase him down. 

Obie went after both Maggie and Coco a bit but not to the extent that she was going after Rascal. Obie was also making some strange noise- we thought it was our dog Ellie(she was outside the goat area). 

Now Obie's kids came out of their area a little and Coco did lower her head a bit and sort of butt at them. 

It seemed like when Obie was going after Rascal, her kids were calling for her and they didn't know what to do as Obie was to busy running around. 

We did put Obie + triplets back into their own area.  Obie isn't always so good about standing still when her kids are wanting to nurse but the kids are gaining weight. 

I know that they will need to sort the order out but any insight/suggestions would be great.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We weighed the triplets tonight
Doeling #1- 4 lbs 9 oz
Doeling #2- 5 lbs 5 oz
Buckling - 7 lbs


----------



## Hens and Roos

We feed bread to our chickens....our goats can see this happening and boy o boy did they make a fuss....goats got some too 

Forgot to say that a friend of ours found a wooden spool that someone was throwing out... DH picked it up this morning and now the (spoiled) goats will have a new toy!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> okay question for all you that have had goats way longer than us.......
> 
> when DD and I did chores tonight we let Obie(and her triplets if they wanted) out into the rest of the area with Maggie, Coco and Rascal(Coco's 7 week old buckling).
> 
> Obie immediately went after Rascal trying hard to head butt him and not in play- both Rascal and Obie had a strip of hair standing straight up on their backs and Obie was trying hard to chase him down.
> 
> Obie went after both Maggie and Coco a bit but not to the extent that she was going after Rascal. Obie was also making some strange noise- we thought it was our dog Ellie(she was outside the goat area).
> 
> Now Obie's kids came out of their area a little and Coco did lower her head a bit and sort of butt at them.
> 
> It seemed like when Obie was going after Rascal, her kids were calling for her and they didn't know what to do as Obie was to busy running around.
> 
> We did put Obie + triplets back into their own area.  Obie isn't always so good about standing still when her kids are wanting to nurse but the kids are gaining weight.
> 
> I know that they will need to sort the order out but any insight/suggestions would be great.



A lot of our mama's want to fight when they get around each other for the first time after kidding, to the point of ignoring their own babies.
Hormones.


----------



## Hens and Roos

they are doing better today- opened the pen door so Obie and her kids could come out into the bigger area- was just out checking and all was calm!  The kids are funny to watch.


----------



## Hens and Roos

does anyone give Probiotic powder in the water?  The can I use says it can be put with food or added to the water.  Feeding recommendations are given for both kid(2.5 g/head/day) and adult(5 g/head/day-breeding or lactating)  but not how much water.


----------



## Hens and Roos

was going to post a few pictures the other day but then things got crazy around here; Ellie(our Aussie who lost a back leg in Feb) has separation anxiety and since her surgery has been have regular flare ups to the point of us having to take her with us everywhere- our vet is having us try some medicine for her, on Tuesday our youngest DS turned 10 years old and on Wednesday our DD broke her right fibula at her ankle during softball practice-her foot was put into a boot and she is on crutches- Monday we go back for new x-rays and hopefully they will be able to cast it.  But I found a few minutes today and here are the pictures:

Maggie-she was rebred at the end of Jan and she's due June 30th





Here is the new toy that DH found for them:


----------



## goatgurl

first yea on the spool, use to have some for the girls to play on years ago and they loved them.  the girls fighting with one another is just working on the pecking order, they will get it all sorted out and every time some kids they will start all over again.  hope your DD gets 'haired up and healed over'  pretty quick.  poor bbgirl.  as far as the probiotic goes i don't feed it on a regular basis, just if i feel someone's tummy needs a little help so I'm not much help.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Hens and Roos said:


> was going to post a few pictures the other day but then things got crazy around here; Ellie(our Aussie who lost a back leg in Feb) has separation anxiety and since her surgery has been have regular flare ups to the point of us having to take her with us everywhere- our vet is having us try some medicine for her, on Tuesday our youngest DS turned 10 years old and on Wednesday our DD broke her right fibula at her ankle during softball practice-her foot was put into a boot and she is on crutches- Monday we go back for new x-rays and hopefully they will be able to cast it.  But I found a few minutes today and here are the pictures:
> 
> Maggie-she was rebred at the end of Jan and she's due June 30th
> View attachment 9223
> 
> Here is the new toy that DH found for them:
> View attachment 9224


Oh dear! Sorry to hear about Ellie's leg!  Hope she feels better soon!
Happy b-day to your son!  Hope your daughter's ankle heals quickly and that it doesn't hurt her much!! How is she doing?
Aww! Cute Maggie! My goat kids will be born close to the same time as yours! (Or at least some of them, if I'm correct that they're pregnant!) Latte def. looked pregnant tonight when I went to go see them... Usually Cookie has been showing the most.  I love Maggie's coloring!  Please keep us updated as you have time, and of course, you know we love pictures!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

DH helped me weigh the triplets this morning- they are 15 days old now(will try for a few new pictures):
Doeling #1- 5 lbs 11 oz
Doeling #2- 6 lbs 8 oz
Buckling-   8lbs 8oz

Next project on the list is to get a bigger pasture area fenced in for the goats, we will be giving up an good part of our garden but that's okay, the past few years it's been a challenge to maintain it.  Now to figure out what to seed the area with.

DD went to school yesterday( I took her and picked her up-bus ride would be to rough), she was tired by the time school ended- she had 3 tests yesterday that she didn't want to miss. We are having her keep the leg elevated as much as possible.  She is doing well and only using over the counter pain meds.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hope your daughters leg is ok
Good weights on the triplets


----------



## Hens and Roos

We separated Rascal out tonight and gave him his own pen within the group pen.....I sure hope Coco quiets down as we would like to start milking her and he is almost 9 weeks old.  We also will be making him a wether soon.

Any suggestions on weaning him but keeping him with the group( we don't have another area for him to be)?

DD had a cast put on her ankle today and since they had to move her foot around it is now sore...in about 4 weeks we go back and see what they have to say.  She will most likely go back to school tomorrow but I will have to drive her in and pick her up- stairs are hard for her to go up and the bus ride is a little to rough.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yesterday was a day...Rascal and Coco were separated over night- I think they both cried off and on overnight(told DH that his snoring covered it for the most part , we had a good laugh).  Hurried out to milk Coco before having to take DD to school- milking didn't go so smoothly- since Rascal has been nursing her- she is very jumpy on the milk stand and I had about 1.5 cups milked out when she sent the container flying It also didn't help that Obie's triplets were climbing all over me while I was trying to milk as Coco wasn't happy with that either....

Separated Rascal out again overnight(of course the temp is dropping into the high 30's)- they didn't make as much noise and this morning we moved the milk stand to where no one can bother the goat on the stand- DH had to help keep Coco from kicking but we did milk out about 1.5 cups- hopefully she will get better over time.

I think our biggest challenge will be weaning him- he's a little over 8 weeks now. 

He is such a sweet boy- comes over and stands nicely while being petted, he plays nicely with the triplets and more likely than not can be found hanging out with his buddy Maggie 

Here is an updated picture of him:





Planning to get Melanie tested this next week and once the results are back, hopefully we can add her to the mix(our turkeys need more room)


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Aww! That can be frustrating when they kick or step in the pail! 
Rascal is cute!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture of Obie's triplets(still working on names for them ).  They are 3 weeks old.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Cute!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Pasteurized 2 cups of milk today and made tapioca pudding with it- it was good- had a creamier taste


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Nice!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

The 2 samples that we sent in for testing made it to the lab today  and they will be sending us a preliminary report for the CL, CAE and pregnancy results on May 1st(via mail), the Johne's test kit is on back order so that will take a little longer....soon we will have answers


----------



## Hens and Roos

the kids have been watching to see how much milk we get each morning so that another batch of Tapioca pudding can be made or maybe use the milk to make chocolate pudding for dirt cups - might have enough to make both by tomorrow morning.  Coco is giving about 1.5 cups each morning- she stands okay until she finishes the food in the feeder and then starts dancing around .  DH has been helping to keep her still until I finish milking her.

DH had a short day today so we were able to figure out what area is getting fenced to give more room- now to get all the materials!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So is 4 weeks to young to band a buckling?


----------



## Pearce Pastures

I would say yes, too early.


----------



## Hens and Roos

so how concerned should we be that the 4 week old buckling is pestering his sisters?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Our boys will start it at a few hours old Brats I tell ya!

I wouldn't be to concerned about it, he is young enough it wont harm his sisters. Sometimes they will even chase the adult does around..... my one adult doe was terrorized last year, yep a five week old buckling chasing around a 60lb nigi


----------



## Hens and Roos

ok, good to know- his sisters aren't thrilled by it and will hop into a milk crate to hide...so far he hasn't tried anything with the adult does


----------



## Hens and Roos

Normally, my DS(10) gets the mail when he gets home from school, but today I picked it up.......AND we have some results back from testing! 

Melanie neg. for both CL and CAE- waiting for Johnes results(lab had a back log)

Maggie- PREGNANT how many...as my DS(13) would tell me....we'll know when she has them and not a minute sooner !

When we 1st brought Maggie home(2-9-2015):





Here's Maggie on 4-14-2015


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Yay! Congrats!!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

YAY!!!!!!! So exciting! Congrats!!!!!!!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are now milking Coco 2 times a day, we separated Rascal away from her as he is now around 10 weeks of age.....neither are very happy and she has been a joy on the milk stand 

It's raining here today so that makes getting hay to them a little challenging....was able to reload their empty feeder just now between raindrops!  Of course they let me know how they felt!

Hoping that our dehorning tips get here soon so that the buckling's (from the triplets) horns don't get to big,  DH is planning to take care of them.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Hens and Roos said:


> Hoping that our dehorning tips get here soon so that the buckling's (from the triplets) horns don't get to big, DH is planning to take care of them.


How big are the nubs on the buckling? I went back on this thread and he is over a month old, most of my nigi boys get done at 5-10 days. At this point I am wondering if it is better to have a vet do it if he is a month old 

I know you take great care of your animals, but I know you are new to disbudding (or maybe I have the wrong person LOL) and I would hate for something bad to happen!


----------



## Hens and Roos

pasteurized 14 cups of milk yesterday....took longer than I thought it would ...used some of the milk to make a triple batch of tapioca pudding.....bowl is now empty!  My DD reminded me this morning that there was 2 cups of milk left-enough for another batch  

any recommendations on a good thermometer to use- I have a digital one and a candy thermometer- not sure which one I like better.

Last couple of days DH and I have noticed that Maggie is laying down more, no filling of her udder or swelling yet...still eating good but 2 months is a long time yet.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> How big are the nubs on the buckling? I went back on this thread and he is over a month old, most of my nigi boys get done at 5-10 days. At this point I am wondering if it is better to have a vet do it if he is a month old
> 
> I know you take great care of your animals, but I know you are new to disbudding (or maybe I have the wrong person LOL) and I would hate for something bad to happen!



he is just over 4 weeks old now....we may have to have the vet do his....his sister's are no where as big. We are still waiting for the tips to arrive, was really hoping they would have arrived by now.  DH grew up on a dairy farm so he has experience with dehorning calves but not goats. No worries, we will do what is best for him(the little goat )


----------



## Hens and Roos

Just checked, tips are on back order....


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Hens and Roos said:


> Just checked, tips are on back order....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our weather was on the warm side today-81* given that Maggie has 2 months to go before kidding and is just starting to slowly shed her winter coat would it be helpful if we used the clipper and shaved her down?  If so, how short should we make her coat?

Our goal is to make her comfortable!


----------



## Southern by choice

We have been clipping all ours and going to other farms to teach them too (my DD mostly as I don't have much energy) .

I use a 7F blade. or a 6F but I also go against the grain.
My girls love it they leap around and at like kids for a few days. Silly goats!

Our bucks are next! They are so funny ... they love being groomed!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Question came up...DH showed dairy cows and remembers washing them during fair.....does one do that with the dairy goats?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I do if they need it.   Sometimes coming out of winter they have flaky skin and its nice to get it off. If they look like they may have mites/lice I treat them for that too.

Some of my goats like to be bathed and blow dried.... just use warm water!

I use dawn dish soap, nothing fancy. Although you can order special shampoo.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> I do if they need it.   Sometimes coming out of winter they have flaky skin and its nice to get it off. If they look like they may have mites/lice I treat them for that too.
> 
> Some of my goats like to be bathed and blow dried.... just use warm water!
> 
> I use dawn dish soap, nothing fancy. Although you can order special shampoo.



We clipped Maggie this morning and she is very flaky- will the dawn dish soap help with that?  Is there anything we should be adding to their feed to help with flaky skin and coats?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Sometimes a mineral deficiency can cause it. I have heard of others adding a little BOSS (don't feed it to the bucks) and that can help with the coat. Lice/mites can also cause it. But sometimes they get flaky skin with for no real reason.  

The dawn will help wash it away, but I don't think it will prevent it.


----------



## Hens and Roos

I know Maggie has a copper deficiency and they were all given a BOSE shot before we picked them up.  Will do some further checking.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Maggie's new look!  Of course she thought I had something good to eat in my hands and kept walking towards me


----------



## Hens and Roos

Tonight while doing chores: the buckling from the triplets was making a chirping like noise, was dribbling pee and chasing not only his sisters but Coco as well- he is 4.5 weeks old- should we be separating him out yet?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

That seems a bit early for weaning. The soonest I go is 6wks, but that is usually if the kid was a very large single. He isn't ready to breed anything for a bit.


----------



## OneFineAcre

@Hens and Roos 
Sent you a PM


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> That seems a bit early for weaning. The soonest I go is 6wks, but that is usually if the kid was a very large single. He isn't ready to breed anything for a bit.



thanks, good to know as he has been a pest to say the least!  Also, Melanie( 6 months now) will be hopefully joining the group soon- just waiting for 1 test to come back and we don't need any accidental breeding.

Given that he is a triplet(and the biggest one) what is better to go by for weaning- at a certain age(say 8 weeks) or by weight?  We have to get weights on them anyways just to see how they are doing- they are eating hay and out of Obie's dish.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> @Hens and Roos
> Sent you a PM



thanks!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Hens and Roos said:


> thanks, good to know as he has been a pest to say the least!  Also, Melanie( 6 months now) will be hopefully joining the group soon- just waiting for 1 test to come back and we don't need any accidental breeding.
> 
> Given that he is a triplet(and the biggest one) what is better to go by for weaning- at a certain age(say 8 weeks) or by weight?  We have to get weights on them anyways just to see how they are doing- they are eating hay and out of Obie's dish.


I think it is better to leave them on until 8wks. If he is a really good size and is eating hay, feed, and chewing his cud you could do it earlier. With a triplet I think it is better to go by weight.


----------



## Hens and Roos

This is a picture of Obie's udder from the other day- she is a FF and has the triplets:


----------



## Hens and Roos

Decided to call the lab this afternoon(read impatient) to see if they had finished Melanie's last test- Johnes........and the results are in...NEGATIVE she now gets to join the rest of the group and be a goat......not that rabbits are bad  

We will keep her separate for a few days in the same area until everyone has gotten use to seeing each other...maybe she'll become friends with Coco(poor girl is on the bottom of the ranks).  It will be interesting for sure!


----------



## Goat Whisperer




----------



## BlessedWithGoats

yay!! Congrats!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Cool


----------



## Hens and Roos

Was able to weigh the triplets this morning(they are almost 6 weeks-had to go back and count days ):
Doeling #1 is 11 pounds
Doeling #2 is 12 pounds 14 oz
Buckling is 16 pounds 9 oz


----------



## OneFineAcre

You got a good momma there
Isn't she a FF?
I bet her milk is high in fat


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> You got a good momma there
> Isn't she a FF?
> I bet her milk is high in fat



Yes she is a FF, we haven't milked her out yet so no idea yet.

Our other FF doe-Coco has very creamy milk but nowhere near the udder Obie has


----------



## Hens and Roos

What weight should our triplets reach before we think about weaning them?  They are 6 weeks old and their weights are a couple posts back.  They are eating hay and some grain/pellets with the others.


----------



## Hens and Roos

The triplets were dehorned on Tuesday and are doing great!  Tried to get some updated pictures but will have to have an extra set of hands to help keep them still! 

Took awhile but we have decided on names(actually I did) , they fit them well!
Doeling 1- Chaos
Doeling 2- Cosmos
Buckling- Comet

We are working on weaning Comet as he is probably now 17 pounds and we are continuing to let the 2 doelings nurse


----------



## Hens and Roos

Busy few days around here and we made some progress- even though we had company on Sat  and despite the rain!  Of course I forgot to get pictures of the triplets  but hopefully these will make up for it for now 

Sat- started building the shelter:













Monday: DH and DS(13) added the roof and all related parts and I was able to paint 2 sides of it(ran out of paint so have to get another gallon)





Not sure if we get anything done tomorrow because it's suppose to rain....... oh and we have to work


----------



## Hens and Roos

Does anyone have a ice cream recipe that they like to use?

I found one on line that I am trying but the directions are sparse at best......waiting for the mixture to chill and then will run through our ice cream maker


----------



## babsbag

I make mine with raw eggs so not sure I should share...but I will.
I have made it so many times that I don't even use a recipe anymore. This make 4-5 qts.

2 eggs, beat with a whisk or mixer.
1 cup sugar
1 T. flour
2-3 t. vanilla
pinch of salt
16 oz of heavy cream
and milk to fill can to the "max fill line"

I don't chill it, it goes directly into the ice cream maker.

Do you know how to use the machine, layer the salt and all of that?


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> I make mine with raw eggs so not sure I should share...but I will.
> I have made it so many times that I don't even use a recipe anymore. This make 4-5 qts.
> 
> 2 eggs, beat with a whisk or mixer.
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 T. flour
> 2-3 t. vanilla
> pinch of salt
> 16 oz of heavy cream
> and milk to fill can to the "max fill line"
> 
> I don't chill it, it goes directly into the ice cream maker.
> 
> Do you know how to use the machine, layer the salt and all of that?



Thanks, will have to try the recipe , yep we have used it many times in the past- just have to go get it off the shelf and see how it comes out


----------



## Hens and Roos

We have ice cream!  Turned out pretty good- because I had to cook it to thicken it, it tastes like tapioca pudding.
Here it is in the bucket from the ice cream machine.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We've had rain off and on the last few days so not a lot of progress on painting the rest of the goat shelter.  DH picked up the materials for installing the fence so hopefully tomorrow we can move the project ahead!

Enjoying the ice cream- kids said to keep the recipe, we will also try the one from @babsbag  have to give my DD something she can do.....still on crutches 

We ordered some supplies to try our hand at making cheese and they arrived today so we will try making some Chevre!


----------



## babsbag

A tip for your Chevre...when you drain it keep some of the whey in case you drain the cheese for too long and it is too dry you can just mix some of the whey back in to make it more moist. Saved my cheese a few times. Good luck, cheese is an addiction.


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> A tip for your Chevre...when you drain it keep some of the whey in case you drain the cheese for too long and it is too dry you can just mix some of the whey back in to make it more moist. Saved my cheese a few times. Good luck, cheese is an addiction.



thanks will remember to do so!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Was finally able to get some pictures of the triplets- 8 weeks old so we are starting to separate the doelings at night so we can milk Obie in the morning.  The doelings are sure loud in the morning.  Comet(the buckling) has been separated for several weeks now and doesn't carry on.   Obie is more difficult to milk then Coco and hopefully will get better as she gets use to being milked.  Just pasteurized her milk separately from Coco so we can taste it before combining it.

Here is Chaos:





Here is Cosmos




Here is Comet


----------



## OneFineAcre

They look great
I bet Obie is going to be a great milker for you if she has raised trip bucklimgs that look that good


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> They look great
> I bet Obie is going to be a great milker for you if she has raised trip bucklimgs that look that good



Thanks, I hope so....right now milking isn't going so smoothly but hopefully she will get better about being on the milk stand- it doesn't help that her 2 doelings stand outside the milking area and scream until we are finished milking her 

We did pasteurize about 1 qt. of her milk today- it isn't as creamy tasting as Coco's but everyone liked it too!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Really struggled this morning to milk Obie out and gave up .  She is a FF and while her udder is good sized her teats are very small/short and hard to milk(my hands are small and I can't even get a good milking hold)- my question is will her teats get bigger and easier to milk with future kiddings?


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Really struggled this morning to milk Obie out and gave up .  She is a FF and while her udder is good sized her teats are very small/short and hard to milk(my hands are small and I can't even get a good milking hold)- my question is will her teats get bigger and easier to milk with future kiddings?



Maybe.
No guarantee, but they usually get larger on subsequent freshenings.
Might want to consider an udderly ez.  We love ours.
I know some have said they didn't work well for them, but I speculate that they just weren't able to figure it out.
You do have to strip out the last by hand, but if you get to the point where you are milking a few, it is a big time and hand saver.


----------



## animalmom

Oh my word, yes, the Udderly EZ is great.  I've been using it for going on 5 years now and find milking goes easier and my hands don't hurt as much.  I milk Nigerian Dwarfs so I can feel your pain with the itty bitty teats. The girls don't seem to have any complaints on the milker outside of it occasionally catches a hair and pulls... but the so do my hands.  Whole hearted unpaid recommendation.   www.udderlyez.com for more info.


----------



## Hens and Roos

tried to respond earlier but my computer hiccupped and it ended up not showing up.....I will take a look at this!


----------



## mikiz

That's awesome! The udderlyez is like a human breastpump!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We got our paper work back from ADGA today- the 3 does are now in our name!  We also got our tattoo ID so we can tattoo our kids.

So looking at the triplets- what would their color be?


----------



## Hens and Roos

The last couple of days we have made progress on getting the fence put up- as of this morning just have to make the gate and we can take the goats out there!






Milking Obie has only gotten a little better- DH has been helping me and we are only milking her in the morning for right now.

I have noticed that when I milk Coco(she is also a FF) her milk is really frothy and when we milk Obie-her milk doesn't have that.  Is this related to cream content or?

Here is an updated picture of Maggie(June 30th is day 150)-she's as wide as she is tall


----------



## babsbag

I think that the color on your kids would be chamoisee and a broken chamoisee. Not sure about the frothy milk as I milk by machine now days and never see the milk.


----------



## Southern by choice

babsbag said:


> I think that the color on your kids would be chamoisee and a broken chamoisee. Not sure about the frothy milk as I milk by machine now days and never see the milk.



I am wondering if the  one is broken buckskin?


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> I think that the color on your kids would be chamoisee and a broken chamoisee. Not sure about the frothy milk as I milk by machine now days and never see the milk.



Chamoisee is what we were thinking their color is based on the one website that we were looking at and the explanations given under each color.

Thinking that the difference in the milk might be due to the rate at which they milk out- Coco milks out fast compared to Obie.


----------



## babsbag

When I used to hand milk I used to get the foam sometimes  but never really thouhgt about why. Now you have me curious what the difference is. HMMMM ?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> I am wondering if the  one is broken buckskin?



I know that Rascal- our 1st kid is a broken buckskin guess he looks pretty much like his sire


----------



## Hens and Roos

animalmom said:


> Oh my word, yes, the Udderly EZ is great.  I've been using it for going on 5 years now and find milking goes easier and my hands don't hurt as much.  I milk Nigerian Dwarfs so I can feel your pain with the itty bitty teats. The girls don't seem to have any complaints on the milker outside of it occasionally catches a hair and pulls... but the so do my hands.  Whole hearted unpaid recommendation.   www.udderlyez.com for more info.



is this the one you use?   *Udderly EZ ™ Goat & Nigerian Goat Milker #EZ002*


----------



## animalmom

@Hensandroos yes that is the one I use.


----------



## Hens and Roos

animalmom said:


> @Hensandroos yes that is the one I use.



okay thanks!


----------



## Southern by choice

My friend is getting their new one-
http://www.udderlyez.com/ultimate_ez_milker.php
@animalmom - kind of a "smaller/lesser" version of the big milking machines.
Heard of this yet?


----------



## animalmom

@Southernbychoice, yes I've been looking at that milker... and really like the idea of no tubing to keep clean, and that it uses parts from the hand milker.  I just haven't been able to justify going electric.  Maybe if I was milking a couple more than I already milk...  Yeah, that's the ticket!  I need more milkers


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> My friend is getting their new one-
> http://www.udderlyez.com/ultimate_ez_milker.php
> @animalmom - kind of a "smaller/lesser" version of the big milking machines.
> Heard of this yet?



Just went and looked at it on the price!


----------



## babsbag

I only paid 800.00 for my used "real" milk machine...that is pricey.

I have always heard that these milkers are not good for the goat's teats as they don't pulsate, they are a constant vacuum. Not sure of the validity of that statement, but that was the general consensus about 3 years ago.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Right now we only have 2 does milking and 1doe more probably starting in Aug.


----------



## Mike CHS

Does anyone on here actually know of a herd using one of the non pulsating milkers that has had problems with their goats teats? 

We were researching quite extensively and read of all the problems people had heard about but never once ran across anyone that really knew of problems.


----------



## OneFineAcre

We've been using the udderly ez for 5 years and we have not had any problems with it harming the goats teats.

And if you use one you realize the vacuum isn't constant.  You pump it up and when it gets to a point and the milk starts flowing, you stop the pump.  The pressure on the vacuum at that point starts to gradually decrease.  As the flow of milks starts to slow down, you pump it 3 or 4 times and it increases the vacuum again.

We used the 1 cup containers instead of the larger containers, they fit under the doe better.

It usually works  with us that when we start on one side we apply the initial pump up and vacuum.  The milk will flow, then start to slow down, so you pump up 3-4 times, milk flow increases again.  It starts to slow down, so you pump a few more times.  At that point, that cup container is full.  That whole process took less than 30 seconds.  So, we stop, empty the cup container into our quart jar and repeat on the other side.

So, you aren't applying the vacuum to them for very long periods at the time.

Does that make sense?


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks for the explanation @OneFineAcre


----------



## Mike CHS

That does make sense - And Thanks - I think 5 years of experience tells me more than what all those folks seem to have heard about.


----------



## Southern by choice

I am beginning to wonder too. I do know quite a few people and everyone I ask has had no issues. 

I don't know if the electric EZ milker is worth the $500 though.
Yeah, it is a lot less but you still are having to do one goat at a time and the jugs have to be held... no time saver IMO. I want to hook 2 up get them going while I have two behind me that I can prep and turn around, unhook, hook up , clean off the first 2 and dip and release then the other 2 will be finished. It will go right into a bucket instead of filling and emptying and filling. The largest size they have is 1 qt jugs and they "bottle" neck which concerns me for cleaning.

The small hand held EZ milker looks good for  a few does or 4-5 Nigies. I am still considering having one to keep on hand.

I think the difference is the inflations vs the kind that uses syringes.
The syringe one is fine to keep on hand if you will use it just for emergencies like you need to get colostrum, or mastitis issues or something. Maybe those are the ones causing problems, it uses the same "vacuum" system BUT the syringes are rough and can bruise if using all the time.


----------



## Hens and Roos

With the electric one you would need to be close to an electrical outlet- the hand held one could go out into the field with you as needed.


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> With the electric one you would need to be close to an electrical outlet- the hand held one could go out into the field with you as needed.



I think the electric is intended for larger dairy herds. That's the impression I  got. Buck Wheeler is the inventor and owner, I talked with him the other day. He is great at explaining everything about both products.   I also watched all the videos. 

I would get the electric if I had 1 cow to milk.


----------



## Hens and Roos

DD and I were talking about the hand one and that it would be nice to have on hand, especially if you needed to have someone else do chores- then they don't have to try and hand milk.

I watch the videos and it looks like they were at a horse stable with the electric one.


----------



## JayRo626

Hi! I was wondering if you have pictures of Obie right before she kidded? Our does were with a buck from January to April. She's had a very large bag for about six weeks(About the size of Obie's while she is milking.) And she is huge, due any day, and I'm wondering if she's going to have twins or triplets now, lol. Thanks


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture we have of Obie- this was taken 1 month before she kidded


----------



## JayRo626

Thanks so much! Ours looks a bit bigger than her, and she doesn't even have her winter coat like Obie, lol! So, we might be having triplets!  (Or with my luck, one or two really big bucklings, lol.) I thought she was going to have them June 2nd. Now she's making me wait. -_-. How inconsiderate of her! Lol! My other one(Mini Alpine.) I believe is 3-4 months pregnant.


----------



## Hens and Roos

G


JayRo626 said:


> Thanks so much! Ours looks a bit bigger than her, and she doesn't even have her winter coat like Obie, lol! So, we might be having triplets!  (Or with my luck, one or two really big bucklings, lol.) I thought she was going to have them June 2nd. Now she's making me wait. -_-. How inconsiderate of her! Lol! My other one(Mini Alpine.) I believe is 3-4 months pregnant.



Good Luck with both your does! We are waiting for our last one- Maggie to kid.  She is 10 days away from day 145 and we are keeping our fingers crossed that she holds out till then.  Guessing at least 4, would be really happy with 3!


----------



## mmpereira

It's very cute. Love her. She needs a name and don't forget a friend for her. They like it very much. I have two dwarf goats since 31 May. One it's called Gina e the other Rosinha. They are very portuguese names. Can you tell how are you going to avoid her of eating everything? Do you have a fence? How high is it? It's my major preocupation because I have a garden and they can't jump over the fence. They would eat my beloved "Acer japonicum" and many others trees or bushes. Bye


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our 8 Nigerian Dwarf goats have a 4 ft fenced pasture and so far haven't tried jumping it.


----------



## mmpereira

Sweetened said:


> I recently aquired a jumper who cleared my 5ft fencing from a STANDING position. He was sold days later... pitty, lovely buck. They are out there, but i do t see it being an issue with nigerians!


Excuse me. Do you think that a 4" fence won't be enough for two dwarf goats? Do you think they will jump out?


----------



## mmpereira

Hens and Roos , thanks. I become more tranquilized. I hope they won't jump out of the fence. Besides they always have food and water but I know that what is in the other side is alwaysbetter than what they have, as Baymule said.


----------



## Hens and Roos

how long after separating the kids away from the does will it take before the does stop letting the kids nurse?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Hens and Roos said:


> how long after separating the kids away from the does will it take before the does stop letting the kids nurse?


It can be a few weeks to a few months. Most people separate the kids for a month. Some or ours have taken longer, while others self wean. It really depends on the doe. Is she a very doting mom or is she starting to kick them off now?


----------



## OneFineAcre

Southern by choice said:


> I think the electric is intended for larger dairy herds. That's the impression I  got. Buck Wheeler is the inventor and owner, I talked with him the other day. He is great at explaining everything about both products.   I also watched all the videos.
> 
> I would get the electric if I had 1 cow to milk.



I love the video where the lady brings the goat in the "milking parlor" which is obviously in her house
And I lost count on how many  teats that doe has


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I guess if it can milk THAT it can milk anything


----------



## OneFineAcre

Goat Whisperer said:


> It can be a few weeks to a few months. Most people separate the kids for a month. Some or ours have taken longer, while others self wean. It really depends on the doe. Is she a very doting mom or is she starting to kick them off now?


X2
Definitely varies
We have some that if you separate for 2 weeks and put them back they will let them nurse again
Others 2 days and they are so over motherhood


----------



## OneFineAcre

Goat Whisperer said:


> I guess if it can milk THAT it can milk anything


Yep
She would have definitely been a DQ
In the show ring


----------



## JayRo626

Hens and Roos said:


> G
> 
> 
> Good luck with both your does! We are waiting for our last one- Maggie to kid.  She is 10 days away from day 145 and we are keeping our fingers crossed that she holds out till then.  Guessing at least 4, would be really happy with 3!




Thanks! Maybe they'll have them around the same time! Lol. My father seems to think we put the buck in with them Jan. 18th, and if she was bred right away, that would have made her day 145 June 12. Ugh... If she goes much longer, and gets much bigger, I'm thinking she might have four too O.O

Is Maggie also a FF? Four seems like it would be a lot for a first time.


----------



## Hens and Roos

JayRo626 said:


> Thanks! Maybe they'll have them around the same time! Lol. My father seems to think we put the buck in with them Jan. 18th, and if she was bred right away, that would have made her day 145 June 12. Ugh... If she goes much longer, and gets much bigger, I'm thinking she might have four too O.O
> 
> Is Maggie also a FF? Four seems like it would be a lot for a first time.



No this is Maggie's 3rd time kidding(1st time with us)-from her records she had a single the 1st time and twins the 2nd.  We will be on hand for her kidding to make sure there are no issues and also it will help her bond to us.  We were on hand when our other 2 does kidded and they are sweethearts(even when being pains!)

You should start a thread and show off pictures of your does(everyone loves to see pictures ) and then their kids!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> It can be a few weeks to a few months. Most people separate the kids for a month. Some or ours have taken longer, while others self wean. It really depends on the doe. Is she a very doting mom or is she starting to kick them off now?



Great , we have had Rascal separated from Coco for at least a month now and if Rascal has the chance he will still nurse.  We have watch her call him over  to nurse .  She was separated from him shortly after birth for 2 weeks due to cold temps and him not figuring out how to nurse her- she called for him for those 2 weeks and took him back.


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay another question....should the 2 little doelings (about 9 weeks old) to be climbing on Maggie(they aren't bouncing off her) now that she is about 10 days out from kidding?


----------



## Hens and Roos

DH had to milk(currently only the 1 doe) Sat for me(DD and I weren't feeling good this weekend) and decided that we need to order the Udderly ez hand held milker- he figures the doe was holding back milk on him!

DD and DS(10) are going to try their hand at showing goats(Coco, Obie and the 2 doelings) at the fair this year.  Since DD is now able to walk on her cast-they went out mid-morning to work on walking the goats...they ended up having to bring Obie out and walk her so that the 2 doelings would sort of start walking!


----------



## JayRo626

Hens and Roos said:


> No this is Maggie's 3rd time kidding(1st time with us)-from her records she had a single the 1st time and twins the 2nd.  We will be on hand for her kidding to make sure there are no issues and also it will help her bond to us.  We were on hand when our other 2 does kidded and they are sweethearts(even when being pains!)
> 
> You should start a thread and show off pictures of your does(everyone loves to see pictures ) and then their kids!



I was planning on it. I don't have any current pictures of them however, as it has been storming horribly here for the past few days. Oi. My mini Alpine, Iris though, was a quad. I believe there were three doelings and a buckling. I try to go out there every night at midnight though. so we know what day they were born on, if we get surprised with babies in the morning, lol.


----------



## Hens and Roos

we had rain this morning and might get more this afternoon and then it seems like rain is forecasted every other day this week.  Makes it hard to get things done outside- like our garden !


----------



## Hens and Roos

Even though we are behind, we got our garden planted this morning I think I will like our smaller size!  Just have to go back and put straw between the rows to help keep the weeds down.

Maggie is at day 141,  that she makes it to Wednesday(day 145)

made ice cream again- the batch turned out okay even though it didn't start setting while in the ice cream machine.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Day 143 for Maggie- she is hanging in there-eating and chewing cud which is good because we are going to get some storms here shortly-hail, high winds etc!


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## Hens and Roos

day 144 and so far no action- DH looked at Maggie this am and said not today(which is good as he has been cutting grass all day).  She is just handing out- trying to get comfortable- poor girl!  This was good as I need to go grocery shopping and did so today just in case 

Over the few months that we have had goats, we have slowly figured out that Obie will eat just about everything- especially if it is being offered to one of the other goats.  Maggie really likes strawberries but not so much watermelon, Coco likes grapes cut up(used when trying to clip their coats)


----------



## Goat Whisperer




----------



## Hens and Roos

Maggie has made it to day 145-so far still watching and waiting.  She is in her own area for her comfort and away from the action of the others....of course Chaos and Cosmos(Obie's kids) have been crying and looking for Maggie- they are separated by fencing and can easily see her but usually spend a lot of the day hanging with her!

Does anyone have goats that chew off the scabs from where the kids are disbudded?  Coco and/or Obie- like to chew off the scabs


----------



## Southern by choice

No.

Your goats are just weird!


----------



## Hens and Roos

That doesn't surprise me at all!!!   They fit right in here


----------



## Hens and Roos

Maggie is at day 150..... 

DS(10) and I made our 1st batch of Chevre cheese- started it last night and finished it this morning- we just sampled it plain and it is pretty good.  Will have to try some additions and see what everyone thinks!

Is there anything we can do with the whey?  The one book I am currently reading says you can't use the whey to make Ricotta cheese.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I think doe code is getting to you 

This is according to your posts, if I'm wrong you can tell me 'I told ya so' I wont be offended  
Tuesday was day 144
Wednesday (yesterday) Day 145
*Thursday (Today) Day 146*


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## Southern by choice

Like a dork I hit post...

Congrats on your Chevre! I like Gaelic and Chives.... want to do orange and cranberries ... we do a lot of honey and nuts and maple syrup with walnut.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> I think doe code is getting to you
> 
> This is according to your posts, if I'm wrong you can tell me 'I told ya so' I wont be offended
> Tuesday was day 144
> Wednesday (yesterday) Day 145
> *Thursday (Today) Day 146*



, guess I got ahead of myself....yep only day 146 today!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Like a dork I hit post...
> 
> Congrats on your Chevre! I like Gaelic and Chives.... want to do orange and cranberries ... we do a lot of honey and nuts and maple syrup with walnut.



those all sound good may have to divide up the batch and try different flavors!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So today is actually day 146 but that no longer matters because at 2 pm- Maggie went into labor- she waited until everyone was home so she would have lots of attention.......little did we know that it would be all hands on deck plus a friend!!!



Maggie was hiding(or maybe not)* SIX* kids she did excellent and had 4 bucklings and 2 doelings......1 came out breech and the 5th and 6th ones tried to come out together....the 6th one's sack got broken in the process but we had her out shortly after the 5th(who is the biggest of all and a buckling)

Have to go feed, will post pictures once my phone is charged and I can transfer pictures


----------



## Southern by choice

Ok I said 5! Maggie is a champ!


----------



## norseofcourse

WOW!!!!!!  And so glad you got to be there!!  Congrats to you and to Maggie!!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Wow
Good luck


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Wow
> Good luck


thanks, we will have our hands full for sure.  The 2 doelings are currently in the kitchen under a heat lamp, we had to bring them in and warm them up.  They are the only ones we weighed so far: 1 pound 8 oz and 1 pound 6 oz- they are the smallest.  My DS(10) is watching them like a hawk, hopefully I will get him in bed tonight. 

Maggie is doing an awesome job so far- very watchful of the kids and calls/talks to them.  She knows that we took 2 of them but isn't upset with us.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

A huge congrats!!!! Six times over lol. I bet Maggie feels sooooooo much lighter now!

I know a breeder in GA that had a doe have six in one kidding... weird year, I have also seen an unusual amount of quints born this year too. Not just with the ND either.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture we took of Maggie and her kids- just hours old.  The kid by my DD's boot cover(white bag) and the one closet to the house are the 2 doelings.


----------



## babsbag

WOW 6 kids...that is like having two does kid at once. How many of them are you going to bottle raise?


----------



## Hens and Roos

The 2 doelings will most likely be bottle raised and possibly 1 little buckling- depending on how things good.  As of now the 4 bucklings are doing good and Maggie is too.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We were able to get some weights on all the kids this morning:

1st kid- boy #1 is 2 pounds 3 oz
2nd kid- boy #2 is 2 pounds 10 oz
3rd kid- girl #1 is 1 pound 8 oz
4th kid- boy #3 is 2 pounds 2 oz
5th kid-boy #4 is 3 pounds 5 oz
6th kid- girl #2 is 1 pound 6 oz


----------



## OneFineAcre

Wow
That's 13 lbs of baby goat


----------



## babsbag

Thanks OFA for doing the math for me, I was just starting to add them up.   That is  a lot of goat for a nigi.


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> Thanks OFA for doing the math for me, I was just starting to add them up.   That is  a lot of goat for a nigi.



that is a lot of goat!  I'm guessing Maggie is feeling much lighter today!


----------



## GLENMAR

6!!! Amazing.


----------



## ragdollcatlady

Wow! Just Wow!

 Congrats on the litter!


----------



## Latestarter

I didn't know that goats could HAVE 6 kids?!  That's amazing,  and more so that they all survived! Congrats to all!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks!  Pulled the short straw so doing the night feedings for the 2 doelings  at least I only have to go as far as our kitchen.  DS(10) wanted to stay up so that he could help with the feedings, he's sound asleep now!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We have sad news this morning- over night the 3rd buckling passed away- from what we can figure out is that Maggie ended up laying on him 

We also pulled the 1st buckling as he was shivering while in the sunshine, so we have 3 bottle babies now....my kids are good with that.

Pictures shows kids in birth order(left to right)





the 2 doelings are doing better this am, they are moving more/more alert/vocalizing more and look forward to feeding time- we are feeding them using a small bottle and nipple(it works great and the kids took to it right away).


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So sorry about the loss, but glad to hear the others are doing well!


----------



## JayRo626

My gosh! Six? Geez. Ours only had two, lol. The first doeling is adorable! Are you going to be keeping any of them?


----------



## Hens and Roos

At this point possibly both doelings- we will have to see how the grow given how small they are.  2 of our 3 does were bred to the same buck so 8 of our kids are half sibs.


----------



## norseofcourse

I'm sorry about the loss    Hope the does and all the others continue to do well.


----------



## babsbag

Sorry you lost one, never an easy thing to deal with.    3 bottle babies though will keep you busy and glad the rest are doing well. The nigis are always so little, can't even imagine a goat that doesn't even weigh 2 lbs. That is almost puppy size.


----------



## Hens and Roos

The kids handle the feedings during the day- with supervision- I get up at night and do those feedings.I have to set my alarm as they don't make much(if any) noise at all right now.

As soon as they see the bottle come out all 3 of them are opening their mouths up and looking for the milk.


----------



## OneFineAcre

That's great


----------



## Hens and Roos

one question we have with the bottle kids- do we need to give them any plain yogurt in their milk to help prevent stomach upset?  They are getting goat milk from our other does. We didn't with Rascal(our 1st kid)


----------



## ragdollcatlady

I usually use raw goats milk from my own goats. I just feed it straight up, warmed to just comfortable on my wrist, like for a human baby. 

When using store bought pasteurized cows milk, I do add some plain yogurt with live cultures, as well as cream for added calories. 

If you heat treat/pasteurize your goats milk at home I would add some too.


----------



## Hens and Roos

ragdollcatlady said:


> I usually use raw goats milk from my own goats. I just feed it straight up, warmed to just comfortable on my wrist, like for a human baby.
> 
> When using store bought pasteurized cows milk, I do add some plain yogurt with live cultures, as well as cream for added calories.
> 
> If you heat treat/pasteurize your goats milk at home I would add some too.



okay, our goat milk is raw, fed straight up and warmed like you mentioned!


----------



## Hens and Roos

This morning when I went outside to check Maggie and the 2 kids with her- I noticed that since kidding she hasn't been interested in eating the sweet feed but had picked out the alfalfa pellets from the food.  I picked some of the feed up in my hand, offered it to her, she sniffed but turned her head away.  Out of curiosity, I offered her a small amount of 16 % medicated goat pellets we have for the younger kids- she cleaned those right up.....is there any reason we can't feed her these for now?


----------



## Latestarter

IMHO, "most" animals know what they need and what they don't. She must want something that's in that particular feed mix. It's not that she's a pig; eating everything in sight... there's something there. Since (I believe) you said you wouldn't be drinking the milk, but feeding it to the kids, I don't think the "medicated" would be an issue...  and 16% protein should be adequate for her milk production... I'd say go for it... But then, what do I know?


----------



## Hens and Roos

my main concerns right now are
1. getting Maggie interested in eating more-as she has 2 kids nursing her- it will be weeks before we even consider milking her-
2. making sure the 3 bottle kids are eating enough to gain weight- without overfeeding- we are feeding them goat milk from our other does


----------



## OneFineAcre

Do you have alfalfa hay ?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Do you have alfalfa hay ?



yes, I am feeding alfalfa mixed in with the other hay we are feeding(we get it from a friend who has horses).  She is eating some of it.


----------



## babsbag

16% feed is the norm where I am for feeding a lactating doe or cow. I raise my kids on straight alfalfa once they start eating hay, I have never given grain of any kind to a kid unless it has been sick or off of feed for some reason. But honestly they do fine on just alfalfa.

Is it medicated for cocci? I am sure it won't hurt her or her kids, but I have a little (very little) concern about feeding any animal a steady diet of medication if they don't really need it. Is that how we get resistant worms and bacterias.   But eating that is certainly better than not eating so I say, "bring it on".


----------



## Hens and Roos

At this point we are trying to get her eating better than she has been.

It is medicated for cocci but maybe more bland for her, thinking her stomach is out of sorts.....kind of like nothing looks good or tastes good.


----------



## Latestarter

When I get that way, ice cream normally fixes me!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> When I get that way, ice cream normally fixes me!



, my kids go with mashed potatoes!


----------



## GLENMAR

She may be sore from having that many kids. When my girl had triplets, she went off feed and was feeling bad. I gave her 5ml of vitamin B injected. It brings back the appetite and perks them up.


----------



## OneFineAcre

I'd give her normal hay free choice and then a couple times a day a quarter or third flake of alfalfa give or take
Right now all of our goats are getting oat/rye hay free choice and a bale of alfalfa every 2 days or so
the medicated feed won't hurt
Sometimes we give our milkers calf starter before a show to pump them up a little
If she just has the two kids on her now I would be milking her twice a day too


----------



## OneFineAcre

GLENMAR said:


> She may be sore from having that many kids. When my girl had triplets, she went off feed and was feeling bad. I gave her 5ml of vitamin B injected. It brings back the appetite and perks them up.


I bet she is sore 
B-12 would be a good idea


----------



## Hens and Roos

GLENMAR said:


> She may be sore from having that many kids. When my girl had triplets, she went off feed and was feeling bad. I gave her 5ml of vitamin B injected. It brings back the appetite and perks them up.



we have been giving her 2 ml of vitamin B daily since Sat.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I'd give her normal hay free choice and then a couple times a day a quarter or third flake of alfalfa give or take
> Right now all of our goats are getting oat/rye hay free choice and bale of alfalfa every 2 days or so
> the medicated feed won't hurt
> Sometimes we give our millers calf starter before a show to pump them up a little
> If she just has the two kids on her now I would be milking her twice a day too



you don't think that we would be taxing her system more by milking her- given she carried 6 kids inside for 5 months and now feeding 2 of them?


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> you don't think that we would be taxing her system more by milking her- given she carried 6 kids inside for 5 months and now feeding 2 of them?



She's probably making more milk than the two of them are drinking now.  By milking her, you are conditioning her to produce more instead of her production dropping to meet the demand of the two kids.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> She's probably making more milk than the two of them are drinking now.  By milking her, you are conditioning her to produce more instead of her production dropping to meet the demand of the two kids.



okay that makes sense, we just don't want do anything to negatively effect Maggie's health


----------



## Hens and Roos

Question about coats- Melanie has a much different coat compared to the others.  Her coat is very thick and soft- seems like a double coat.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We noticed that the 2 bucklings(5 days old now) that are with Maggie have raspy breathing- not very loud but reminds me of my DS(10) when he has a cold. 

Took their temperatures- 101.5(kid #5) and 102.4(kid #2).  Both are up and around nursing frequently from Maggie- checking out her feed and hay. 

Our day temps are high 70's low 80's and at night high 50's/low 60's. 

We gave kid #5 Pen G last night- is that what we should be doing?   

We can bring the vet out if needed too. 

Also #5 has 1 eye with matter(greenish color) and we cleaned it off.


----------



## OneFineAcre

I don't know what your relationship is like with your vet but I would at least talk to mine for guidance
Lord knows I spend enough money with mine that in this case he would give some advice
Your temps aren't hot but you have a big swing which can have an effect
Such tiny babies a cold can go to pneumonia quick
Pneumonia is killer # 1 for young animals
I'm don't mean to scare you but I would be very vigilant about raspy breathing on such a young goat at this time of year
Do you have any scour halt?
I'm not going to make any suggestions regarding the pen g
I've never givin an injected antibiotic to such a young kid
But scour check is spectromyicin for treating E. coli in pigs
It is an antibiotic that my vet said can help stave off respitory issues in babies

Edit
Spectinomyicin


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks @OneFineAcre, I will probably call our vet tomorrow morning and see what he thinks- he has been good in the past about giving over the phone advice and we can have him come out if needed....we'd rather error on the side of caution and pay a vet bill then lose another kid.

I have heard of sour halt and can get some if that is what is needed.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Pen g or LA 200 may be the way to go
I've just never had to give an injected antibiotic to a kid so I don't have any advice
Scour check is an antibiotic given orally made for babies and it can't hurt 
I keep it on hand so if I had any indication of  cold I would give it
But you should talk to your vet at minimum
Such tiny babies
I was so happy for you when she had 6 but I would take 2 every time


----------



## Hens and Roos

It has been a learning experience for sure, with the kids being so tiny it has been a challenge to keep them feed/comfortable without over feeding.  I think 2-3 kids are what I would take every time but not much can be done on how many!

DH just got home and said if it would help keep them at a more stable temp- we can move them into our shop as we are dropping into the 50's tonight.


----------



## babsbag

Pen G is usually not the antibiotic of choice for respiratory. I have never used Scour halt for that either, but good information. I have given injectable antibiotics to kids (not as little as yours since I don't have NDs) and I always use Duramycin or LA 200.  Definitely talk to your vet and like OFA siad, watch the kids carefully.  

There is going to come a time in the not to far off future that all of the over the counter antibiotics are a thing of the past so get that relationship with your vet now.


----------



## OneFineAcre

I think they should have some kind of antibiotic
Just don't know what for a kid that weighs 2 lbs
I just know you need to be vigilante


----------



## OneFineAcre

@Hens and Roos
We've had about 50 plus kids since we started doing this
I think we have been very successful percentage wise
But I want to save them all just like you do
You seem very diligent
Stay on top of it and do the best you can


----------



## Hens and Roos

we moved Maggie and the 2 bucklings into our shop, we will be calling our vet 1st thing tomorrow when they open and most likely have him stop out.  I will keep everyone posted as to what we find out.


----------



## babsbag

Also, Duramycin stings like crazy. If you can get Bio-mycin it is well worth the little bit more that it might cost. The dose is 5cc / 100 lbs so you would need a little TB (1 cc) syringe to do a goat that small. You give  it subQ every 48 hours. If my math is right you would be giving .1cc to a two pound goat


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay, thanks for that information!  I will see what we can do.


----------



## OneFineAcre

How are they doing this morning?


----------



## Hens and Roos

They seem to be doing okay, up and nursing.

Spoke with our vet just a little while ago and he recommended that we give 1/2 cc Pen G once per day through Sunday.  Of course continue to monitor temperatures and weight and call if anything gets worse.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Looks like you were already on top of it all


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Looks like you were already on top of it all



thanks, we try hard but is always nice to get another opinion/help!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Very good


----------



## babsbag

Glad they are doing well. It is funny how different vets have their "go to" meds; mine always gives duramycin for respiratory and uses Pen G when we have an abscess or laceration, or after an assisted kidding.  I seldom even ask her any more as I know what she will say.

But the important part is that they all get well and stay well so whatever works, right?


----------



## Hens and Roos

my DD and I gave them the shots...had to watch Utube so we were doing it correctly(normally DH has been giving shots).  Let me tell you, there isn't much skin on these little guys but we did it!


----------



## babsbag

My vet also wants PenG to be given IM. I HATE IM SHOTS WITH A PASSION. I guess it can go sub Q but doesn't work as fast, or so I was told. I give everything sub Q except Lutalyse and fortunately I have only done that twice.


----------



## Hens and Roos

over the weekend, we were able to get the microscope and computer to work together so I was able to take some pictures of the fecal we looked at.  Hoping to run another and see what is there. 

we aren't sure but think this is a brown stomach worm(only saw 2 of them on the McMaster slide)



 Not sure on these pictures...


----------



## Hens and Roos

So today Maggie's 5 kids are 1 week old and getting stronger everyday!

Took a look at their weight gain:
Buckling #1- gained 10 oz
Buckling #2- gained 1 lb 4 oz
Doeling  #1- gained 6 oz
Bucking #4 - gained 1 lb
Doeling #2- gained 9 oz

Given how they were doing this time last week we are happy they are doing well.


----------



## GLENMAR

Great.


----------



## Hens and Roos

The 2 doelings now weigh 2 pounds each! 

Some new pictures:

1.  Buckling #1- Marsh
 

2. Buckling #2- Monty
 

3. Doeling #1- Moose
 

4. Buckling #4- Mort
 

5. Doeling #2- Monkey


----------



## Southern by choice

Looks right but it is very difficult to tell from a picture as opposed to looking through a scope. You also have another "egg" on the green line... too hard to tell looks almost folded like a tape but is not the right shape. Shape is similar to coccidia - I cannot see it clear enough.
2nd pic looks like pollen
3rd pic is not focused in enough. sometimes you need to really dial it in which will "blur" your air bubbles in which you get your baseline.
I cannot tell if anything is inside or just a circle of something.
Same on 4th pic

Does your scope have a pointer?

Kids look great.
Sorry I didn't get back sooner H&R just been so busy.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Looks right but it is very difficult to tell from a picture as opposed to looking through a scope. You also have another "egg" on the green line... too hard to tell looks almost folded like a tape but is not the right shape. Shape is similar to coccidia - I cannot see it clear enough.
> 2nd pic looks like pollen
> 3rd pic is not focused in enough. sometimes you need to really dial it in which will "blur" your air bubbles in which you get your baseline.
> I cannot tell if anything is inside or just a circle of something.
> Same on 4th pic
> 
> Does your scope have a pointer?
> 
> Kids look great.
> Sorry I didn't get back sooner H&R just been so busy.



Our scope does have a pointer on the eye piece but these pictures were taken when the digital eyepiece was hooked up....it's taking us a while to get the hang of making it all work together!

totally understand about being busy ....never enough hours in a day to get the list done!

we are really happy with the kid's progress....we could sit for hours and just watch them being silly!  Extra sleep would be nice too


----------



## JayRo626

Moose is so cute!! We need to do a 'baby swap' xD. I can't believe how small they are  They're like the size of our bucklings when they were first born! MAYBE!(That's still pushing it, lol.)


----------



## Hens and Roos

JayRo626 said:


> Moose is so cute!! We need to do a 'baby swap' xD. I can't believe how small they are  They're like the size of our bucklings when they were first born! MAYBE!(That's still pushing it, lol.)



Lol...Moose and Monkey are the human kid's favorites, they will be staying.  All the boys will not be staying as they are related to Obie's doelings as well.  We will need to use a non-related buck for breeding-still haven't figure things out that far


----------



## Hens and Roos

This afternoon, DH, DD(15) and DS(13) worked on tattooing rabbits and goats.....of course a couple of the letters decided to break when they got to the last 3 goats  so I have to see if I can get some replacement letters tomorrow!

It looks like we have some aliens in the herd now , hope it wears off before fair in 9 days


----------



## Hens and Roos

Was able to pick up the tattoo letters that gotten broken so now we can finish!  Of course fair starts this coming Monday 

Right now we are using 1/4" tattoo because that is what our friends have- we have both rabbits and goats so wondering if this size is okay or if we can make a different size work?

Our kitchen is now the "goat 500" race way  and we can tell who is running by the sound of their hoof beats!! oops we had a crash and wipe out at turn 2........

Today the kids are 2 weeks old!  Here are their weights:

Marsh- birth weight- 2 lbs 3 oz......today- 4 lbs 5 oz
Monty- birth weight- 2 lbs 10 oz.....today- 6 lbs 1 oz
Moose- birth weight- 1 lb 8 oz.......today- 3 lb
Mort- birth weight- 3 lbs 5 oz........today- 6 lbs 6 oz
Monkey- birth weight- 1 lb 6 oz......today- 3 lbs 1 oz


----------



## OneFineAcre

That's really great.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Getting big!

I love house goats  The sound of them running on the hardwood floor is sooooo adorable


----------



## Hens and Roos

we are very pleased with how they are doing!


----------



## Latestarter

seems like they've all doubled their weight! That's great! Glad things are going well for you and the little ones


----------



## babsbag

Glad the kids are doing well and growing; so darn cute too.

About the tattoo, 1/4" seems pretty small, even for NDs. I use either 3/8 or 5/16, I forget which it is.

How did the letters break, mine are metal.


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> Glad the kids are doing well and growing; so darn cute too.
> 
> About the tattoo, 1/4" seems pretty small, even for NDs. I use either 3/8 or 5/16, I forget which it is.
> 
> How did the letters break, mine are metal.



The letters are plastic base and the goat jerked his head when DH was applying the tattoo........

we are trying to figure out which size to get so we can use it for both our rabbits and goats  we do have the EZ- tatt but that isn't as easy to use(guess we need to practice more)


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> seems like they've all doubled their weight! That's great! Glad things are going well for you and the little ones



thanks......the night feeding is kind of rough but we came up with a working system , they are very quiet and don't really make much noise at all!


----------



## goats&moregoats

Wow, Just catching up on this thread. You have had quite the busy house. Congrats on all the little ones. Glad your daughter and dog recovered from their accidents. Love the pictures.


----------



## babsbag

I think the EZ tat would be a nightmare. I have the old fashioned metal one, takes 3/8" digits, made by Stone.  I think that if you are going to show your goats they need to be bigger than 1/4", even bigger ones the judges often have a hard time seeing and if you win they DO check and they have to be legible.


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> I think the EZ tat would be a nightmare. I have the old fashioned metal one, takes 3/8" digits, made by Stone.  I think that if you are going to show your goats they need to be bigger than 1/4", even bigger ones the judges often have a hard time seeing and if you win they DO check and they have to be legible.



Good to know, I know we had a hard time seeing the tattoo's on our older does ears- one has dark insides too!


----------



## babsbag

Often the judge will put a flashlight behind the goats ears and the light shines through the ear to help see the tattoo. Not so easy on La Manchas and tail webs. I have yet to tattoo one of those.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Yeah, the ez tat looks like it would be a bit of a pain to use on goats. 

This is what we got-
http://www.jefferspet.com/products/small-tattoo-set
We got it with the ear release. We haven't had any problems with it but we have only done a few kids.  We are going to get another set or two and we will probably upgrade to a stone. Not sure yet.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Fair starts this week for DD, DS and DS- they are almost finished with putting projects together....they have foods judging tomorrow afternoon and then Tuesday afternoon all other projects including animals go in....some projects are judged right away and animal judging starts Wed.

This year will be interesting- DH has to report for jury duty tomorrow to see if he is picked not sure the kids and I can get the turkeys and goats to the fair without his help.....guess we'll see!

Only Chaos and Cosmos are going to the fair- decided that having 2 does in milk there might be a little difficult as it takes 4 of us to milk Obie .  We also hope this will help wean those 2 completely!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I bet y'all have been busy! Waiting to hear how it went! 

I hope the kids (human) are having fun!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Just got home...lots going on....will post more when I get a few extra minutes...going to bed morning will come to early!

tomorrow starts animal judging- Poultry; Thursday- rabbits and Sat- goats....only Obie's 2 doelings went and they are putting Chatty Cathy to shame


----------



## Hens and Roos

Quick question- we need to get the bottle kids out of our house into more space but we have been having warm/humid weather and we have our A/C running so what is the best way to transition them safely?


----------



## norseofcourse

Hens and Roos said:


> Quick question- we need to get the bottle kids out of our house into more space but we have been having warm/humid weather and we have our A/C running so what is the best way to transition them safely?


I don't have any experience with this, but my first thought was could you put them somewhere that you could safely have a fan on them?  Hope someone else chimes in soon.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Maybe suffer a little bit and raise temp in the house gradually over a couple of days
Other than that I have no clue


----------



## Bonnie Jo

I love the fair!!!  I showed goats when I was a little girl!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Maybe suffer a little bit and raise temp in the house gradually over a couple of days
> Other than that I have no clue



This might very well be the way we go, will have to watch the weather this next week and see what happens!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So we have 1.5 days left at fair and as of this morning all judging is done!  The kids did very well:  they participated in foods, photography, arts, woodworking, mechanical science plus showed turkeys, Californian rabbits, French Angora rabbits and goats!

Here are a few pictures from some of the project areas(not all goats):

This is the melon boat that DD made for foods!





DS(13 years) made this table for recycle arts:






DD going through senior showmanship with Chaos(she was a handful in the ring), received a red.




DS(10 years) in junior showmanship- only 2 in the class- he received reserve champion

Both DD and DS(10 years) showing Chaos and Cosmos in the junior intermediate class- she received a red and he received the 2 nd blue.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We only took Chaos and Cosmos to the fair and left Obie at home- hoping the week apart would help with getting them weaned........NOT! We are still milking Obie just to keep her in practice even though we don't get much.  The plus side of taking Chaos and Cosmos to the fair is that they are getting more friendly and come up to us for attention.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Maggie's 5 kids are 4 weeks old today so we weighed them to see how they are growing!

Marsh- 7 lbs 11 oz
Monty- 9 lbs 5 oz
Moose- 5 lbs 7 oz
Mort- 9 lbs 14 oz
Monkey- 5 lbs 14 oz

We took Maggie plus Monty and Mort out to pasture with the rest of the group today and of course the does had to figure out who should be on top .  Coco got the top of her scur knocked off.....bleeding a little bit but not anything bad- will have to watch and make sure it stays clean!

Working on transitioning the 3 from the house outside......


----------



## Hens and Roos

our weather has been nice enough to get the 3 bottle kids out of our kitchen and into a pen in our shop of course all the rabbits looked at us as if to say.....not those things again!!   We have also been taking them into the pasture with the rest of the goats to get everyone use to each other but only under supervision because of cause they have no protector.

We did their disbudding/dehorning ourselves(well DH did), DH built a box that worked great.  We will just watch to make sure no scurs grow.  We did notice on Comet(from the triplets) that he has a scur growing back so that will need to be taken care of. 

Will try and line up the 5 kids for an updated picture


----------



## Hens and Roos

Have a couple of new pictures to share- my kids decided that the goats needed something to keep them busy.  If I would have known adding goats would get my kids to pull weeds, I would have gotten goats years ago! 



We weighed Maggie's kids:
Marsh- 10 lbs 10 oz
Monty- 13 lbs 4 oz
Moose- 7 lbs 14 oz
Mort- 13 lbs 15 oz
Monkey- 8 lbs 14 oz

Here is a couple of pictures of them too!


----------



## Poka_Doodle

Cool about fair!!! will you put the fair website up, I want to take a peak for some pictures, I had mine the weekend of the 25th. I can say that for me except if I do the market sale Saturday is the day of fair were I can have the most fun, going on rides and doing what I want to do after chores are done


----------



## Hens and Roos

Poka_Doodle said:


> Cool about fair!!! will you put the fair website up, I want to take a peak for some pictures, I had mine the weekend of the 25th. I can say that for me except if I do the market sale Saturday is the day of fair were I can have the most fun, going on rides and doing what I want to do after chores are done



I looked and the fair website doesn't have any pictures posted from the fair, might be on face  book but I'm not a face book user


----------



## Hens and Roos

We tried to take a few new pictures yesterday and today but cooperation wasn't the greatest!

Here is Melanie....our 1st....she is 10 months now




This is Coco- she is a FF and my easy milker and her milk is creamy tasting!





This is Rascal- he is Coco's- very much a sweetheart.


----------



## Poka_Doodle

So, is goat milk better or worse then Cow Milk?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Poka_Doodle said:


> So, is goat milk better or worse then Cow Milk?



my 3 kids and myself really enjoy the goat milk, for my DH it is too creamy and we still drink cow milk....I guess it is up to individual taste.  I know after having our own goat milk and chevre we wont eat store bought!


----------



## Poka_Doodle

Hens and Roos said:


> my 3 kids and myself really enjoy the goat milk, for my DH it is too creamy and we still drink cow milk....I guess it is up to individual taste.  I know after having our own goat milk and chevre we wont eat store bought!


Okay, I was curious what people thought of Goat milk.


----------



## Hens and Roos

here are a couple pictures of Maggie's 2 doelings- they are 7 weeks now.

Moose



Monkey


----------



## Latestarter

Good gosh they are so SMALL!! but so CUTE!


----------



## OneFineAcre

They look great


----------



## Poka_Doodle

They are so cute


----------



## Hens and Roos

our 3 little bucklings are coming up on 8 weeks and we have separated them from the rest of the group.....they are not happy!


----------



## Poka_Doodle

Hens and Roos said:


> our 3 little bucklings are coming up on 8 weeks and we have separated them from the rest of the group.....they are not happy!


Oh, that would be interesting


----------



## Hens and Roos

question for those who have goats that are at least on their 2nd freshening and being milk....do you have issues with them as far as being milked?  We have been milking Maggie- this is her 3rd time kidding but she is very squirrely on the milk stand and it takes 3 of us to milk her.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Some goats are total brats about being milked while others are great about it. All the does that I pulled the kids from had no issues. ALL of them stood perfectly still be day 4.

Was Maggie milked consistently before you milked her? 

I have done something like this before(see pic). I don't pull the back legs that far and I use a thin dog lead. You put the end with the clip thru the handle and that goes just above the hock on the goat. The other end wraps around the stanchion leg and clips the lead to itself. 

*This is NOT my photo:*
*



*


----------



## Hens and Roos

we have no idea if she was milked before we got her and started milking.  We do have hobbles that we use.....hopefully she will get better over time 

our next order of business is to decided who should become a wether.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Maggie's kids will be eight weeks tomorrow and there is a size difference between the 2 bucklings(the 2 biggest at birth) who stayed with her and the 1 buckling and 2 doelings who were pulled for bottle kids(they were the smallest at birth).  We plan to weigh them all tomorrow to see what they weigh.

Are we in the right line of thinking that the 3 bottle kids may take a few weeks longer(maybe more) in the time it takes for them to fully develop/mature? 

Does a small birth weight cause any issues for them?  What factor should(if any) this play in determining who to keep as a buckling and who should become a wether?


----------



## OneFineAcre

First off
You've done a great job with these kiids
When you posted she had all of those babies I was so afraid you would lose some of them
I'm so happy how well you have done with them

As to your questions I have some thoughts but too much to type on phone 
Will write more tomorrow when  at my compiter


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks @OneFineAcre  it was kind of touch and go for the 2 doelings for sure- as we got past 48 hours I started to breath a little easier!

it sure was and still is a learning experience and if faced with the situation again(sure hope not) we will probably do things a bit differently.  1 being to set up a warming box so kids can be placed in there as the doe kids- I think the smallest ones got a little chilled even though it was warm out.  We will pull the smallest one- looking back the one that didn't make it should have come in to be a bottle kid.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Ok. We don't bottle raise kids as a rule.  But,when we take Jrs to shows our dam raised kids are always bigger than the ones from people who bottle raise.  That's just my observation, people who bottle raise may tell you differently.

I've also observed that smaller kids from multiple births stay proportionally smaller than singles or twins with a higher birth weight for the first year.  But by the time they are 18 months to 2 years old catch up.  

I've got a quad that weighed 2lbs when she was born that weighs 28 lbs now.
Another was a twin that weighed almost 5 lbs when born who weighs 45 lbs now.

I've got 4 doe kids from this spring that we kept.  Pebbles weighs 45, Dee weighs 40, Mollasses 33, Tira weighs 28

Some of the difference is genetic too.  Ginger is Pebbles dam and she is a bigger goat than Coleus who is Tira's dam.

I wouldn't factor that in on determining what to do with a buckling either.
Fortunato was a quad and was tiny when I got him.


----------



## Hens and Roos

weighed Maggie's 5 kids this morning- they are 8 weeks old:

Marsh- 14 lbs- bottle kid
Monty- 15 lbs 8 oz
Moose- 10 lbs 8 oz - bottle kid
Mort- 16 lbs 8 oz
Monkey- 12 lbs- bottle kid

we also weighed a few others
Melanie (10 months old)- 42 lbs
Chaos (April 2015)- 27.5 lbs
Cosmos (April 2015)- 35 lbs


----------



## goatgurl

just caught up with this thread and all i can say Hens and Roos is wow!  in 35 years of goat raising i have never had a doe have 6 kids, just wow and you have done such a great job raising them.  and yes your bottle kids will catch up in size.  it may take them a year or so but with all things equal they will.  and it is also kind of normal for a doe who has been raising her kids to resent the heck out of you milking her.  be patient and consistent and she should come around.  again congrats on all those babies


----------



## Hens and Roos

For the last week or so we have had Maggie's doelings in a pen within the area so the rest of the herd could see and get use to them.  Today we let Moose and Monkey out with the rest of the girls and so far it has been going well- they do get a head butt now and then from the others but nothing major!   In fact Maggie was laying close by them for a while....of course she wont acknowledge that they are hers(we think she knows on some level that they are )


----------



## Poka_Doodle

Great News!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Last 5-7 days here have been hot and humid for us and the animals too!  Noticed that they drink a lot more water and hay seems to be the food of choice.

Since we are weaning the bottle kids off the bottles we now have goat milk to drink , pasteurized enough to drink, make tapioca and chevre. 

What brand of copper bolus is good to use?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

This is the copper we get. We give the 2g to the ND's, you can ask your vet what dosage you should give.
http://www.jefferspet.com/products/...84a49fa2600f000003c1/533884a69fa2600f000003dc


----------



## Hens and Roos

that is the site I was looking at.  I will ask our vet and see what he thinks.

ended up milking by myself this morning as it was raining here and the kids had to go to school- didn't do to bad considering 2 does still dance around on the milk stand.

after having our shelter and pasture for roughly the past 4 months, we have found some improvements that would make everything more workable for 1 person to take care of everything(that's me in the morning if I end up doing chores by myself.  now just to find the time to implement them .  first change to go in will be a second gate!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Doesn't a day go by where I don't see something I couldn't improve with more
Time or
Labor or
Money


----------



## babsbag

OneFineAcre said:


> Doesn't a day go by where I don't see something I couldn't improve with more
> Time or
> Labor or
> Money



or Muscle


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> or Muscle



muscle I've got- it comes in the form of my DH


----------



## Hens and Roos

we weighed Maggie's kids last night to see what they weigh, had to change our way of weighing them as they are too big for us to use our hanging scale!  They are 10 weeks old now.

Marsh- 16.5 pounds
Monty- 16.5 pounds
Moose- 13.5 pounds
Mort- 18.0 pounds
Monkey- 13.5 pounds


----------



## animalmom

Well now that taint fair to give us updates on how the youngsters are growing and not give us updated pictures.  How's it gonna look in my album with just dates and weights?  Hummm, I ask you, just how is it gonna look?  Please and thank you.

On a serious note, although why be serious, I am thrilled the group is doing so darn well.  It must please you every time you see the little goaties to know how they were and how they are now.  Congrats all the way around.  Now can we have new pictures?


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Aww! Glad they are all doing well!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here are a few updated pictures to go with the updated weights .  Had to have a few extra hands to help otherwise all the pictures would show goat noses 

This is Monkey(on left) and Moose-with the stick in her mouth





Moose giving her thoughts on having her picture taken:




Mort (with Monty hiding behind him) busy checking out the hay




will post pictures of the other 2 boys once the computer is done loading(it takes it a while )


----------



## Latestarter

They are so cute! Thanks for sharing! they look great!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Stinkin' adorable!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We have some birch tree branches that were cut off and was wondering if the goats could have them?

I looked on several sites and found conflicting statements- one said yes it s good for them and the other said no the main one I look at didn't have it listed in either column.


----------



## Latestarter

Give them credit for knowing by taste what they can and can't eat... Give them a few and see what happens?


----------



## Hens and Roos

I thought about that but the load was taken away so maybe next time


----------



## Hens and Roos

Given that we are still really new to goats and trying to figure everything out, wanted to ask-
How does one determine quality in their animals? 

When my kids showed the 2 doeling sister's at the county fair this year one of the other goat people told my kids that the doelings looked really nice and my kids didn't think to ask for an explanation as to why as they were focused on getting ready for showing.

Reading the pedigrees we have on the 3 does- I see varies information such as:
++B  AR2008, ST2011, LA2007(this is all on one animal-under it's name) so where can we read about these abbreviations?

I know- LA stands for Linear Appraisal; there is Excellent(E), Very Good(VG), Good Plus(+), Acceptable(A), Fair(F), Poor(P) and each one of these has a number range

and from what I've seen not all websites for goat registration share the same information.

We are part of the ADGA as that is who our does are with- we do have a guide book and other information from them but it's slow going getting through it/figuring it out.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Those are all from performance testing
The ++B is a milk star for Bucks I believe due to performance of daughters, *B is his dam.
The AR is Advanced Registry which is performance on DHIR (Dairy Heard Improvement Registry) in your example earned in 2008.
ST is Star Volume from one day milk testing in 2011.
LA is Linear Appraisal in 2007

Attached are some explanations.


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks, we will take a look at that information!


----------



## Hens and Roos

as we only have 3 does to milk- I pasteurize the milk in a double boiler set up and then into a cold water bath to drop the temperature.  Outside of standing and stirring the milk is there any way to prevent a skin from forming- this causes clumps and my kids don't care to drink clumps(I was told this several times by DS(13).......


----------



## OneFineAcre

How high are you getting the temp?


----------



## Hens and Roos

we heat it to 165* F for 15 seconds and then into the cold/ice bath- the last few times we have stirred it more often and have had no problems.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had a busy day today  attended a farmers market this morning for our 4-H group and members brought projects to display for everyone to see- went very well we had about 7 club families there.  We took 1 French Angora buck and the 2 doelings that attend fair earlier this year.

DD had PT today as well and is now cleared to participate fully in volleyball- so she was excited about that!

We also listed a few of our extra goats for sale and this afternoon ended up selling 3 to a family that was looking to get started with goats!  1 wether and the older 2 doelings.....wow!

So we are now down to 10 goats total.....only 8 above the original planned number  

Forgot to add that DH ended up taking DS(13) to the ER right before we started evening chores- a game of catch with the football was going on and DS tried to catch the football and ended up on the ground and did something to his wrist......now awaiting word from DH about the x-rays


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> we heat it to 165* F for 15 seconds and then into the cold/ice bath- the last few times we have stirred it more often and have had no problems.


We just get ours to 145 but you have to keep it there longer but we've never had an issue with it getting a film


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> We just get ours to 145 but you have to keep it there longer but we've never had an issue with it getting a film



from what I read isn't it like 30 minutes at 145 *F?


----------



## Latestarter

*Pasteurizing Goat Milk and Keeping It Fresh;  By Cheryl K. Smith from Raising Goats For Dummies*

Put milk in a double boiler or in jars in a pasteurizer or canner and heat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds.
Cool the milk as quickly as possible, but make sure not to put the hot jars in cold water or they will break.
Store the milk in the refrigerator.
Couldn't find the time requirement for 145... on any of a dozen sites... They were all around 160-165


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> from what I read isn't it like 30 minutes at 145 *F?


Yes
But it's easy to get 145 and maintain
And you don't have to stir at all to not scald the milk
Those 20 degrees to get it to 165 make a difference in that respect 
We use a stainless steel pot and have a gas stovetop and Maurine has it dialed in 
Slow and easy


----------



## OneFineAcre

Latestarter said:


> *Pasteurizing Goat Milk and Keeping It Fresh;  By Cheryl K. Smith from Raising Goats For Dummies*
> 
> Put milk in a double boiler or in jars in a pasteurizer or canner and heat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds.
> Cool the milk as quickly as possible, but make sure not to put the hot jars in cold water or they will break.
> Store the milk in the refrigerator.
> Couldn't find the time requirement for 145... on any of a dozen sites... They were all around 160-165


145 for 30 minutes works just as well and  is easier 
Keep looking and you can find it
USDA approved


----------



## norseofcourse

My cheesemaking book (Ricki Carroll's) says 145° for 30 min, 161° for 15 sec, and ultrapasteurization is 191° for one second (but don't use that last one for cheese!).


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep- have seen all the information , might have to try 145* for 30 minutes the next batch......which maybe on Monday depending on what time my DS is able to be seen by the orthopedic doctors- he has a buckle fracture of his left wrist


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Hope DS is okay! 

We have the safgard pasteurizer and we do get the skin on top, I use a cheese curd ladle and skim the top before I put it the ice water. It seems to work well. 

Congrats on the sales!


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay, another question for everyone 

we are sending in registration paper work for our littlest doelings-Moose and Monkey and I need some help on what colors they are, we have looked at several websites but not sure:
Moose- not sure...




Monkey- we think she is gold (Maggie is listed at Dark gold)


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> yep- have seen all the information , might have to try 145* for 30 minutes the next batch......which maybe on Monday depending on what time my DS is able to be seen by the orthopedic doctors- he has a buckle fracture of his left wrist



Maurine is patuerizing tonight
When the temp hits 145 she turns the burner off
It usually rises to 147 or 148 after she turns it off
She then puts a lid on the pot and it may drop to 143 by the time 30 mins is up


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks @OneFineAcre, do you get a lot of condensation build up on the cover or not enough to worry about?

Just working on cooling a batch of milk ourselves.....gave my DS(13) the job of stirring it so no skin would form, this worked well since he can't help much with animal chores with his left arm in a cast.


----------



## OneFineAcre

There is some condensation but it hasn't been a problem


----------



## Hens and Roos

Will try this on the next batch as I will probably have enough by Tuesday again.


----------



## babsbag

If Moose were an Alpine I would call her a silver chamoisee with a few white spots. Or a broken silver chaimosee


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> If Moose were an Alpine I would call her a silver chamoisee with a few white spots. Or a broken silver chaimosee



thanks @babsbag 

We were thinking Chocolate chamoisee with a few white spots.  How would you determine if she would be roan?  What about a white poll?


----------



## Hens and Roos

the last few times we pasteurized milk I have been removing the cream layer and put into a different jar.  Today after school, DS(13) and DS(10) took turns shaking the jar- first we got whipping cream(which we tasted a little of...yum!) and then with further shaking we ended up with butter- drained the liquid part off and washed several times with cold water.  Plan to try it on toast!

speaking of milking- our doe Obie(she had the triplets) has been very unruly on the milk stand the last few times that tonight we couldn't even milk her out- DH will help when he gets home in a little while.  She wasn't the calmest to start with on the stand but now......wondering if she is acting out because her doelings went to a new home and are no longer with the herd


----------



## babsbag

I have no idea about roan. If she has a white poll I would certainly mention it. My goats change colors on me sometimes so it makes it tricky sometimes. I don't really think she is chocolate, more a dark silver, at least in the picture.


----------



## Hens and Roos

working on pasteurizing another batch of milk tonight, trying the method of heating it to 145* and holding for 30 minutes.

DS(13) had his orthopedic appointment today- they took x-rays and gave him a new cast one that immobilizes his thumb fully as they are concerned about a possible scaphoid fracture as well.  Now have a MRI scheduled and once those results are read, it will give us a clearer picture on his treatment.....


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hope your son is ok
Good luck with the milk
Let me know how it turns out especially since I recommended it
Remember turn it off at 145 and leave the lid on
We are swimming in milk now
Never had this many we were milking at once with no kids
5 with no kid nursing milking 2 time per day
1 with no kid nursing who decided on her own she only wants to be milked once a day ( long story headstrong goat )
And 1 who still lets her kid nurse some that we milk twice a day  and we are getting 6 quarts per day
Really happy with Clara Belle a FF who kidded in Feb who is still giving close to a quart


----------



## Hens and Roos

the batch of milk turned out just fine! Went smooth and easy to do .  As of this morning we have 2 gallons of milk in the frig ready to drink or make something yummy!

We have been skimming the cream off each batch... DS(13) want to make whip cream this next time around.

We have just 3 does milking and 1 is only being milked in the AM.  The AM only goat sounds similar to your headstrong goat @OneFineAcre !

Heading out to the mill this morning to get feed!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Glad it went smoothly.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I know what ya mean about a headstrong goat  Its really fun especially when she is 130lbs


----------



## Hens and Roos

As of today we have sold 4 of our kids- it's nice to know that they went to good homes.  3 of them went together and 1 went to join another group and be a buddy to their buck.  We are now at 9 goats 

DH and I are working on making a few changes to our pasture area today to make moving goats around easier....or so we hope.  Of course we are just getting started as he had to go a deal with a refrigerator that stopped working at an apartment 

Our neighbor gave 2 big tractor tires and when we added them into the goat pasture- it took the goats about half the day to decide it was safe to come out of their shelter and check out the tires!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Congrats on the sales! 

So what kids are you keeping? Out of what does?  I guess the only having 2 goats went right out the door 

Funny about the tires.....I think one of our does has OCD. She doesn't like anything out of place. She will 'bout have a heart attack is something is out of place in the milkroom. Love that doe, we pulled her kid and now she thinks I'm her kid. She wails for me at milking time. She does't need food or to be restrained...she nuzzles me instead. She's a nut


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are keeping- Maggie's 2 doelings(Moose and Monkey) and 2 bucklings(Marsh and Monty).  Still have Obie's buckling(not sure at what age they are considered bucks) but we have him listed for sale.  Right now he is telling us when each girl comes in heat....and according to him....all 6 girls are 

Yep goat math is just like chicken math, rabbit math...etc..... except we now find it easier to keep the chicken and rabbit numbers in check  more wiggle room just in case..... you never know!!!

DH actually cut the tires in half, bolted the 2 halves together and have them set up.....he said he needs a few more to finish building the Loch Ness Monster for them!  The neighbor gave us 4 more small tires 

It's a good thing that DH is so laid back and use to being around little helpers....cause we had lots of help Friday and Sat making the improvements to the shelter and pasture area.  In fact Obie owes him a new 200' tape measure.....we were working on setting some post spots and Obie walked up grabbed the tape line and it was in 2 pieces  and then had the nerve to look at us with the expression of "what you didn't want me to do that?"  Probably should have videoed the whole process!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here are some pictures from the other day(hopefully the internet will work)

Goat shelter revision



 
Inspector Moose- she has no fear!




Marsh and Monty





Obie helping....sort of


----------



## Hens and Roos

our buckling Monty(pictured above) looks black with white spots but we are noticing that some areas are starting to show brown coloring.  Can we expect that his coat will become brown?  We are hoping that his coloring will stay as it is now!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> our buckling Monty(pictured above) looks black with white spots but we are noticing that some areas are starting to show brown coloring.  Can we expect that his coat will become brown?  We are hoping that his coloring will stay as it is now!


He looks dark brown to me


----------



## Hens and Roos

this past week was crazier then usual- it was homecoming for the high school which equaled extra activities beyond the regular spots....felt like I was racing all week and weekend just to catch up!  Hopefully now things will get a little less crazy 

Of course our internet hasn't been working the greatest either.....makes getting paperwork done a challenge some days it works great and other days not so much!

we have cut back to once a day milking for our 3 girls now and will work on drying them off.  Plan is to be done milking mid to late November(sooner is always possible here).  Goal is to breed the does starting mid Nov for kidding mid April(have a better chance of weather starting to get nicer ).......

which brings us to our newest addition: AOF Bard's Chester *S- he is 2.5 years old





for now he is separated within eyesight from our herd until his test results come back, so mid Nov if all checks out good.


----------



## Latestarter

Nice color! Good looking boy! Grats!


----------



## goatgurl

nice looking guy.  is he going to get to be the baby daddy this year?


----------



## OneFineAcre

Handsome fellow


----------



## Southern by choice

Did you end up doing the trade?


----------



## Hens and Roos

goatgurl said:


> nice looking guy.  is he going to get to be the baby daddy this year?



yes, we will use him this year.  We know that he sired offspring this year as we did get to see his son.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Did you end up doing the trade?



No, they were only looking for 1 doeling/doe and the 2 doelings we had available ended up going to a home together with the 1 wether we had.

Figured we did good....sold 4 and only bought 1!!


----------



## Mike CHS

You must have completed the 12 Step Goat Addiction Program


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> You must have completed the 12 Step Goat Addiction Program



 sounds interesting but I think I slept through it!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

made a batch of chevre cheese yesterday and it turned out a bit sharper then the past ones- thinking we should have added some more milk if we had it . 

had a few extra helpers Sunday so we weighed a few of the goats!  Our 4 little ones ranged from 19 lbs to 22 lbs- of course the 2 doelings are still a few pounds lighter compared to their brothers.

Melanie- who is about a year old is 24" tall and 51 pounds...thinking that she maybe a mix 

will try and post some updated pictures a little later tonight(if our internet is still working )


----------



## OneFineAcre

24 " at the withers ?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> 24 " at the withers ?



yes


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> yes



I would definitely think she is a mix then if she's that tall at a year old.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I would definitely think she is a mix then if she's that tall at a year old.



Here are a couple of pictures I was able to take by myself....she is a very curious goat and likes to be up close and personal!   We will never know for sure what she is, the people we got her from couldn't find the information as to where they got her.  A friend of ours wonders if she has some Toggenburg in her because of her coloring .  She has such a great personality, my DD calls her our designer goat!  The kids can show her for 4-H.

So what weight should she reach before breeding?


----------



## OneFineAcre

We bred one of our Nigerians that was born this spring already, she weighed 45 lbs.
If she is mix, couldn't say for sure.
What are you thinking?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Not sure, kind of thinking that we should hold off and not breed her this fall-overall she is in good health but we don't want to cause any problems if we bred her to soon.  When we look at her, she seems to be all legs, not much of a barrel.  Maybe someone who breeds mini's will give us some feedback on this.

@Goat Whisperer, @Southern by choice


----------



## Hens and Roos

kids are carving pumpkins tonight, the scraps will probably go to the chickens as our goats don't seem to know what pumpkin is.......DD is painting a pumpkin to take to their grandparents(my parents), we are going to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday, which is tomorrow! Very thankful that we can celebrate another year!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> kids are carving pumpkins tonight, the scraps will probably go to the chickens as our goats don't seem to know what pumpkin is.......DD is painting a pumpkin to take to their grandparents(my parents), we are going to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday, which is tomorrow! Very thankful that we can celebrate another year!



Good for your dad. 

My father in law is 86 now I think, and goes to the farm every day and takes care of 75 + or - cows.  I don't think he knows for sure how many.  He has been selling because prices have been good.  When we got the livestock trailer for the fair, oh my gosh it was a mess. Took me 2 hours to clean and spray the whole thing down with bleach.

Rachel painted a pumpkin at the last farmers market, and when we left I put it in my car trunk.  Rolled everywhere and got blue paint on everything.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wow that is great for your father-in-law 

my dad isn't able to do much physical activity these days since being so sick a little over a year ago.  DH and my brother have been going to our parents house every week to work on projects that need to be done but have sat for years unfinished.  My dad has good days and not so good days(he doesn't remember much of the days when he was so sick and for some of the months afterwards).  My mom will be the one to tell us when she feels they need more help.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Most goats are okay to breed at a year, she probably is too. Because you don't know what she is crossed with I would wait another 6 months or so and see what happens. You aren't in a rush and hopefully she will get some width to her before breeding.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

She's a cutie btw!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Most goats are okay to breed at a year, she probably is too. Because you don't know what she is crossed with I would wait another 6 months or so and see what happens. You aren't in a rush and hopefully she will get some width to her before breeding.



that's most likely what we will do, as there is no rush. 

Too bad Maggie's 2 doelings couldn't give her a bit of their width and she could give them some height....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> She's a cutie btw!



thanks, she is the reason that we have to keep some of the gates double latched or clipped with another carabiner!  such a stinker


----------



## Hens and Roos

Got the test results today for our CAE, CL and Johne's testing- all results were Negative!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Great news!


----------



## goats&moregoats

Wow!, just got caught up on your thread. You have been quite busy. Beautiful goats.

Hope your son is recovering well.  I enjoyed the exchange about milking. Hoping to do some this next year.


----------



## Hens and Roos

goats&moregoats said:


> Wow!, just got caught up on your thread. You have been quite busy. Beautiful goats.
> 
> Hope your son is recovering well.  I enjoyed the exchange about milking. Hoping to do some this next year.



Thanks, DS(13) is just about all healed up now!  Right now we are in the process of drying our does off- I am only milking 2 right now and can tell that the amount of milk from each one is dropping off.  Right now our weather has been pretty nice for Nov.  Will have some more milk to pasteurize and will drink this batch.  Hopefully we will be breeding our buck- Chester with our does- Coco, Obie and Maggie and start the process all over in spring.  As long as Maggie doesn't have 6 kids again we should be good!


----------



## goats&moregoats

@Hens and Roos ,

     Wishing you the best of luck with all your goals. I am definitely enjoying and taking advantage of this beautiful weather in Nov. I have four does I am trying to get breed by two young bucks(both a few months shy of a year). I think we have been successful with two. The other two are in with the boys again. Hopefully this time they will take . Third time with one doe and second time with the other. I don't want to have breeding to much later. I would rather deal with the colder weather at birth than the Spring parasites.


----------



## Hens and Roos

@ goats&moregoats, thanks, good luck to you too!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Question for those of you with bucks.

What is the best way to integrate our new buck(he's 2.5 years old) in with the younger ones we have?  I know that the 7 month old buck will chase and head butt the younger buck and wether (they are 4.5 months now) quite a bit.  Of course when we get ready to breed the does- we will keep the younger bucks away.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Rut is the worst time for introducing bucks. They are going to have to establish who is the boss. Some bucks will spar for a few minutes then be okay. Others will fight until they are about to pass out. One meat goat buck almost killed another buck thru the fence a few years back, I don't expect you will have that issue though. I would put him in for a bit and see how it goes, hopefully the younger guys will understand he is the boss sooner rather than later. 

I'm not a fan of getting adult bucks personally. Was your boy with other bucks before you got him? What was his temperament like with the goats from his previous home?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Rut is the worst time for introducing bucks. They are going to have to establish who is the boss. Some bucks will spar for a few minutes then be okay. Others will fight until they are about to pass out. One meat goat buck almost killed another buck thru the fence a few years back, I don't expect you will have that issue though. I would put him in for a bit and see how it goes, hopefully the younger guys will understand he is the boss sooner rather than later.
> 
> I'm not a fan of getting adult bucks personally. Was your boy with other bucks before you got him? What was his temperament like with the goats from his previous home?



Our boy was with does for breeding and then younger boys once he was done breeding the does.  From talking with his previous owner, our boy was very well behaved.  We haven't had any issues with him since we got him.  I do give him treats on occasion and he takes them just as gently as our does do. Of course I am the one who has been working with him. Until we see how he acts when with the does, I prefer my kids not mess with him from a safety stand point. 

Only our 7 month buck is showing signs of being in rut and we have him listed to sell so maybe we will find him a home before to long.

We weren't really looking to add a buck but the opportunity came up and the rest is history.......


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Oh I know that feeling all to well! 

Glad the young'uns aren't in with him. All the boys here (except one) are total gentlemen. They wouldn't ever think of being dumb. My one boy (I think he's going on 4) doesn't even need a lead, I just call him and he meanders to where I want him. Love that boy, just as gentle as can be    I have his son who is turning out with the same temperament Of course it can go the opposite way, too. I was attacked a few years by a buck that we were holding until the slaughterhouse could take him. (he wasn't one of our bucks- I would never have even considered breeding him!) He shredded my best/thickest pair of jeans in a heart beat. Lil devil 

Really hoping your guy won't have any issues joining the herd!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So we have started the process of introducing Chester to our herd.....it has been interesting so far.  At this point the 4 guys hang out in the same area during the day, of course Chester wont let the other 3 into the shelter but hopefully that will change over time.

Some of the does seem interested in him and a few run the other way from the fence that separates the 2 groups.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Someone we know, who also has goats(fainter crosses) asked me the other day if there is a certain age one needs to process bucks before the meat would take on the smell of the buck?

I told them I have no idea.....any feed back would be great!


----------



## SallyInIndiana

A buck can get a doe pregnant by the time he is 7 weeks old.  A wether on the other hand will not get that smell unless he is really close to a buck.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Its best to wether them early on. They start acting like a buck at a early age, so I assume the meat would be gross by the time the buck is ready for slaughter.


Meat from an intact buck is ! When you cook it, it makes the kitchen/dining area smell like buck


----------



## Hens and Roos

okay that is good to know, so is 7 months too old of a buck to process for meat?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Not sure. Does he act like a buck? They could try it, but they need to be prepared that it might taste gross? Are they doing it themselves or taking him to the slaughterhouse? They may want to cut him now and grow him out some more.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Not sure. Does he act like a buck? They could try it, but they need to be prepared that it might taste gross? Are they doing it themselves or taking him to the slaughterhouse? They may want to cut him now and grow him out some more.



ours is the 7 month old and he is acting like a buck- but not much peeing on himself yet.  If we would process him, we would do it ourselves.   Our friends have the older buck-guessing older than 3 years.  She was asking cause she figured that they couldn't use the meat.


----------



## SallyInIndiana

Chickens will still eat the meat so its not a complete waste.


----------



## Hens and Roos

are goats are not happy with the rainy weather we have had the last couple of days!  We have a couple who think they will melt if 1 drop hits them .

Took a few pictures the other day before it started to rain. 



DH made some doors for the goat shelter.




Picked up some new spools for the goat area(ended up with 6 of different sizes)



Maggie with her girls- Moose(dark) and Monkey(light) enjoying the leaves!



Maggie's 2 boys- Monty(dark) and Marsh(light) enjoying their leaves!


----------



## Latestarter

The kids are looking great! Hey, where did you get the spools from? Did you pay for them or were they free? I've stopped at our local/area power company and they left a message for "someone" to get back to me but they never did. I also asked about old phone poles... Guess it's not that important now as I intend to move next summer, but curious.


----------



## Latestarter

Wasn't going to say anything, but IMO; I know it's not the same, but it should be similar... The taste of a buck deer vs a doe or bull elk vs a cow elk... sometimes you can taste a difference, sometimes not. I think a LOT has to do with where they've been and what they've been eating as well as if the animal was shot in rut or out of rut. Have you ever had venison that's been feeding almost exclusively on wild sage? 

A lot has to do with how the animal was initially gutted and cleaned (don't get hair/entrails etc in contact with the meat, remove musk glands {then remove those gloves or wash hands} so you don't inadvertently get THAT on the meat). When you process an older chicken, you should always let it "rest" a few days before using it right? Same with animal flesh...

When you kill an older animal, after gutting it, wash residue (dirt/hair/blood/etc.) off then cool the meat ASAP. Heat ruins the meat fast. Then you really should be hanging it to age for a bit (length of time depends on temp; with a 150# deer, I use approximately 3-5 days @ 40 degrees). I leave the hide ON during this process as if you expose the meat, the entire outer portion will "dry" and harden and be no good for anything but dog food. This will improve the texture and flavor immensely! If you don't have a nice walk in refrigerated space (doesn't everyone?) process in the late fall when it's cool/colder outside. I used to hang my deer/elk from a shaded tree (in camp if away) or inside the garage. Of course you need to protect it from flys and predators.

When processing it: don't leave a lot of the whitish blue muscle covering that leads to the tendons on the meat... remove it as well as the tendons. As an aside, don't use that in the ground meat either! Feed it to the dogs! And of course how the meat is cooked has a lot to do with it as well.

I would think if they band the buck and then separate him and fatten him up for a couple of months, he'll taste just fine.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> The kids are looking great! Hey, where did you get the spools from? Did you pay for them or were they free? I've stopped at our local/area power company and they left a message for "someone" to get back to me but they never did. I also asked about old phone poles... Guess it's not that important now as I intend to move next summer, but curious.



thanks, we are very thankful that they are doing so well! It might take them awhile to reach full growth- they range 20 to 25 pounds, of course the 2 does have started cycling . 

As far as the spools, a friend(think enablers here-both him and his wife) of ours found them on CL and gave us the link.  A local utility company was giving them away for free to get rid of them. DH only had to go and pick up- he took our small utility trailer and came back with that full and 1 on the back of the truck!   2 of the spools are big enough that 4 does could probably all be on it at once! 

Now if only the rain would stop so we can get them placed for the goats.  Might have to wait till next week as DH and DS(13 years) will be going deer hunting-leaving Friday and coming home Sunday later afternoon.  Will be the 1st year for DS .  DD's 16th birthday is Sat(yep had her on deer hunting weekend) so she is having some friends over.  DS(10 years) will have to hang with me!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Wasn't going to say anything, but IMO; I know it's not the same, but it should be similar... The taste of a buck deer vs a doe or bull elk vs a cow elk... sometimes you can taste a difference, sometimes not. I think a LOT has to do with where they've been and what they've been eating as well as if the animal was shot in rut or out of rut. Have you ever had venison that's been feeding almost exclusively on wild sage?
> 
> A lot has to do with how the animal was initially gutted and cleaned (don't get hair/entrails etc in contact with the meat, remove musk glands {then remove those gloves or wash hands} so you don't inadvertently get THAT on the meat). When you process an older chicken, you should always let it "rest" a few days before using it right? Same with animal flesh...
> 
> When you kill an older animal, after gutting it, wash residue (dirt/hair/blood/etc.) off then cool the meat ASAP. Heat ruins the meat fast. Then you really should be hanging it to age for a bit (length of time depends on temp; with a 150# deer, I use approximately 3-5 days @ 40 degrees). I leave the hide ON during this process as if you expose the meat, the entire outer portion will "dry" and harden and be no good for anything but dog food. This will improve the texture and flavor immensely! If you don't have a nice walk in refrigerated space (doesn't everyone?) process in the late fall when it's cool/colder outside. I used to hang my deer/elk from a shaded tree (in camp if away) or inside the garage. Of course you need to protect it from flys and predators.
> 
> When processing it: don't leave a lot of the whitish blue muscle covering that leads to the tendons on the meat... remove it as well as the tendons. As an aside, don't use that in the ground meat either! Feed it to the dogs! And of course how the meat is cooked has a lot to do with it as well.
> 
> I would think if they band the buck and then separate him and fatten him up for a couple of months, he'll taste just fine.



thanks for sharing your thoughts on this....guess at this point it might be trial and error for us to figure it out


----------



## Goat Whisperer

They goats look great! Love the baby does, I am missing fall kidding big time this year. Love me some kids! 

Great score on the spools! The girls will love them! 

Depending on how slippery they get when wet, you might want to put some shingles on the tops. It helps with hooves and reduces the danger of them slipping/injuring themselves, especially when they are bred. We got some shingles from lowes for next to nothing, they were on clearance. Worked great for us 

Home they come home with a deer, love love love deer!


----------



## Hens and Roos

@Goat Whisperer, thanks for the shingle idea- I will mention it to DH.  Last thing we want is any of them getting hurt!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Latestarter said:


> I would think if they band the buck and then separate him and fatten him up for a couple of months, he'll taste just fine.



That is what I was going to suggest, although I wouldn't band.

If you have ever actively been around a (goat) buck in rut vs a deer, they are very different. I eat deer buck meat all the time. (just processed one on Saturday )  I can hardly smell a deer buck in rut, a goat is a different story! 

When I had meat from a 3 year old goat buck you could smell it  Even in thick stroganoff sauce   The buck wasn't even in rut! For us it didn't matter if the meat was aged. 

I have heard mixed responses with cutting an older buck and slaughtering him several months later. Some say its good others don't agree. As you said, I'm sure it depends on hows its handled/processed.


----------



## Latestarter

Had been wondering how I could make the platform... whatever platform less slippery for the goats and maybe help with their hooves at the same time. Never even dawned on me to use roofing shingles... DUH!  Great idea!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our 3 girls have spent time with the buck now- 2 does stood for him and the 3rd runs from him yet.  What is a typically length of heat for a doe?  Both the bucks were losing their mind this morning when 1 doe(she stood for the buck) walked past the fence.  Trying to figure this all out


----------



## goatgurl

just because they like to complicate your life, a doe can be in heat a few hours to two or three days.  i try to breed morning and evening as long as the doe will stand.  the buck will lie to you about who is in heat because they think everyone should be in heat all the time but the doe will stand when she is ready.  now having said all that you also have does who will stand for one buck but will run from another buck.  i think they just try to make us nuts.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Guess that doesn't surprise me!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Well the weather sure has a way of throwing a wrench into the plans.  For the last week, the news has been talking about snow coming today/tomorrow but not much to worry about.....yeah right, we are now under a winter storm warning with a possibility of 4-7 inches!  Needless to say DH and DS(13) are not going deer hunting, DH will most likely be doing snow removal tomorrow.  DD and I tried to tell him they should go and we could do the removal but he wont hear of it.  Maybe they can go on our neighbors land Sunday.

The last buck( 7 months) we had for sale, went to his new home this afternoon- he will be joining 2 does and 1 wether at his new place.  So we are down to 9 goats going into winter.  Of course we now have to watch the does and see if they are all bred.

DD turns 16 tomorrow, so she is having a few friends over and then tomorrow will be watching a movie.

Best head back out to help finish getting equipment ready!


----------



## Latestarter

Hope you and yours survive the storm. Snowing lightly here right now, but won't amount to much, a couple inches at most. I always loved going whitetail deer hunting during (light) snowstorms or slightly afterwards, also during cloudy wet weather. Seemed the deer were always up and moving more. Hope they get a chance to go and are successful! Happy B-Day to the DD


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Latestarter said:


> Happy B-Day to the DD


I agree; Happy birthday! 
Winter storm warning? Brr! Stay safe!


----------



## Hens and Roos

we ended up with 4.1 " of snow, with a wet/sloppy layer underneath.  DH figures that 3" probably melted before it was cold enough to start sticking.

Most of the goats looked at the snow like it was aliens coming to get them! 

DH and DS(10) worked on moving the spools yesterday....will have to up load a picture later.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is the picture of the spool set up- the goats are now starting to climb on it!


----------



## Ferguson K

You have strange white stuff all over the ground. Is it dangerous?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Ferguson K said:


> You have strange white stuff all over the ground. Is it dangerous?



Why yes it is....especially for those who forget how to drive with snow on the road!


----------



## OneFineAcre

I like the way you set them up


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I like the way you set them up



thanks, that was DH's idea to stack them like that...come spring we may have to level it out a little.  We watched Moose, Monkey, Melanie and Coco climb on them today.  One spool is just about the same color of Monkey so she blends right in!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I think my dairy girls would be terrified to go on the top spool.  My one doe is so big from being pregnant she has a hard time jumping onto small steps, I don't picture her going on a spool for a LONG time LOL.

Snow.....Glad we don't have any! We might get a flake or 2 and I'm perfectly fine with that!  

Sorry your Dh & DS didn't get to go hunting  Happy (belated) B-day to your DD 

Congrats on the sale!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Snow is all gone by us and we are now getting rain  making it muddy!

Just got our paper work back from ADGA and we have a herd name!

Shouldvknwnbetter


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Cute name!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Snow is all gone by us and we are now getting rain  making it muddy!
> 
> Just got our paper work back from ADGA and we have a herd name!
> 
> Shouldvknwnbetter


I like it
What's your tatoo 
SB or SKB ?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Love the name!


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I like it
> What's your tatoo
> SB or SKB ?



no we ended up with EKA as our tattoo(DD's name starts with E; DS's name starts with K; DS's name starts with A)


----------



## Latestarter

Elizabeth, Keith, Amanda.  Close?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Ahhhh....No, No and Not even close  

DD = Erin
DS = Kade
DS = Aiden


----------



## Latestarter

Dang... well, was worth a shot. Nice "strong" names all


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had the opportunity to pick up some alfalfa hay bales, is it okay to feed out small amounts to the does along with the grassy hay they are getting?  Should the buck get any?

For the last couple of days we have been watching the older does to see if any come back into heat- so far they all move away from the buck.  If the buck did his job, we are looking at April for kidding!


----------



## Latestarter

There are quite a few here who feed their goats strictly alfalfa, so I wouldn't think it would be an issue... More of a boost/treat!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Alfalfa is fine for bucks & does. If your buck is dropping weight due to rut its a good idea to feed alfalfa. They may have clumpy poo for a few days, just a heads up  

I bet they took. All of our does settled on the 1st time. 

So exciting! April kids!!!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Guess we will be adding some to the hay....thinking they will be excited 

So far the buck is doing pretty well....but colder weather is coming so it wont hurt him either.


----------



## Hens and Roos

my kids(human ones ) and I did some calculations the other day and if our does all took(so far they want nothing to do with the buck) then we are looking at March 29th thru April 19th 2016 for kidding to occur!

DS(10) is super excited because 2 of the does have the possibility of kidding on his birthday!


----------



## Southern by choice

I get excited just with the anticipation!


----------



## goatgurl

me too, i am so excited.  hard to wait for next springs babies.  middle of march for my first kids and april 5th for first lambs.


----------



## Mini Horses

well, I prefer March & April kids......BUT, my buck broke thru fences and attended to duties he felt he was ready for!!  Now I am having late Jan & Feb kids.   I hate cold and kids in cold and you get he picture!!!   Mr B almost got castrated!    My girls are really showing, too.  7 does.

Soooooooooo, I expect snow late Jan!!!!!    I mean, what else?
A couple are FFrs & I want to work at milking them but, did not want to do this in coldest of our winter here.   Buck has been on my "crap"list for a while now .  Boys, no patience.


----------



## goatgurl

oh minihorses, been there, done that.  that is why my older buck lives in exile now.  he can and will climb a six foot 2x4 panel with a hot wire on top.  i feel sorry for him but not sorry enough to ever trust him again!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mini Horses said:


> well, I prefer March & April kids......BUT, my buck broke thru fences and attended to duties he felt he was ready for!!  Now I am having late Jan & Feb kids.   I hate cold and kids in cold and you get he picture!!!   Mr B almost got castrated!    My girls are really showing, too.  7 does.
> 
> Soooooooooo, I expect snow late Jan!!!!!    I mean, what else?
> A couple are FFrs & I want to work at milking them but, did not want to do this in coldest of our winter here.   Buck has been on my "crap"list for a while now .  Boys, no patience.



I hear you on this our 1st kidding this past year was...mid Feb- coldest day of the winter by us...doe came through just fine with a single buckling, buckling was a bit slow to figure things out so he came into the house(kids thought that was great).  Our biggest issue was our Aussie- who due to her anxiety- freaked out and came out through the side of her crate-breaking her right hind leg in 3 places.....er vet that night and our vet ended up making her a tri-pod....our 1st kidding was an expensive one!


----------



## Latestarter

Silly dog! What got her all freaked out to that extent? Was she anxious about the goat kid?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Silly dog! What got her all freaked out to that extent? Was she anxious about the goat kid?



trying to edit for the 2nd time today(internet is not working right once again!)

She has had thunderstorm anxiety for several years now- not sure if she picked it up from the older dog we had while she was a puppy or what.  We didn't know that the goat kidding would cause an issue, the only thing we can figure is that the doe was very loud/screaming(FF) when she kidded and both DD and myself were outside- the dog couldn't see us and she(the dog) might have been trying to get to us thinking we were in trouble . 

When we brought her home after the vet fixed her leg, we had a challenge ahead of us.  The ER vet put a patch of pain meds on her(our vet doesn't care for the patch/it's side effects) that turned her inside out once the sun set(my DD and I were the only ones who could comfort her when this happened and we never knew which one of us it would be)  She wouldn't take the meds she had to- it was like her sense of smell became super aware- so DD would have to pretend to eat the same food so the dog would take it!  Once the patch came off 3 days later- she started to come back into the normal(at least for her).  Unfortunately, DH was the one who had to carry her, after her leg was broken so she wanted nothing to do with him right after her surgery.

I didn't leave the house(except for going outside to do chores) for 2 weeks following her surgery as she had to be supervised at all times unless the kids were home.  It took us awhile to get to the point where she is okay staying home by herself- we can't crate her and the TV has to be on- if I have to leave during the day.

Thankfully, we didn't have any rental units open during this time and DH was able to handle the work load away from the house.


----------



## Mini Horses

Sorry about you the dog issues.   some of those herding types are super hyper....costly results for you!  

Yep -- I've exiled my buck and the rascal must FLY out!!   Right now he is with a field of mini horse mares and seems ok.   He is not one who has ever been by himself, hates it, the mares kick the crap out of him if he gets pushy by feed -- and he seems to love the abuse!      So, for now he is contained.  Oddly, the fences are not as tall or strong as the cattle panels he climbed.    Go figure.

I have the heaters  - like solar, spot radiant -- and barn of empty stalls, closed circuit cams, all from years of foaling.   But, I just hate the cold to deal with these things as I get older.   Grateful that most of my does do NOT want to kid at night, unlike the horses.   Mainly, I don't like to milk in middle of the winter!!   If you don't train, no good milkers for sale.  The girls don't like winter milking either -- washing udders, etc.   Even using warm water, the drying gets chilled.  Even drying doesn't get it all.


----------



## Latestarter

Yeah, sorry about the dog issues as well H&R. That had to be a horrendous couple of weeks for you guys. Glad it wasn't worse with outside work needs piled on. Seems there's never a routine, something always happens to add more to the already full plate. Glad you had a SO and kid(s) to help carry the load. So is she more or less back to normal now, or is she still anxious when you leave or the TV is off?

I hear ya on several of those issues Horses... I always hated the heat and loved the cold but over the past few years it has really gotten to the point that I don't like EITHER extreme... As I get older, my comfort range has climbed about 10 degrees from ~60 to ~70, and I think that is another background reason why I'm moving further south next summer. I do love the seasons though... Fall being my favorite.


----------



## Hens and Roos

@Latestarter- she will most likely always have anxiety issues, as long as we can keep her on somewhat of a routine(hard to do some days) and the TV on- especially when we are not around she does okay. Since she has been allowed loose in the house- she hasn't touched anything that isn't hers and has had no accidents.  We do have meds for her but only use as needed(mostly when we are getting thunderstorms), our vet has been great in working with us.  She has the same great personality now as she did before the accident- for that we are grateful!


----------



## Mini Horses

Have you tried the bundling jackets for her?   Like swaddling a baby calms them, seems a snug wrap on the anxious dogs helps with the nerves.  I'm fortunate not to have a dog with those issues but, read about it a while back.

"Run to the barn there's a raindrop !"   goats only nervous issue.

Yes, Latestarter, both extremes harder to handle !!   Spring & Fall help remind me I am not truly a wimp -- just hellish weather.


----------



## Hens and Roos

@Minihorses- we have a thundershirt and tried it on her....she is a shredder too- so nothing lasts very long


----------



## samssimonsays

Wow! I just caught up! So sorry for the issues with the Aussie. Stella is a collie and has some anxiety but she just mostly hates us being out of her sight and only shreds paper items when we REALLY make her mad while we are gone. 

Have you dried diffusing essential oils? They have some awesome calming ones. We also had a feline calming deal that plugs into the wall for our cat when I moved him with me into our house when we got married. 

Good luck with the goats kidding! I can't wait  hehe.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> Wow! I just caught up! So sorry for the issues with the Aussie. Stella is a collie and has some anxiety but she just mostly hates us being out of her sight and only shreds paper items when we REALLY make her mad while we are gone.
> 
> Have you dried diffusing essential oils? They have some awesome calming ones. We also had a feline calming deal that plugs into the wall for our cat when I moved him with me into our house when we got married.
> 
> Good luck with the goats kidding! I can't wait  hehe.



We have read about the essential oil- haven't tried it specifically for her- what would be a good one to try?  Can't have one that is to over powering as several of us would be bothered by it(especially DH).

My DS(10) is super excited for kidding too....I hear him talk more about the possibility of does kidding on his birthday then Christmas


----------



## samssimonsays

Lavender is one I was told works but I would get a blend called calm or something


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> Lavender is one I was told works but I would get a blend called calm or something



I have the lavender and like it, made some hand cream and put lavender in- it works great with helping to heal my chapped hands!


----------



## samssimonsays

Good to know! I have hand sanitizer I made with that, peppermint and eucalyptus in it. But I get headaches from lavender so I have to be careful. But I hear the Calm or is it EZ or something along those lines works wonders for anxiety in animals.


----------



## Hens and Roos

our goat areas now have electricity- since the weather has been so mild here, DH decided that we should have some lights and an outlet to plug heated water buckets into to. 

It will also help at kidding time-incase a doe decides to kid at night!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Yay!!  You must be super excited!


----------



## samssimonsays

Yay!! That is awesome! Congrats


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks, this will be a big help with keeping the water from freezing when it get cold here!


----------



## Hens and Roos

our 2 little doelings are not happy today, I ended up keeping them in the area where we keep the does over night(closer to our house) because they are in heat and driving our buck out of his mind. 

Came out of our shop this morning to go start goat chores, to find that he was in the big pasture(no does in there yet- thankfully!) - he made it over the center panel inside the shelter and then over the top opening in the door(DH built split doors so we can close the bottom one but leave the top part open as needed).  We keep both his doors shut at night.

He wasn't hurt at all but it looks like we will be doing some more adjustments as the 2 doelings aren't big enough or old enough to be bred!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Bad boy 

Thank goodness our boys aren't like that. They pace and cry but that is about as far as it goes. Not fun to have a buck that is a jumper when the does cycle year-round


----------



## goatgurl

electric to the barn, sighhhh.  how sweet would that be.  and our bucks must be related, mine will go over 5 ft.  2x4 horse panels with electric on top.  he's such a butt!  good thing i like him and he makes pretty babies.


----------



## babsbag

My Alpine buck is pretty good about staying where I want him, but my LaMancha buck shows promise as a fence jumper. *sigh*

Electricity to the barn is awesome, I can't imagine not having that so I know that you will enjoy it. Makes life so much easier.

I was looking into essiential oils for dog soap that other day other than the usual flea soap and I came across this for calming. I haven't heard of a few of these. They say it might even make the dog relax so much that it takes a nap.

*INGREDIENTS*
1/2 ounce carrier oil (like hazelnut or sweet almond)
3 drops essential oil of Valerian
2 drops essential oil of Vetiver
4 drops essential oil of Petitgrain
3 drops essential oil of Sweet Marjoram
2 drops essential oil of Sweet Orange

Mix ingredients thoroughly and apply 1 to 6 drops (depending on the size of your dog) to the dog’s nasal opening.


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks for the recipe- I haven't heard of several of those either- will have to look up and read about them.

we made some modifications to the inside shelter middle divider- like no openings!!!  DH decided to also put a gate in there too so we can potentially open up the whole area if needed.  Guess we'll see if this works, otherwise DH says hot wire will be added to his side!


----------



## Hens and Roos

looks like we will be adding hot wire on Chester's side- yesterday I moved the 2 little does(Moose & Monkey) to the other area away from the buck as they are in heat- when we did evening chores, Chester was in with the other does , they were not happy!

Any recommendations/suggestions as to what works would be great.  Have to figure out what we will be installing- thankfully the electricity is there already!


----------



## Latestarter

100% foolproof... 9mm round  just kidding...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> 100% foolproof... 9mm round  just kidding...



I did tell him that last night  as he was chasing the does around- our snow is mixed with ice so we don't need anyone getting injured, especially since it seems that the does are breed.  He's not mean, just stupid right now .


----------



## Latestarter

Ahhh yes... I almost remember the age of male stupidity...


----------



## Southern by choice

Hmmmm.... I wouldn't keep a jumper. Just passed on a buck with some super sweet genetics that would have been awesome to have but that boy was was 1 yr old and he would have been a nightmare!

Wire should do the trick. If not get him gone!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Hmmmm.... I wouldn't keep a jumper. Just passed on a buck with some super sweet genetics that would have been awesome to have but that boy was was 1 yr old and he would have been a nightmare!
> 
> Wire should do the trick. If not get him gone!



we sure hope the wire does the trick, otherwise we will have to get rid of him , we cant have him causing problems.


----------



## Hens and Roos

this afternoon, DH was able to get the hot wire installed so we can hopefully keep Chester in his area and not jumping the fence!!

While we were working, DD picked up Moose(she's one of Maggie's kids) and noticed that Moose was shivering   took her temp- 104.7 and while she was sitting on my lap(which she normally doesn't want to do) I noticed that her breathing was slightly raspy. 

After making a couple of calls and being able to talk directly with our vet, he has us treating her with Pen G and Spectinomycin.  Also giving probiotics and moved Moose and Monkey into our shop-Moose is showing interest in eating hay(helping the one rabbit clean up her hay feeder). They will probably need to stay there given our weather is now going to get cold.  Given the weather we have been having this winter so far, wet & humid = perfect conditions for pneumonia.   We will continue to treat her and touch base with our vet on Monday.

The question about giving a Pasturella vaccine was asked because they had respiratory issues when 1st born....will have to read up on this and also speak to our vet.  @babsbag I was told you give this, do you find this helps?


----------



## babsbag

Hope that Moose gets better; hate it when they are sick.That is an interesting choice of drugs and not one my vet would have prescribed. We always start with oxcytet and it usually works. If not next we go with Nuflor.

I do find that the vaccine helps. I have been giving it for three years now and nary a cough or a sniffle. I had kids last spring and summer with coughs for months, it was horrible so this year all kids will get vaccinated at the earliest time, not sure off hand what age that it. The first vaccine needs to be repeated in 3 weeks but after that it is once a year.


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> Hope that Moose gets better; hate it when they are sick.That is an interesting choice of drugs and not one my vet would have prescribed. We always start with oxcytet and it usually works. If not next we go with Nuflor.
> 
> I do find that the vaccine helps. I have been giving it for three years now and nary a cough or a sniffle. I had kids last spring and summer with coughs for months, it was horrible so this year all kids will get vaccinated at the earliest time, not sure off hand what age that it. The first vaccine needs to be repeated in 3 weeks but after that it is once a year.



is there a specific brand that you prefer to use?  Is the oxcytet an injectable?


----------



## Hens and Roos

As of this morning, Moose seems to be feeling better  only took 3 tries to finally get her temp!  So she is at 102.2 and not wanting to be held(normal behavior).  Eating and drinking well!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

So happy she is doing better! 

 I was going to message you and see how she was doing. Hate it when they get sick. I really do think goats live to make us crazy


----------



## animalmom

@Goat Whisperer, you THINK goats live to make us crazy?  It is a proven scientific fact so strongly agreed upon that the science is settled.  You know that contented look they get when they are laying in the sun chewing a cud... that's not contentment in our terms, no not at all, that my friend is a devious mind at work!  Pure and simple.  

Why we love them so darn much is the mystery... well besides the fact that they come up and rub and lean on us, and the fact they really smile when you scratch the right place, and the fact they miss us when supper is a minute late.


----------



## Southern by choice

animalmom said:


> @Goat Whisperer, you THINK goats live to make us crazy? It is a proven scientific fact so strongly agreed upon that the science is settled. You know that contented look they get when they are laying in the sun chewing a cud... that's not contentment in our terms, no not at all, that my friend is a devious mind at work! Pure and simple.



LOL! Goat Whisperer has a doe due that I have a stake in... I own the buck she was bred to.... anyway she is heavy, due, tired, and everytime she makes a sound or pauses or rests we think "it's time".
Some how GW owns all the does and I own all the bucks... not sure how this happened... Then one of the does I own as well as buck that bred her... GW thinks is HER goat.  Someone asked whether she was for sale.... GW is like NO. I am thinking YES! 
This doe is moaning all day, and acting the part- due Friday but won't go til the weekend probably. 

Hens- I got your pic! So stinking cute. Wish we lived closer. I think we would have rabbit #3! 

Glad all is well again!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Southern by choice said:


> LOL! Goat Whisperer has a doe due that I have a stake in... I own the buck she was bred to.... anyway she is heavy, due, tired, and everytime she makes a sound or pauses or rests we think "it's time".
> Some how GW owns all the does and I own all the bucks... not sure how this happened... Then one of the does I own as well as buck that bred her... GW thinks is HER goat.  Someone asked whether she was for sale.... GW is like NO. I am thinking YES!
> This doe is moaning all day, and acting the part- due Friday but won't go til the weekend probably.
> 
> Hens- I got your pic! So stinking cute. Wish we lived closer. I think we would have rabbit #3!
> 
> Glad all is well again!


No, the doe thinks I'm HERS.
She cannot go. I'd sell my best doe & buy her from you before that happens. Don't care how stupid it seems.

Anyone want a nice, well put together, well uddered, hoping-to-show-one-day doe? (Doe in my avatar)


----------



## Goat Whisperer

animalmom said:


> @Goat Whisperer, you THINK goats live to make us crazy?  It is a proven scientific fact so strongly agreed upon that the science is settled.  You know that contented look they get when they are laying in the sun chewing a cud... that's not contentment in our terms, no not at all, that my friend is a devious mind at work!  Pure and simple.
> 
> Why we love them so darn much is the mystery... well besides the fact that they come up and rub and lean on us, and the fact they really smile when you scratch the right place, and the fact they miss us when supper is a minute late.


Oh isn't that the truth!
I was out checking on the girls earlier.... all is well and I hear a very strange moan and groan...it wasn't stopping and it didn't sound good!  I start to go into a bit of a panic when I see its Southern's doe, Ruby the Nubian... (even more panicked when I see its her) run over to her and sit next to her. He she was holding her head/neck really weird so a gently feel it. Nothing wrong. She is now holding her head like a normal goat would. She looked bright eyed and bushy tailed, so I got her up....still thinking something might be wrong... NOPE. She gets up, stretches, gives a kiss and goes about her business. Brat wanted to give me a heart attack.  She has been much more talkative lately. She is still acting fine and gobbled down her dinner (+ some dog food) and is chomping down on her hay right now.

She was sunning herself at the time, I guess she was really enjoying it


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and roos watch this----

@Goat Whisperer - How about a trade? will you trade your ND doe for my MM?


----------



## Hens and Roos




----------



## Southern by choice

See Hens... she is NOT responding... all talk I tell ya


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Sorry, I have been out staring at goat udders and rear ends  
(trying to see if a doe is going to go 2 days early..)

Sure I'll do a trade 

I said I'd SELL her, not trade. Don't like trades- there always seems to be an issue.


----------



## Hens and Roos

why not just share them both @Goat Whisperer & @Southern by choice


----------



## Hens and Roos

or better yet....send them both to me ....see all solved!!


----------



## Latestarter




----------



## Hens and Roos

for the last few days now- Moose has been feeling much better- today she didn't want to have her temp taken and was trying everything she could to get away from me!  I think her sister-Monkey was trying to help her too!  Temp has been in the normal range and breathing sounds good- unfortunately due to our weather and cold temps they will need to remain in our shop for the rest of our winter season......of course our 1 Angora doe seems put out by that because Moose and Monkey help themselves to her hay rack  and they can eat faster than she can!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yesterday afternoon our temperature started dropping again.....brrr, so we moved Marsh and Monty back into the shelter with Chester-they are doing okay for the most part but really don't want to be with Chester! This am we were at -6 and only made it to 0 with wind chills around -20 to -25...it will be like this tomorrow...school might be delayed if the wind chills reach -25


----------



## norseofcourse

Yikes!  Wow that's cold.  I won't complain (as much) about my 15° and wind chill 0...


----------



## Pearce Pastures

Same here--I have tomorrow off but I am betting kids end up with canceled school because of the dangerously cold wind.   I am hoping our boer Ruthie holds off at least until Wednesday.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Pearce Pastures said:


> Same here--I have tomorrow off but I am betting kids end up with canceled school because of the dangerously cold wind.   I am hoping our boer Ruthie holds off at least until Wednesday.



We bred for March/April kiddings just for this reason of cold temps and wind chills.  Hope your doe holds off a few days for you!


----------



## Latestarter

Wow, sounds like winter has finally hit some of you folks with a fury!  Try to stay warm and keep your animals safe. Best of luck to y'all!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I don't know whether to oror

I would die. I think my goats would die also, big wimps.
I'm cold and it was in the 30's today. Its a high of 33 tomorrow, bet thats T shirt weather for you 

I love the south!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> I don't know whether to oror
> 
> I would die. I think my goats would die also, big wimps.
> I'm cold and it was in the 30's today. Its a high of 33 tomorrow, bet thats T shirt weather for you
> 
> I love the south!



30's are still cold here- DH used to just wear t-shirts in this weather but has added a sweatshirt too!


----------



## Southern by choice

windchill 17 here 4 goats in stalls to kid 

I would never make it where you are... EVER


----------



## Hens and Roos

wind chill is *not* fun!!  Wind chill here -24 with a temp of -12....kids went to school today.

Doing chores in groups- even with extra layers on cant be outside to long at all- last group to go do are the chickens- all waterers are frozen.....just part of living here!


----------



## Hens and Roos

took a few pictures the other day since I was being given the back sides 

this is Maggie- her possible kidding date is March 29th -April 3rd- thinking possible 4 kids- this will be her 4th freshening





Obie- possible kidding date April 5th -April 10th- this is her 2nd freshening- thinking 3-4.  Obie was dusting everyone with hay that morning!




Coco- possible kidding date April 14th-April 19th- this is her 2nd freshening- thinking 2




Melanie possible due date April 9th-April 14th- will be her 1st freshening....she wasn't interested in letting me take her picture 

Both Melaine and Coco are due right around my DS(10)'s birthday....hopefully they wont disappoint him!!


----------



## Southern by choice

yeah you keep thinking only 4.... whatever you need to tell yourself to keep you sane. 

 _4 riiiiight_


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> yeah you keep thinking only 4.... whatever you need to tell yourself to keep you sane.
> 
> _4 riiiiight_



let that be our little secret....cant be scaring DH now...... besides it's a little too late now!!


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm guessing Maggie has to do some contortions to get up or lay down.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> I'm guessing Maggie has to do some contortions to get up or lay down.



Actually she does pretty well yet....if she gets bigger it will become more difficult- like last year!


----------



## Hens and Roos

this morning DD and DH did chores- when they came inside they told me that Melanie had a tooth sticking out of her mouth but it wasn't bleeding and she was eating just fine.  After taking a look we figure out that Melanie lost her 2 front baby teeth and her adult teeth are coming in!


----------



## Hens and Roos

wanted to ask- if anyone is using the big bales of hay to feed, what is the best way you have found to feed it out?  DH and I were thinking of getting a big bale to try but figuring we would have to store it inside and take hay off as needed(trying not to make a huge mess).  Our feeders are inside the shelters so only so much can be put into one at a time.  Right now between the 9 goats and the rabbits we are using 1 small square(probably 35-40 pounds) a day.


----------



## promiseacres

Hens and Roos said:


> wanted to ask- if anyone is using the big bales of hay to feed, what is the best way you have found to feed it out?  DH and I were thinking of getting a big bale to try but figuring we would have to store it inside and take hay off as needed(trying not to make a huge mess).  Our feeders are inside the shelters so only so much can be put into one at a time.  Right now between the 9 goats and the rabbits we are using 1 small square(probably 35-40 pounds) a day.


Round or big square? Big square peel off in flakes and you can unwind a round. Round can be messy but doable if you back right up where you want to store it.


----------



## Hens and Roos

promiseacres said:


> Round or big square? Big square peel off in flakes and you can unwind a round. Round can be messy but doable if you back right up where you want to store it.



thinking big square bale as that will probably be easier for us to move with our skid steer and store.


----------



## OneFineAcre

I just roll the round bale off of the truck under the shelter and roll it on a pallet.  You can roll the bale.
We peel it off and put it in the feeders. It's a little messy and you get some waste there, but it is so much cheaper for us than square bales would be.


----------



## Hens and Roos

It seems that there are more big bales to be found around here compared to the small bales.  DH and I just think it would be a good idea to have another source for hay...we don't want to run out!


----------



## OneFineAcre

I don't know of anyone here that does the big square bales, just the big round bales.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Both seem to be made around here...maybe just the area


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here's a picture of Melanie- managed to get one when she wasn't watching me!


----------



## samssimonsays

We have more large squares than round around here. At least more than the decent rounds.... We are looking for a round bale supplier now as we have a square bale one just 5 miles down the road. We can store up to 30 bales probably but he keeps them until we need them which is nice! 

I love her coloring


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Hens and Roos said:


> this morning DD and DH did chores- when they came inside they told me that Melanie had a tooth sticking out of her mouth but it wasn't bleeding and she was eating just fine.  After taking a look we figure out that Melanie lost her 2 front baby teeth and her adult teeth are coming in!


I hope she put it under her straw before she went to bed 

Like the other said, you will get some wasted hay but its still usually cheaper then the small squares.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> We have more large squares than round around here. At least more than the decent rounds.... We are looking for a round bale supplier now as we have a square bale one just 5 miles down the road. We can store up to 30 bales probably but he keeps them until we need them which is nice!
> 
> I love her coloring



the kids call her Melanie foam because her coat is so soft and thick- not at all like the other goats.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> I hope she put it under her straw before she went to bed
> 
> Like the other said, you will get some wasted hay but its still usually cheaper then the small squares.



I'm guessing she put it somewhere but it wasn't under her straw before she went to bed  and no I'm not about to look for it either!!

we get wasted hay now...that becomes their bedding so it's not all wasted!


----------



## Hens and Roos

we picked up a big square bale of hay yesterday- its a mix of grass/alfalfa.  Fed some out this morning so we'll see how they liked it when we do chores tonight!  DH figures that this bales weighs about 750 lbs...have to see how long it lasts!

Suppose to get some snow starting early tomorrow morning- so far they are calling for 4-8 inches and that depends on how the storm ends up tracking.  Temps will stay around 32* so it will be on the heavy side.  DH might have to go out a couple of times to keep driveways open.....

DS(10) is home today- he is not feeling well, he is not one to stay still, he has laid quietly on the couch only getting up when needed


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Aww! Sorry to hear DS isn't feeling well!  I pray he gets better soon!


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks @BlessedWithGoats, thinking it was a 24 hour bug as he is feeling better this morning!


----------



## Ferguson K

I hate being sick. Glad he's doing better!!!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Aww, yay!!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Snow 

It was 70* and sunny yesterday! It was so nice to be milking goats in T-shirt weather again.


----------



## Hens and Roos

@Goat Whisperer 

the storm moved north of us- we ended up with the "fun stuff"......snow/rain = freezing to pavement . Our temp is at 33* but the day light is gone so now DH and crew(my brother) are trying to get the snow route done before it freezes!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

It only got up to 40 today 

We are going to get even colder, like low teens for the lows


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> It only got up to 40 today
> 
> We are going to get even colder, like low teens for the lows



we are at 14* here with windchill of -5......brrrrr....heading out to do chores and get everyone secure for tonight!


----------



## Latestarter

~54 here right now, clear blue skies, sun going down, just came in from collecting final (2) eggs and closing up the chooks. Supposed to be like this - up near 60 over next few days.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> ~54 here right now, clear blue skies, sun going down, just came in from collecting final (2) eggs and closing up the chooks. Supposed to be like this - up near 60 over next few days.



for us the rest of the week will be in the teens, with negative numbers at night and negative windchills!


----------



## Hens and Roos

so my kids found this....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

That was the cutest thing ever!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Everyone who knows I have goats on FB has sent that to me
Still cracks me up


----------



## babsbag

What an absolute little pill.


----------



## Hens and Roos

took a few new pictures:

it's always nice to have help, Melanie likes to make sure that they got all the goodies!!  She tips the hay bucket all the time!






Here's one of Obie taken yesterday- you can go back and compare this picture to the one we posted in Jan 2016




Here's Maggie taken yesterday too!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

I am so ready for winter to be over with the way our weather has been this season, there is a layer of ice under our snow which makes walking a dangerous thing!!

DD and I weighed Moose and Monkey the other day....Monkey is now 28.5 lbs and Moose is 23 lbs-

I think we are still dealing with the after effects of Moose being sick a month ago.  Shortly after getting Moose's fever/respiratory issue under control, she developed major dry skin/flakes etc so treated her for mites.  Flakes are gone but her coat is really dry, she has some bald patches and seems thin.  Eating a mixture of grass/alfalfa hay plus some pellets.  plan to run a fecal on her.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Loved the pics! 

You are gonna have lots of babies 

What you using to treat the mites? 
I assume you are keeping the minerals out free choice? 

I feel ya on the whole winter thing  Thankfully we don't have it like y'all but we got ice last night and this morning  Goats are staying locked up, I can't risk one of the bred girls slipping on it!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Loved the pics!
> 
> You are gonna have lots of babies
> 
> What you using to treat the mites?
> I assume you are keeping the minerals out free choice?
> 
> I feel ya on the whole winter thing  Thankfully we don't have it like y'all but we got ice last night and this morning  Goats are staying locked up, I can't risk one of the bred girls slipping on it!



we are thinking at least 4 for Maggie, 3-4 for Obie, 1-2 for Coco and Melanie

we use 10% permethrin- it comes as a concentrate that we dilute down according to the instructions.

we keep the loose minerals out free choice as well- they go through the minerals some days like candy!  Have to put more out today for them.

we sure don't need the bred does slipping on the ice- that was a big concern when Chester(our buck) kept jumping the fence-hot wire did the trick- he hasn't tried since we installed it!


----------



## animalmom

@Hens and Roos, you could try adding kelp to Moose's feed.  It had done wonders on my girls coats.  It doesn't take much, 2 teaspoons a day per goatie.  Mine get it on the milking stand so I know who is eating it and who isn't.  I have one girl who's coat was real wiry and rather unpleasant to pet, not soft at all.  Now that she's been getting the kelp her coat is like velvet, real plush and soft, and not just because it is her winter coat.  Just a thought.


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks @ animalmom, we will look into that.  A friend of my gave us some ground flax to try- she uses it with her horses.


----------



## Southern by choice

Kelp is great ... if you can get them to eat it. 

Our Kikos no problem our dairy goats are snots.... they turn their noses up at everything.


----------



## Hens and Roos

ours seem to like the different food items we bring out as a treat.  They especially like peanut shells and will push each other out of the way to get to the treats!


----------



## Hens and Roos

our weather has been improving all week, we had 50* here on Friday and that melted a lot of the snow/ice under layer makes it soooo much easier to do chores!

Today we tapped our 4 maple trees and will be making maple syrup again this year, thinking this is our 9th year.  Taps were starting to run as soon as we put them into the trees- DH figures this will be a good year


----------



## Goatgirl47

Southern by choice said:


> Kelp is great ... if you can get them to eat it.
> 
> Our Kikos no problem our dairy goats are snots.... they turn their noses up at everything.



That's hilarious (and irritating, I'm sure)! 

I've been feeding my goats kelp in the stanchion. At first the Mini-Lamancha doe (my pickiest goat by far) didn't like it and wouldn't eat it or anything surrounding it, but then she toughened up and got over it. Now she likes it.


----------



## Goatgirl47

Hens and Roos said:


> our weather has been improving all week, we had 50* here on Friday and that melted a lot of the snow/ice under layer makes it soooo much easier to do chores!
> 
> Today we tapped our 4 maple trees and will be making maple syrup again this year, thinking this is our 9th year.  Taps were starting to run as soon as we put them into the trees- DH figures this will be a good year



You have Maple trees?   That's awesome!


----------



## Hens and Roos

we have 4 silver maple, so it takes a bit more sap compared to sugar maple(40 gal sap:1 gal syrup) to make a gallon of syrup


----------



## samssimonsays

I didn't know you could tap those! I am pretty certain we have one ginormous split silver maple and TONS of it's off spring that have started lining our driveway! There were about 30 or so that came up last spring and were already about 3 ft tall by fall. We left them all to do their thang as we love them and This year I want to transplant some littles over on the other side of the yard to try to block some wind from the pipeline. The guy we bought our house from did the syrup deal in what we now use as the barn. Not sure where he tapped trees but he must have done it somewhere.


----------



## Hens and Roos

no, no new goat  but just giving an update as to our maple sap collection to make maple syrup- as of yesterday we have collected 12 gallons and will see what tomorrow brings as are temp is to get into the 50's!


----------



## Southern by choice

that's crazy


----------



## Hens and Roos

today we started cooking our sap, DH collected buckets- between the 4 trees- we got 14.5 gallons so with the 12 gallons collected the other day we have 26.5 gallons sap total!

our temp was up around 55* today so we took Moose and Monkey out to the pasture with the others- they were happy to be outside!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Moose and Monkey are hanging out in the pasture with the big girls  again today....of course it's suppose to get colder again this week 

DH collected sap last night after chores and ended up with another 8 gallons- so far we have collected a total of 34.5 gallons.  Boiling again today and have to collect sap yet today.  Might be putting syrup into jars yet today!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Getting ready to put our 1st batch of Maple syrup into jars tonight-temperature of the syrup is just about ready!  Total of 49 gallons of sap went into this batch, we ended up with 20 full 8 oz jars and 1 jar three-fourths full!  We always make sure to have extra jars, lids and rings ready to go.

DH figured we needed to finish it tonight as we don't know how tomorrow will go- my dad is back in the hospital- he had a small seizure this afternoon and while he regained consciousness, things weren't right so my mom called the ambulance and they took him to the hospital.  My brother/his wife were close by so they went with my mom to the hospital.  They will be doing tests- probably tomorrow to see what is going on......


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Hope he's going to make a full recovery!


----------



## sadieml

@Hens and Roos -  Your family will certainly be in our prayers.  May God bless your Dad (and Mom).  Of course, I wish blessings for all of you, just especially for your parents as this is their health crisis.  I say "their" since they are a pair, of course, and what affects one affects both.  Anyway, we wish you all the best.

p.s.- Congrats on the syrup!


----------



## Latestarter

Best wishes for your parents and your dad's health and well being. Congrats on the maple syrup, it has to feel great to have that all cooked down and stored away for future use. Will you continue or have you pulled the taps?


----------



## norseofcourse

Best thoughts for your dad....


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Prayers for healing for your Dad!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hope your dad is OK


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks everyone, it's greatly appreciated.  Today was mentally draining, wasn't sure what things were going to be when I went to the hospital today.  My dad recognized me and my mom when she arrived- this was very good to see as Sunday he wasn't recognizing her or what was really going on around him.   He is struggling with getting his words out- so that is frustrating for him.

@sadieml - they are 2 peas in a pod- you don't see one without the other- after all they have been married 58 years!

@Latestarter - we will continue collecting the sap until the trees start budding- probably mid-late March or until DH figures we have enough.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Just thought I would give an update; yesterday late evening my dad was discharged from the hospital(he really could have used a few more days of PT- in MHO); my parents were given the option to have my dad go to a rehab center for therapy......which would have meant more back and forth for my mom.  She chose another option(my kids think this was the best one)- they came home with us and my dad with have in home therapy at our house.  This way we can give them extra help and there are more of us to help her with my dad. DH has no issue with them being here and my dad listens best to him!!  They did this in 2014 when he was getting over aspiration pneumonia....it worked out well.

My DD is hoping that they will be here when the goats start kidding.  Today they can see the chicks hatching


----------



## OneFineAcre

Glad to hear your dads home, or I guess at your home.


----------



## Latestarter

Glad a workable and acceptable option was available and exercised. Sounds like a really good fit for all concerned. Hope dad recovers quickly and  being around newly hatched chicks and new baby goats can't but help that happen!  Prior to my dad's passing, any time he drifted off center, I always got the call to talk him back to a more common sense position on whatever the issue was.


----------



## sadieml

@Hens and Roos -  So very glad your Dad is doing well enough to go home with family.  You sound like a tight-knit family, and that's great.  It will certainly contribute to his recovery to be with all of you loved ones!  Baby creatures are good for the soul, so I agree with @Latestarter .  Remember, you are all in our prayers!    Take care and God bless...

edit to fix typos -  sorry my fatigue was showing through


----------



## samssimonsays

SO glad he is on his way to fully recovering!


----------



## goatgurl

glad your dad is getting better.  I know it's not always easy but your house sounds like a good place for your mom and dad both. and having the grandkids and all the baby critters around will keep him engaged.


----------



## Hens and Roos

for those of you who have had goats for multiple years- we were wondering for example- Maggie kidded on day 150 last year, can we expect that again this year?  I know our rabbits are consistent with going at the same day(day 30)


----------



## sadieml

@Hens and Roos -  I don't know, but I'll tag a few old pros who should be able to answer your question.  What say you, @Southern by choice, @Goat Whisperer, @Goatgirl47, @Devonviolet ?


----------



## Southern by choice

Our does do have a pattern and are pretty consistent. 
@babsbag may chime in... usually her goats never go before 150 (she has big goats) but this year she had a whole bunch go before day 150. 

Our nigies are always before 150... usually 146-148.


----------



## goatgurl

before this year I would have said yes, probably but after this kidding season i'd not bet the farm on any of them.  4th freshener who has been consistent for the past two years was 5 days early, healthy set of twins so???  2 of my ff had different ideas of how to drive me nuts.  one went at day 145 and the other went on day 152.  nuts...  all the kids are strong and healthy.  I guess the old saying "time will tell" will hold true.


----------



## Devonviolet

sadieml said:


> @Hens and Roos -  I don't know, but I'll tag a few old pros who should be able to answer your question.  What say you, @Southern by choice, @Goat Whisperer, @Goatgirl47, @Devonviolet ?


Thanks for thinking of me @sadieml, but I haven't had any does kid yet. We just have 4 ND wethers right now.

If we can get perimeter fencing about 200 feet back into the woods, we will be getting a couple does this summer.


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks for the responses- guess time will tell.

Another question- our doe Obie(one of the original 3 we bought together) is biting at the ears of the does(Coco, Melanie, Moose and Monkey) lower in the ranks and trying to keep them away from the hay.  She is not herd queen- Maggie is.  Hay is set out in multiple crates so she can't guard them all but I have watch the other does visible flinch(especially Coco- who is another of the original 3) when she comes near. She will head butt them in the side- which raises concern as all 4 older does are due starting in 2 weeks.  DD thinks we should sell her after this kidding.


----------



## Latestarter

Maybe you should sell her... Wait and see what you get for kids, I'm sure  you'll probably want to keep a couple of them... 

Is there any way to separate her out but still allow her to see the others? At least until after all the other does have kidded? It would be tragic to lose kids because of her head butting...


----------



## Hens and Roos

@Latestarter, we are waiting for her to kid and see what she has- we didn't keep any of her kids last year- they were all Chamoisee in color.  She was FF last year and a pain to milk!

We can move her to another area if needed.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

We have a doe that can be a real jerk. Biting, chasing, the whole nine yards. Its worse when they are bred, they get to be hormonal brats! If she doesn't chill out it might be worth it to sell her, just give full disclosure on her bad attitude. That is how we lost our girl Star, somebody butted her into the feeder and broke her leg beyond repair 

I swear our diva could be an only child-goat. She is perfecly content to be alone. I had to seperate her for the last few weeks of pregnancy. I was so afraid of loosing another doe.

I have noticed that bratty does have bratty kids, they pick up on mommas behavior and pull that same crap. If she is really bad, I'd consider pulling her kids and bottle raising them.

Oh, with the kidding…Just when you think you figured it out the like to change things up LOL


----------



## Hens and Roos

Obie's kids were sold and the 2 doelings were very friendly even though they were dam raised.  Guess we will see what comes of things in a couple of weeks.

Maggie's the 1st one due to kid, thinking we might have some bottle kids.


----------



## Latestarter

I was talking about keeping some of the kids in general, not specifically Obie's... I mean you'll want to know what you have in total before you decide what stays and goes. But if she keeps butting the others in the side, it may be best to separate her now until after all of the kids are born, then decide what to do with her. If her kids are keepers, you could still sell her down the road and either make her kids bottle babies or re-introduce her and her kids back to the herd after she settles down and see if the issue has passed. The problem is there are so many potential things you could do...  Whatever, I hope it all works out!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Oh, I'm sure we will most likely be keeping a few  depending on what we end up getting!


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> Oh, I'm sure we will most likely be keeping a few  depending on what we end up getting!



for you 
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/goat-addicts-anonymous.32408/page-4#post-419301


----------



## OneFineAcre

I know the topic has changed but ours tend to go in the same number of days each time give or take a day
As to the behavior ours get moody
Friendly goats get standoffish
Standoffish goats get friendly
We have had some ear biters but usually a mom trying to run off a kid that's not hers


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> for you
> http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/goat-addicts-anonymous.32408/page-4#post-419301


----------



## sadieml

@Hens and Roos - I'm with Latestarter on the naughty Obie front.  I would definitely separate her from the others so that she doesn't endanger them and their kids.  Especially since you may have to move her out of your herd, you don't want to loose someone else you care about, or the kids.  Hopefully it's just a hormone thing going on, but if she keeps up the lousy behavior, I would think seriously about giving her her walking papers.  She might do better as an only doe for someone who only wants one.  I would definitely not rehome her with a true Goatie, 'cause she'll just end-up terrorizing a whole other herd.  Just mho...


----------



## goatgurl

I had to separate one of my yearlings this year.  she started beating the stuffing's out of the does that were more pregnant than she is.  I had a doe abort last year because the steer blind sided her.  now I know that a steer hits harder than a goat but i'm not taking any chances.  she is now living with the buck until the last two kid.  she isn't thrilled about it but frankly I don't care.  and I've already warned her that if she doesn't change her ways she will be looking for a new home after she kids.  hopefully ms. obie will cool her jets after she kids and calm will prevail once again.


----------



## Devonviolet

I hope Ms Obie isn't the girl you are saving for me!


----------



## goatgurl

naw, @Devonviolet you're safe.  obie is hens and roos brat. your sweet little girl's name is falina.  my brats name is dippin' dot.  her mom was the boss of my herd a couple of years ago so she is trying to fill her mama's hoof prints.


----------



## Devonviolet

Whew!   so glad we are getting a sweet girl!


----------



## Hens and Roos

goatgurl said:


> naw, @Devonviolet you're safe.  obie is hens and roos brat. your sweet little girl's name is falina.  my brats name is dippin' dot.  her mom was the boss of my herd a couple of years ago so she is trying to fill her mama's hoof prints.



gee thanks


----------



## Hens and Roos

Today is day 145 for Maggie- all I can say is not today Maggie, not today!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Good luck.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Good luck.



thanks....working on cleaning out one of the pens so we can put her and her kids there once she has them!


----------



## sadieml

Alright, so, ...hang in there Mags...all in good time.


----------



## Hens and Roos

so our day became crazy this afternoon....yep you guessed it!  Maggie decided it was time to kid(because DD had softball practice, we still have a quarter of the pen to clean out and we had a 4-H small animal meeting to go to after softball).  We knew something was going on based on Maggie's behavior- standing and staring off into space.  DH ended up leaving a job to come home and help- told them there was a medical issue at home that he had to go deal with(never mentioned it was our goat; the people were totally cool about it ).

Maggie at least waited to kid until we moved her to the clean pen!  She had the 1st kid at 4:20 pm and by 5:30 pm was working on passing the after birth.  Our friend and her daughter both stopped in to give us some extra help- the daughter has sheep coming due starting this coming weekend.



1st- boy- came out backwards- 3 lbs 14 oz
2nd- girl- came out normal-3 lbs 6 oz
3rd- boy- came out normal-3 lbs 15 oz
4th- girl- head and legs were turned back, neck was coming first- pushed her back and brought out with head and 1 leg presenting- 3 lbs 6 oz

DH set up the warming barrel, they are going in and out, Maggie is very aware of all 4 kids and doing a good job rotating them for feeding.  All seem to be nursing well.

will post some pictures shortly(or tomorrow if I fall asleep)

DS(10 years) predicts that we will end up with at least 7 kids this kidding season....


----------



## norseofcourse

Woohoo great job Maggie!!!  Congrats!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here are their pictures- not the greatest as DH and DS(14 years) had to clean up, other chores to do and it was dark before they had a chance to take some.  It's great that DH installed electric in both areas.

1st kid-buckling





2nd kid-doeling




3rd kid-buckling




4th kid-doeling


----------



## sadieml

WOW!!!  Lovely babies.  2 & 2  That's great, too.  Congrats!


----------



## Latestarter

That is so awesome! Congrats on a great job by momma goat and helpers! They are beautiful


----------



## Ferguson K

That's better than six!  Congratulations, they look happy and healthy.


----------



## babsbag

Beautiful kids, so glad it all went smoothly, other than the fact that she picked your busy day. Goats do that often... or else we are all just always busy.


----------



## Hens and Roos

did some checking between Maggie's group of kids last year and this year as far as total weight at birth.
Last year- 13 lbs 2 oz
This year- 14 lbs 9oz


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Congrats!!


----------



## samssimonsays

Congrats!!! They all are very consistent on weight too!


----------



## sadieml

I think total weight is a big factor in WHEN they kid.  Personally, my 3 babies were almost EXACTLY the same size when they were born.

First      (boy)        21 1/2 inches / 8 lbs 5.5 oz   36 weeks   That's right!  My preemie was HUGE!!!  At age 20 he's 6' 5" 220 lbs - yep, that's my boy!!!
Second  (boy)        21 1/2 inches / 8 lbs 8 oz      37 weeks    This one is "normal" sized.  At age 17 he's 6' and 180 lbs.
Third     (girl)        21        inches / 8 lbs 7.2 oz    38 weeks


----------



## Latestarter

Wait!!  Isn't something missing up there?...  No age, no height, no weight?  I think someone is withholding pertinent information!


----------



## sadieml

My 13-going-on-30 baby girl has the figure I had at her age!  Now, I can't very well say that and then go on to say that she has that "just right" amount of padding, and more than ample curves, not to mention the face of an angel without sounding like I'm bragging.  The fact is I may have the curves of a grub worm now, but once upon a time all of my curves were in the right places and I didn't have a double chin.  Kimmy resembles me, but she's beautiful and that's an honest opinion, not just a biased Mommy talking.  The only person who thinks I'm beautiful is DH, and bless his heart he's blinded by true love.  Kimmy says I am, too, but that's fine with me.  We only need to please each other, and that seems easier with time.  Going on 25 years, and he's still my dreamboat.  Sorry, was I running on a bit there?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Ahhhh, that's so sweet!  Ain't love wonderful?  Sounds like you two are made for each other.  Congrats on having a 'keeper'!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Hens and Roos said:


> Here are their pictures- not the greatest as DH and DS(14 years) had to clean up, other chores to do and it was dark before they had a chance to take some.  It's great that DH installed electric in both areas.
> 
> 1st kid-buckling
> View attachment 16063
> 
> 2nd kid-doeling
> View attachment 16064
> 
> 3rd kid-buckling
> View attachment 16065
> 
> 4th kid-doeling
> View attachment 16066



Love the babies! Congrats!


----------



## Hens and Roos

DS(10 years) and I went out and weighed the kids just now:

1st buckling-(3 lbs 14 oz) -now is 4 lbs 5 oz- now named Cinnamon
1st doeling-(3 lbs 6 oz)- now is 3 lbs 9 oz- now named Pepper
2nd buckling-(3 lbs 15 oz)-now is 4 lbs 7 oz- now named Gingi
2nd doeling-(3 lbs 6 oz)- now is 3 lbs 9 oz- now named Clove

Maggie is doing great with having all 4 with her- very attentive to them, they are starting to move around more but do hang out in the heat barrel we have set up.  Our weather has been chilly/wet here.


----------



## samssimonsays

Love the names!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Those are great weights for 4 kids
Congrats


----------



## OneFineAcre

Just read this again
That doe is a keeper for sure
That is great weights for 4 kids


----------



## Hens and Roos

Since Maggie is feeding all 4 kids, we are keeping close tabs on how the kids are growing; here is their weights as of today:
Cinnamon- 4 lbs 13 oz
Pepper- 3 lbs 15 oz
Gingi- 5 lbs 3 oz
Clove- 3 lbs 14 oz

Maggie is doing a fantastic job with them!!  We will for sure be keeping her


----------



## Hens and Roos

Maggie's kids are 1 week old today- will get weights on them later, when my helpers are home from school- DS(10 years) likes to help weigh them 

Today is day 145 for Obie- nothing dripping, doesn't look like she's dropped, ligs feel just about gone- and given the schedule for today- yep she could have them


----------



## Hens and Roos

For the next few days we are suppose to get rain here and will be cold again.  We decided to move Obie up to the area next to Maggie so we can watch her closer.  Obie is not happy with this idea


----------



## Hens and Roos

Got Maggie's kids weighed this evening; at 1 week of age:
Cinnamon- 5 lbs 11 oz
Pepper- 4 lbs 5 oz
Gingi- 5 lbs 14 oz
Clove- 4 lbs 8 oz

all gaining weight pretty well, they are getting more active but still hang out in the warming barrel- we are in the mid 30's again...


----------



## Hens and Roos

got up several times last night to keep an eye on Obie - she has been restless and calling off and on so we will see what today brings!


----------



## samssimonsays

We got 5 plus inches of snow at our house... Hope the temps are warmer there for you!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> We got 5 plus inches of snow at our house... Hope the temps are warmer there for you!



no snow here, but rain and chilly.  DH and DD set up a second heat barrel for use.  Maggie's 4 really use the one in their area and Maggie will sit close with her head inside!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Obie decided today was the day and kidded about mid morning- given how big she was we were figuring 2-3 kids.........NOPE she had 1 buckling- he is 5 lbs 1 oz- took a bit for her to push him out!

Will try and post a picture(have to reload my photo editing program  )


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Congratulations!


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats on a successful delivery... Sorry it was only one and that it was a buckling.


----------



## sadieml

Wow!  One VERY BIG buckling!  Poor girl, must be sore as heck!  She's probably gonna walk like a cowpoke for a few days!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We're happy that it was a successful kidding and that he came out as well as he did given his size.  DH came home from a job to help with the kidding and then went back to work- it's always nice to have an extra set of hands and muscle .  The little buckling is a cutie and unique in his coloring- now to see if we can figure out a name for him.


----------



## sadieml

What does he look like?  Remember, no pics, yet!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture of him


----------



## sadieml

Awww... sooo cute!  Tri-color, but nifty pattern.  I haven't seen one quite like this.  My sister used to have a sweater that looked like that.  Have a pic around here somewhere.  DH says it kinda reminds him of a lemur (?).  What about Zoboo -- for the kid's show Zoboomafoo?    Just passing along his suggestion.


----------



## Hens and Roos

sadieml said:


> Awww... sooo cute!  Tri-color, but nifty pattern.  I haven't seen one quite like this.  My sister used to have a sweater that looked like that.  Have a pic around here somewhere.  DH says it kinda reminds him of a lemur (?).  What about Zoboo -- for the kid's show Zoboomafoo?    Just passing along his suggestion.



I forgot all about that show- I will throw that name out to them for consideration.  There is a better then average chance that he will be available


----------



## Hens and Roos

Took a few pictures this morning before it got cold and yucky outside again!
This is Chester- he is sire to all the kids that we will have this year.




Here is another pictures of Obie's buckling- he was using his springs this morning...




Tomorrow is day 145 for Melanie- she is our only FF this time around.  DD and DH said she looked a little swollen tonight when they were doing chores.  DH stopped on his way home and picked up another barrel to make another heat barrel- we were really hoping that the weather would have been nicer by now.... 

Given that Obie only had the single- should we start milking her too so that milk production increases?  He is 2 days old now, when should we start?


----------



## Hens and Roos

So today, we start paying closer attention to Melanie- she does have some discharge and is a little more swollen....

It was weigh day for all the kids again:

Maggie's kids:
Cinnamon- 6 lbs 12 oz
Pepper- 4 lbs 11 oz
Gingi- 7 lbs
Clove- 4 lbs 13 oz

Obie's buckling(yeah haven't decided on a name)- 5 lbs 11 oz


----------



## Southern by choice

give it a few more days... unless he is only nursing from one side - if that is the case milk now


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> give it a few more days... unless he is only nursing from one side - if that is the case milk now



okay will give it a few more days- it seems like he is nursing both sides as she looks even to us.


----------



## Hens and Roos

just moved Melanie to the kidding area!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Melanie ended up kidding yesterday afternoon about 1.5 hours after we moved her to the kidding area.  She is the 1st goat the DD was able to be at the kidding this time around.

Melanie has 2 bucklings! 

1st buckling- 5 lbs 6 oz (she was busy cleaning him up)





2nd buckling- 4 lbs 4 oz




Coco is our last doe left to kid- day 145 is this Thursday- which is my youngest DS's birthday and he's hoping she kids!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Melanie ended up kidding yesterday afternoon about 1.5 hours after we moved her to the kidding area.  She is the 1st goat the DD was able to be at the kidding this time around.
> 
> Melanie has 2 bucklings!
> 
> 1st buckling- 5 lbs 6 oz (she was busy cleaning him up)
> View attachment 16569
> 
> 2nd buckling- 4 lbs 4 oz
> View attachment 16570
> 
> Coco is our last doe left to kid- day 145 is this Thursday- which is my youngest DS's birthday and he's hoping she kids!!



A couple of big boys.


----------



## Latestarter

Awww... they're cute little guys! I guess you won't be keeping them though...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Awww... they're cute little guys! I guess you won't be keeping them though...



no, they will be wethered and can become pets for someone- Melaine is our "pet" doe 

she is doing a great job with the kids- she will lift her leg so they can nurse easier!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Aww, congrats! Best wishes for a safe delivery for Coco!


----------



## Hens and Roos

BlessedWithGoats said:


> Aww, congrats! Best wishes for a safe delivery for Coco!



thanks, have your does kidded yet?


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

You're welcome!
Cookie had twin doelings on the first of April, and Basil & Latte are up next!  Basil was due yesterday, and Latte's due on Friday! Maybe they'll kid the same day! That would be so cool.


----------



## Hens and Roos

BlessedWithGoats said:


> You're welcome!
> Cookie had twin doelings on the first of April, and Basil & Latte are up next!  Basil was due yesterday, and Latte's due on Friday! Maybe they'll kid the same day! That would be so cool.



that would keep you moving for sure!!  Good luck!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Thanks!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Coco is our last doe to kid and day 145 is Thursday- same day as our youngest DS's birthday-he'll be 11 years old and is excited!  We told him, if one of the goats kidded on his birthday, he could name a kid after himself...

We had some pre-birthday excitement here this afternoon, we were getting ready to move Maggie & kids and Obie & kid back to the main area and move Coco up to the kidding area.  DH headed out to that area and when he stepped into the shelter, he's yelling to me "we have kids"  Coco decided this afternoon was it and she wasn't waiting any longer...she had 1 kid mostly dry and was working on drying the 2nd kid- probably kidded 15 minutes before we got there and the 3rd came shortly there after!

Presenting in birth order:

1st- buckling- 3 lbs 10 oz





2nd- doeling- 3 lbs 3 oz




3rd- buckling- 3 lbs 14 oz....this is Aiden 




all are doing well, nursing and Coco is doing very well taking care of them, considering her kid last year ended up being a bottle baby for the first 2 weeks.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Congratulations!!


----------



## Latestarter

Fantastic! Way to go Coco! The kids look great!


----------



## sadieml

Congratulations.  They sure are lovely! Healthy trips and she's feeding them herself.  Couldn't ask for more than that.

btw-Where does that put your kid total for the season?


----------



## Hens and Roos

We have a total of 10 new kids this season- 7 bucklings and 3 doelings

Maggie- quads
Obie-single
Melanie- twins
Coco- triplets

We now have 19 goats- just incase anyone is counting!!


----------



## samssimonsays

You more than doubled  Congrats
!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> You more than doubled  Congrats
> !!!



that one is the spare!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We put all the does and kids back together in the pasture about a week ago- took a little head butting between a few of the does but they got it all settled.  Maggie is still herd queen.  The kids are all playing together and having fun bouncing off the tires and spools- its comical to watch them.

The kids all have names now 
Maggie's kids- Cinnamon, Pepper, Gingi and Clove- 4 weeks now
Obie's kid- Pringles- 3 weeks now
Melanie's kids- Finn and Charlie- 2 weeks now
Coco's kids- Cheeto, Basil and Aiden- 2 weeks now


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here are pictures of Melanie's kids from the other day-

Finn-





Charlie-




Haven't had time to get updated pictures of the others, my dad had a health setback on April 16th and ended up in the hospital for 4 days again, he is back at our house and starting PT again.


----------



## samssimonsays

So sorry to hear about your dad! 

The kids are looking great though.


----------



## Latestarter

Pretty kids  Sorry your dad's had a set back   Hope the PT helps toward a fast and full recovery!


----------



## OneFineAcre

You had really good weights on your triplets
We had more trips this year than ever and all had 2 in the 2 1/2 lb range and then one less than 2 lbs
Rosie had one close to 4 lb if I recall correctly and 2 less than 2 lbs
Yours all were over 3 lbs
I may need to pick your brain on how you fed or what you may have done
It could be totally unrelated to feed could be environmental
I don't know we've always seemed to have 4 +/- lb twins on average
But it did catch my attention how yours were consistently over 3 lbs
Good job whatever you did
They look great


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Here are pictures of Melanie's kids from the other day-
> 
> Finn-
> View attachment 17266
> 
> Charlie-
> View attachment 17267
> 
> Haven't had time to get updated pictures of the others, my dad had a health setback on April 16th and ended up in the hospital for 4 days again, he is back at our house and starting PT again.


Sorry about your dad
Finn and Charlie are very nice looking


----------



## norseofcourse

Good thoughts for your dad...


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> You had really good weights on your triplets
> We had more trips this year than ever and all had 2 in the 2 1/2 lb range and then one less than 2 lbs
> Rosie had one close to 4 lb if I recall correctly and 2 less than 2 lbs
> Yours all were over 3 lbs
> I may need to pick your brain on how you fed or what you may have done
> It could be totally unrelated to feed could be environmental
> I don't know we've always seemed to have 4 +/- lb twins on average
> But it did catch my attention how yours were consistently over 3 lbs
> Good job whatever you did
> They look great



thanks, not sure it is anything we did specifically.  We were very happy to see that the kids from each doe were close in weight when multiples.   We started feeding alfalfa hay mid-Jan this year, as our friend who we were getting hay from was running low on bales.  We also feed a sweet feed(17%), alfalfa and beet pellet mix in the morning and evening.  We do up the amount of this mix once the does have kidded and try to feed each doe separately-we have not started to milk any of the does yet given all that has been going on here.  We have to figure out how we can separate the kids at night to make it easy on all.  Given the size of Obie's single and Melanie's twins- they could easily go overnight away from mom.


----------



## sadieml

Sorry your Dad had a set-back.  Glad he's back home with you, again, already.

Those bucklings look great!  Beautiful boys.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Hope your dad is feeling better!
Cute kids!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Charlie and Cheeto will be going to their new home when they are old enough!  Charlie will be wethered and Cheeto will become their buck.  They are going to the family that got Rascal, Cosmos and Chaos from us last fall!  Rascal is the attention hog they tell me  not surprising since he was a bottle baby.  The family is excited to be adding them and they will be spoiled!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

DD and DS(14) weighed the kids tonight while doing chores......

5 week old kids:
Cinnamon- 14 lbs 4 oz
Pepper- 8 lbs 5 oz
Gingi- 13 lbs 14 oz
Clove- 7 lbs 13 oz

4 week old kid:
Pringle- 14 lbs

3 week old kids:
Finn- 14 lbs 15 oz
Charlie- 12 lbs 1 oz
Cheeto- 10 lbs 2 oz
Basil- 7 lbs 14 oz
Aiden- 9 lbs 12 oz

Depending on how my dad's doctor appointments go this week and the information we are given- we might start separating the bigger bucklings out at night and start milking 2 of the does in the morning.....


----------



## Southern by choice

We have to do weights too. 
I don't want to think about it.
We have to do the whole herd. 
Very hard to weigh the Kikos. Even with the livestock scale they always get one foot off or don't want to walk up from the field.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> We have to do weights too.
> I don't want to think about it.
> We have to do the whole herd.
> Very hard to weigh the Kikos. Even with the livestock scale they always get one foot off or don't want to walk up from the field.



I'm thinking you have waaaay more goats then us , even though we doubled our herd this year


----------



## Hens and Roos

Taking advantage of the nice, dry weather we are having today(suppose to rain again later this afternoon/evening ) to clean pens- finished both sides of the goat shelter, finished the last pen in the chicken coop, moved some chicks around to give them more room.....

still on my list for today is cleaning out our 2nd goat area and all the rabbits in the shop and a bunch of other things to do .......and of course its starting to cloud up 

taking a break as the home health nurse is here to see my dad.....

13 more days of school for my kids and then they are off for the summer I love having my kids around- they are very good helpers!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Taking advantage of the nice, dry weather we are having today(suppose to rain again later this afternoon/evening ) to clean pens- finished both sides of the goat shelter, finished the last pen in the chicken coop, moved some chicks around to give them more room.....
> 
> still on my list for today is cleaning out our 2nd goat area and all the rabbits in the shop and a bunch of other things to do .......and of course its starting to cloud up
> 
> taking a break as the home health nurse is here to see my dad.....
> 
> 13 more days of school for my kids and then they are off for the summer I love having my kids around- they are very good helpers!!



My barn is a red hot mess.
I'm going to get Maurine ask the young fella who is one her part time farmers market helpers if he want's to make some money next week.


----------



## Hens and Roos

I'm weeks behind to say the least


----------



## samssimonsays

You are on a roll! I haven't gotten a thing done that needs to be for spring cleaning or anything other than the goat pen... but that is what matters most right?  

Tearing down cages will be last priority due to fencing. It snowed at my house today


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> You are on a roll! I haven't gotten a thing done that needs to be for spring cleaning or anything other than the goat pen... but that is what matters most right?
> 
> Tearing down cages will be last priority due to fencing. It snowed at my house today



yuck on the snow


----------



## Southern by choice

Samantha drawz said:


> It snowed at my house today



Ummmm.... WHY? do you live there?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Got most of the area clean before getting rained out- just have the rabbits to clean 

I don't know about @Samantha drawz but my DH is a snow freak  from Dec-March and then he's sick of the snow!!

Here are a couple of pictures I took:

Basil- she will come over and start chewing on our pants!  She is Coco's doeling and we will be keeping her. She is the scrappiest little one!





Here are Charlie(front) and Aiden(back)- this buckling is so like my youngest-always into something!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Since I had extra help this morning we did another round of weights:

Maggie's kids at 6.5 weeks
Cinnamon- 17 lbs 1 oz
Pepper- 9 lbs 3oz
Gingi- 16 lbs 13 oz
Clove- 9 lbs 1oz

Obie's kid at 5.5 weeks
Pringle- 17 lbs 1 oz

Melaine's kids at 5 weeks
Finn- 18 lbs 5 oz
Charlie- 15 lbs 6 oz

Coco's kids at 4.4 weeks
Cheeto- 13 lbs 3 oz
Basil- 10 lbs 2 oz
Aiden- 11 lbs 15 oz

Guessing the next time we take weights, we will have to be standing on the scale with them as the bigger ones aren't fitting into our bag so well


----------



## Latestarter

Pepper and Clove are so much smaller than their siblings... I hope they eventually catch up.


----------



## Ferguson K

That's pretty solid weights


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Pepper and Clove are so much smaller than their siblings... I hope they eventually catch up.



This has been an on going discussion at our house- from what we have observed Maggie heavily favors her bucklings over the doelings.  We tried offering the 2 doelings extra bottles but unfortunately they didn't take to this thought.  At evening chores, DH has been holding Maggie so the 2 doelings can nurse longer and get their stomachs full.  Given what we have seen this time around, we will probably pull doelings next time and bottle feed them.  We probably could have pulled them when they were younger but with everything that has been going on at our house it just wasn't happening.......

We are hoping that once we start weaning the bucklings(hoping to start this next week)the doelings will get more.


----------



## samssimonsays

Southern by choice said:


> Ummmm.... WHY? do you live there?


I'm not sure..... I don't do not by choice.


----------



## samssimonsays

The babies are looking great hope the girls get more once the boys get weaned.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had someone contact me yesterday- asking if we had an older pair of goats needing a pet home- wanted for helping clear an area and to be pets only- wethers or does didn't matter to them.  Told her I would check with DD and youngest DS(11) and get back to them....

because, we have another party interested in a pair of wethers and thinking of adding a doe at a later date so we are waiting to hear if they want Marsh and Monty- who are coming up on a year or if they want 2 wethers from this years kidding.

we do have Moose and Monkey our tiny does from last years kidding-not sure they will grow to size, we do know that the kids wont be able to show them at fair this year because of their small size.  When we asked DD and DS(11) about the possibility of these 2 leaving....

DS(11) just kind of looked at me and I could tell from his look,it was quickly decided that Moose and Monkey would be staying and we would be giving them more time to hopefully grow.


----------



## samssimonsays

I know that feeling... I have had it with rabbits for many years now.


----------



## Latestarter

awwww... always tuff to let them go. hope it all works out.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> I know that feeling... I have had it with rabbits for many years now.



for us it's the Angora rabbits, especially our favorites!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> awwww... always tuff to let them go. hope it all works out.



We have enough area to keep them (our neighbor offered us use of his land if needed- much to DH's dismay ) besides we all agreed that if another year doesn't help and they are truly stunted, then we will see about finding them a pet home.   All the boys from this year will be going except the one named "Aiden"  He will be wethered and stay with us.


----------



## samssimonsays

LOL! 

"the one named 'Aiden'" is priceless!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> LOL!
> 
> "the one named 'Aiden'" is priceless!



actually he is a trouble maker  along with his human counter part


----------



## samssimonsays

Hahahaha! So THAT'S why he is staying


----------



## Hens and Roos

Samantha drawz said:


> Hahahaha! So THAT'S why he is staying



along with the white rabbit as my avatar picture!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here are a couple of pictures I took this morning:


This is Basil...she is always looking for attention- she will be staying














This is Pringles- he's available 




These 2 are Gingi and Cinnamon....they are never far from each other and are available 




the rest of the kids didn't want to pose for pictures today


----------



## samssimonsays

Hahaha we do tend to work around when they want to do what we want them to do, don't we   They are adorable!!!


----------



## samssimonsays

Hens and Roos said:


> This is Pringles- he's available
> View attachment 18097
> 
> These 2 are Gingi and Cinnamon....they are never far from each other and are available
> View attachment 18098



@Ferguson K[/USER] found you a couple bucks  You need to road trip up here to get them and just "swing by" my place with that Nubian doe you found


----------



## Ferguson K

I bet John would lose his mind. "Babe we're going to Minnesota ... with a goat!....... to get a goat!"


----------



## Hens and Roos

Ferguson K said:


> I bet John would lose his mind. "Babe we're going to Minnesota ... with a goat!....... to get a goat!"



you'd have to come to Wisconsin to get the goat


----------



## sadieml

Wisconsin really is a beautiful place to visit...

Oh, I'm sorry, that's enabling, isn't it?


----------



## Uralba

Have fun. It really needs a friend (hint, hint)!


----------



## Latestarter

Greetings @Uralba from the front range in Colorado  Welcome to BYH. Glad you jumped in and joined the discussion! Enjoy the site and if you have some pics to share, we all love gloating over animal pics.


----------



## Hens and Roos

so we have the bucklings separated from the does and doelings tonight....there was some calling from both parties but once hay was put into the does feeder it got quiet!  Will be milking tomorrow morning, hoping it goes better than last year


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Had someone contact me yesterday- asking if we had an older pair of goats needing a pet home- wanted for helping clear an area and to be pets only- wethers or does didn't matter to them.  Told her I would check with DD and youngest DS(11) and get back to them....
> 
> because, we have another party interested in a pair of wethers and thinking of adding a doe at a later date so we are waiting to hear if they want Marsh and Monty- who are coming up on a year or if they want 2 wethers from this years kidding.
> 
> we do have Moose and Monkey our tiny does from last years kidding-not sure they will grow to size, we do know that the kids wont be able to show them at fair this year because of their small size.  When we asked DD and DS(11) about the possibility of these 2 leaving....
> 
> DS(11) just kind of looked at me and I could tell from his look,it was quickly decided that Moose and Monkey would be staying and we would be giving them more time to hopefully grow.


What does Moose and Monkey weigh?
How tall are they at the withers?
And how old are they ?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> What does Moose and Monkey weigh?
> How tall are they at the withers?
> And how old are they ?



Moose and Monkey will be a year at the end of June- they were the smallest of the group of 6 kids
We last weighed them mid March and at that time: Moose was 27.5 lbs and Monkey was 34 lbs- we will try and re-weigh them tomorrow
They are roughly 18" but we can get a better measurement tomorrow.


----------



## Ferguson K

So tiny!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Ferguson K said:


> So tiny!



yes, that is why we decided they should stay with us, we are hoping that they will start growing but only time will tell.  Monty and Marsh(2 of the boys) are still with us as well and might be a bit bigger then the girls.


----------



## Latestarter

OK, so you cross a Nigie with a full sized doe to get "minis"...  Are you positively sure one of your rabbit bucks didn't get to thier dam? What would you call goats that are 1/2 the size of dwarf? Mini is already spoken for... Ittybittys??  You may have started a whole new "breed!!"


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> OK, so you cross a Nigie with a full sized doe to get "minis"...  Are you positively sure one of your rabbit bucks didn't get to thier dam? What would you call goats that are 1/2 the size of dwarf? Mini is already spoken for... Ittybittys??  You may have started a whole new "breed!!"



Pretty sure our rabbit bucks were not involved , she was bred before we purchased her!  DH calls them "super dwarfs", we(DD & I) tend to call them "the littles"


----------



## Hens and Roos

milking went pretty good this morning....

Coco- 14.5 oz of milk- she is still nursing her doeling
Melaine-FF-1 lb 5/8 oz- she did very well on the stand
Obie-1 lb 1/4 oz-her single buckling nursed heavy on one side so her udder didn't fill much on that side
Maggie- still nursing her 2 doelings so we haven't milked her yet


----------



## Hens and Roos

In the past, we have been using a friends tattoo kit to tattoo our rabbits and goats- the letters are only 1/4" in size so it's hard to read them.

What size/brand does others use....looking for recommendations but we want to get just 1 kit that we can use for both rabbits and goats.


----------



## samssimonsays

I use a pen on the French Lops. They have large ears so it's much easier for me and I am content in the fact they can't tear their ears with it. I will most likely keep using the Pen with the goats... We will see. 

(Rosco is not Tattooed even though he is registered and I don't believe Scarlet is either? I opted to get Rebel without a tattoo as We wont be showing and I doubt we will be selling them since we will only have a couple goats. The kids we sell I will tattoo for records and new owners.)


----------



## Goat Whisperer

This is what we used on the ND's -http://www.jefferspet.com/products/small-tattoo-set

We need to get a few more sets. These work good, but I'd probably get a better brand like Stone. The Jeffers brand are a more lightweight and would be better for small jobs. 

I don't use the black ink, I prefer the green as it tends to be easier to see.

Get the ear release! Pulling the ear off the needles is nasty LOL 
Love having the ear release 

Don't know if these would work for rabbits or not. Glad you are getting your own. Using someone else's set is a risk of bringing CAE in your herd.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> This is what we used on the ND's -http://www.jefferspet.com/products/small-tattoo-set
> 
> We need to get a few more sets. These work good, but I'd probably get a better brand like Stone. The Jeffers brand are a more lightweight and would be better for small jobs.
> 
> I don't use the black ink, I prefer the green as it tends to be easier to see.
> 
> Get the ear release! Pulling the ear off the needles is nasty LOL
> Love having the ear release
> 
> Don't know if these would work for rabbits or not. Glad you are getting your own. Using someone else's set is a risk of bringing CAE in your herd.



the one we borrow is only used on rabbits but it will be much easier to have our own!


----------



## Hens and Roos

In the 2 days that we have been milking Melanie- FF- twin bucklings- she has given us 5 lbs 7 oz so far- we are milking her twice a day.


----------



## samssimonsays

That is awesome!


----------



## OneFineAcre

That's great.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Working on processing milk today- have 2 gallons to do, 1 gallon is just from Melanie- kept her milk separate so we could taste it and see how we like it.  Now working on the second gallon now- can only do 1/2 gallon at a time as I use the stove with my double boiler.

The hand milker DH ordered showed up today so now we will see how that works!!

Our doe Obie- single buckling this year- is only filling on one half, not sure why- the side that isn't filling was the side that her buckling nursed off of.....


----------



## samssimonsays




----------



## Ferguson K

My does with singles are always light on the side the kids nurse on.


----------



## samssimonsays

Scarlet should be that way too but rosco is such a piggy he wouldn't let that other side go untouched. She is very close to producing the same on each side but the left is the tiniest bit less producing. Maybe 1/4-2/3 cup less?


----------



## sadieml

@Latestarter - As per the 1960's and skirt-lengths, smaller than a mini would be a micro-mini.  I know this, of course, from movies and history trivia.  I could not be expected to _remember_ anything from that time-period, since I was sooo young.  Well, actually, I was young having been born in '61.


----------



## Latestarter

Ah well... I guess micro mini is acceptable


----------



## Hens and Roos

Given the nice long weekend and no soccer games to go to, we did some catching up around our place. 

We had enough milk to make our 1st batch of Chevre cheese for the year....it turned out yummy!!

DD and DS(11) decided it was nice enough to start clipping the goats- yesterday they did 3 of the does and the 2 yearling does.  DD has finals starting tomorrow so she has been studying as well.  Today DD decided to clip Chester(our buck) and he is being very good standing for her. 

It's interesting to see what their coat looks like underneath!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our weather has been warm and humid during the day and cool at night- which is somewhat earlier for us then normal......

we have been dealing with Maggie and her sore hoof for the last week or so- we were trimming hoofs and she moved on us and a little too much got trimmed off.  We have been treating it and keeping her dry but she ended up with an infection/swelling in that hoof. After several days, we have her on the mend and hopefully she will start putting more weight on it 

The other morning, I went out to feed the bucklings, who are hanging out with Marsh and Monty(our 2 yearling wethers- they were part of the 6 kids born last year) and Marsh was not there to meet me at the door and get in my face like he usually does for attention....he was laying down and not looking right....got him standing and took his temp...107.0  , made a few phone calls- (1 being our vet), gave him Pen G and ibuprofen and waited for the vet.  Marsh's temp dropped to 103.4 when the vet arrived and treated him with Baytril.  Marsh is doing somewhat better but not out of the woods yet, we check on him multiple times in the day(my kids are off for summer so they help when I'm not home) we have to call the vet tomorrow and give him an up date..... that he pulls through

On a better note, milking is going pretty well- we got a hand held milker that we use with Melaine- she has been giving us about 1 lb of milk per milking and the milker works great with her.  I am still hand milking Coco and Obie because they do not like the milker and wont let their milk down!!  We think Obie is drying herself off already on us(she kidded a single buckling in April)- only one side fills up and not very much at that

All 7 of our bucklings are fully weaned and doing well- a few are still not sure that it's okay for us to touch them....

my dad continues to have his challenges, which can make things ruff....


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hope he's better
Marsh and your dad


----------



## Goat Whisperer




----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Hope he's better
> Marsh and your dad



Thanks


----------



## Ferguson K

Praying for Marsh.


----------



## Latestarter

So sorry to hear about Marsh... Hope he gets better and no lasting effects. Sorry also to hear your dad is still having problems. Hope he stabilizes soon for y'all...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had a rough weekend with Marsh and to be honest we weren't sure he would make it as his temperature wasn't going down and was still high Monday morning.  By Monday evening his temperature had come down to 102.9* and he was showing more interest in eating- in fact my DH said that he pushed others out of the way to get to the hay!  This morning his temperature was 101.5* and we'll see what it is tonight.  Our vet was glad to hear of his improvement too as he wasn't sure what we should do next.  So for now we are cautiously optimistic that he is on the road to recovery


----------



## Hens and Roos

Today is again hot(89*) and humid here, have fans running for all the animals to help keep the air moving.  A perfect day to be inside and make Ice Cream!! Trying a new recipe....can't find the other one we used last year .  We will know later this afternoon how it turns out!!!


----------



## Latestarter

How is Marsh doing now? It's been about a week... We'll be up over 90 the rest of the week and approaching triple digits by the coming weekend. No forecast for rain either. Guess summer has arrived.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> How is Marsh doing now? It's been about a week... We'll be up over 90 the rest of the week and approaching triple digits by the coming weekend. No forecast for rain either. Guess summer has arrived.



Marsh is back to his normal self- and doing well....we are so lucky and thankful he made it!!

Yuck on the hot weather....we are suppose to have a cold front coming through this evening and temps should hopefully go back into the 70's.  We had rain last night-a few places to the west had some flooding.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our ice cream came out very yummy- tastes similar to tapioca pudding!!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Congrats!! Glad Marsh is doing better as well!
How is your Dad?


----------



## Hens and Roos

BlessedWithGoats said:


> Congrats!! Glad Marsh is doing better as well!
> How is your Dad?



He's doing okay, he has good days and not so good days.  We're seeing/experiencing the side effects of a head injury that happened 8 years ago.  He's had a couple mini seizures-nothing that requires hospitalization but still seem to take something out of/away from him.  If all goes well over the next 4-5 weeks, they are planning to go home  and he's counting the days.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Aww! Will be praying for him!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Thanks to @Samantha drawz , we have some new recipes to try using goat milk...yesterday we made a batch of Farmers Cheese- we made some with dill  in it- it turned out good and tastes yummy!! Friends of ours stopped in and they liked it(took some home with them to eat).  Today we are hoping to try making fudge


----------



## Hens and Roos

Any tips on how to keep the tattoo from fading out after its in the ear


----------



## Goat Whisperer

What do you use for the farmers cheese?

If you have the tattoo paste, put some on the needles that pierce the ear, put some on the ear itself before you clamp, and add some after you clamp if needed. Rub it in HARD and squeeze the pliers nice and tight. The needles usually come thru the back of the ear.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> What do you use for the farmers cheese?
> 
> If you have the tattoo paste, put some on the needles that pierce the ear, put some on the ear itself before you clamp, and add some after you clamp if needed. Rub it in HARD and squeeze the pliers nice and tight. The needles usually come thru the back of the ear.



It was 1 gal of goat milk brought to a rolling boil and then 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar added, we stirred it in and let sit for 15 minutes before draining.

We put the tattoo paste on the ear, applied the tattoo and then rubbed more paste in, the needles did come through.... we now have alien goats .

Cheeto and Charlie went to their new home today....their new family was excited to get them!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Never did get a chance to try the fudge recipe yet.... to many other things going to take care of.

Friends gave me some tomato plants to plant and I hate to say this but I don't think they're going to make it.......we will try and plant them and see...

Any suggestions on how to teach a goat its not nice to nip us?  Melanie has started doing this when she is eating and has nipped DS(11) twice when he got to close.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Forgot to add that we weighed Moose and Monkey today- they are the 2 does from the group of six and they turn 1 year old tomorrow , along with their brothers Marsh and Monty(they are still with us too)

Moose- 1 lb 8 oz at birth------ today- 35.5 lbs and she is measure 16"
Monkey- 1 lb 6 oz at birth------ today- 41.5 lbs and she measures 16.5"


----------



## Goat Whisperer

They are little, but gettin' there 

I would "nip" Melanie back with your hand. A (not hard) bop on the nose might give her a change of heart.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> They are little, but gettin' there
> 
> I would "nip" Melanie back with your hand. A (not hard) bop on the nose might give her a change of heart.



will give that a try and instruct the kids too, DS(11) seems to be the main one...poor kid!


----------



## Hens and Roos

with all the extra things going on here- we forgot to post that we made fudge- we made white fudge that way everyone could eat it!





we also get a good laugh a feeding time for the bucklings!


----------



## Latestarter

Wow, to make a silly pun... SWEET! How'd it come out? It looks like fudge...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Wow, to make a silly pun... SWEET! How'd it come out? It looks like fudge...



Sweet....lol, it was very good and creamy.  The recipe uses marshmellow fluff as well!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

You should post the fudge recipe!

The buckling pic is cute. Wanna come tattoo my goats?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> You should post the fudge recipe!
> 
> The buckling pic is cute. Wanna come tattoo my goats?



It took 4 of us to get everyone's tattoos put in...  you probably don't want out help!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

the fudge recipe was given to us by @Samantha drawz.....we made one change to it but here it is......

Ingredients:
6 ounces of fresh goat's milk or cow's milk
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces milk chocolate
7 ounces marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

the one change we made was to use 12 ounces of white chocolate chips instead of the 8 ounces semisweet chocolate and 4 ounces milk chocolate.

Instructions:
1.  Line a 9 inch square pan with waxed paper and coat with cooking spray
2.  Combine milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat
3.  Add butter, and stir until melted.  Add chocolate, marshmallow crème and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  Add nuts, if desired.
4.  Pour into prepared pan, and refrigerate until firm, ideally for 24 hours.  When ready to serve, allow fudge to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes for easy cutting!

Storage:
Fudge will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to a month

To Freeze:
Wrap fudge in waxed paper, then plastic wrap and seal in freezer bag


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Sounds good! I'm not a big fan of of white chocolate, so if I make it I'll stick to the original recipe.  

A lot of people absolutely love my fudge, but its has so much sugar! Like super sweet! Its just the 10 minute recipe...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Sounds good! I'm not a big fan of of white chocolate, so if I make it I'll stick to the original recipe.
> 
> A lot of people absolutely love my fudge, but its has so much sugar! Like super sweet! Its just the 10 minute recipe...



So what is the recipe you use? 

My dad can't eat chocolate but can have white chocolate so we tried it that way so he could try it too   If we make white fudge again, we may try adding nuts or even pieces of cookies


----------



## samssimonsays

That is awesome! Mine I messed up by attempting my first ever try as a double batch I think... BUT, it sure makes for some yummy ice cream toppings


----------



## Hens and Roos

Finn went home today- he was one of Melanie's bucklings- now a wether.  He will have 3 other goat wethers to hang out with!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Congrats on the sale!

Forgot to post the fudge recipe. I actully found it here on the forum years ago. Here it is-



Roll farms said:


> I swear this is the easiest fudge recipe I've ever had, so give this a try the next time you have 10 minutes to make fudge.
> Ingredients:
> 1 lb. Powdered Sugar
> 1/2 Cup Cocoa
> 1/2 Cup Butter
> 1/4 Cup Goats Milk
> 1 tsp Vanilla
> 1/2 Cup Broken pecans or walnuts
> Combine Sugar and cocoa thoroughly in a large microwavable bowl by sifting it together. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Place cut up butter and milk in the well.
> DO NOT STIR!!!!
> Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and add vanilla, stirring to blend. Stir in nuts and put into buttered dish or pan.
> That's it!
> Your microwave may vary so you might go a few seconds over the 2 minutes if you have a lower heat microwave. Sifting the sugar is very important, I tried to save time and not sift and had lumpy fudge.
> I've made this with peanut butter (sub part of the butter for peanut butter).
> I've also added more milk to make it creamier and used it for brownie frosting....nummy!
> It comes out perfect every time and never scorches!
> 
> edited to add....I've given up sifting the p. sugar, I just wait til it's done 'cooking' in the microwave, stir it a bit, then mix it w/ a mixer to dissolve lumps. Works great *if* you're fast.



The original thread-
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/10-minute-goat-milk-fudge-super-easy.1158/


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks @Goat Whisperer, I went back and read through the thread....had a good chuckle!  Also thinking that there were lots of chocolate comas going on with all the fudge being eaten


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our county fair starts tomorrow for the kids- food judging in the afternoon- so they are mixing and baking today and will do the perishables tomorrow till we have to arrive for judging.  DS(11) also has to play baseball tomorrow night as his team is in playoff games so to speak   Tuesday all the other projects and animals go in....DH is making a 2nd milking stand as 2 does in milk are going to fair and 2 does in milk are staying home .  Goat will be judged Sat(7/23).


----------



## OneFineAcre

Good luck at the fair
About the tattoos
After I clamp the tatoo I rub the ink in really good with my finger
We then take a tooth brush with baking soda and rub in with that


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Good luck at the fair
> About the tattoos
> After I clamp the tatoo I rub the ink in really good with my finger
> We then take a tooth brush with baking soda and rub in with that



Thanks!  Our tattoos seem to be holding up pretty well....we did them similar to your way but no baking soda...what does that do?  The only problem we had was with our rabbits- I put the wrong number in 1 of the spaces so they aren't what we were thinking they were!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So far the kids have been judged on foods that they made- they did very well.  Yesterday was take the animals in and be judged on other non-food projects-arts, woodworking, photography, etc- they did well.  Today started animal judging-poultry for them- they just showed turkeys in 2 classes.  DS(11) received Champion for his turkey hen in the breed class and DD(16) received Reserve Champion for her turkey hen in market class.  DS(14) isn't big into showing animals but did show his Cavy and received a 2nd due to the Cavies color pattern not being so even .  Tomorrow is rabbit judging and then Sat is dairy goat judging!  We will probably need all 3 vehicles to bring their projects home...DH told DD that the turkeys could ride in her jeep


----------



## Hens and Roos

All judging is complete for the kids as of today!!  The last couple days have been very hot/humid here and while the barns have pretty good ventilation it still gets warm.  Both DD and DS(11) are very warm kids and this heat is making them extra warm. 

Goat judging was this morning and DD, DS(14) and DS(11) were all planning to show.  DS(14) ended up not showing due to the concession he received last night at the small animal meat sale. DH was called away for a water emergency and so he was helping his brother and was lifting DS(11)'s turkey off the table when the turkey managed to get its wing out of the hold DS(14) had on it and proceeded to hit DS(14) across the top of his head about 6 times.  DS(14) was able to hold onto the turkey and set it down carefully so DD could take it from him.  Once he got by me(I was helping with paperwork so was a little was over from him)it was apparent that he was in extreme pain and we ended up taking him to be check out.  Still feeling the after effects today.

Since the goat judging is at fair- all dairy goats are judged so the kids were in classes with the standard size goats.  Of course the power went out just as the show started and so the judge wasn't giving a lot of commentary to the crowd.  He did like our group of ND's that we took.

DD showed- Coco in showmanship- received a 2nd, Coco in breed class- age 3 under 4- received a 2nd, Basil(Coco's doeling) in intermediate class- received a 3rd, Coco, Melanie and Clove in exhibitor's herd-received a blue-judged made the comment that he would take her herd home if he could.  He also said it was hard for the smaller goats to compete against the bigger ones.

DS(11) showed- Melanie in showmanship- received a 2nd, Melanie in breed class- senior under age 2-recieved a red, Pepper in intermediate class-received a 3rd and Coco and Basil in breeders improvement-received 2nd blue- the judge liked the improvement in the top line from Coco to Basil but couldn't make comments on the udder because Basil is too young and hasn't freshened yet.


----------



## Latestarter

Those turkeys can really hurt with their wings. Sorry DS got the smack down. Hope he's OK. Are you happy overall with your animals performance? Seems like they all did pretty good for a start up crew. Grats to you, the kids, and the animals for their performance(s).


----------



## OneFineAcre

Good job


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Those turkeys can really hurt with their wings. Sorry DS got the smack down. Hope he's OK. Are you happy overall with your animals performance? Seems like they all did pretty good for a start up crew. Grats to you, the kids, and the animals for their performance(s).



DS will be okay, he just has to take it easy for the next few days.....we cant complain that our life is boring!!  I am always happy on how the animals and the kids do.  This is the 1st year we were able to show the older does so it helps to get some feed back and then its a time will tell for how the doelings develop.  The judge felt that by 4-5 months we would have a better idea.  Thanks!  the kids worked hard on all their projects and accomplished a lot despite the challenges we have going on!


----------



## Southern by choice

That is great on the goats!

The turkey .... just nuts!
People that have never worked with turkeys just don't realize how dangerous they can be.


----------



## Hens and Roos

All the does/doelings are back home again....everyone was glad to see each other! I'm glad things are done for another year....I'm tired


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yesterday was a very rough day for us here.  Since mid May we have been struggling to get a hoof injury healed up for Maggie and despite our best efforts, we ended up having to do the right/best thing for her.  We will miss her greatly


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry H&R... tough decision, but you have to do what's right.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So sorry


----------



## OneFineAcre

I hate to hear that
Very sorry


----------



## Southern by choice

It has been a long road with her injury and so much effort and care.
You all have done an amazing job with her and with all your goats!
Hugs my friend. I know this was a very difficult decision, I very much respect that you will put the best interest of the animal first, above your own emotions. That takes courage and real love for her!


----------



## babsbag




----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks everyone, it was a decision that we all made.  DS(11) said it best- it wouldn't be fair to Maggie to put her through more.  DS(11) went with us(DH and I) to the vet's office and stayed by her side till the end, he even kissed her head good-bye......


----------



## Mike CHS

That is one of those things that never gets easier and I'm sorry to hear that it had to be done.


----------



## NH homesteader

Aw so sorry  to  hear. You have a very thoughtful and brave child.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Last week was a crazy busy week here and this week looks even crazier , all 3 kids(human) started fall sports practices last week- volleyball for DD and soccer for both DS's.  DS(14) will be playing on JV for high school and they practice a lot!!  Thankfully DD can drive and has been a huge help with taking/picking up her brothers as needed.  Of course practices fall across chore time so it varies with the day who I have for helpers 

We also try to make sure someone is around to keep an eye on my parents- my dad has good days and not so good days and we never know what type of day it will be.......it wont get better 

Our anniversary is Aug 23rd- 19 years for us- never a dull moment here!!  No big plans as DD and DS(14) have sport events going on at the same time! So we took yesterday and hung out with the kids  and came home with:

Oreo- 2 year old Lamancha doe





yep, she has a horn that regrew in - so unless we have it removed, she can't be showed at fair.....what you can't see is the extremely huge grin on DS(11)'s face!!  And since you can't be in quarantine without a buddy.....

Rio- 2 year old Lamanacha doe




What you can't see in the picture is DH's face..(he actually was just fine with us getting them- he got a new trailer last week(better equiped to haul the different equipment we use)

We also managed to thin down the rabbit herd and the extra roosters this weekend too!


----------



## Southern by choice

Ok so you ask what do you think and then this....  

Just kidding! Congratulations! 

In the fall get the horn removed it isn't that big of a deal really.

You already know my favorite!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats.
They look really nice. Very well conditioned both of them.
Have they freshened before?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Congrats.
> They look really nice. Very well conditioned both of them.
> Have they freshened before?



No they haven't


----------



## Latestarter

YAY! Next spring H&R will be making mini manchas!  Too bad you're way up north and I'll be way down south...


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Love the new girls!


----------



## Southern by choice

lamancha love strikes again 

I can picture your son's face! 
But I thought it was your DD that wanted the lamanchas?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> lamancha love strikes again
> 
> I can picture your son's face!
> But I thought it was your DD that wanted the lamanchas?



They both wanted them, he was just more vocal about it..., her smile was just as big as his!  Only reason DH was holding one was because DD had a birthday party to go to yesterday afternoon when we got home!  This morning they were both in the pen hand feeding and petting the does(we feed/water them last and change out shoes, etc to make sure we are being cautious until quarantine is over).

They don't make any noise yet....figure once they are able to go hang with our others that might change!!

DH is figuring he will have to make some up grades to the shelter area!  He already complains he made it to short height wise I don't know-I don't hit my head!


----------



## Southern by choice

LOL our Lamanchas are quiet. BUT they must get hugs. It is kinda ridiculous sometimes. They have to wrap those long necks around yours and they expect a kiss.  

Not sure if it is the influence of the dogs or if it is just them but they act like dogs.  Zephyr is kinda weird- she licks like a dog and she loves water.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> LOL our Lamanchas are quiet. BUT they must get hugs. It is kinda ridiculous sometimes. They have to wrap those long necks around yours and they expect a kiss.
> 
> Not sure if it is the influence of the dogs or if it is just them but they act like dogs.  Zephyr is kinda weird- she licks like a dog and she loves water.



we'll have to see if ours do that once they get settled and use to us.  Melanie will do that to the kids....of course she thinks she's a lap goat


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Zeph also smells you like a dog, seriously. She is such a weird goat.

You will love them! 

I told Southern you will want to make the shelter at least 3x the size it is now. Just sayin'. You may want to go bigger because you know how it goes with goats


----------



## babsbag

Beautiful does.


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> Beautiful does.



thanks


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Zeph also smells you like a dog, seriously. She is such a weird goat.
> 
> You will love them!
> 
> I told Southern you will want to make the shelter at least 3x the size it is now. Just sayin'. You may want to go bigger because you know how it goes with goats



I wish we could  but its not possible to make 3x the size


----------



## Hens and Roos

We saved the cream off the last 2 times we processed milk and both DS's are helping me make butter this afternoon, it seems creamier then I remember from last time maybe we need to keep shaking it!


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> I wish we could  but its not possible to make 3x the size



Oh yes it is ... come to NC... we'll show ya how it's done.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Oh yes it is ... come to NC... we'll show ya how it's done.



Okay let me clarify this...we know how to build it 3 x's bigger- we just don't have the room to expand that much....


----------



## OneFineAcre

@Hens and Roos 

You know the ADGA National Show is in Wisconsin next year ?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> @Hens and Roos
> 
> You know the ADGA National Show is in Wisconsin next year ?



Really , no we didn't- where and when- my DD and I were just talking yesterday while milking that it would be so neat to go to one and see what it's like!


----------



## Latestarter

Oh... don't just "go to one"! Register to show your animals! You have some with papers, right?


----------



## Southern by choice

We are staying with you ... thought I'd let you know in adavance.


----------



## Latestarter

You're gonna bring a couple of LGD's with you too right Southern?


----------



## Southern by choice

Latestarter said:


> You're gonna bring a couple of LGD's with you too right Southern?


Only if I have another litter.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I thought I already told you @Hens and Roos 

See ya next year


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Oh... don't just "go to one"! Register to show your animals! You have some with papers, right?



we do have some with papers, will have to see


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> We are staying with you ... thought I'd let you know in adavance.



 sure......


----------



## babsbag

Southern by choice said:


> Only if I have another litter.



I thought you swore off raising any more litters.


----------



## Latestarter

Now Babs... You know how Southern is about animals... she just has to have babies to make her happy  You've gotta admit, baby animals definitely brighten the day.  And her puppies are awesome!


----------



## babsbag

I wanted a Callie pup for a long time, and then she has all boys.  She only needed one girl...for me, and no...10 or 11 boys.... Now that I don't need a puppy she will have another litter and there will be plenty of girls, just watch.


----------



## Latestarter

Yeah, and since I have a son from Callie, I couldn't use a daughter from her   But here we are stealing H&R's thread... Sorry


----------



## babsbag

Well you could if you don't breed them.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Yeah, and since I have a son from Callie, I couldn't use a daughter from her   But here we are stealing H&R's thread... Sorry



no worries!


----------



## Southern by choice

babsbag said:


> I wanted a Callie pup for a long time, and then she has all boys.  She only needed one girl...for me, and no...10 or 11 boys.... Now that I don't need a puppy she will have another litter and there will be plenty of girls, just watch.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> I thought I already told you @Hens and Roos
> 
> See ya next year



If you did I totally missed it....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Not ideal but we decided this weekend to cut back to once a day milking- we are finding that the does aren't producing as much at the pm milking.  We will be running fecals(if the goats would only cooperate with the collection part) to check and see who requires deworming as we head into fall/breeding season.  It also makes sense to us time wise these days too.

New does are doing well and adjusting to us.  They are on the quiet side but call to us when we are doing chores!


----------



## Hens and Roos

our new girls need to have blood pulled and tested for CAE, CL and Jonhe's and since I have to send samples in for them figured I would just do the rest of our goats(those old enough anyway) and send in at one time.  Haven't pulled blood yet but sat down(good thing I was) and looked on line to see what it will cost....test went up a bit in price but when I added up for the number of samples we will be sending in.....all I can say is !  DH might have this to say and walk away talking to himself.....Shouldvknwnbetter!!


----------



## Latestarter

Sure am glad I'm not a "DH" anymore... I hate walking away mumbling/talking to self...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Was wondering what is the minimum height we would want Moose and Monkey(the 2 does from the group of 6 kids born in summer of 2015) to reach before we can potentially consider if we can breed them?  I know weight is around 40-50 pounds.

For those of you with Lamancha's- what is normal time frame for them to come into heat?
Also, what is typical number of kids they can have- the people we got them from figured 1-2 kids and that there is less of a chance for 3 or more kids.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

How tall are Moose and Monkey?
How does their rump width look? 

Some of our lamanchas are already cycling. The last heat is around December- sometimes January. 

Many FF lamanchas have singles. After that twins are most common. It depends on the line really. The dam of the doe we lost (Star) always had quads.


----------



## OneFineAcre

I've never heard of a minimum height mentioned for Nigerians, just 40 lbs. minimum weight.

How old are Moose and Monkey?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> How tall are Moose and Monkey?
> How does their rump width look?
> 
> Some of our lamanchas are already cycling. The last heat is around December- sometimes January.
> 
> Many FF lamanchas have singles. After that twins are most common. It depends on the line really. The dam of the doe we lost (Star) always had quads.



I will have to try and get some updated pictures of Moose and Monkey plus measure how tall they are.

Good to know about the lamanchas, just 1 or 2 would be fine with us!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I've never heard of a minimum height mentioned for Nigerians, just 40 lbs. minimum weight.
> 
> How old are Moose and Monkey?



They are about 15 months old, we weren't sure if there was a minimum height they should be, we sure don't want to risk their health.  We are all fine with the idea of them being pets if that is best for them.


----------



## OneFineAcre

How much do they weigh and how tall are they
Recent pics ?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> How much do they weigh and how tall are they
> Recent pics ?




We will try and get that info tomorrow and post it.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> We will try and get that info tomorrow and post it.


I saw your other post 
The thing is you can still wait on them


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I saw your other post
> The thing is you can still wait on them



yep, we aren't planning to breed them this year, we will see how they grow over winter and spring.  Just looking for a reference point to help us figure it out.


----------



## Hens and Roos

does anyone have a good way to freeze milk- we have some that I'd freeze to use when we don't have fresh.  Was thinking of using freezer bags.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I have frozen it in Ziploc bags.  Don't use the cheap bags though - the seals don't always hold.  I've done quarts and gallons.  I lay them flat on a cookie sheet until they're frozen and they stack nicely that way.


----------



## Hens and Roos

frustratedearthmother said:


> I have frozen it in Ziploc bags.  Don't use the cheap bags though - the seals don't always hold.  I've done quarts and gallons.  I lay them flat on a cookie sheet until they're frozen and they stack nicely that way.



Good to know, we use Ziploc bags as well. Thanks


----------



## farmerjan

I freeze surplus in square qt and 1/2 gal plastic freezer containers, then when frozen, pop them out and vacuum pack and it will stay fresh and can be somewhat stacked.  I find I use small cardboard boxes in the freezer, label with a sharpie,and put stuff in them that doesn't stack real well and then it's easy to pull out the box to get what I need.  Works in either an upright or a chest freezer and stuff doesn't tend to get "lost" as easy.  You just recycle the cardboard box into the garden for mulch in the walkways when it gets ripped or falls apart or whatever.  Never froze it flat but a good idea...


----------



## Hens and Roos

The last 3 weeks have been extremely busy for us here, we've had more rain then normal so we've done chores in between rain drops and our goats don't like getting wet!! 

We're slowly beginning to start our fall preparations here but have had added challenges as of late.  My dad had another seizure(very major) 12 days ago and has spent those days in ICU- they had to sedate(over night) him and give him a breathing tube(had in 3 days) to stop the seizure.  Only in the past 3 days has he started to wake up more each day and today he was awake and talking(not super great) more with us.  He was moved to another area of the hospital this afternoon to continue his care.  We feel blessed that he is still with us and only time will tell what this seizure did to him.

We also had to make some decisions on our herd so that our numbers are brought back down again.  We only have 2 bucks- Chester and the one my DS(11) named.  Unfortunately, we also ended up culling the black and white lamancha too because she tested positive for CAE.  Currently, we are now at 11 goats.  We will have 3 Nigerians does and 1 lamancha doe to breed sometime starting in Nov for end of March 2017 thru April 2017 kids.

Here are pictures of Moose and Monkey- they are from the 2015 kids, any feed back is appreciated.

This is Monkey





this is Moose


----------



## Hens and Roos

Recently someone told me that we should feed corn to any of our extras going to be processed to bulk them up.....is this a good idea?


----------



## Hens and Roos

this past month has been an emotional roller coaster here for us and I thought I'd take minute to give everyone an update.  Yesterday morning surround by family, my Dad peacefully passed away.  Thanks for all the prayers for him, it's nice to be part of a wonderful group!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

My deepest sympathies 

You have been absolutely amazing through this whole ordeal, I know he had to be proud of you.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Prayers to you and your family.


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## frustratedearthmother

So sorry for your loss.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

So sorry to hear about your Father.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> My deepest sympathies
> 
> You have been absolutely amazing through this whole ordeal, I know he had to be proud of you.



Thanks, I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my DH, DD, DS(14) and DS(11) , very proud of our kids as they were there every step of the way to help out even when it wasn't easy.


----------



## norseofcourse

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.


----------



## Alexz7272

I am so sorry for your loss  I cannot imagine the pain, keeping you and your family in my thoughts


----------



## NH homesteader

So sorry for your loss


----------



## TAH




----------



## farmerjan

Sympathies for your loss but he will always be a part of you so take the good with you wherever  you go.


----------



## Ferguson K

Our condolences. At least he was surrounded by family.


----------



## Latestarter

So glad it was peaceful but still sorry to hear of your loss. You've been through a lot this past year or so, and I am glad that he's at rest now and you and your family will be under so much less stress and strain. Remember the good times you all shared together and put the pain and hardship behind you. Have strength, peace and recover. Condolences.


----------



## Green Acres Farm




----------



## babsbag




----------



## Hens and Roos

question about cheese.....made some chevre cheese 2 weeks and 2 days ago- froze most of it but still have some left in the frig......it still smells good....any thoughts on if we can still eat it or....


----------



## Latestarter

I (almost) always trust my nose... And besides, many (Me NOT being one of them! ) LOVE to eat moldy cheese   In fact, many cheese makers charge, and cheese buyers pay EXTRA for that "benefit" Whodathunkit?


----------



## Hens and Roos

In Sept we started to milk only once a day and by Oct, I was milking every 3rd day especially for our doe- Coco as she was still letting her doeling(Basil) nurse. 

Around mid Oct, I stopped milking her as she was only giving 2 oz or so at a milking and figured we were done for the season! 

Wrong- about 6 days ago, DS(11) was helping with chores and noticed that Coco's udder was huge....so we milked her out and are currently milking her every day now....only thing we can figure is that Basil is completely weaned but Coco didn't stop producing. 

In the 4 times we have milked, she is averaging 1 lb of milk per day(only milking in the morning)


----------



## Hens and Roos

Woke up yesterday morning to white stuff on the ground and white stuff falling from the sky....the goats were not amused!!!  We ended up with 5.7 inches of snow, it was on the heavy side- it took DH and I about 6 hours to complete our snow route.  Hopefully we don't get lots of snow at one time .....I'm back helping DH take care of our snow route again.


----------



## samssimonsays

We had that same weird white stuff here! ABout the same amount too... The day prior all our goats were out and browsing the property (unheard of here for November let alone December) our goats are also NOT amused.


----------



## NH homesteader

The white stuff has arrived here as well! The turkeys are the only animals braving the outside this morning.  Everyone else is mad!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

We got 5.5 inches  (of the wet stuff)  UGH!


----------



## samssimonsays

frustratedearthmother said:


> We got 5.5 inches  (of the wet stuff)  UGH!


 We had a ton of that here too.... nothing like getting it good and wet before freezing over!


----------



## norseofcourse

All of you can just keep that white stuff there, please!!!


----------



## Bruce

We got 5" or 6". The alpacas stayed in the barn a lot but they did come out and wander around in the snow snacking on what they found under it. They had a fair bit of snow on their backs when I went out around 9 AM to snack them and the chickens.


----------



## TAH

It is snowing like crazy here and it is 16 degrees


----------



## NH homesteader

We got 1-2" here. Hooray for not having to plow our driveway! Unfortunately the town also didn't plow any of the back roads.


----------



## Bruce

Accidents all over the place today, so I hear from my wife. My car is still covered with snow  I think she came across 4 on the way to work (35 miles), the first only a bit more than 1 mile from the house. Then the snowplow doing 23 MPH. First time she was late for work, 15 minutes. Barely got the window open on time.


----------



## NH homesteader

My mother works about 25 minutes away...  It took her 1.5 HOURS to get to work today! No accidents...  But she went 15 mph the entire way.


----------



## NH homesteader

Sorry didn't finish my thought...  This was because of a miles long line of traffic (most of which  was headed to Dartmouth Hitchcock),  not because she's afraid of snow.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our snow started melting some today....so now we have mud/sloppy stuff....  Goats stayed mostly inside their shelter today.

Colder temps(below 32*) starting on Wed here and 50% chance of snow on Sat. it's still early in the week so will have to see what comes of this snow!


----------



## OneFineAcre

TAH said:


> It is snowing like crazy here and it is 16 degrees


You moved to Alaska
Better get used to it


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Our snow started melting some today....so now we have mud/sloppy stuff....  Goats stayed mostly inside their shelter today.
> 
> Colder temps(below 32*) starting on Wed here and 50% chance of snow on Sat. it's still early in the week so will have to see what comes of this snow!



I feel for you


----------



## TAH

OneFineAcre said:


> You moved to Alaska
> Better get used to it


Yes I did but I like the wildlife and woods so it is worth it. If I had a choice of were I wanted to move it would be somewhere on the coast were it is warm. someday maybe. 

I like it here


----------



## Hens and Roos

So the snow started here about 3:30 pm yesterday and is still coming down...as of 7 am this morning we had 6.2" of white fluffy stuff.  DH and I went out about 3:30 am to open up driveways and shovel a few places so people could get out if needed.  We will go back out once the snow has finished. 

I can tell you that our goats are not happy!!  DH shoveled some of the snow out of their area so they would come out of their shed 

At this point we are figuring our 4 does to be bred as we haven't seen them come back into heat. 
Obie- day 145 is March 26th 2017
Rio- day 145 is April 2nd 2017
Coco- day 145 is April 6th 2017
Melanie- day 145 is April 12th 2017

Of course DS(11) is excited as Coco and Melanie are due across his birthday again this year!!


----------



## codie shell

It never snows where I live I want to move to where it snows one day


----------



## babsbag

OK @Hens and Roos  I have to ask, what is a snow route?


----------



## Hens and Roos

babsbag said:


> OK @Hens and Roos  I have to ask, what is a snow route?



we do snow removal, our route is made up of all the places we have to remove snow for


----------



## NH homesteader

Oh babs,  I am so envious of people who don't know what a snow route is...  I wish I didn't need to know either! 

Snowing hard here now. Thanks for sending it over


----------



## Mike CHS

We get very little snow but our pretty hills get treacherous when we get icing so that nobody goes anywhere.  I guess that helps the Tennessee attitude of "there is always tomorrow".


----------



## Hens and Roos

NH homesteader said:


> Oh babs,  I am so envious of people who don't know what a snow route is...  I wish I didn't need to know either!
> 
> Snowing hard here now. Thanks for sending it over



No problem, it's always nice to share , hope you don't get too much!!


----------



## babsbag

NH homesteader said:


> Oh babs, I am so envious of people who don't know what a snow route is... I



There was a time that DH had a snow route, we just never called it that. He had a snow blower and had customers that had to have a driveway cleared after every storm, some of them by 5:00 AM.  I think he did that for three winters before he changed jobs and got one that didn't lay him off in the winter. We also moved out of snow country at the same time and I never looked back. My powder sugar dusting I get every few years is enough for me.

Now for the way that snow should be enjoyed I will tell you a tale. 
Last Christmas we spent the day in Yosemite with our son(he works there). For those of you that have never been there it is worth the trip but the traffic and people will rival any large city mall. Well we went into the Park at about 9:00 AM on Christmas Day and it had snowed the night before. The roads were pretty bad but we had 4 wheel drive and we know how to drive. The park was almost deserted...it was GORGEOUS. Never in all my life have I seen Yosemite in this much snow and NO people. It is truly something I will always remember. 

ETA. It was 9° when we got to the Park. Later in the morning we saw a bride and groom getting their pictures done with some beautiful snowy backdrops. She was in a strapless wedding dress.    She was a "glowing" bride.


----------



## NH homesteader

Ah gotcha,  after shoveling all morning I wouldn't mind leaving snow country either! 

That's gorgeous! Good time to visit!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Those are some beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing!

We have done snow removal for 13 years now, DH is a bit of a snow freak  but by the end of March he is tired of seeing snow(like the rest of us).


----------



## babsbag

Hens and Roos said:


> We have done snow removal for 13 years now


 

I have been to Yosemite many many times but when I got there last year with snow and virtually NO people is was amazingly quiet and stunning. Made me think of what it must have been like when only the Indians lived there.


----------



## misfitmorgan

That is gorgeous, when i was there it was late summer and hot once you got off the mountains. 

The storm dusted us on its way thru....with approx 4" and it has been snowing the entire time since i left for work at 5am..so i dread seeing whats at my house when i get home at 5pm...luckily it is getting dark by then so i cant see the true horror as well.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

babsbag said:


> Made me think of what it must have been like when only the Indians lived there.



My DH and I were in CA a couple years ago.  Muir Woods was on my list of "must sees" so we got up really, really early and headed there.  We arrived just after sunrise - park wasn't even open yet.  (we paid on the way out).  We saw only one other person there for over several hours.  One of the most awesome experiences of my life!


----------



## Bruce

Mike CHS said:


> We get very little snow but our pretty hills get treacherous when we get icing so that nobody goes anywhere.  I guess that helps the Tennessee attitude of "there is always tomorrow".


Snow on the road is nothing compared to ice! No vehicle is good on ice, not even with studded tires.


----------



## misfitmorgan

Bruce said:


> Snow on the road is nothing compared to ice! No vehicle is good on ice, not even with studded tires.



Very true, the worst here is  new powder snow on top of a slick sheet of frozen ice....that was water/slush when you drove on it the day before.


----------



## Hens and Roos

brrrr....we are at -4* here with a -25* wind chill right now but the sun is out and the wind isn't blowing to bad.  Goats not really impressed but they are standing inside the shelter eating hay...stay warm and safe!


----------



## Hens and Roos

snow finished here about 10 pm last night...temp is somewhere around -5* with a wind chill of -14* this morning and the sun is out!  We ended up with 7.4" of snow and ended up doing snow removal twice- once early Sat am(left house at 1:30 am) for 6 hours and then went back out about 10 pm last night and got home about 5:30 am this am.....DS(14) went with to help on the early morning removal and DD(17) went with us last night- both kids are great helpers!  DH says our weather is officially "stupid cold"  Right now DH and I are running on about 3 hours of sleep I had morning chores to do-both DS's helped me with them all and DH is trying to deal with a furnace that went down at a rental unit.

Goats are enjoying the sun this morning!


----------



## Mike CHS

Posts like that are enough to tell us southerners to just suck it up and be thankful for the temps we do have.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> Posts like that are enough to tell us southerners to just suck it up and be thankful for the temps we do have.



All things considered, I would rather deal with the cold compared to what you just experienced!  Snow seems a whole lot safer


----------



## Hens and Roos

Our Lamancha doe Rio has adjusted well into our herd and is quite possibly our herd queen....either that or because she is the biggest, the others just get out of her way .  She is pretty gentle with the others but not a push over either!   Last week with the colder weather here, we noticed her right eye started watering....took a look at it and was cloudy , not sure what happened but our vet has us treating her with an antibiotic eye cream so hopefully we will get it healed up for her- she doesn't really like us putting the cream in(can't blame her) but will stand fairly still for us....of course she gets treats afterwards and she loves the treats!!

More snow is forecasted for us here this afternoon so we will be out removing snow tonight...


----------



## Latestarter

Even if you're out on the road doing snow removal, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Even if you're out on the road doing snow removal, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.



thanks same to you!  It will be a different one for us this year.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Christmas is all done for another year- here's hoping to a better New Year!

Rio's eye is looking so much better- it is just about cleared up and from what we can tell, she can still see out of it!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Nothing really exciting going on here right now- just trying to keep everyone(human & animals) warm.  It's been cold out this week and it really doesn't allow for much outside work to get done.....

Our 1st doe due is Obie but not till the end of March 2017...she has 12 weeks to go and is starting to look big(haven't taken any up dated pictures yet because its soooo cold right now).

The other 3 does- Rio, Coco and Melanie aren't really showing much as of yet....

Melanie is being a snot...she grumbles at us and like to stand up on her hind legs and pretend she is going to head butt us...of course she drops down before she actually hits  but this brings Rio running! Rio will put herself between us and Melanie as to protect us!

We are excited to see what each doe will have this spring and hoping for doelings! 

Stay warm!


----------



## Latestarter




----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Hens and Roos said:


> So our adventure increased our number by 1 this afternoon.
> 
> Coco gave birth to 1 buckling- he was born around 4 pm today- he is about 4 pounds.  The doe did an awesome job and had no issue with me being right in her space and providing support.  Given how cold it was outside(and now it's -4+ wind chill) and him not figuring out how to nurse soon enough we took him inside.  Coco had no issue with me milking her out and we got about 6 ounces from her.  He has had a couple feeding and is now sleeping comfortably on blankets in our kitchen.  We will try and see if we can get him to nurse first thing tomorrow morning.
> 
> View attachment 7482 View attachment 7483


Saw these pics near the top of one of the pages... So cute!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Last week Monday and now this week Monday and today we have icy conditions going on....kids had off from school yesterday and now again today as the ground temp is still cold enough that there is a thin layer of ice on everything!

The layer of ice will make chores interesting this am for sure, we have some small hills to go down(that will be the easiest part) and then back up.  The does will all want to have their grain served indoor this morning 

Of course DH had to go out and put down ice melt on sidewalks and such....several counties(including ours) actually had the news anchors asking everyone to stay off the roads until they could be treated again(salt trucks had to have chains put on the tires).  Guess even those of us who are use to the cold/snow/ice have challenges!

By later today/tomorrow everything should be clear and maybe by the end of the week our snow will be gone....


----------



## NH homesteader

Yikes! I would rather have snow than ice. We are supposed to get 4-7 inches tonight. Our driveway is a sheet of ice, so plowing should be interesting.


----------



## Hens and Roos

I agree, I would rather have snow then ice!  No snow for us here....our temps are suppose to get into the 40's later this week.....


----------



## NH homesteader

Here too, actually. This storm is sneaking in right before the weather turns.


----------



## Hens and Roos

NH homesteader said:


> Here too, actually. This storm is sneaking in right before the weather turns.



Hopefully it won't be to bad for you, we actually have standing water(ice now) in places and also in our goat area


----------



## NH homesteader

Yuck!


----------



## Hens and Roos

I worry about the ice in the goat area but they seem to do pretty good at keeping their feet under them......better then us!!


----------



## NH homesteader

There are some icy spots in my pig pen, and they haven't had any issues either! Apparently us humans are the least graceful creatures on the farm!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yeah graceful we aren't


----------



## Mike CHS

We we watching that storm head towards our family up in Missouri but it seems the worst part went north of them.  The forecast isn't pretty for you folks.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Well they have a lower center of gravity, and 4 legs instead of 2 this puts us at a Great disadvantage. My balance was much better at 14-15 than it is now at 58.


----------



## Mini Horses

Yeah, that "4 wheel drive/legs" helps with slip & slide!  

Ice & mud....sure fire hit the grounders


----------



## Hens and Roos

yeah, having 4 legs and being lower sure does help!!   The one we keep close tabs on is our dog Ellie, as she only has 3 legs but does pretty good-we do keep her off stairs when it is slippery!  She's more a house dog than anything but comes out to help with chores.


----------



## Latestarter

Sometimes mud can be as bad or worse than ice  and it sure makes a much bigger mess when you do end up doing the back stroke in it


----------



## Bruce




----------



## frustratedearthmother

Latestarter said:


> Sometimes mud can be as bad or worse than ice  and it sure makes a much bigger mess when you do end up doing the back stroke in it



Or a face plant...don't ask me how I know.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I won't ask ya, but in some cases mud can sure be better than "Cow Pies", or mud with Nuggets....especially Face down...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Sometimes mud can be as bad or worse than ice  and it sure makes a much bigger mess when you do end up doing the back stroke in it



I take you have some experience in this?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> We we watching that storm head towards our family up in Missouri but it seems the worst part went north of them.  The forecast isn't pretty for you folks.



Yes and there is a possibility for another round of wintery mix this evening with falling temperatures.....our school only puts in 2 snow days so we'll see what, if anything happens tonight/tomorrow.....


----------



## CntryBoy777

Stay Safe up there!


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks!  Hopefully everyone else isn't to effected by this!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So our snow is back....as of right now we have a little over 4 inches of heavy snow...it's been snowing off and on all day- sometime light other time heavy.  I took advantage of a break in the snow to clean off our driveway since DH had headed into town earlier today to clear/open up driveways.....looks like it will be moving East once it passes us!

Goats aren't thrilled...they pretty much look out of the shelter but don't venture forth and just at the start of the week they were out laying on the spools and playing around on them as the snow had melted!

Did some baking today with my mom, we made brownies and lemon bread...DS(15) needs bake goods tomorrow for school-basketball concessions being run by his grade.  DD tried her hand over the weekend and made cream puffs....they turned out great and didn't last long!

Debating if I should go take a nap since I will be helping shovel snow later....


----------



## Latestarter

I almost always vote in favor of a nap! Hope you had an enjoyable one!


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks @Latestarter but I never got the nap in......ended up having to take care of some paper work and then the kids got home from school. 

We ended up with somewhere around 5-6 inches of wet/heavy snow(don't have exact number). Needless to say- I'm tired(might need a nap at some point today)!  Still flaking a bit yet this morning.

Off to do chores.....hope everyone has a nice day!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Just looked at the calendar today and we are 6 weeks out till kidding starts here! 

Our snow is melting and our temps are suppose to get into the mid 50's by the weekend of course this may all change in the blink of an eye!

We tapped our 4 silver maple trees the other day- so far we've collected around 10 gallons-no sap yesterday as the temp never got above freezing.  Have to check this morning when I do chores.

Tried getting some new pictures and of course the goats all want to see what I'm holding- just in case it's food...


----------



## samssimonsays

Can't wait! That means I am getting closer to kidding as well hahaha! I am NOT counting weeks down.... Or trying not to. I have my dates and I am trying to ride it out and not go crazy...  We will see what unfolds by the time they finally do kid LOL. But, after two years of waiting, a couple months will go by probably just as slow as the 2 years have...


----------



## Hens and Roos

It's the doe code


----------



## Hens and Roos

Since we tapped our 4 maple trees at the start of the week, we've collected about 35 gallons of sap so far.  We have started the boiling down process today- we set up 2 LP burners outside and that is where we do almost all the boiling until we get just about up to temp(7* above boiling) and then bring it inside to finish and put into jars.  DH figures we will get around 1 gallon of maple syrup!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Awesome!


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Wow, did not know it was such a high ratio; 35:1.  Is this a good, average or bad year?  We can only grow nut trees here, so I am always fascinated with other producing trees.


----------



## Hens and Roos

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Wow, did not know it was such a high ratio; 35:1.  Is this a good, average or bad year?  We can only grow nut trees here, so I am always fascinated with other producing trees.



Not sure what type of year this is yet, I know we are roughly 3 weeks earlier this year compared to the last several years. We have silver maples so that is roughly the ratio for us.  If you look at the sap from the tree, it is pretty similar to water and really doesn't have much taste but as you start to boil the water off then you can really start seeing a change.  Today we are around 42* and it isn't running out of the trees very fast today.


----------



## NH homesteader

We have a 40:1 ratio or so. Warm here today too but DH had to shovel roofs and we didn't get taps on. Maybe tomorrow. We are not well organized this year but we'll put in an effort lol!


----------



## Hens and Roos

finished making our 1st batch of maple syrup for 2017- we ended up with 1.25 gallons of syrup in this batch- we bottle it into 8 oz jars so 20 jars this round!


----------



## Bruce

I was recently reading that maple water (ie maple sap) is the next new thing in drinks, like coconut water. Lots less work and fuel than boiling it down to sap but not real useful for cooking or pancakes/waffles


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> I was recently reading that maple water (ie maple sap) is the next new thing in drinks, like coconut water. Lots less work and fuel than boiling it down to sap but not real useful for cooking or pancakes/waffles



interesting, I prefer mine in the syrup form.....I've tasted the sap and not much flavor there


----------



## Bruce

I've not had it straight either.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We haven't made any more maple syrup since Feb 19th- our temps stayed above freezing the following week and no sap was running- we were able to start collecting sap again once the temp went below freezing at night and above freezing during the day(probably around Feb 23rd-24th).  We have about 20-25 gallons so far and will probably start our 2nd batch this weekend- last couple of days we have been cold and haven't gotten above freezing- this works out okay for us as my mom spent 2 days in the hospital due to RSV, she's back home with us but has to take it easy.........it's never a dull moment here!

All 4 does are getting bigger-Obie has a 4 more weeks to go and the other 3 follow after her through mid April!  Hoping for a doeling year this year  !!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Don't we all! Friends of ours just had their first 2 does of the season kid, twin bucks and quads- 3 bucks 1 doe 

Thinking pink 

Are you still milking?


----------



## NH homesteader

Nice, we hope to be tapping next week. Too cold here now! Supposed to be below zero toight.

Glad your mom's out of the hospital.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Don't we all! Friends of ours just had their first 2 does of the season kid, twin bucks and quads- 3 bucks 1 doe
> 
> Thinking pink
> 
> Are you still milking?



NO....we dried the does off in Nov, we probably could have went longer but it's not fun sitting outside in our cold weather for very long!!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Oh my goodness, I totally missed the part about your mom! I'm so glad she is back home with y'all


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> Oh my goodness, I totally missed the part about your mom! I'm so glad she is back home with y'all



thanks, we are too!!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Glad your mom is doing better!  Praying all goes well with your kiddings!  Love kidding season...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Not much to update as far as the goats....we are getting closer to the start of kidding, they are eating hay at a faster pace then before and picky....the current bale we are feeding has more grass hay in it then they like so more of it is ending up on the ground......

DH is waiting for the weather to get a little nicer and the ground to dry off.....last fall he decided/informed me that the goat house roof needs to be higher- so he doesn't hit his head when he is helping with chores and since he is doing that he might as well bump the walls out and add an area for us to use only for milking(that way we don't get wet ). He already has the plan all drawn out.  He was game to do this last fall already but we just had to much going on....... 

DH has also given the nod that we can add a few Runner ducks for slug, snail and bug control...(DD has always asked about adding some since we started with chickens 7 years ago...... she hates bugs!!).  Our biggest concerns are keeping their area dry- especially if they are housed near the goats and the amount of poop they will produce, they wont be able to free range as we have neighbors behind us)........any ideas would be welcome!

Finished our 2nd batch of maple syrup on Sunday and started batch 3 Monday morning as all the pails were full of sap.  So far we have collected 47 gallons of sap for batch 3....I am cooking it down since I am working from home again this week(at least till my mom feels 100% again).

our internet is slow right now, I will try loading a picture of our syrup later....


----------



## Bruce

My bigger concern about ducks is having to deal with keeping them in water through the winter. I'd be more interested if winter wasn't 5 months long.


----------



## NH homesteader

Our ducks were fun but SO messy! I didn't miss taking care of them at all this winter, but in nice weather I do kind of miss them waddling around.


----------



## Hens and Roos

the water and being messy is our biggest concern.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

The last 2 days it has been windy here- at least 13 mph with gusts up to 30 mph(it feels more like 30mph all the time)......our goats DO NOT like wind.....they kind of look at us like what did you do now....


----------



## Jenn27

Hens and Roos said:


> The last 2 days it has been windy here- at least 13 mph with gusts up to 30 mph(it feels more like 30mph all the time)......our goats DO NOT like wind.....they kind of look at us like what did you do now....



I know that look! I get the same look when it rains here.   Luckily, it's getting a lot warmer here in TX already, so my doe's kidding will be a bit easier in that area, at least.


----------



## Jenn27

NH homesteader said:


> Our ducks were fun but SO messy! I didn't miss taking care of them at all this winter, but in nice weather I do kind of miss them waddling around.



YES!! Ducks are soooo messy, but I LOVE mine!! I'm hatching more right now, and I'm super excited!   But, yeah, until they get moved outside to our pond, it's gonna be an adventure...but I think I am more prepared this time with an outdoor brooder pen.  Here's hoping, anyway.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Good luck @Jenn27 with your ducks and goats!  We aren't sure if ducks will get added....just a idea being kicked around here...helps pass the time in winter


----------



## Hens and Roos

Looks like we are 15 days out before kidding starts for our does.  Hoping that the weather will be nicer by that time but do have our warming barrels ready to be put into use!

Finished making maple syrup for this season- we ended up with 61- 8 oz jars.....now just to finish cleaning up all the tubing/taps and pails used


----------



## Jenn27

Hens and Roos said:


> Good luck @Jenn27 with your ducks and goats!  We aren't sure if ducks will get added....just a idea being kicked around here...helps pass the time in winter



Thank you! I had ducks when I was a kid, and just had to have them once we had our farm ready. Don't regret it one bit! But, it's easier for us since we have a couple of ponds....not near about as messy. They just kinda chill and do their own thing without hardly any maintenance from us.

Oh and good luck on your kidding!!


----------



## Bruce

I have a pond and would likely get some ducks if I didn't have to deal with giving them clean water in quantity all winter long!


----------



## NH homesteader

We have a stream. We used a sledgehammer to bash holes in the ice. Twice a day. All winter. We had very happy ducks and I had an achy back!


----------



## Hens and Roos

a friend of ours has ducks and geese and they do just fine during winter....she has a small running stream that goes through her yard that the ducks make use of.  We have a creek bordering our yard but I don't want to run into problems with the neighbors.


----------



## Jenn27

We have pretty mild winters here, so the ponds freezing over aren't an issue. I have had to break up the water pails the animals drink out of, but not the ponds. I can imagine that would get very tiring breaking it up that often!

We share a pond with a neighbor of ours (it's on both our properties, connected by a creek). One of my ducks flies from pond to pond and I have never had any issues (she is too spoiled to leave, hahaha). But chickens, ducks and livestock in my neighborhood are common.


----------



## Latestarter

There are quite a few TX folks here Jenn... I saw above you mentioned you're in TX... Where are you located (roughly)? Myself, @Baymule & @Devonviolet are in NE TX. Then there are also @animalmom @Ferguson K @frustratedearthmother @greybeard stretching down toward Houston, and quite a few others scattered around the state.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Looks like we are 15 days out before kidding starts for our does.  Hoping that the weather will be nicer by that time but do have our warming barrels ready to be put into use!
> 
> Finished making maple syrup for this season- we ended up with 61- 8 oz jars.....now just to finish cleaning up all the tubing/taps and pails used



I hope your kidding season goes smoothly


----------



## Latestarter

X2 what he ^ said  Wish I had some "real" home made maple syrup... 61 jars ought to last a little while.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> X2 what he ^ said  Wish I had some "real" home made maple syrup... 61 jars ought to last a little while.



thanks, yeah 61 jars should last us at least until next maple season .  we usually have a few jars left from the previous year!


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I hope your kidding season goes smoothly



thanks, I took some new pictures when doing chores....I will see if I can get some posted, was having problems getting pictures to upload the last time I tried


----------



## Bruce

No stream here. Well there is 1 from the wetland north of the barnyard in the spring. The pond is kinda sorta spring fed but that too is a spring thing. If it doesn't rain, the pond goes down. It is really shallow and freezes in the winter. I still don't know how the fish and frogs make it through the winter.


----------



## Jenn27

Latestarter said:


> There are quite a few TX folks here Jenn... I saw above you mentioned you're in TX... Where are you located (roughly)? Myself, @Baymule & @Devonviolet are in NE TX. Then there are also @animalmom @Ferguson K @frustratedearthmother @greybeard stretching down toward Houston, and quite a few others scattered around the state.



I live in Northeast Tx, in Marshall. It's in the Longview/Tyler area. We are about 2 hours or so east of Dallas.


----------



## Bruce

You are pretty darn close to @Latestarter @Jenn27 At least by TX distances. About 1 hour I think.


----------



## Baymule

@Jenn27 we are in Lindale, so we're probably less than an hour from you! Howdy neighbor!!


----------



## Latestarter

Hey Jenn, yup, Bruce got it right... about an hour give or take... I drive through Marshall on my way to the VA hospital in Shreveport, LA. I'm located in Mount Pleasant outside town off 49. I take 49 east to 59 south in Jefferson to meet up with 20 east just south of Marshall. Maybe the next time I'm on a VA trip we could meet for late lunch or something. I generally set my appts for early afternoon since I'm not much of a morning person, so I'm generally headed home by 3pm or so. My next one I believe is early May for ~1pm and will require me to fast, so I'll be hungry by the time for the trip home. 

Sorry to hijack your thread H&R  ...   I'll move my "next attempted BYH meet-up" over to my journal


----------



## Hens and Roos

no worries, it helps pass the time


----------



## Jenn27

Baymule said:


> @Jenn27 we are in Lindale, so we're probably less than an hour from you! Howdy neighbor!!



That's not far at all! Cool! 



Latestarter said:


> Hey Jenn, yup, Bruce got it right... about an hour give or take... I drive through Marshall on my way to the VA hospital in Shreveport, LA. I'm located in Mount Pleasant outside town off 49. I take 49 east to 59 south in Jefferson to meet up with 20 east just south of Marshall. Maybe the next time I'm on a VA trip we could meet for late lunch or something. I generally set my appts for early afternoon since I'm not much of a morning person, so I'm generally headed home by 3pm or so. My next one I believe is early May for ~1pm and will require me to fast, so I'll be hungry by the time for the trip home.
> 
> Sorry to hijack your thread H&R  ...   I'll move my "next attempted BYH meet-up" over to my journal



Very cool! I know just where you are. We go into Shreveport a lot! I'll message you my phone number. Let me know...we can meet up for lunch!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture of our 1st(jar on Left) and 2nd(jar on right)batches of maple syrup.  Each batch turns out a little different, according to what we could find on-line this is due to how the sap was flowing through the tree at the time


----------



## Jenn27

Mmmmm....pretty jealous over here, H&R!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Since I could get that picture to up load....yeah!  I will try and share a few others....


This is Melanie- she is due April 12th-17th 2017-last year she gave us twin bucklings


----------



## Jenn27

Wow...still has a month to go? She's gonna get big!


----------



## Hens and Roos

This is Obie- she is possibly due between March 26th-April 2nd 2017- this will be her 3rd kidding- we are hoping she has more than 1 kid this year!


----------



## Hens and Roos

This is Rio- our Lamancha doe- she is a FF and has possible due dates- March 28th -April 7th 2017- depending on which breeding took.

This picture is from Feb 9th 2017




This picture is from March 11th 2017


----------



## Jenn27

I love LaManchas!! They are so unique looking! Looks like you have a busy couple of months ahead of you.  I just have the one we are waiting on for now.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Jenn27 said:


> I love LaManchas!! They are so unique looking! Looks like you have a busy couple of months ahead of you.  I just have the one we are waiting on for now.



they will kid in about a 3 week window time frame and hopefully Obie and Rio kid the last week of March as I have extra hands that week.  Human kids are on spring break


----------



## Jenn27

Hens and Roos said:


> they will kid in about a 3 week window time frame and hopefully Obie and Rio kid the last week of March as I have extra hands that week.  Human kids are on spring break



That would be nice! Let's hope the goats cooperate!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I'm think buck/doe twins from Melanie, 2-3 from Rio, and 3 from Obie- 2 bucks 1 doe  

The syrup looks so good! Maple & walnut chèvre is great BTW!


----------



## NH homesteader

Here's some of our first batch. Weird lighting but good enough.

Maple walnut chevre??? DH is allergic to walnuts but the maple sounds good!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

It's awesome! Love to put in on a bagel. 

What about pecans?


----------



## NH homesteader

Allergic to those too. Almonds, walnuts and pecans.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Goat Whisperer said:


> I'm think buck/doe twins from Melanie, 2-3 from Rio, and 3 from Obie- 2 bucks 1 doe
> 
> The syrup looks so good! Maple & walnut chèvre is great BTW!



thanks for the guess....I could go with the numbers but really hoping for more does than bucks .  I have to get Coco's picture on here yet(couldn't get it to upload earlier )

Will have to remember this combo and try it next time we have chevre


----------



## Latestarter

IMHO, ALL of those does look to be carrying multiples! Hope they're all doelings for you!  That maple syrup looks good enough to eat!  I wonder... can you taste a difference between the 2 batches? like maybe the "darker" one is more mapl-ey? or something?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> IMHO, ALL of those does look to be carrying multiples! Hope they're all doelings for you!  That maple syrup looks good enough to eat!  I wonder... can you taste a difference between the 2 batches? like maybe the "darker" one is more mapl-ey? or something?



In all the years we have made maple syrup....I can't taste a difference...its all delicious  on the other hand- DS(15) says the lighter ones have a lighter taste and the darker ones seem heavier....he says its hard to describe.


----------



## Bruce

Not sure what the right words are but the lighter stuff seems "smoother, more polished" the fairly dark stuff, "stronger, sometimes a bit harsh". But those things can, I think, be affected by how the sap is boiled. I've never made any so I can't comment on all the "balance" than needs to happen when boiling. Also, when the trees are about to bud, the sap/syrup is dark and IMO not as tasty.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Not sure what the right words are but the lighter stuff seems "smoother, more polished" the fairly dark stuff, "stronger, sometimes a bit harsh". But those things can, I think, be affected by how the sap is boiled. I've never made any so I can't comment on all the "balance" than needs to happen when boiling. Also, when the trees are about to bud, the sap/syrup is dark and IMO not as tasty.



we watch for buds and pull the taps so we aren't getting the not tasty sap!


----------



## Baymule

Love me some maple syrup! That looks so good!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are getting closer to the start of kidding here pretty sure the next 6.5 days will fly by given we have 6 rental units to get ready for April 1st 
As of today we have 3 units left to go and my goal is to be done with my list by the end of the week!!  Of course it helps that our kids will be on spring break so there will be extra helpers on hand


----------



## Baymule

Rentals to get ready? That can be a real chore, hope you can get it done quickly so you can be ready for kids!!


----------



## Latestarter

everything goes well and you get everything done in time.  waiting for pics when they arrive


----------



## Hens and Roos

could really use an exhausted emoji here.......as of today we have 1 unit left to get ready for April 1st....nice thing with this one is that I have it half cleaned already so only 1,100 sq ft to go and some walls to be painted!

Have to head out and do chores before I fall asleep...hopefully there are no surprises waiting!


----------



## Baymule

Well her last post was at 5:04 and she didn't come back on to tell us about any surprises.....so she must be asleep!


----------



## Hens and Roos

....no surprises at chore time last night.....didn't fall asleep that early but had to take care of the humans too .  We had a thunderstorm with wind/hail go through yesterday evening- so DD and I quickly moved a few items in the garage so she could park inside again.  DH made it home ahead of the storm.  DS(15) had a track meet last night and didn't get home till 11:30 pm- DH had to go pick him up.......


----------



## Baymule

Waiting on surprises.........LOL


----------



## Hens and Roos

So today officially starts our kidding season for the goats.......let the fun begin!!

Friday - Murphy joined our work crew and threw a wrench into the plan for the day!! The last unit we have to finish for April 1st was to have carpet and tile replaced on the main level....I wasn't there all week since I was finishing the other units with DH.  I showed up on Friday to finish cleaning and start painting once DH got there but of course that was the day that the carpet/tile guys decided they would be working there .  Instead of trying to work around them and get nothing done...so I left and went to help DH finish loading trash out at another unit so that is ready to go and then went home.....I could have stayed in bed 

Saturday we took the kids to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and had a fun day...it was raining here/there all day so it worked out well.  Figured out that I can no longer ride in way back in the car....felt crappy when we got home...DH ordered pizza and I went to bed!

Which brings us to today, we decided that since Friday was a flop, we would go and paint because we have extra helpers- DD has painted with us since she was in 3rd grade(she's now a jr in high school)- we don't tape the molding and she does most of the baseboard edging...our unit is all painted, now hoping that the carpet/tiles guys finish tomorrow so I can finish cleaning up   Both DS's stayed home and DS(11) took his job of watching the goats very seriously...he wanted to go out every hour and check Obie and wanted to know what time we would be home so he could do a final check before we got back 

Obie is now in the kidding area, her udder has doubled in size from this morning and she is placing her front legs on a cinder block and stretching.  DD is figuring within the next 24 hours and hoping for more than 1 kid!!


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> Waiting on surprises.........LOL


You sure seem anxious got surprises!


----------



## samssimonsays

Looks like obie, olive and pearl with @Ferguson K will be having a race to the finish line,!


----------



## Ferguson K

My bets on Pearl!


----------



## Hens and Roos

No kids as of now....stay tuned


----------



## Hens and Roos

Obie decided to start having her kids at 7:15 am today- 1st-buckling, 2nd-doeling, 3rd-doeling ...they are getting their legs under them and trying to figure out the nursing thing....more later have to take DS(15) to track practice


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Congrats!


----------



## norseofcourse

Congrats!


----------



## NH homesteader

Congrats!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a quick picture we took this morning as she was kidding:




from left to right- buckling, Obie, doeling, doeling


----------



## samssimonsays

And obie wins the race haha.


----------



## Hens and Roos

yep that's what motivated her to get them out!!


----------



## samssimonsays

Congrats on the babes! They are adorable! Great start to kidding season there!


----------



## NH homesteader

Ooh look at those colors! Yay!


----------



## Hens and Roos

samssimonsays said:


> Congrats on the babes! They are adorable! Great start to kidding season there!



thanks, we are pleased with how everything turned out for Obie.  We did weigh the kids:

buckling- 3 lbs 2 oz
doeling 1(less white)- 3 lbs 13 oz
doeling 2- 3 lbs 6 oz

they seem to be nursing well so far from what we have seen and Obie is very attentive to them.  Its chilly and overcast today and they are making use of the warming barrel.

Next up is Rio- tomorrow is day 145 for her...will see what if any changes are starting for her at chores tonight....I'd be just fine if she took a day or so before kidding-I have to finish a unit tomorrow


----------



## Hens and Roos

NH homesteader said:


> Ooh look at those colors! Yay!



DD says the smaller doeling looks like a Dalmatian- will try for some better pictures tomorrow!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Congrats! I love the pic, so cute! 

I knew she would have trips! I though she'd have 2 b/1 d. I like it better this way though 

Just wait until Rio kids.... you will be in LOVE. 

If you are absent for 2 weeks we will all know why. You are busy snuggling mini manchas


----------



## Hens and Roos

we like the 1 b/2 d ratio too- especially after just 1 buckling last year!!  DD was guessing 3-4 and DH said 3 

If am absent for 2 weeks, its probably due to the next 3 units we have to get ready for April 15th and Coco and Melanie kidding in that time frame!!


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats! They're beautiful.


----------



## Baymule

Love the babies!! What pretty colors!


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Congratulations!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats.
Such great birth weights for triplets.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Congrats.
> Such great birth weights for triplets.



She was pretty wide at the end before having them!





She has some hair loss down her back-not sure if it's due to hormones or what-we will be monitoring and trying to figure out.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here are a couple pictures we managed to get earlier:

buckling-DD wants to call him: Angus




Here is the 2nd doeling:


----------



## Baymule

Huggable, kissable babies!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Huggable, kissable babies!!



on springs!! , we are still on the cool side here and they really like the warming barrel!


----------



## NH homesteader

Let us know about the hair loss when you figure it out. My Nigie loses hair down her back when she's pregnant, and the person I got her from said her dam does the same thing. We assumed hormones but I haven't gotten a definitive yes or no. Looks just like that.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Finally got a second to post a picture of Obie's 1st doeling- Brownie! She has long legs and weighed in yesterday at 5 lbs 12 oz





Obie's buckling- Angus- he weighed in at 5 lbs 1 oz
Obie's 2nd doeling- Clementine-she weighed in at 5 lbs 4 oz

Yep Obie's kids are ABC this year


----------



## NH homesteader




----------



## Hens and Roos

Yesterday was nice and sunny here- perfect for outside chores- cleaned all the rabbit area, cleaned the chicken coop and cleaned the goats finally feel a bit caught up.

Rio is day 150 today- has some dripping going on and maybe her sides have dropped some more.  We moved her into the kidding area last night-she was okay while we were standing there but once we left she started yelling and she's not quiet!  She isn't alone as Obie is next to her....she did finally stopped but is at it this morning again


----------



## Mike CHS

Feeling caught up isn't something we feel very often.

You have some cuties but of course you already knew that.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> Feeling caught up isn't something we feel very often.
> 
> You have some cuties but of course you already knew that.



Thanks!  Oh the caught up is just on cleaning the pens/coop


----------



## Hens and Roos

Rio decided tonight was it...around 8 pm she started showing signs that she was getting ready and by 8:30 pm we had 1 kid out.  Rio is a FF and has 1 doeling this year to take care of.  Doeling is 7 lbs 5 oz, very long legs, up and nursing pretty well!  Will post picture tomorrow


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats! glad all went smoothly for you.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats


----------



## samssimonsays

YAY!!!! COngrats!


----------



## Baymule

Congrats on the new baby!!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Congratulations!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So finally getting a second to post a picture of Rio's doeling , weighed her today and she is 8 lbs 11 oz!




We are also milking Rio to help with milk production...

Today is day 145 for Coco


----------



## Southern by choice

that is huge for a mini
she is pretty


----------



## NH homesteader

Love her! She's beautiful!


----------



## Hens and Roos

It's been a long and crazy week here to say the least......both DH and I are glad the weekend is here!  We were suppose to have a unit ready Monday but due to drywall delay we ended up finishing on Tuesday....half way through cleaning, something in the unit triggered a migraine for me and by the time I finished and drove home, I was miserable- I went directly to bed....thankfully my kids have no problem taking over!!

So today is day 146 for Coco and this is what she looked like when I left to do some errands:



And this is what she looked like when I returned about 3 hours later 




5 kids on the ground and placenta passed - 3 pretty much dried and fluffy and 2 still needing some drying off.  Lucky for me a friend of ours was available and she came to help me.  We have nick named her...."Stealth bomber" as this is the second year she has kidded with no signs that we have picked up on.

We have no idea which order they were born in so they are listed by weights:
Buckling 1(black hind end; rt hind foot-white boot)- 3 lbs 8 oz
Doeling-(dark colored)-3 lbs 5 oz
Buckling 2(mostly white)-2 lbs 15 oz
Buckling 3(thin black dorsal stripe; side spots)-2 lbs 8 oz
Buckling 4(mostly white on face)-2 lbs 4 oz

She is very attentive to them all and we have seen all nursing and bellies seem to be full.


----------



## Southern by choice

AND YOU TOLD ME THEY WERE SMALL... THAT IS NOT SMALL FOR QUINTS!
oops didn't realize caps lock was on

So sorry you had 4 boys out of that! But so glad all are healthy and mom did just fine! She is a keeper!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

What an awesome mom!  Congrats!


----------



## samssimonsays

I love it hahaha. Stealth bomber!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> AND YOU TOLD ME THEY WERE SMALL... THAT IS NOT SMALL FOR QUINTS!
> oops didn't realize caps lock was on
> 
> So sorry you had 4 boys out of that! But so glad all are healthy and mom did just fine! She is a keeper!



Well they looked small to me and I hadn't weighed them yet .  Yep, she for sure is a keeper- she adopted Maggie's 2 doelings last year after we lost Maggie.  We are hoping not to pull any but supplement as needed since we do have goat milk on hand.

We are milking Rio 2 times a day- today we ended up with 3.5 lbs!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So we left all 5 kids with Coco for now, we plan to weigh them this afternoon and see what their weights are after 24 hours.  The smallest buckling(2 lbs 4 oz) has us a little concern- his tummy doesn't seem as full as the others and when we try to help him nurse- he isn't interested.  His mouth is warm so maybe he is eating when we aren't there to see He also doesn't seem to like staying in the warming barrel.....


----------



## Southern by choice

you are still supplementing though right?
you can keep them all together but you really should supplement with bottle feedings so they all grow well


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> you are still supplementing though right?
> you can keep them all together but you really should supplement with bottle feedings so they all grow well



yes that is what we are trying to do...the smallest is being a bit stubborn!!


----------



## Southern by choice

If you get them to drink from a bottle first before they hit the teat then it is so much easier... too late now but for future


----------



## Latestarter

Oh my gosh, what a bunch of cuties! Congrats! If only the genders had been reversed...


----------



## babsbag

What an adorable little bunch of kids. Good mama to do that all unassisted.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Finally had a minute and some extra help to get updated weights on all the kids 

*Obie*(kidded 3/27/2016)
Angus(b)- 8 lbs 3 oz
Brownie(d)-8 lbs 7 oz
Clementine(d)- 7 lbs

Rio(kidded 4/2/2017)
Munchkin- 11 lbs 10 oz

Coco(kidded 4/7/2017)
buckling 1- 3 lbs 9 oz
doeling- 3 lbs 9oz
buckling 2- 3 lbs 1 oz
buckling 3- 2 lbs 11 oz
buckling 4- 2 lbs 5 oz
we are giving supplemental bottles to the smallest 2 bucklings

Today is day 145 for Melanie(the goat who started it all )!


----------



## Hens and Roos

As of now Melanie hasn't kidded yet so I will share some other exciting news!

Obie's 2 does from 2014- Chaos and Cosmo have both kidded triplets- we received an email from their owners letting us know! Between the 2 they have 3 bucklings and 3 doelings


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## OneFineAcre

I just saw your news on the quints, I'm a bit behind.
Congrats.
Good news about Chaos and Cosmo too.

Your goats have great birth weights on the multiples.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> I just saw your news on the quints, I'm a bit behind.
> Congrats.
> Good news about Chaos and Cosmo too.
> 
> Your goats have great birth weights on the multiples.



Thanks, Obie and Coco are doing well feeding their kids !


----------



## Hens and Roos

Today is day 147 for Melanie....she's holding out even though we told her this morning she could have her kids , it's my youngest's birthday- he's 12 years old...hard to believe

to make things easier, given we are still waiting for Melanie to kid, it's his birthday and Easter is Sunday- we are hosting and combining his party and Easter.....lets just say the day should be interesting 

DH took a look and says its hard to say if she will go yet tonight I'm hopping not and she waits till tomorrow as it's starting to rain here and we are coloring eggs.


----------



## Southern by choice

LOL Probably right in the middle of dinner or cake, then she'll go!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy Easter to everyone!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Melanie decided not to have Easter kids- which is probably a good thing but most likely started labor yesterday afternoon.  This morning she presented us with 2 bucklings.....meet Timon(brown butt/front) 6 lbs 8 oz  and Pumba(mostly white) 6 lbs


----------



## samssimonsays

Congrats! SO excited for you! WHat handsome "little" fellas!


----------



## Latestarter

Awwww they're so cute! Grats!


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks, the coloring of our buck is really dominant this year....if only one of the mostly white kids would have been a doeling...


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Congrats


----------



## Hens and Roos

had to pick up a new scale as our old one gave out- so we have to go through and weigh all the kids to see how everyone is doing.

collected enough milk from Rio to make a batch of Chevre cheese- was ready to sample when I got home from work this afternoon- it turned out very yummy!


----------



## Southern by choice

Our kids get everything right now


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Our kids get everything right now



All our kids are doing pretty well nursing from their dams- the littlest kids of Coco's wont take a bottle from us anymore but their tummies are full when we check...I'll know better how they are doing once I can weigh them.


----------



## Latestarter

I tried to get some milk out of Bang yesterday afternoon and got nothing... But the two kids are bouncing around and both nursed right after I tried so they must be getting all of it.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> I tried to get some milk out of Bang yesterday afternoon and got nothing... But the two kids are bouncing around and both nursed right after I tried so they must be getting all of it.



she probably is holding out on you given that you are new to her


----------



## Hens and Roos

picked up a new scale and had a human kid that could help me so we weighed all the kids tonight.

Obie's kids (3/27/2017)
Angus- 11 lbs
Brownie- 11 lbs 4 oz
Clementine- 9 lbs 13 oz

Rio's kid (4/2/2017)
Munchkin- 16 lbs

Coco's kids (4/7/2017)
Mischief- 7 lbs 4 oz
Mayham(doe)- 6 lbs 14 oz
Murphy- 6 lbs 3 oz
Micro- 5 lbs 5 oz
Scrappy- 4 lbs 13 oz

Melanie's kids (4/17/2017)
Timon- 8 lbs
Pumba- 7 lbs 8 oz


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had a few extra minutes to get a few new kid pictures 

1st Brownie, Angus and Clementine





2nd Mayhem (Coco's only doeling)




3rd Mischief




4th Micro, Scrappy, Mischief


----------



## goatgurl

congrats on all the new babies.  isn't it so much fun to watch them jump and play.


----------



## Hens and Roos

goatgurl said:


> congrats on all the new babies.  isn't it so much fun to watch them jump and play.



they are so funny to watch!  Munchkin(mini-mancha) just loves to hang around us and will climb right up into our lap when we sit down in the pasture.


----------



## Hens and Roos

haven't had much time to post- life has been extra crazy here to say the least.  Goats have all been doing pretty well and kids are growing.  Have to get weights again when I get a spare minute  Coco decided about 2 weeks ago not to let all her kids nurse so we have 3 sometimes 4 bottle babies to feed....DD and I told her she shouldn't have had so many!!!!

Just stopped in quick to ask if any of the sheep people have any good recipes to make cheese( in particular cream cheese) using sheep milk.  A friend of ours started raising sheep and she wants to use about 5 gallons of milk up. @norseofcourse @Sheepshape and anyone else with sheep


----------



## Sheepshape

I made some halloumi-like cheese from ewes milk this last season as we had a ewe who produced milk ahead of lambing and had to be milked. The taste was very mild, but good in stir fries.


----------



## norseofcourse

5 gallons, that's a lot of sheep's milk!  I have made cheese a couple times, but it's not quite the same as the typical recipes for cow or goat milk.  Sheep's milk seems more sensitive to temperature, I've had it go 'grainy' which I think is some of the proteins precipitating out of the milk, at about 170°, which changes the texture.  It also seems to take quite a bit less rennet to make cheese that takes rennet.  It took about the same amount of acid to make acid cheese (like lemon curd cheese which does not taste lemony despite the name).  I have not tried cream cheese, but the lemon curd cheese was good.

I may try some more cheeses this year.  I will be making fudge, and want to try yogurt as well.  Maybe she could make yogurt with some of it, too?


----------



## Sheepshape

Ewes' milk is the drink of 'elite' athletes as it is higher energy and protein than cow or goat. Maybe a few athletes could benefit....it doesn't taste too bad (much better than goats' milk to me.......but then I don't like goats' milk or cheese).


----------



## Hens and Roos

she has made yogurt and stopped in a got some rennet from me this morning- maybe she will have to do some trial and error to figure out the best method


----------



## Hens and Roos

Since we are bottle feeding 3-4 of Coco's kids we got some weights on them again tonight just to make sure they are growing:

Weights taken:           April 30th                  May 12th
Mischief                     9 lbs 4 oz                   12 lbs 8 oz
Mayhem                     8 lbs 5 oz                   10 lbs 12 oz
Murphey                    7 lbs 0 oz                    10 lbs 14 oz
Micro                         6 lbs 6 oz                     9 lbs  4 oz
Scrappy                     5 lbs 15 oz                   8 lbs   10 oz

we feel that they are gaining pretty well since starting to offer bottles


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy Mother's Day to all those who fill this role!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Busy day today, DS(12) had a soccer game mid day and then we had to make a run into Madison. 
We are excited to welcome: One Fine Acre Granite to our herd





so yes goats do fly!!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Congrats


----------



## Southern by choice

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Yeah
Let's drown out all of that chicken chat with something important 
What a day


----------



## Bayleaf Meadows

Who are Granite's dam and sire?


----------



## Ferguson K

I knew it! 

So excited for you! 

He's lucky he went where it was cold. I have my eye on one of his brothers though! Congrats!


----------



## Southern by choice

@Poka_Doodle


----------



## OneFineAcre

Bayleaf Meadows said:


> Who are Granite's dam and sire?





Bayleaf Meadows said:


> Who are Granite's dam and sire?



Molasses x Big Brown


----------



## OneFineAcre

OneFineAcre said:


> Molasses x Big Brown


Don't worry
We are taking good care of your huckleberry


----------



## Hens and Roos

All is well this morning


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> All is well this morning



That's great.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> That's great.



He is such a friendly guy- hard to believe he isn't a bottle baby!!


----------



## TAH

Congrats!!! 

Somehow my computer didn't alert me!


----------



## CntryBoy777

That was some rough weather up that way yesterday evening. Sure hope you all are okay up there.
Congratulations on the new Little one!! I know ya are Pleased and hopefully will bring ya some really nice kids to your herd....


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are good here, just had some heavy rain areas around us got some hail and further north had a tornado go through a mobile home park.  We do have some more rain coming through today with potential for some rougher stuff.

Thanks, we are excited to see what next year kidding season brings


----------



## Bruce

Congrats on OFA Granite 

Guess we missed most of the weather "fun" out your way. Left Beloit Monday morning, visited a (different) forum friend just east of GB and stayed the night in Howard. We were in Sault Ste Marie Tuesday night. Managed to be in a restaurant when the lightning started and made it back to the hotel JUST before the rain hit. Got to the room, turned on the light. It went out after about 3 seconds. GREAT stuck in a hotel with no power. But it came right back on. Rained hard for some time then passed us by. Had good weather all the way back to Vermont.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Congrats on OFA Granite
> 
> Guess we missed most of the weather "fun" out your way. Left Beloit Monday morning, visited a (different) forum friend just east of GB and stayed the night in Howard. We were in Sault Ste Marie Tuesday night. Managed to be in a restaurant when the lightning started and made it back to the hotel JUST before the rain hit. Got to the room, turned on the light. It went out after about 3 seconds. GREAT stuck in a hotel with no power. But it came right back on. Rained hard for some time then passed us by. Had good weather all the way back to Vermont.



thanks! Glad to hear that you missed the weather- it actually wasn't to bad by us, just some more rain/chilly temps and mud


----------



## Hens and Roos

this past week we have been wet/muddy/chilly and not sure this coming week will be much better 

DS(12) is playing in a soccer tournament this weekend- played 4 games yesterday and maybe 4 games again today(his regular team and then a team he helps out when they are short players)- depends on how many games they win.  He is goalie and does an awesome job at it!!

So after being with us for a little over a year, my mom moved back to her house yesterday not that we wont see her but it wont be as often.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had a busy day Saturday- since the weather was nice and sunny we got all animal pens cleaned out-goats, rabbits and chickens! So nice to have that done as they really needed it.  DH even cut the grass as we were to get some rain overnight into Sunday morning- think we got just about 1inch....enough to leave some water standing.

Have to check our garden area and see if it's dry enough to be planted.

Special thanks to all the veterans for their service this Memorial Day!


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Hope you can get your garden started soon.  We are lucky, we can start our onions in the middle of March.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Guess its been awhile since I last posted,keeping busy with I guess everything- kids are on summer vacation now so I have extra hands to help get projects done(and the list is long and keeps getting added to....).

We only got 1 row planted in the garden- between the heat/humidity, rain and work just not enough time- not sure we will get one in this year again 

Yesterday, 5 of our wethers went to their new homes(the 4 bottle babies went together and the 5th one went to be a buddy for another goat)-they will be spoiled 

Happy Father's day to all those who fill this role- hope your day is a nice one!!


----------



## Hillaire

my garden is lacking this year too... it's been a crazy wet and hot year so far and it's only getting hotter lol.  Glad you got your wethers to their new homes I bet it feels a little emptier in the goat area lol


----------



## Hens and Roos

It's a good empty- especially seeing how happy the person who now has them was yesterday- they have wanted goats for years now!


----------



## Southern by choice

It is always nice when you see how happy the people are. It makes it far less painful.
Glad they are going to good homes!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wish I could say we were relaxing since the last time I posted  far from it!!

Working on pasteurizing about 2 gallons of milk to add to the 2 gallons we pasteurized last night.   Tried a new cheese recipe the other day- one that requires the cheese to be pressed- trying to figure out how to get the garlic/chives mixed in better before the cheese starts sticking together- the recipe says to wash under warm water and let drain for 5-10 minutes- even after 5 minutes it difficult to mix them 

Would like to try making Gouda cheese- found a recipe to try.

Gave up on getting our garden planted- only 1 row of tomatoes.  I think we've had more rain days then not this past month.  We still have some standing water from the other night when it stormed. A good sized maple tree branch was knocked out of the tree from the storm so the goats were happy to get that the next morning.  DD was playing volleyball and they stopped the game and had everyone move to the tornado shelter for about 20 minutes.

Had to get 3 rental units we manage ready for July 1st- 2 of which we got back yesterday at noon- thankfully those 2 only required a little bit of work on our end.  We actually got done and home in time to do evening chores....so now today DH and DS(15) are cutting grass to catch up.

Our raspberries and blackcaps are doing pretty good this year- we've picked at least 3 cup of each and have been enjoying them with ice cream and yogurt 

For those of you who have mini Lamancha goats- at what age do you start seeing them go into heat?  Munchkin has been very vocal the last 2 days- she's about 3 months now


----------



## Bruce

Love Gouda!

We seem to have had more than the normal amount of rain and rain days this year as well. Shows in the garden (things not coming up) and the solar array graphs. More power generated in Mar, Apr, May and June last year than this year. 

I wasn't aware that Wisconsin was tornado territory until DD2 went to Beloit. I figured "tornado alley" was farther south. There was a big one up by Green Bay about a month ago.


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> For those of you who have mini Lamancha goats- at what age do you start seeing them go into heat? Munchkin has been very vocal the last 2 days- she's about 3 months now



Good question-

So far ours have been seasonal but I noticed the bucklings seem very interested  in our little doeling.
Seems though the bucks are rutting early and I wouldn't be surprised if the does (seasonal breeders) start cycling early as well.

When in doubt get HIM out!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Southern by choice said:


> Good question-
> 
> So far ours have been seasonal but I noticed the bucklings seem very interested  in our little doeling.
> Seems though the bucks are rutting early and I wouldn't be surprised if the does (seasonal breeders) start cycling early as well.
> 
> When in doubt get HIM out!


Our bucks are rutting early too
Ours started peeing all over themselves in the ring at the Sandhills show
I think being around the other goats bucks included set them off


----------



## Southern by choice

OneFineAcre said:


> Our bucks are rutting early too
> Ours starting peeing all over themselves in the ring at the Sandhills show
> I think being around the other goats bucks included set them off


We noticed it to after Rocky Mount. I was thinking it may have triggered it ... but there again this weather is wonky


----------



## Hens and Roos

We always keep the bucks away from the does- if nothing else we move bucklings away form the does at 7 weeks of age.  With having the 3 bucks together- Chester(our oldest guy at 4 years old) is really the only one who shows interest.  Both AJ(yearling buck) and Granite(from this year) aren't showing a lot of interest.


----------



## OneFineAcre

How's Granite?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> How's Granite?



He's doing really well, gets along just fine with our other boys and super friendly- likes to try and nibble our fingers!


----------



## goatgurl

I know i'm late to the party but that's the story of my life.  just wanted to say congratulations on the acquisition of little granite.  what a handsome fellow.


----------



## Hens and Roos

goatgurl said:


> I know i'm late to the party but that's the story of my life.  just wanted to say congratulations on the acquisition of little granite.  what a handsome fellow.



thanks, we know the feeling


----------



## Hens and Roos

so we heard from the people that took the 4 brothers- they are doing very well and being spoiled


----------



## Baymule

You have some adorable goats! Sorry about your garden, sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate. I start planting squash in March,  it is all done now.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> You have some adorable goats! Sorry about your garden, sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate. I start planting squash in March,  it is all done now.



thanks, they sure are some characters!  On the bright side our tomato plants are growing pretty good but I will miss having the squash...DD asked me the other day if it was too late to try and plant some....


----------



## Bruce

I planted some Red Kuri seeds < 1 week ago. Probably not too late.


----------



## Baymule

I plant a whole bunch of stuff. Some of it never comes up, some of it gets ate by a rabbit or bugs, some just dies because it wants to and some of it GROWS and PRODUCES!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy 4th of July!  Hope everyone is having a nice day!

We tried to take a longer weekend and do a few fun things with the kids- saw Despicable Me3 yesterday and then learned how to play disc golf today- we had a good time and will most likely play again!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yesterday started fair judging for the kids and today their animals go in- 2 meat chickens, 6 rabbits and 9 goats. DD and both DS's will be showing goats . 

DS(15) says he does it because I've asked him too- so he uses this to get 1st pick of which ones he will show .  DD usually takes the squirrely ones so DS(12) has a better chance of showing well .

I'll try and give updates and some pictures as I can!


----------



## Bruce

You DD is quite the nice sister!


----------



## Goat Whisperer




----------



## Hens and Roos

So far the kids have had their food, arts, photography, meat chickens and rabbits judged.  They have done very well!  Saturday morning will be goat judging!


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Hope things go well for you!


----------



## Bruce

Good luck to the goats and kids!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Good luck to the goats and kids!


 
thanks, we are excited to see how they do- they will be showing 9 of our goats!


----------



## Latestarter

for a very successful event! Hope you get and can share some pics.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> for a very successful event! Hope you get and can share some pics.



I will try but not always easy as DH and I are helping the kids get goats back and forth to the ring


----------



## OneFineAcre

Good luck


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> I will try but not always easy as DH and I are helping the kids get goats back and forth to the ring


Yep
That's my job


----------



## Hens and Roos

rough day of goat judging but we are done....for our fair standard does and Nigerian dwarf does are judged together based on age.

The kids tried their best to show their does off....
DS(15) showed Rio and Munchkin and did the best with them; he also showed Clove(sr yearling-ND) and did good with her- she placed higher then Pepper(her sister) and Basil-both shown as sr yearlings.

DD and DS showed our ND's and the breed classes were rough- they were placed almost last in each of their classes(given white ribbons).  There was probably 10-12 goats in each class they showed in....

Interesting enough when they showed in Breeders Improvement, Produce of doe and Exhibitor's herd they were placed higher(given red ribbons)....in fact DD showed Rio/Munchkin for Breeders Improvement and received a blue ribbon....

at this point we aren't sure how helpful the feed back given today will be for us.....

I did get some pictures and will try to post some- tomorrow all animals and projects come home!


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry it didn't go better for you, the kids and the goats.  Hope you at least had some fun.


----------



## Hens and Roos

oh don't get me wrong we did have fun , just hoping for some feedback as we make decisions going into fall breeding season. 

The goats of course were up to their shenanigans- 2 of the youngest yelled the whole time in the ring.  Melanie was mad as she hadn't been milked yet so she acted out. Pepper(senor yearling) started out walking well in the ring and then decided to walk on her knees... 

We were also told right before the show that our doe's should not be shown with a beard....up to this point we were not aware of this and judges in the past didn't say anything about it.  In fact the judge pointed it out in her comments to the crowd as DS(12) was leaving the ring with his doe from showmanship.    We decided that we weren't cutting them off as it was going to change any thing.


----------



## Bruce

Sounds wierd. If the goat naturally has a beard, what sort of "anorexic model" judging are they doing? Maybe the female goats should have udder implants too, so they look "better".

You can tell I know nothing about goat judging!


----------



## Mike CHS

Is the beard issue a standard at most shows?  We have been to several but I can't recall whether or not any of the goats had beards.

And I don't know any more about goat judging than Bruce does.


----------



## Hens and Roos

we aren't sure- we were told the beard wasn't allowed with Danish judging


----------



## speckled6

The judging sounds very subjective.  Not that I know anything about any of it.
I would think they would go on breed standards though...and if a beard is standard it should be not only allowed but looked for.
Blah, sorry they didn't place better, but glad you had fun.  
The most important thing is that the goats are healthy and happy and your family loves them.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here's a couple of pictures:





waiting to get in the ring for Int. class-Mayhem, Munchkin and Brownie(being held)


----------



## Hens and Roos

As the title says- living up to our name.....on Friday we received an email from one of our 4-H families- someone they knew had to move due to the place they were renting being sold and they needed to find a home for their goat !

So meet Amelia- she's a 2 year old Nubian mix- our newest member of the herd once she is out of quarantine: she is pretty much on the move all the time given the newness to her.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> we aren't sure- we were told the beard wasn't allowed with Danish judging



I've never heard of Danish judging.
But, we cut our does beards off as a normal part of their clip.
The bucks, we clip everything but leave  along flowing manly beard.


----------



## Hens and Roos

according to what I know about Danish judging, its based on the number of entries in a class as to the number of blues, reds, whites and pink ribbons that can be handed out....


----------



## Bruce

Amelia looks like a nice goat, good price as well


----------



## Hens and Roos

we just hope she can fit in with the rest of the does


----------



## Bruce

She is so appreciative that you've given her a great home she will make every accommodation to get along with the others  Besides, it is hard to be a herd animal of one.


----------



## Fullhousefarm

We go to several youth shows that do Danish for the goats. Basically they do it so the youth can earn more premiums. The judge places the animals in order but can give multiple blue/red/white ribbons. So- the first four goats may get blue, the next 5 red, and the last three white. Blue ribbons might may $20-  so more $$. 

All our shows the goats should be clipped- especially for showmanship.  We don't clip juniors under 6 months and we've left one or two we know won't do well but we brought to meet sanction a little hairy if they've been clipped but not super recently. So- other than bucks their beards are always clipped off.


----------



## Hens and Roos

the premiums for our kids range from $3 for a blue and down- so not a lot given out.  Guess we will see what next year's fair brings.


----------



## Fullhousefarm

Hens and Roos said:


> the premiums for our kids range from $3 for a blue and down- so not a lot given out.  Guess we will see what next year's fair brings.



That's probably about what our county fair does.
We go to quite a few ADGA sanctioned shows with premiums, though, and some pay quite well. We drive 5 hours for one, and three for another and both are Thrs-Saturday/Sunday and entry fees are $8-10 a goat- but no fee for youth show usually. Those shows pay much better. But, then again if you figure gas and travel it still seems like not much!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Hard to believe that summer vacation for the kids is just about over- fall sport practices for all 3 started last week so a new schedule to get use too.....

this past week we went and visited 2 colleges that DD wanted to visit to see which one she was interested in, she's planning to stay in state.  We had a nice visit at both and really was the 1st time DH took a couple days off in a long time!

Of course nothing can go with out a hiccup....on our way back DH felt the car wasn't running right-  it was searching for gears but then it seemed to straighten out and run.  Forward to this past Friday and I was running around taking care of things and the car started searching for gears and just not running right(suspecting the transmission) so later that night DH drove it and pretty much said- can't drive it.... transmission is one step away from failure..... long story short, we spent Sat looking for a used vehicle and ended up getting a used Jeep Grand Cherokee that was only 3 years old- runs great and we don't have to worry about breaking down!


----------



## CntryBoy777

That always seems to cure the transmission problem when another vehicle is acquired........I had to have the one in the van rebuilt a few yrs back....getting about time for the same "Cure" here, too....


----------



## Latestarter

Yeah, not sure about the scowly face... you have a new(er) vehicle that is probably in much better shape and good to go for the foreseeable future. Of course there are (I'm guessing) those new monthly vehicle payments and higher insurance costs for the newer vehicle...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Waiting to hear back from our insurance agent as to how this changes our costs...not that a newer vehicle isn't neat but was so hoping not to have a 2nd monthly vehicle payment....seeing how DS(15) will be added as a driver soon!  Guess that is life!


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> seeing how DS(15) will be added as a driver soon!


I don't know about WI but here, or with our insurance (Liberty Mutual)??, a permit driver doesn't jack up the insurance. Once they get their license?? Whoo boy, does it go up.



Hens and Roos said:


> visited 2 colleges that DD wanted to visit to see which one she was interested in, she's planning to stay in state.


As you may recall DD2 went to Beloit and loved it. I like their philosophy:

Each professor's' JOB is to teach and advise, nothing else. Unlike UVM where teaching is secondary to research. A friend was told point blank that teaching doesn't count toward tenure, only research does. She showed them, got a $1M research grant in HER name, therefore portable. They couldn't trip over their feet fast enough to get her tenure. 
Almost the entire faculty is full time, not underpaid/abused adjuncts (who are generally just as capable!).
The kids call the professors AND the president of the school by their first names. Not without respect for their respective roles but Beloit wants the kids to challenge concepts, etc and that doesn't happen when the professors have a "superior" attitude rather than a collaborative relationship.
A majority of kids do a semester abroad, that was one of D2's requirements. She went to Japan.
Small class sizes, generally under 15. You have to work REALLY HARD to get "lost" at Beloit.
They have a "First Year Initiative" program. The freshmen chose 3 topics from ~20 and come a week earlier than returning students. One of their classes is the FYI course they are assigned to. The professor for that class is their advisor until they declare a major and can be accessed throughout their time at Beloit if desired. The advisor helps them choose their classes and sees them in class AT LEAST twice a week in class. I don't think I even saw an advisor until I changed my major.
It is one of the schools that "Colleges that change lives"
They are noted for several majors, including among others Creative Writing (DD's major before she took so many Japanese classes that she ended up with a double major) and Archeology.
ETA!! Beloit is a good school for people who do not feel a need to fit into a homogeneous group. No "must wear this years fashion or be ostracized" here!
Of course it would have been really hard to afford without the merit scholarship. She went to Beloit for little more than the instate cost of UVM. Vermont doesn't fund the colleges and University well at all.


----------



## Hens and Roos

hard to believe it's mid Sept already waiting on test results for Amelia to see if she can join the rest of our herd....one thing we know for sure is that she needs some manners as far as personal space/acceptable behavior with humans.  Getting blood for her test was a challenge to say the least.

we have started once a day milking to start drying Coco, Melanie and Rio off, never did milk Obie this season-but her 2 doelings are doing well!

Tried our hand at making some Gouda cheese-we will be able to sample the 1st part of Nov!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I really like gouda cheese....I've eaten a ton of it down thru the yrs.....hope yours turns out really good....
It's getting about time to prepare for another season and hope that ya have a good and successful one ahead, too....


----------



## Bruce

What a wait! But that will make it taste all the better I suppose.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> What a wait! But that will make it taste all the better I suppose.



I hope so!


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> I really like gouda cheese....I've eaten a ton of it down thru the yrs.....hope yours turns out really good....
> It's getting about time to prepare for another season and hope that ya have a good and successful one ahead, too....



thanks, still have a few things to get ready before Nov breeding season begins....working on checking fecals for each goat so if any need to be treated we can get it taken care of.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Just got caught up on your journal last night... congratulations on this year's babies!! And on getting an OFA buckling!  I think that's so cool.

Blessed wishes for the upcoming year!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Now that test results have come back clear and quarantine time has past, we have started introducing Amelia to the rest of our herd....at this point we aren't sure how it's going to work out-not sure our fencing is high enough to keep her in as she is very curious to all the surroundings(she was given run of her previous home).  She makes Rio(Lamancha) look small and our ND look even smaller!  DH has been helping with the process since she outweighs the rest of us and is very strong! DS(12) is not comfortable around her and this is something that will be given much consideration. 

In other excitement- DD injured her thumb playing volleyball last week Thursday so we had to have that looked at(she wasn't a happy camper)- thankfully it was just a sprain/bruised and as of today she is cleared again to play! 

On Thursday, DS(15) will have his 4 wisdom teeth removed as they are impacted and pushing against his other teeth....hoping it doesn't cause him problems


----------



## Bruce

He's young, he'll get over it   DD2 had hers out at about that age and only took one pain killer. I, on the other hand, being a wuss, had mine out at 19 and was in bed for a week. Then one of the sockets got infected when I was back at school. 

I jammed a finger or 3 playing Vball when I was younger, sure does hurt! Glad she's back in the game.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Hopefully she'll settle in without too much turmoil, and DS(12) can calm his concerns. Glad the hand is better, I had 2 daughters that played in school, so it deffinitely comes with the Fun. Sure feel for the DS(15) and sure hope it all goes good for him....just keep reminding him thru the healing that they sure won't bother him again.........


----------



## OneFineAcre

How is Granite?

His mama has her milk star in fat, volume, and protein already with 3 tests to go
If Maurine really worked her she could be our highest producer as a FF 
I think for him to have a star his dam and sire both have to have one 
Need to check


----------



## Hens and Roos

Granite is doing very well!  Super friendly and cooperative when we need to work with him . In fact DH says he needs to remember to trim Granite's feet last otherwise he won't get off the stand for the others.  I need to get a picture of him, he's got this cute little beard growing.  Maybe DS(12) can help me tonight- for whatever reason Chester(older buck) doesn't like it when I pull the camera out to take pictures and will stand in front of the others or push them back into the shed...

It is interesting how the goats perceive people- the other day a friend of a friend stopped in to see our goats. Melanie was very loving and wanted to be right by the gal-probably would have followed her right out the gate!  Rio stayed right next to me and Munchkin hide behind me and most of the others went up onto the towers and few went into the shed to eat. Obie went and hide by the towers.....

Congrats on the star's for Molasses that's awesome!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture of Granite, he was watching the girls....


----------



## CntryBoy777

That is a nice looking Boy!! I like the beard too....


----------



## Bruce

Looks like he should be stroking that beard with his foot in a contemplative manner!


----------



## Hens and Roos

so how many freshenings/kiddings does it take to see how a doe's udder will develop as far as teat size- by the 2nd freshening or 3rd freshening?


----------



## Goat Whisperer

From what I've seen, the first few months are critical. I'd say by their second freshening you will really get to see teat size. 

Of course there are variables, but for a dairy goat the is consistently being milked through the first freshening and into the second- you should have already established the teat size.

Now Mariah has little teats. She had REALLY little teats when we first got her (2nd F) but the owner didn't much much into the milking and just let the kids dam raise. She is now a 4th F and her teats are a little better.

I think udder texture had a lot to do with teat size and how the teats "plump".
I've noticed does that don't have good udder texture don't get those nice, large, easy to milk teats.
You've seen the picture of Ruthie's udder, right? She has great teats, especially for her breed! She also has a really nice texture. He daughters are following suit and have a nice, soft texture and they are getting nice, large & plump teats.


----------



## Hens and Roos

@Goat Whisperer  would it even be possible to change her teat size once she freshens again- she would be a 4F in 2018.   This year and last year she pretty much dam raised her kids and we only milked her a few times last year(she dried herself off early) and this year.  Her teats are small, I was able to find pictures showing the does in her pedigree and they have nice looking/plump teats.


----------



## OneFineAcre

I don't think dam raising has anything to do with teat size
That's all we have ever done


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I think it can, to an extent. 

@OneFineAcre you guys milk you goats, so you are still establishing production and you do fills on the does.

I've seen some (like Mariah) that just dam raised, was milked every once in a while, and never had a good fill. He kid was always on her- never letting the udder have a good fill. Now that we have her, her teats are a bit better but still on the smaller size.

It *could* happen, but there probably wont be a significant difference from her last freshening. What doe is it?


----------



## Hens and Roos

it's our doe Obie- she's had triplets, single and now triplets.  I did see a picture of the udder's from her 1st two girls(they were 1st F each with triplets) and their udders looked pretty similar to hers.  Of course the 2 doelings from this year were from our buck Chester so different sire then the 1st ones.


----------



## Hens and Roos

hard to believe that Oct is just about over.....not sure where the year went to guess time flies when you're having fun (or not).

had some more rain yesterday-pretty much the whole day with only small amounts of time without rain, DS(12) played soccer in the rain, they lost 0-1.

really hoping we get a few more nice dry days so that I can work on getting the goat shelter ready for winter, of course tonight and tomorrow we are suppose to get some rain...


----------



## CntryBoy777

We could use more than the .2" we got here...some more suppose to be coming Fri or Sat....along with some pretty cool temps. Time sure does fly by and I think it gets Faster each year as we age, too. It had to be miserable for the DS to be out in the rain....sorry they didn't come out on top, but maybe next time they will and it won't be so hard on the fans either....


----------



## Hens and Roos

would gladly send the rain your way, if I could  our goats really don't want to be outside so their shelter gets messy quicker

DS's team has done very well this season and most of the kids are good sports about the game's outcome!


----------



## Bruce

We are getting rain the next 2 days as well. And the temps are going to drop back to "seasonal" meaning highs in the 50's.


----------



## goats&moregoats

yes, not looking forward to the two days of rain, hoping the weather man is wrong, I hate being cooped up as much as the animals. The 11 week old Husky is fond of the rain either.


----------



## Bruce

I'm planning "indoor" things tomorrow. Catching up with the finances, making Pico de Gallo with some of the too many ripe and BIG tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Also planning to make some pasta sauce for the freezer with more tomatoes. Haven't done that before, hopefully it isn't an epic fail.


----------



## Hens and Roos

the indoor stuff sounds fun @Bruce....I'm seeing paper work in my day tomorrow


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> Here is a picture of Granite, he was watching the girls....
> 
> View attachment 38875


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, nothing more "fun" than getting all the receipts into Quicken.


----------



## Hens and Roos

our house is always busy in the morning...

DD stopped just inside our bedroom and said-
I got accepted, I'm going to UW Platteville!! 

We toured several colleges in August and she decided she would apply to UW Platteville- she really likes their campus size and they have a good agriculture program as that is where her interests are. DH and I are very proud and never had any doubt that she wouldn't get accepted!! (it's hard to believe that she is just about 18 years old)..


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's Great!!....it truly is hard to believe just how fast 18yrs can pass right on by.....our baby girl is 26yrs old now....


----------



## Bruce

Close enough to bring her laundry home on weekends 

Good for her. I'm glad she found a place that meets her needs/desires.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congratulations


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congratulations


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Close enough to bring her laundry home on weekends
> 
> Good for her. I'm glad she found a place that meets her needs/desires.



Funny about the laundry....she's more then welcome to bring it home....she knows how to use our machines


----------



## Bruce

Saves on the quarters! There is a limited number of people who are REAL happy to get a lot of quarters for Christmas. DD2 was one of them for the past 4 years.


----------



## Hens and Roos

I went to UW Madison and the machines they had used plastic chips- so you bought them at the front desk, guess each school does it differently!


----------



## Latestarter

Grats to your daughter and her parents!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Grats to your daughter and her parents!



thanks!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Today was pretty nice- no rain, not too hot and some sunshine- good day to clean out the goat shelter- only got the buck side done as we had some items to take care of this morning.  Kids have off from school today and tomorrow so a few extra hands to help.

It's official, we have another driver starting in our house- DS(15) got his instruction permit today and can now practice driving and start his behind the wheel classes!

Monday the 3 extra boys will be leaving us(freezer camp) and we will have Chester and Granite.   Would really like to get the number of girls down a few as well, but that might take us a bit longer as we {me, DD and DS(12)} each have our favorites .

Hoping the weather will hold out tomorrow and maybe we can get the doe side of the shelter done.


----------



## Hens and Roos

With DH's help the does shelter was cleaned out on Sunday- it was probably the nicest day of the weekend to do so.  The last few days it's been 30* in the morning....I guess winter is coming....

DS(12)'s week has started out rough...he missed the bus home on Monday from school cause he had to get his trombone from the band room-so I had to go get him-he was upset, then he bumped his head getting his stuff out of the car.....yesterday wasn't much better-he came home with enough homework that he decided not to go trick or treating(which at his age is still cool)....poor kid...not sure how the rest of the week will go


----------



## Mike CHS

I use to say that growing old is not for the faint of heart but I think it applies more to the teen years.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> I use to say that growing old is not for the faint of heart but I think it applies more to the teen years.



yeah, I agree...last year was rough for him too...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had some rain here again over the weekend- not a lot but enough to make things muddy again....have started watching the does for heat so we can get them bred.  Given that we have 2 bucks we have to pen one up when using the other- Chester isn't so happy with that idea but Granite is pretty chill(he's such a cool little guy ).

Chester will be matched up with Coco, Melanie, Obie and Rio

Granite will be matched up with Basil, Clove and Pepper- they will be FF 

Looks like we will have to start putting the heated water buckets in place, the water is starting to freeze over night now that we are getting into the 30's. Will most likely have to get warmer clothes out again too- so far 2 layers of clothing are enough!

Have to take DS(15) and DS(12) shopping for cloths- they need new coats- especially DS(15) as he has out grown the sleeves on his coat


----------



## Bruce

Yep pulled the hoses and put out the heated water here yesterday as well. Winter might be on the way.


----------



## Southern by choice

@Goat Whisperer  has this uncanny abiliy to make me cry.... she just informed me we will be having 27degree night coming up.

This is wrong.
We live in NC
I don't understand.

I have to laugh long sleeve warm clothes is what I wear when it hits 70 down to 60
Warm coat at 60-50
Two layers is when it hits 45-50
Below 45 I cry, wear as many layers as I can and wonder why it has to be so cold and I dream of moving farther south.

I would never make it where you are. N.E.V.E.R


----------



## Bruce

Sure you would SBC, you are a tough lady! Whatever it takes, you do.


----------



## Southern by choice

Bruce said:


> Sure you would SBC, you are a tough lady! Whatever it takes, you do.


Thank you for the vote of confidence Bruce but I think I'd freeze solid.
If I never had to leave the house I'd be ok- but not an option with a small farm. lol


----------



## Bruce

One gets used to the temps where they live. Not that sub 0°F is ever comfortable but I grew up in So. Cal. 50°F was cold, break out the winter coat. Now 50°F is windbreaker weather, unless it is sunny and there is no wind. 85°F is TOO hot and anything higher is WAY TOO HOT!


----------



## AnimalIAm

You guys are lucky! in California the winters are in the 70,s and 80,s! in summer its 80,s 90,s and 100,s!


----------



## AnimalIAm

I'm 13 sounds like you bruce . I'm german so I handle to cold I little better than some. I even enjoy it!


----------



## Bruce

115°F plus 3 days the week I moved to Vermont in 1979. 

Oh, I just noticed!!


----------



## AnimalIAm

Thanks! came on here because I love goats and other animals I have lamanchas myself.


----------



## Bruce

Several Lamancha aficionados here. 
I think they need ears 
 
but I don't have any goats so it is a moot point. My "herd" is the 2 alpacas in my avatar and 17 layer hens.


----------



## AnimalIAm

yea lol something I realized was that they have ear wax on the outside of there ears! and cool we have 19 hens and one rooster


----------



## Southern by choice

Bruce said:


> Several Lamancha aficionados here.
> I think they need ears
> 
> but I don't have any goats so it is a moot point. My "herd" is the 2 alpacas in my avatar and 17 layer hens.


No Bruce- they do have ears- just little ones like us. The true original American goat! They spend their energy growing great personalities instead of ears.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah but goats just don't look right with "people size" ears!!
Maybe I could make prosthetic ears for Lamanchas


----------



## Hens and Roos

We sure have been spoiled with the nice weather we've had the last couple of weeks!  Cold weather has arrived- very windy here the last couple days and temps are in the high 20's-might have to add another layer of clothes for outside.  Had to remind DS(12) to wear his winter coat today....brrrrr

We are watching the 8 does we bred in Nov and hoping that all of them are bred- several were a bit challenging to know if they were in heat.  Of course the doelings from this year are very vocal when they are in heat.....


----------



## Southern by choice

Cold weather coming in here too.
Starting with alot of rain fri and temps going down... it is awful for December.
I am already crying  
Why can't we live in Florida during winter and here in spring /summer... much better idea. 
snow showers... ice... grrrrrrrrrrrr


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Cold weather coming in here too.
> Starting with alot of rain fri and temps going down... it is awful for December.
> I am already crying
> Why can't we live in Florida during winter and here in spring /summer... much better idea.
> snow showers... ice... grrrrrrrrrrrr
> View attachment 40972



trade you temps  we are at 18* this morning with a few snow flakes coming down(not suppose to amount to anything) and then Friday night/Sat morning we are to get 1-2" of snow.


----------



## Bruce

I wasn't aware it got that cold in NC. Aren't y'all in the SOUTH??


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> trade you temps  we are at 18* this morning with a few snow flakes coming down(not suppose to amount to anything) and then Friday night/Sat morning we are to get 1-2" of snow.


Ummmmmmmmm NO a big fat NO! There is a reason I live here, and a reason why I whine and complain once it goes down under 70. Anything under 70 is coat weather IMO. Below 40 is down filled coat weather... gloves are on at 50. 


Bruce said:


> I wasn't aware it got that cold in NC. Aren't y'all in the SOUTH??


We don't usually get those lows in Dec.
NC generally has one realllllly cold month (NC cold that is) where day will be at freezing or around there and nights- teens to single digits.
More late Jan/early Feb thing...
Although according to averages... it says 49 day 29 night for Jan and 54 day and 32 night..... not sure about all that


----------



## Hens and Roos

so negative temperatures are out of the question


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Following. I've gone back and read through every post. I have learned and enjoyed it very much. I look forward to following your story.


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> so negative temperatures are out of the question




BTW- I used Bio-pryn on a few goats this year for preg check... It was great! Very inexpensive, easy to mail out, results next day after they received samples.
I normally don't need a preg check... but I was going to sell two goats, thought one may be bred and one was open but needed to verify... glad I did because the one is pregnant- throws everything off now... but at least I know. It would not have been good if these goats left and one ended up kidding in Feb on the new farm.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> Following. I've gone back and read through every post. I have learned and enjoyed it very much. I look forward to following your story.



thank you


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> BTW- I used Bio-pryn on a few goats this year for preg check... It was great! Very inexpensive, easy to mail out, results next day after they received samples.
> I normally don't need a preg check... but I was going to sell two goats, thought one may be bred and one was open but needed to verify... glad I did because the one is pregnant- throws everything off now... but at least I know. It would not have been good if these goats left and one ended up kidding in Feb on the new farm.



so is that a blood sample that you send in?


----------



## Southern by choice

yep they will test for cae too


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> yep they will test for cae too


 
good to know.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So after working a 12 hour day....DH is now taking our clothes dryer apart...it(the dryer) stopped drying the clothes mid load DH is trying to determine what is wrong, what part is needed and if it's even worth fixing- we've had the dryer for 14 years now and it's seen a lot of laundry!  Had to hang up the wet clothes and hoping that DS(12)'s gym shirt dries for tomorrow.....

DD asked why I was drying the clothes weird


----------



## OneFineAcre

We get Dairy One to preg test the milk when we can


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> So after working a 12 hour day....DH is now taking our clothes dryer apart...it(the dryer) stopped drying the clothes mid load DH is trying to determine what is wrong, what part is needed and if it's even worth fixing- we've had the dryer for 14 years now and it's seen a lot of laundry!  Had to hang up the wet clothes and hoping that DS(12)'s gym shirt dries for tomorrow.....
> 
> DD asked why I was drying the clothes weird


14 year old dryer is not likely to be worth fixing


----------



## OneFineAcre

How's Granite ?
His mama is a milking machine
She may be our top producer ever as a FF


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> 14 year old dryer is not likely to be worth fixing



DH says that the safety switches are needing replacement- cost of the 2 about $35- guess the dryer will hopefully live to dry another load and that the appliance part store has them in stock!


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> How's Granite ?
> His mama is a milking machine
> She may be our top producer ever as a FF



Granite is doing well, has much better manners then our other buck(Chester).  Granite is such a character- he likes to drink out of the gallon jug that we carry water in for the water buckets and makes sure to get the last pieces of grain from the dishes.  So far the 3 does he bred haven't come back into heat 

That's awesome about his mama being your top producer as a FF


----------



## Goat Whisperer

@OneFineAcre how accurate is the milk test (preg check)? I have a friend who used this last year since her goats were already on test. She said it wasn't reliable and has gone back to the blood tests.  But it seems like it (milk preg check) is used by quite a few breeders.


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> DH says that the safety switches are needing replacement


I didn't say this but:
You can sometimes bypass them while waiting for the replacements.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> I didn't say this but:
> You can sometimes bypass them while waiting for the replacements.



Yeah DH could do that but we aren't sure if the high limit thermostat is stuck in the on position which means if it's by-passed it could burn up.....


----------



## Bruce

I didn't say this but:
I bypassed the hi-temp switch on my furnace. It would go through it's entire cycle of purging for 30 seconds, flame on for 20 seconds, run the fan, shut off flame after 1 minute, run purge and run the fan one more minute, repeat. Took FOREVER to get the house up to temp. I think there is actually something wrong with the circuit board because I got 2 new switches (they are self resetting) and it still did that. With that switch bypassed it runs as expected the first time in the morning until the thermostat is satisfied. All subsequent times it does that little "dance" once then starts up again and runs until the thermostat is satisfied.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> I didn't say this but:
> I bypassed the hi-temp switch on my furnace. It would go through it's entire cycle of purging for 30 seconds, flame on for 20 seconds, run the fan, shut off flame after 1 minute, run purge and run the fan one more minute, repeat. Took FOREVER to get the house up to temp. I think there is actually something wrong with the circuit board because I got 2 new switches (they are self resetting) and it still did that. With that switch bypassed it runs as expected the first time in the morning until the thermostat is satisfied. All subsequent times it does that little "dance" once then starts up again and runs until the thermostat is satisfied.



DH wants to know if your furnace is an 80% with metal vent pipe or a 90%+ with plastic vents?


----------



## OneFineAcre

Goat Whisperer said:


> @OneFineAcre how accurate is the milk test (preg check)? I have a friend who used this last year since her goats were already on test. She said it wasn't reliable and has gone back to the blood tests.  But it seems like it (milk preg check) is used by quite a few breeders.


Well I can count on one hand the times we saw a doe bred when she didn't settle so I'm not sure why I would test at all
We've never pregnancy tested our 
does 
Testing the milk is just an advantage of milk testing


----------



## OneFineAcre

Never had a doe confirmed pregnant that wasn't.


----------



## Southern by choice

OneFineAcre said:


> Well I can count on one hand the times we saw a doe bred when she didn't settle so I'm not sure why I would test at all
> We've never pregnancy tested our
> does
> Testing the milk is just an advantage of milk testing



Same here... we never needed to... but this case was different... the buck has been in question to his fertility... and I knew the one doe was open... unfortunately everytime the 2nd doe would possibly cycle  back I wasn't around to see... the goats were to be sold and I would breed December before they left... I am glad I did the check, because I would have bred the other doe in Dec... and as it stands the people cannot be there for a feb kidding so... we will hold the does til spring/summer. 

I was just impressed with the low cost and easy shipping etc.


----------



## babsbag

I have used blood pregnancy testing quite a bit. I use Sage Ag labs and she does preg. CL, CAE, and Johnes if you need it all done.  I would like to test 3 or 4 this year but by the time I get someone here to draw blood I may not need to check them.


----------



## babsbag

I live in Northern CA and we are having gorgeous weather. Highs in the upper 60's and lows in the 40's. It should be like this for at least another week and I am loving every minute. You guys can keep all your nasty cold weather. South....Ha !!!!!


----------



## Bruce

90+ propane with PVC vents. Navien. Not impressed, the problem started when it was barely a year old. May have existed earlier but it was nearly 6 months between when it was installed and when we could move back in. By then it was mid March. I never really noticed how it was running until I was in the house all day rather than showing up in the morning to work on things. It became obvious the following fall when we started needing the heat more due to outside temps. It was originally set up to run the fan 2 minutes after shutdown so mostly blowing unheated air around the house with a little shot of heat every 2.5 - 3 minutes. I changed that to 1 minute with the dip switches before figuring out the rollout switch was tripping. I've left it at 1 minute. 

The SW corner of the foundation of the original building needs to be replaced - fieldstone and it is separating because some idiot long ago put a door in not a foot from the corner compromising it. Prior owner nicely hid that by pointing all the stone before putting it on the market. Looked fine ... then. That corner will be replaced (and the house raised at that corner to replace the rotted 12x12 sills) with poured concrete and I'm considering replacing the propane furnace (rebuilt building on crawl space), propane on-demand water heater (which is not an efficient design given today's low water use appliances) and oil furnace in the basement of the original building with a geothermal unit powered by the solar panels. HOPEFULLY most of the existing ductwork can be used.


----------



## Hens and Roos

sounds like you really have a interesting situation going on- will have to watch your thread to see how the geothermal unit works out.

We got some snow late last night/early this morning- just enough that we had to go out and remove snow from a few places but the amount on the sidewalks varied greatly.

Dryer parts showed up today- DH put it back together and it was getting warm when he ran it without clothes so now we will test with a load of clothes .  DH figures it's good for another 14 years  Our items seem to last forever but items in the rental units fail on a regular basis....go figure


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> Our items seem to last forever but items in the rental units fail on a regular basis....go figure


Couldn't be because you take better care of your because YOU have to pay to repair them


----------



## Southern by choice

A broken dryer or washer here is a crisis!
Glad you got yours fixed.

BTW- snow here yesterday and today...
yesterday snow then sleet , snow then sleet... on and on
today- snow- no accumulation despite it snowing all day-- west of us I think has 8 or so inches

Just sayin' this is not right   oh... and if it is gonna snow we should at least have something to play in.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Couldn't be because you take better care of your because YOU have to pay to repair them



yeah that seems to be it, lucky for us DH is able to repair a lot of the items that the tenants break so that helps.  Dryer works great now and seems to be drying the clothes better/faster than before!


----------



## Hens and Roos

I can understand the crisis of having a broken washer or dryer @Southern by choice, with just 5 of us, we can run 5-6 loads a week maybe more depending on who needs what washed especially with 2 kids playing sports!

Listening to the weather, we are about 6" behind in snow fall for our area- maybe we'll catch up..

Starting baking Christmas cookies today, the kids have a cookie exchange tomorrow at the 4-H meeting so we needed some for that


----------



## Southern by choice

I love snow a few times a year, snow you can go play in! I just cannot imagine living in snow. 
I really hate the cold. I become very non- functional.


----------



## Bruce

Oddly enough, we don't have snow that we have to deal with all that often. I think I only ran the blower on the garden tractor 5 or 6 times last year. Certainly less than 10.


----------



## Hens and Roos

This is now hanging on the wall in our living room


----------



## Latestarter

That's awesome!


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks, my DS(15) made it in his metals shop class using a CNC machine and brought it home yesterday.


----------



## Bruce

Metal shop has changed a bit in the last 45 years!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Nice


----------



## Mike CHS

That is a super nice sign and also some really nice design work.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> That is a super nice sign and also some really nice design work.



thanks, he said it took him about a week to get the design figured out and just the way he wanted it to look....


----------



## Latestarter

Well, he should be very proud of the work he did, and you (obviously) are proud (& should be) to display & share it. That is the equivalent of what any professional could do. I'd ask for another to display out by the front gate/entrance to the farm.


----------



## Mike CHS

Hens and Roos said:


> thanks, he said it took him about a week to get the design figured out and just the way he wanted it to look....



I do some CNC work (wood version) so I know the design effort is a major thing.  It shows that he has been paying attention.


----------



## Hens and Roos

cold here this morning- we have -1* with the wind chill making it feel like -16* and the rest of the week is suppose to be similar temperatures....brrrrr.....when temps get like this we have to watch the goats extra close to make sure they are staying warm.  A few ventured outside for a bit but most are staying inside.


----------



## Southern by choice

no
.
.
.
way


----------



## Bruce

I guess you don't have to set an extra plate for @Southern by choice at your New Year's Eve party @Hens and Roos


----------



## Southern by choice

@Bruce  if I lived there.. I would just be in hibernation.


----------



## Bruce

Except you would then have to give up ALL your outdoor animals SBC! No hiding in the house when the critters need your attention. I guess you better just stay down there in "warm" North Carolina


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> @Bruce  if I lived there.. I would just be in hibernation.



unfortunately hibernation isn't an option but some days I wish it was...

Just got back from going and looking at a furnace at a unit- it wasn't running, with DH talking me through the steps via phone I got it going again-he will stop in later and double check things unless it has problems again sooner(I told the tenant to let us know right away if it doesn't warm up after an hour or so).  And because of the cold, he has to go and look at some frozen pipes at another unit......


----------



## Bruce

Oh, frozen pipes, NOT GOOD!!! I hope he gets to them before they crack.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Oh, frozen pipes, NOT GOOD!!! I hope he gets to them before they crack.



sounds like the tenant was able to reset the outlet and plug in a heater but he still go and take a look to make sure...he was contacted by the owner to take care of this.


----------



## Latestarter

Wanted to check the "like" box H&R but what's to like about possibly inop heating equipment in the middle of winter?  Hope no broken pipes. 

Just looked at my extended forecast and this coming Sunday night is supposed to be low single digits and Monday night... negative!  High Tuesday of ~36°f followed by lows of ~19 that night. I didn't sign up for this when I moved here to TX... Thought I was far enough south. I guess with this global warming I better consider Central America. I here Costa Rica is a real nice place for expats to retire to.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah I don't think it is supposed to go below 0°F in Texas! In fact (being ignorant as I am) I would have bet against it going below freezing until I met all you TX people and found out different.


----------



## Latestarter

The panhandle of TX used to be famous for blizzards and white outs. Guess they don't get as much snow now as they used to.


----------



## Hens and Roos

@Latestarter nothing to like about the heating not working...had to go back and meet up with the heating company we use...ended up finding that the exhaust pipe broke on the outside of the building and was freezing up the intake therefore short cycling...its now fixed.

we are dealing with the flu...DS(15), DS(12) and myself have the worst of it. DH is coughing but seems otherwise ok and DD seems to be okay but that means she has to do the chores without much help...I'm trying to get some paper work together that DH needs before going back to the couch


----------



## Southern by choice

Hope you and the kids have a speedy recovery! The flu is awful. Did you get the tamaflu meds? 
Last year it made a huge difference here.


----------



## Latestarter

Hated to give you a "like" on your last, but glad the repair was "minor" with the heating issue and nothing else piled on. Sorry you folks are under the weather. Speaking of weather, wow is it cold! What happened to global warming? I'm starting to think those calling for a coming ice age are more accurate. Hope y'all get over the sick soon. sucks having work to do and being sick.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hope you all are feeling better soon.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Hope you and the kids have a speedy recovery! The flu is awful. Did you get the tamaflu meds?
> Last year it made a huge difference here.



No didn't get the tamaflu meds- is it over the counter?  We are congested(each has a box of Kleenex next to them!) and generally feeling crappy.   I feel like I'm looking through googles...

It's snowing here- we are forecasted to get around 1 inch so DH and DD will have to go and take care of the snow route.  DS(12) is probably feeling the worst as he isn't moving much(not normal for him...lol).  DS(15) and I will do evening chores-just add a few more layers 

Of course Sat is the Christmas get together for my side of the family-pretty sure we aren't going- because the last thing we want to do is get my mom sick- she's been sick twice this year, the last time with walking pneumonia .


----------



## Bruce

Did you get flu shots? "They" are saying the strain this year doesn't match well with the vaccine but having the vaccine should still lessen the symptoms. I haven't (KNOCKING ON WOOD SO HARD they can hear me in Australia) I've not had the flu for several years.


----------



## Hens and Roos

the boys are the only ones who got the flu shot, the rest of us didn't.  Whatever strain we got seems to have caused congestion/coughing/running nose/sore throat with mild fever.


----------



## Southern by choice

According to the CDC the flu is pretty much everywhere and on the rise. 
Tamaflu is Rx and expensive if you have private insurance.


----------



## Mike CHS

We are maybe overly careful but we are avoiding any place that has crowds of people and that includes stores and restaurants (fast food or otherwise).


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> We are maybe overly careful but we are avoiding any place that has crowds of people and that includes stores and restaurants (fast food or otherwise).



we are pretty much right in the middle of it- kids in school and having to go to rental units for repairs etc.


----------



## Pastor Dave

I know a guy over here with Influenza A. I guess that is all the symptoms of stomach flu with all the symptoms of the respiratory version, including fever and aches. 

Folks have began calling things the flu that we didn't back in the day, so I don't know. None of it's fun and I am no longer sure what the vaccine covers. My doctor told me a week or two ago that he hasn't had any influenza cases come in, and it was too early yet to tell how effective the vaccine was. I had heard a 10% effectiveness, and asked him.

@Hens and Roos, I too liked the earlier post because you had luck with getting the heat issue resolved. The flu is not something fun to go through, for sure,  especially when the majority of the family gets hit with it.


----------



## Bruce

Southern by choice said:


> Tamaflu is Rx and expensive if you have private insurance.


Um, if it is expensive if you have insurance it must be a bank buster without!


----------



## Pastor Dave

My doctor's office bills went up when I got major medical. I had a good rate because my doctor had a flat $50 fee if you didn't have insurance. I have to meet a $2500 deductible yearly now before my insurance  beins paying out at 100% on preapproved items. So, I pay abt $100 and my insurance pays some menial percentage. There is a copay at the ER that is more manageable. I just knew that most diagnosis tests, labs, multiple doctors or surgeons take their cuts, facility/hospital portions make any general surgeries start out easily at 5-10 grand and I would rather pay the $2500.


----------



## Bruce

Our cost for DD2's November ear operation is $2,200 and we had already met the $700 family deductible before she had it. The insurance company paid $12,500. She gets the other ear done in June. Oh Joy.


----------



## greybeard

Pastor Dave said:


> My doctor's office bills went up when I got major medical. I had a good rate because my doctor had a flat $50 fee if you didn't have insurance.


Cash always talks the loudest..moreso than private  insurance or even medicare. 
(assumes of course one has the available assets to pay OoP.)


----------



## Southern by choice

Bruce said:


> Um, if it is expensive if you have insurance it must be a bank buster without!


That is just it- Private Insurance doesn't always pay for it- ours didn't so it was cash... like $110 each or something. But if you are on Government Assistance... $1.... state employee through their ins- $10.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy New Year Wishing everyone the best!


----------



## CntryBoy777

You too!!....but with temps at 17° and a windchill of -3° I feel like I'm visiting ya there....


----------



## Bruce

You are surely visiting our "regular for this time of year" temps @CntryBoy777 !! We don't usually go real negative until the end of January AFTER the January thaw.


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> You too!!....but with temps at 17° and a windchill of -3° I feel like I'm visiting ya there....



that is cold....


----------



## Mike CHS

I'll echo Fred except the 17 is 12 here.   _I hope your 2018 just keeps getting better with each day._


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Happy New Year to you too!


----------



## Pastor Dave

We were below 0 last night, with a high of abt 3 today, and -10 tonight, but by Wednesday it finally gets uo to abt 19degs.

My waterers are refrozen by the time I get the last ones thawed. They go at it for a while, and get a second drink at night feeding.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

We've started battling Cattle waterers. We don't have enough cows to keep the automatic waterers from freezing when it stays cold for this long. Two pastures have natural springs that are still running. That leaves two pens of feeder/Show calves that we are having to be creative with. The chickens seem to be doing well with rubber pans that we can bust the ice out of and fill twice a day. I found a hen sitting on three eggs this morning. Those were the only ones that haven't frozen during this cold spell.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

@Pastor Dave We are now on a wind chill advisory because the wind speed is up and due to the cold, it's causing more problems. Definitely stir crazy kids now! Lol


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are currently at 0* with sunshine


----------



## OneFineAcre

I feel for you all
Its very cold here but nothing like what y'all are dealing with


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> @Pastor Dave We are now on a wind chill advisory because the wind speed is up and due to the cold, it's causing more problems. Definitely stir crazy kids now! Lol



our kids go back to school tomorrow- 2 had homework to do over the week break.  Youngest DS(12) brought a few games out that we have played during the week- "Farkle" being the favorite.  We've also played some of the different games on Wii to help burn some energy!


----------



## CntryBoy777

The thermometer says it has made it to 27 on the front porch, but with the wind, ya sure can't feel it....the ducks are walking on ice in their pool and we are toting water to their pen 3 times a day so they have something wet to play in....


----------



## Hens and Roos

thankfully at the time we built the goat shelter, DH went ahead and put in electric in so we have heated water buckets for them- it helps a lot.

making pear sauce today


----------



## CntryBoy777

If we do stay here, then I do plan on this being the last year we have to tote water and to deal with frozen water in buckets. I plan on not only running electric, but having spigots in each are also.
Pear sauce....is that like applesauce, or something else used for ice cream topping or similar?.....I use different fruits and berries for sauces to uae with meats, is the reason that I ask...


----------



## Hens and Roos

DH just took off to go and look at a no hot water situation- not sure if something is wrong with the water heater or if some pipes are frozen(this is the same place a few posts back).  It's a weird set up- the mechanical room is set up on the outside of the unit (instead of inside the unit like we normally see them) and really lacks a good way to keep it warm.  DH took an extra heat vent along with him and is hoping to add it into the duct work to try and remedy the situation......


----------



## Hens and Roos

So the snow has returned...last week we were seeing temperatures in the high 40's and whatever snow we had melted but of course that came to an end this past weekend. 

Last night/early this morning we got at least 4 inches of snow-on the lighter side so it wasn't to bad shoveling-that's my job...and DH runs the tractor/blower and plow(he's offered many times to let me or DD run the tractor/blower but we aren't as efficient at it and it would take us longer).  It took us about 6 hours to remove snow from 32 driveways/sidewalks and they aren't all the same size.  It's starting to snow again so we might have to go out again once it finally stops.

The goats were not amused when they were fed this morning at 5:30 am and there was this alien white stuff on the ground.  They normally get fed/taken care of after the kids leave for school and its light outside...lots of complaints!!  DS(16) helped me get them taken care of before DH & I left for snow removal and he & DS(12) had to get on the bus for school.  

On a food note- we ended up making some appetizers bites but made them more like BLT's-we used some goat cheese mixed with cream cheese-they turned out yummy!


----------



## OneFineAcre

@Southern by choice 
They look like the things you brought to the meeting yesterday


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> @Southern by choice
> They look like the things you brought to the meeting yesterday



@Southern by choice posted the recipe a couple weeks ago


----------



## OneFineAcre

They sure are tasty


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Hens and Roos said:


> So the snow has returned...last week we were seeing temperatures in the high 40's and whatever snow we had melted but of course that came to an end this past weekend.
> 
> Last night/early this morning we got at least 4 inches of snow-on the lighter side so it wasn't to bad shoveling-that's my job...and DH runs the tractor/blower and plow(he's offered many times to let me or DD run the tractor/blower but we aren't as efficient at it and it would take us longer).  It took us about 6 hours to remove snow from 32 driveways/sidewalks and they aren't all the same size.  It's starting to snow again so we might have to go out again once it finally stops.
> 
> The goats were not amused when they were fed this morning at 5:30 am and there was this alien white stuff on the ground.  They normally get fed/taken care of after the kids leave for school and its light outside...lots of complaints!!  DS(16) helped me get them taken care of before DH & I left for snow removal and he & DS(12) had to get on the bus for school.
> 
> On a food note- we ended up making some appetizers bites but made them more like BLT's-we used some goat cheese mixed with cream cheese-they turned out yummy!
> View attachment 42337




Yum! I think I'll make the trip up there for some!!!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Looks like they turned out great!
I made some today as well. I did half chèvre & half cream cheese. Turned out great! 
Needed more jalapeños though. I used 1 really big one, but it didn’t have much flavor 

We might get a few inches of snow on Wednesday  Really hoping not! I can deal with the cold, but when we get rain/snow it gets a bit depressing… and this is coming from someone who loves rainy days. It’s just hard in the winter, takes days for everything to dry out!


----------



## Hens and Roos

I hear you on the weather @Goat Whisperer, hopefully it won't hit you as hard.

We had round 2 of snow removal last night, don't have the official amount but we probably got another inch or two later afternoon/evening.  We had to wait till about 10 pm to start as the snow system slowed down for a couple of hours so we didn't get home until early this am...and then get up close to regular time as to keep everything on track(the goats really don't like the time they get fed changed).  DS(16) offered to go out and help so I didn't have to but we decided that DH, myself and DS(16) would go and that really helped us move through the route quicker since the temperature was starting to drop with a wind chill.  Poor kid went to school pretty tired this morning.  DH ended up heading into work as well as a few maintenance calls came in for a furnace having problems and a couple toilets leaking...fun never ends here! 

Finally got a minute to look and see what kidding dates we need to be aware of- if I counted right(some days the struggle is real ) this is what we have based on day 145:

Rio-March 31st, 2018 (2nd time)
Melanie-April 1st, 2018 (3rd time)
Basil-April 1st, 2018 (FF)*
Obie-April 5th, 2018 (4th time)
Clove-April 6th, 2018 (FF- earliest date bred/if she took)*
Pepper-April 8th 2018 (FF- sister to Clove and Maggie was their dam)*
Amelia-April 11th 2018 (FF)
Coco-April 13th 2018 (4th time-hoping for 3 at the most )

*these 3 does are bred to Granite


----------



## AClark

April is going to be a busy month for you! I only have one potentially due around April 3rd-ish and that's my Ruby (Boer) bred to a Saanen buck. That's only a guess though depending on when she was bred, all I got was late September, maybe November. 

I use a calculator I found on google with the bred date. Counting isn't my strong suit!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Yeah and I won't have extra helpers because their spring break is the last week of March. With our weather we try and not have kidding happen when it's cold, so breeding doesn't happen until after Oct 31st.

To tell the truth, we would be okay with a buckling year  as we potential have several interested parties in getting wethers for pets.  And we really need to get our numbers down-as crazy as that sounds!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Looks like you'll have a busy 2 weeks give or take! Yay for goat kids! 

I use this calculator...http://www.americangoatsociety.com/education/gestation_calculator.php?Gestate=145. I have it bookmarked for easy reference. Saves me from counting.


----------



## Baymule

Even here in Texas we got 2 inches of snow. Supposed to turn to ice tonight, thaw tomorrow and turn to ice again tomorrow night with a low of 14 degrees! But by the weekend it will be 67 degrees!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Even here in Texas we got 2 inches of snow. Supposed to turn to ice tonight, thaw tomorrow and turn to ice again tomorrow night with a low of 14 degrees! But by the weekend it will be 67 degrees!



yuck on the ice...we have to watch and salt sidewalks when we get into the freeze/thaw cycle here.


----------



## AClark

I know what you mean, next year I'm not breeding anyone until November. I have two up in the barn due any day and it's miserable cold and makes me nervous that babies will get chilled. Never again, April or later for here. Then again, I didn't breed these guys and they came that way, all the rest of mine are due in June - also not particularly planned, just recently JD figured out he's a boy and what he's gotta do. 

Funny how that kind of thing makes you consider how to do it better. I wouldn't want winter babies where you live especially, it's far too cold for me!

We're like Bay, we didn't get snow or ice, but it's only 20 degrees out or so today (24 last I checked) but it's going to be 68 on Saturday.


----------



## Baymule

I have 2 ewes due ???? I check them first thing every morning. So far, they are still fat. LOL


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> Looks like you'll have a busy 2 weeks give or take! Yay for goat kids!
> 
> I use this calculator...http://www.americangoatsociety.com/education/gestation_calculator.php?Gestate=145. I have it bookmarked for easy reference. Saves me from counting.



thanks I bookmarked it for future use!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We had rain yesterday on and off all day-given that the ground is frozen-we ended up with flooding in our yard, the creek that boarders our property spilled over its banks adding to the water.  By yesterday afternoon, the water had reached the one side of the goat shelter but thankfully they stayed dried and we didn't have to move them.  To add to the fun, the temperature dropped last night, causing anything wet to freeze and we ended up with almost 1.5 inches of snow.  Removing snow this morning was on the slippery side and by the weekend we are to have temperatures in the 50's


----------



## Latestarter

wow, glad the damage wasn't worse. Hope the stuff melts and goes away soon for you.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Because of the ice, we ended up putting ice melt down and within an hour or so the sidewalks were looking pretty good.  If tomorrow is sunny that will help dry them off.

We would rather have snow first then rain because the snow keeps the rain from freezing and makes removal so much easier.  With the rain being all day, we couldn't even go out and pre-treat the sidewalks because it would have just washed away.

Not sure how long it will take the "lake" to leave our backyard- it has already receded from yesterday.

DH and I left before the kids had to get up for school but they know the drill, DD sets her alarm so they all get up on time and since she drives them in there are no problems.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just caught up on your "Roller-Coaster" ride....we had one of our own here and the ground has been saturated for over a week from the freezing after rain and another round of rain all day yesterday, the water has just pooled in the fields and is slowly receding into the ditch and have standing puddles in spots....the ducks are sure loving it.......sure hope ya are better by now and things are better for ya and the goats....


----------



## Hens and Roos

our "lake" iced over when the temps dropped which made it even more interesting to Ellie(our Aussie)-had to remind her several times to stay off-told her she doesn't have a leg to spare!!  By Friday mid-day/afternoon the water was pretty much gone but the ground was soft in areas.

The goats shelter never got wet inside but had some standing water in the goat yard-not sure about anyone else's goats but ours do not like to walk through any amount of water or mud!!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I understand....ours didn't come out of their house for 3days and finally came out when the snow was melting...


----------



## Hens and Roos

ours look at us like its our fault weird things are happening 

waiting for a batch of gyro meat to get done baking-used a mix of ground pork and goat-hopefully it turns out as good as the last batch!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

That sounds yummy!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our stare at me and bleet their individual "bleet" in harmony to get it to Stop!!............or at least make their area dry, thawed, and 40-60s are just fine with them too.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had snow everyday last week so we were out every other day for snow removal- overall we ended with around 13 inches of snow! We have had more snow in Feb compared to Jan and Dec.  This week we had a couple of days in the 40's so melting going on which equals mud and then ice with the temps dropping below freezing early this morning...sure keeps chore time interesting!! 

This morning I asked DH if he could put a bumper on the front of our fed sled(we pull it by hand)...he promptly called me back and asked what I ran into...told him the chicken pens as the hill was mostly ice...it's all good nothing damaged but did surprise the chickens 

DH took the day on Wednesday to work at home so we could attempt to catch up on everything that falls behind when it snows.  The goat's shelter got cleaned out and of course not everything went smoothly- we managed to dump one of the loads going out to the field....not sure why DH thought he could make it up the snowy hill 

our bred does are starting to show- some more then others!  The human kids are starting to guess how many each one will have....


----------



## CntryBoy777

Some pipe insulation around the edge of the sled should be a easy fix to the banging problem....sorry the weather is being so difficult for ya and so much work....I know ya are anxious for the little ones to get there, but waiting for better weather was good planning on your part....


----------



## Bruce

I find it useful to "pull" the sled downhill from behind. Let gravity do the work and hold back the speed from the rear rather than with my ankles.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> I find it useful to "pull" the sled downhill from behind. Let gravity do the work and hold back the speed from the rear rather than with my ankles.



the sled I use is one that DH made several years ago from an old pair of skis and wood-its heavy so you definitely don't want to be in front of it!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

This week has been pretty nice here and our yard was dry enough that we were able to clean out the goats and rabbits!  We started early enough so that the field we spread it in wasn't too sloppy!!

All the goats were given their CD&T shot as some of them are within 30 days or so of kidding.  Our older 4 bred does are really starting to show and the 3 FF not as much.

We went through and trimmed all hooves-some goats behaved better then others even with treats.

For those of you that give BoSE shots-when do you typically give them?


----------



## OneFineAcre

6 weeks to a month 
I think they say towards the end of 2nd trimester which would be 6-8 but we never seem to make that time frame


----------



## Baymule

I don't have the winter that you do, but lately we've had a LOT of rain. it made all the animal pens slop and yuck. SO glad to have a few days of sunshine! glad that you have had nice weather and were able to get the goats and rabbits all cleaned up.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> 6 weeks to a month
> I think they say towards the end of 2nd trimester which would be 6-8 but we never seem to make that time frame



so we could go ahead and give them now?  Our 1st doe is due at the end of the month and the rest in April.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> so we could go ahead and give them now?  Our 1st doe is due at the end of the month and the rest in April.


Yep


----------



## Hens and Roos

We ended up getting some more snow late yesterday afternoon into the evening-probably ended up getting 4 inches or so-haven't looked it up yet.
Of course DD and DS(12) had a choir concert but that was rescheduled for this evening. 

Given how the snow fell, DH and I went out late last night to run our snow route.  This snow was the kind you could build a snowman with-heavy/wet.  It took us about 8 hours to clear all the places we take care of and we got home this morning around 8 am to do chores and then I took a nap.  DH is sleeping yet. I could use some more sleep but given that we have evening chores and school activities, I figure I better get up.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Yep



thanks


----------



## Hens and Roos

9 days left until the start of our kidding season! 

Rio will be at day 145 on Sat March 31st, I'd be okay if she held off for a day or so.....we have 3 for sure and maybe up to 5 rental units to get ready for April 1st.  One unit we will get back noon on March 31st and hand keys to the new tenants on April 1st(this one will hopefully be an easy turn)

Next week starts spring break here, maybe I'll get some extra hands to help but DD and DS(16) have sport practices-one at the start of the day and one at the end of the day....thinking DD will be in charge of this!!

DD and I had the opportunity to go to New Orleans on the high school band/choir trip-we traveled by coach bus with 75+ other students, teachers and chaperones for a total of 5 days.  DH was awesome in that he was willing to take on my work load plus his work load to make it work.  We had a fun time and toured some interesting places!

we made maple syrup again this year-I helped for the 1st batch and then DH, DS(16) and DS(12) did the next 2 batches.  Syrup was lighter this year compared to last year. 

I'll try to post some pictures showing the does that are due-hopefully it will let me as our internet has been very slow.....


----------



## Baymule

Y'all have been busy! Hope you can juggle Rio kidding and the make ready on the rental units!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Y'all have been busy! Hope you can juggle Rio kidding and the make ready on the rental units!



thanks, one unit done, probably get the next one on Monday!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Rio-we think 2 kids


----------



## Hens and Roos

Melanie-day 145 is April 1st-she's given us 2 bucklings each of the last 2 kiddings


----------



## Hens and Roos

Basil-FF-day 145 is April 1st-hopefully 1 but her dam is the one who had 5 last year!


----------



## Latestarter

no problems!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Obie-day 145 is April 5th.....she's had triplets, single and triplets


----------



## Hens and Roos

Clove-FF-day 145 is April 6th...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Pepper-FF-(full sib to Clove-last kidding from Maggie)-day 145 is April 8th


----------



## Hens and Roos

And last to kid will be Coco-day 145 is April 13th the day before DS(12)'s birthday(told him, he could stay home on his birthday if she kids)...she is shedding but really doesn't want us to touch her, which is typically for her...


----------



## Bruce

Obie sure looks to be carrying extra baggage on both sides.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Obie sure looks to be carrying extra baggage on both sides.



about the size of 2 basketballs


----------



## Baymule

I predict that Melanie will have a doe and you will name her April.


----------



## Bruce

Or Fool


----------



## Hens and Roos

Units that had to be ready for April 1st are done! In fact the one that we got back today to get ready for tomorrow was super clean and ready to go-the tenant's who moved out did a fantastic job(wish they all did this)!!

Our kidding area is set up and tonight we decided to move Rio, Melanie and Basil into the area....who knows we might have 3 kidding tomorrow 

we are now sitting and coloring Easter eggs...the kids still enjoy doing this and they try and get creative as to the colors/designs for some of the eggs.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Rumor has it tonight is a full moon...I haven’t checked the validity of this but if that’s the case, lots of deliveries could occur...


----------



## Hens and Roos

I sure hope not....

DD just checked and Rio is eating hay and Melanie & Basil are laying by the door....last year both Rio & Melanie kidded on day 150


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Do you check ligs?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> Do you check ligs?



yep, as much as each goat will allow us to!  It's interesting to see how their personalities change as they get closer to kidding.  Some don't want to be touch or only certain people can and other become love bugs...


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I totally agree!!!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Our friendly goats don't want you to touch them
Our standoffish goats get lovey dovey


----------



## Baymule

I had a ewe that was bounce off the fence/walls crazy. REEEEEL crazy. I couldn't even get close to her. Two days before she lambed, she couldn't get enough rubs and scratches. And she has been a pet ever since. Go figure.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Even though Munchkin doesn't know it yet- she now has siblings- Rio had her kids this afternoon: a buckling and a doeling.  

Rio did a excellent job delivering them and I made a pretty good assistant if I must say so!  She cleaned them off and they both were up and doing a good job nursing.  

I'll post more later-have to go and get chores done now as I'm short handed today.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Yay! So glad Rio’s arrived uneventfully!


----------



## Baymule

YAY!!!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congratulations


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats to you and Rio! You know, there's a saying here on BYH... pics or it never happened


----------



## Hens and Roos

well....I got as far as getting the picture transferred to the computer, give me a few hours(or days) it will be worth it


----------



## Hens and Roos

So here are a few pictures:

Rio-kidded-April 3rd and had 1 buckling(8 lbs 6 oz) and 1 doeling( 6 lbs 6 oz):




buckling is standing by wall and doeling is by Rio


----------



## Hens and Roos

These 3 kids made their appearance yesterday(4/4) late afternoon...their dam waited till her human got home from school before having them 

Buckling #1-5 lbs 2 oz; Buckling #2- 5 lbs 8 oz; Doeling-4 lbs 8 oz so nice sized kids.  The doeling is between her brothers.  



I'll let you guess as to who these 3 belong to....


----------



## Baymule

Congrats on the new babies!! They are so cuddly cute!


----------



## Latestarter

Grats!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So before time gets away from me again...here is another update 

Obie kidded on Friday(4/6) late afternoon with 2 bucklings and 1 doeling;  The 1st one was a buckling(3 lbs 14 oz) soon followed by buckling 2(3 lbs 15 oz) and doeling(4 lbs).






With Melanie's and Obie's kidding, I was lucky and had an extra set of hands to help out-DD has a friend whose sister is taking classes to be a vet tech and she was excited to come and help out!  Extra hands are so nice to have!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Basil(FF) decided that Sunday(4/8) was a good day to kid!  DD checked her and a half hour or so later, Basil had her 1st kid out-a doeling, then her 2nd doeling and finally her buckling . We were thinking 1 maybe 2 kids at most! 

She is doing a great job of taking care of her kids!  OFA Granite is the sire of the kids!



​


----------



## Baymule

What beautiful babies! Gorgeous colors!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Your triplets are so much bigger than ours! I was talking to SBC and was telling her that I was feeding the does for more than a month before. Who knows...

Congratulations on healthy, adorable goat kids!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> Your triplets are so much bigger than ours! I was talking to SBC and was telling her that I was feeding the does for more than a month before. Who knows...
> 
> Congratulations on healthy, adorable goat kids!!



Thanks.  We feed year around with a beet pellet/alfalfa pellet mix and 17% Goat feed- the amounts fed are changed based on the goat's need.  Our goats get alfalfa/grass hay mix all year around-depends on what we can find for sale here.


----------



## promiseacres

so very cute!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Was able to get weights on all the kids today:

Rio's- 1 week old
buckling- 11 lbs 5 oz
doeling- 8 lbs 10 oz

Melanie's- 6 days old
buckling #1- 6 lbs 15 oz
buckling #2- 7 lbs 6 oz
doeling- 6 lbs 1 oz

Obie's- 4 days old
buckling #1- 5 lbs 0 oz
buckling #2- 4 lbs 11 oz
doeling- 4 lbs 14 oz

Basil-2 days old 
doeling #1- 3 lbs 7 oz
doeling #2- 4 lbs 0 oz
buckling- 4 lbs 6 oz


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are currently waiting for 3 does to kid-Pepper, Amelia and Coco all could at anytime...of course our weather isn't being so nice-today we are suppose to get rain, ice and snow


----------



## AFewGoatsForMe

Such cute babies. I love all the spots from Obie’s babies. 

Do your babies use that barrel or are they more likely to stay with mom?


----------



## Wehner Homestead




----------



## Hens and Roos

AFewGoatsForMe said:


> Such cute babies. I love all the spots from Obie’s babies.
> 
> Do your babies use that barrel or are they more likely to stay with mom?



The kids use the barrels, most of our does will lay with their head in the barrel by the kids.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

X2


----------



## Latestarter

Hope everything goes smoothly for you, and soon. You folks up north there seem to have had one storm after another blast you. Seems there's another one moving across right now that's making blizzard conditions across Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, and into Iowa. Then strong storms east of that, from the great lakes all the way to the gulf... Been one crazy spring... <shaking head>


----------



## Bruce

Looks like a long nasty storm ran east over TX earlier today. Probably just went through @CntryBoy777's area and is heading for @Mike CHS.  



Hens and Roos said:


> We are currently waiting for 3 does to kid-Pepper, Amelia and Coco all could at anytime...of course our weather isn't being so nice-today we are suppose to get rain, ice and snow


We were supposed to get that same stuff today. DD1 was not pleased that it didn't happen. Off ice practice today and that is never fun. Ice time is expensive but you really can't get the number moving off ice. Forecast still says we should get ~3" of snow by 2 PM tomorrow.


----------



## AFewGoatsForMe

Hens and Roos said:


> The kids use the barrels, most of our does will lay with their head in the barrel by the kids.




Great. I may have to set something like that up. Do you use an actual heat bulb in there?


----------



## Wehner Homestead

AFewGoatsForMe said:


> Great. I may have to set something like that up. Do you use an actual heat bulb in there?



Just in case H&R isn’t back on quickly, you should be able to search “heater barrel” on the kidding thread and the plans should be able to be found. Several of us use ones very similar to those plans. It’s a blue barrel, heat lamp, etc. I’ll see if I can find it and tag you.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

AFewGoatsForMe said:


> Great. I may have to set something like that up. Do you use an actual heat bulb in there?



I found one and tagged you!


----------



## Hens and Roos

AFewGoatsForMe said:


> Great. I may have to set something like that up. Do you use an actual heat bulb in there?



Yes we do use a heat bulb as the light is high up in the barrel and anything smaller doesn't give off enough heat.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had to run some errands today.....lots going on...

It's youngest DS's birthday-he is officially 13 years old!

It's also prom tonight for DD and DS(16); DD is going with friends for pictures, dinner and dance.  Both DD and DS(16) will go to the after prom at the school(they have games, a DJ for the kids and it gives them a safe place to hang out)!  Of course DH and I are helping drive DD and several of her friends.  

DD got home before us and found this....





Pepper had kidded just before she got home and was working to dry off her kids.  Of course DD jumped in to help get everyone dried off and nursing.  Pepper was bred to OFA Granite and has 3 bucklings:

buckling #1 (white on right hind leg) 4 lbs 3 oz
buckling #2 (3 white socks-laying down) 3 lbs 7 oz
buckling #3 (black with brown) 3 lbs 13 oz

they are still working on getting their legs under them!

So DS(13) was lucky and had a goat kid on his birthday...he thinks it's cool!


----------



## Bruce

Good thing that happened before she put the prom dress on!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Good thing that happened before she put the prom dress on!



Yeah at that point it was only her hair and nails...


----------



## Bruce

Oh sorry, couldn't help myself. Imagining her getting home from the hair and nail place and diving right in with the kids not even thinking about it. Hopefully nothing got too messed up.


----------



## AFewGoatsForMe

Thanks @Wehner Homestead and @Hens and Roos, I just made one for the twins that were born. We are using a red heat bulb. 

More triplets!, Congrats!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Oh sorry, couldn't help myself. Imagining her getting home from the hair and nail place and diving right in with the kids not even thinking about it. Hopefully nothing got too messed up.



Nothing got messed up but your imagination was right on the mark... she didn't hesitate to step in!


----------



## Latestarter

Congrats on the trips. Hope the humans have fun at the prom and associated parties/gatherings.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Congrats on the trips. Hope the humans have fun at the prom and associated parties/gatherings.



DH just got home from dropping DD and her friends off...the roads are snow covered and icy and it's just better this way!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Not a good night for one of those "OHNo" calls....better Safe than sorry....


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> Not a good night for one of those "OHNo" calls....better Safe than sorry....



We totally agree, DD is a good driver but DH has a lot of experience driving in weather like this.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Prom and after prom went well, DH did all
the driving, so everyone got to bed early Sunday morning.  We ended up with rain/ice pack then snow, we started snow removal yesterday around 5 pm and got home this morning about 2 am...long night.  We would have left sooner but Coco decided it was time and presented us with: 2 doelings and 1 buckling....yep only triplets this year...





in the picture(l to r) doeling, buckling, doeling)


----------



## CntryBoy777

They are just Beautiful!!....3 is enough at one time for her to deal with....


----------



## Latestarter

Fantastic! Congrats and glad all worked out with everyone with prom and storm and driving and work and delivery...


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Congrats!! They are cute and look like they are doing well despite the weather. 

Glad prom was safe for all!


----------



## horseymama2

Congratulations!  They are so cute!


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> They are just Beautiful!!....3 is enough at one time for her to deal with....



Yep, 3 is a nice number 

They are a nice size too
doeling #1(standing in barrel)- 4 lbs 1 oz
buckling- 3 lbs 13 oz
doeling #2- 4 lbs


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats.
Any doe kids out of Granite?


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Congrats.
> Any doe kids out of Granite?



Basil had 2 doelings and 1 buckling-  she was bred to Granite.  Look back a few pages, they were nice weights too.

Pepper was bred to Granite- she had 3 bucklings
Clove was bred to Granite but will be due in May if she took


----------



## Hens and Roos

Haven't posted a lot about Amelia-she is the standard doe we took in late last summer.  She is huge compared to our nigies and makes Rio(Lamancha) look small..we bred her to Chester for mini-Nubian/Tog kids. 

Tuesday(4/17) night she presented us with 2 doelings-DD and DH were the ones on hand to help her(more like grab a catcher mit and catch the kids ) and get her settled into her own area.  With the snow that came Wednesday and us going out on snow route, I didn't get any good pictures(hopefully today)!

Unfortunately, Amelia has not settled into our group and so we found an awesome home for her and her doelings-they will be leaving us in the next few weeks if all goes well.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Glad the delivery went well and Amelia will have a chance to find her fit somewhere! 

I’m there right now. Nellie doesn’t fit as the only one female I kept from that purchase and Caramel won’t leave her alone. Really hoping that she will bond with her doelings enough to get more comfortable and have a snuggle buddy for cold nights. She will probably always be pretty submissive to the pushy Caramel though. Ugh! I love Nell...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> Glad the delivery went well and Amelia will have a chance to find her fit somewhere!
> 
> I’m there right now. Nellie doesn’t fit as the only one female I kept from that purchase and Caramel won’t leave her alone. Really hoping that she will bond with her doelings enough to get more comfortable and have a snuggle buddy for cold nights. She will probably always be pretty submissive to the pushy Caramel though. Ugh! I love Nell...



It's hard when they don't fit in, our yearling does are afraid of Amelia.  Amelia doesn't always play nice so to speak...Rio and Melanie are our herd "queens" who can keep everyone playing nice but with them kidding...there is more chaos going on.  Really hoping that the weather warms up so we can change up a few things and get chaos back to normal!


----------



## CntryBoy777

So Glad things went well with the 2 doelings and they are well....sorry about the chaos and glad ya was able to find another place for them to go....much better than trying to just make excuses and trying to force the "fit"....ya surely are doing the right thing.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

We have to milk Amelia tonight, it seems like her doelings are favoring one side.

Remind me again how long colostrum is produced in the milk...it's been 48 hours since they were born.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Hens and Roos said:


> We have to milk Amelia tonight, it seems like her doelings are favoring one side.
> 
> Remind me again how long colostrum is produced in the milk...it's been 48 hours since they were born.



Colostrum for 24 hrs but most say the milk is “off” for at least a week.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> Colostrum for 24 hrs but most say the milk is “off” for at least a week.



thanks! that's what I was wondering and couldn't remember from last year.


----------



## Hens and Roos

It's been rainy here the last few days of this week...we are close to 6 inches of rain for the month of May. The creek next to us is high but hasn't spilled over into our yard but we do have some puddles in the goat yards...

Sure hoping the hay crops around us do well this year....last fall we purchased and stored under tarp 10 big square bales of an alfalfa mixed hay(very nice stuff) figuring it to last into May but that wasn't the case and it took us a bit to find someone who had some bales.  We ended up getting a couple of mostly grass bales and thankfully the goats seem to like them! 

We did run into one person who was selling baleage and told DH that it was a great feed for goats and was willing to sell us some until DH told him we were looking for 1 or 2 bales...then it wasn't worth his time...

Has anyone used baleage as feed for their goats?  Our concern would be the possibility of mold/bacteria/listeriosis if the bales weren't stored correctly.


----------



## Baymule

I just got caught up on your thread. I love it that your DD jumped in the goat pen to assist with the kids--all beautified for Prom! Girl after my own heart-she has her priorities in the right place! And kids on your DS's 13th birthday! That is a pretty neat birthday present!

I have never used baleage. Do any of the feed stores carry hay? If all you need is a couple of bales, maybe it will get you by.


----------



## Hens and Roos

a couple bales would last us a day @Baymule for the goats, we currently go through two 750-800 pound bales each month.


----------



## Baymule

Ok, cancel that thought! A round bale lasts the sheep a month. How many goats do you have? I realize no one wants to know the actual number of animals they have.......goat math......living in denial........the ones that you are thinking about selling don't count...........


----------



## Bruce

Oh I'm sure it isn't more than 3 or 4, right @Hens and Roos ??


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Baymule said:


> Ok, cancel that thought! A round bale lasts the sheep a month. How many goats do you have? I realize no one wants to know the actual number of animals they have.......goat math......living in denial........the ones that you are thinking about selling don't count...........



The baleage must be in smaller amounts. A 750-800# bale would be a round bale. I’d think you are correct in your thinking. I’m sure H&R will let us know though. 

I had to stop and count my goats. The number keeps changing lol. 

I have five does, 2 bucks, four bucklings, 7 doelings, and 2 more doelings coming. That makes 20! Wow! No clue my number was that high. Way too much testosterone though. Need to work on that!


----------



## Bruce

I think you need to recount @Wehner Homestead, the number is 4:

does
bucks
bucklings
doelings 
Yep, 4.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Ok, cancel that thought! A round bale lasts the sheep a month. How many goats do you have? I realize no one wants to know the actual number of animals they have.......goat math......living in denial........the ones that you are thinking about selling don't count...........



Well.......its probably best that I don't go on record as to how many we actually have  so we'll go with the number that @Bruce threw out plus a few


----------



## Bruce

Close is good enough, give or take 100!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> I think you need to recount @Wehner Homestead, the number is 4:
> 
> does
> bucks
> bucklings
> doelings
> Yep, 4.



Even funnier is that I have five pens and two aren’t even here yet!

I do like the way you think though!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Hens and Roos said:


> Well.......its probably best that I don't go on record as to how many we actually have  so we'll go with the number that @Bruce threw out plus a few



A couple sets of triplets adds up fast!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> The baleage must be in smaller amounts. A 750-800# bale would be a round bale. I’d think you are correct in your thinking. I’m sure H&R will let us know though.
> 
> I had to stop and count my goats. The number keeps changing lol.
> 
> I have five does, 2 bucks, four bucklings, 7 doelings, and 2 more doelings coming. That makes 20! Wow! No clue my number was that high. Way too much testosterone though. Need to work on that!



we aren't feeding baleage, the bales are big square ones- we aren't set up to feed round bales.

it's funny how that number keeps changing!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

DH considered going to the big square bales for stacking but can’t seem to decide how to feed them and would need different equipment attachments to handle the bales. 

We will see how that turns out. I’ll think his mind is made up against something and all of a sudden I’m writing a check for such and such that we now HAVE to have.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> DH considered going to the big square bales for stacking but can’t seem to decide how to feed them and would need different equipment attachments to handle the bales.
> 
> We will see how that turns out. I’ll think his mind is made up against something and all of a sudden I’m writing a check for such and such that we now HAVE to have.



We can only store 1 or 2 at a time, DH uses our skid steer to unload off our trailer and put into our storage place- then we pull hay off and fill 2 big garbage cans for each feeding, we cart it to where the goats are...


----------



## Mike CHS

I think we all know who has control of the math here.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> I think we all know who has control of the math here.



it's a joint venture here


----------



## Bruce

Wehner Homestead said:


> Even funnier is that I have five pens and two aren’t even here yet!
> 
> I do like the way you think though!


Of course you have one empty pen that one is for when you have 5 goats. You didn't list any wethers. I think maybe 5 goats is the max a person can have.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Bruce said:


> Of course you have one empty pen that one is for when you have 5 goats. You didn't list any wethers. I think maybe 5 goats is the max a person can have.



I need to make some of those boys into wethers...May just ship them though. Can’t really justify feeding them when they can’t produce more goats and/or milk...


----------



## Bruce

Then you will never have more than 4 goats, that isn't many


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> I need to make some of those boys into wethers...May just ship them though. Can’t really justify feeding them when they can’t produce more goats and/or milk...



anything we are sending to process will get wethered to make sure that there isn't a bucky taste.


----------



## Bruce

Except you need to know your customers. Apparently some cultures want them intact. Or so I've read here on BYH.


----------



## Baymule

Bruce said:


> Except you need to know your customers. Apparently some cultures want them intact. Or so I've read here on BYH.


So where are all these "cultures" anyway?  So far, the only customers I've had are plain vanilla, boring white people.


----------



## Bruce

Um, I don't recall but I do remember people here posting that they intentionally kept their boys intact because the customers wanted them that way.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

We have a local slaughterhouse that takes drop offs. We’ve always left ours intact when headed there. He pays a little more per pound. They aren’t quite big enough to be “Bucky” tasting when we take them. He sells to restaurants in Chicago and the local Middle Eastern and Hispanic population special order from him also.


----------



## Hens and Roos

we haven't looked into anything like that here @Wehner Homestead , I know we can take them to auction if needed.  We only had a couple processed last year for our freezer.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Hens and Roos said:


> we haven't looked into anything like that here @Wehner Homestead , I know we can take them to auction if needed.  We only had a couple processed last year for our freezer.



We’ve never eaten any of ours. We raised Boers before and made enough selling them that we couldn’t justify keeping one for us.


----------



## Hens and Roos

over the last several days we have gotten more rain and once again mud....surprisingly, I was able to get morning chores done but it started raining harder once I finished.  It's making it hard for the farmers to get all their fields planted.

DS(13) played in a soccer tourney this weekend-4 games- his team came in 2nd.  The championship game was played on a extremely muddy field...especially by the one goal....needless to say-he was pretty muddy by the end of the game...yep you guessed it.....he's goalie!


----------



## Mike CHS

It seems the messier the playing field the harder they play.


----------



## Baymule

We need rain, it is dry here! I'll even take the mud!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are hoping to get our garden planted this weekend provided it has dried out enough to be tilled again...probably several varieties of squash, pickles, tomato plants and ???

Which brings me to my question- we were given some seed packets that have sell by dates of 2017 and 2011- do you think the packets from 2011 will grow?


----------



## Latestarter

Only one way to find out... plant them. May not get 100% but I'll bet some of them still sprout.


----------



## samssimonsays

We had 100% grow rate from seeds that had sell by dates of 2015 last year. They had been stored inside their packets in a plastic tote in the basement tho.


----------



## Bruce

I agree with LS. Seeds "in the wild" can be viable for years if conditions aren't right for germination. And there are seed "banks" in case of worldwide disaster. You know THOSE seeds weren't "packed for (insert year following disaster)"


----------



## Mike CHS

I do germination tests on seeds older than 3 years but I've seen germination rates as high as 75% for seeds that were 6 years old so just plant extra and thin if needed.


----------



## Baymule

Plant them. what do you have to lose?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Plant them. what do you have to lose?



nothing really, maybe some time


----------



## Hens and Roos

with the temps being in the mid 90's over the weekend, we didn't get our garden in...tilled yes but it rained yesterday so probably will till again...

kids are done with school tomorrow and DD(18) will graduate on Sunday...hard to believe 18 years have gone by already....working on getting the yard cleaned up....it would be great if the temperature was a little cooler, then I could work outside for longer amounts of time.

We're milking 2 does now and will add 2 more to the milk stand on Sat...


----------



## Mike CHS

It sounds like you folks skipped spring altogether.  Congratulations on your Grad also, time does go by too fast it seems.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> It sounds like you folks skipped spring altogether.  Congratulations on your Grad also, time does go by too fast it seems.



it appears that we did skip spring.  Thanks


----------



## CntryBoy777

Ya better hold on to your boot-straps cause time continues to speed up on ya!!.....Congratulations on the Graduation!!....sorry bout the heat, we've already hit the triple digits on the feels-like meter here and the air is thick with humidity..........Summer will be over fore ya know it, so enjoy the time while ya can....


----------



## Baymule

Wasn't it only yesterday that your DD(18) started kindergarten? It all seems in the blink of the eye, children are grown and gone. Blink again and they are married bringing their new baby to see you. Savor every moment, enjoy graduation.


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry the garden hasn't been planted yet. Getting on the verge of too late now, isn't it? Best get 'er done! Grats to the grad and the folks who got her there! Good job mom!


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> DD(18) will graduate on Sunday


Does she have plans to go to college and does she have a major in mind?


----------



## Hens and Roos

DD will be attending UW Platteville in the fall- she is leaning towards the agriculture field.

With the way things are going around here, thinking the garden won't be happening this year...in the process of cleaning up our flower beds and yard....I must have gotten into something(s) and I am now dealing with an allergic reaction...patches of hives all over since late Sunday...Have been to see the doctor and ended up going to the ER this afternoon...now taking 2 different medicines to get it under control...the hardest part is how itchy it is.....


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Lots of options with an ag degree. My dad is actually an engineer with an ag degree. 

Yikes! Hope you get feeling better soon. Maybe you can put a few easy things out in 5 gallon buckets or just a few small rows.


----------



## Baymule

Oh no! Hives! I am highly allergic to Virginia Creeper, what most folks around here call poison oak. It breaks me out in big patches, with blisters and intense itching. I have taped socks on my hands at night so I wouldn't claw the patches in my sleep. I hope what they gave you at the hospital is working. That sounds miserable. 

For itchy places I use Aloe Vera gel with lidocaine, found in the sunburn section. Another good one is Arnicare, it is a pain reliever and works good on itchy spots too.


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry to here about your allergic reaction. I have to deal with poison ivy/oak here and deal with rash and itches most of the warm season. Basically any time I have to do yard work...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Oh no! Hives! I am highly allergic to Virginia Creeper, what most folks around here call poison oak. It breaks me out in big patches, with blisters and intense itching. I have taped socks on my hands at night so I wouldn't claw the patches in my sleep. I hope what they gave you at the hospital is working. That sounds miserable.
> 
> For itchy places I use Aloe Vera gel with lidocaine, found in the sunburn section. Another good one is Arnicare, it is a pain reliever and works good on itchy spots too.



I will have to look into those 2 items-we do have an Aloe Vera gel for after sunburn but sometimes that doesn't feel good when I put it on....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> Sorry to here about your allergic reaction. I have to deal with poison ivy/oak here and deal with rash and itches most of the warm season. Basically any time I have to do yard work...



up till now, I've had no problems doing the yard work and pulling weeds.....


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sorry to hear ya are having issues with a rash and sure hope ya can find some relief from it....things like that can be so irritating in keeping ya from doing what ya want to do.....maybe your DD will help ya out with the garden some and give her a jump on that ag degree....


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> Sorry to hear ya are having issues with a rash and sure hope ya can find some relief from it....things like that can be so irritating in keeping ya from doing what ya want to do.....maybe your DD will help ya out with the garden some and give her a jump on that ag degree....



DD and her brothers are very good helpers, we couldn't ask for better kids!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So we got some more things done today-all the rabbit cages were cleaned and drum roll....our garden is almost planted!!  DD and DS(13) grabbed the seeds while I was working on the rabbits and got it done!!  We just need to pick up some tomato plants.


----------



## Mike CHS

It looks like the kids knew you were needing help and jumped right in.  Good for them (and you for teaching them).


----------



## CntryBoy777

Now that is a "Family Affair" that is certainly worth the while.....


----------



## Wehner Homestead




----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> It looks like the kids knew you were needing help and jumped right in.  Good for them (and you for teaching them).



thanks, they are very good about helping out when needed, DS(16) went to work today with DH to lend a hand.  They aren't afraid to work


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> Now that is a "Family Affair" that is certainly worth the while.....



most everything we do is a "Family Affair"


----------



## Hens and Roos

So Friday afternoon we weaned all the boys and they weren't very happy with us.  They of course are letting us know this very loudly!   Pepper is our only doe that doesn't have at least 1 doeling with her yet and is a 1st freshener- she is doing very well on the milk stand a gives almost 1 quart per milking(am & pm).  

Saturday we had DD's graduation party-had a very beautiful day and a nice turn out, best thing was that Grandma(my mom) was able to come for it .


----------



## Hens and Roos

Can't say that our bucklings/wethers are super happy with us....we turned almost all the bucklings into wethers on Sat....

We are pasteurizing about 2 gallons of milk every other day- only milking 3 does at this point.  We've been making some cheese- tried our hand at Mozzarella- it turned out good and didn't last long so no pictures to share .  Just finished draining a batch of Chevre and DD is putting together some stuffed mushrooms(I'll try to get a picture before they get eaten..).  Will use the whey to make a batch of Ricotta and DD found an ice cream recipe using whey.  

It's been hot/humid here the last few days and we've gotten more rain too...radar shows more storms for tonight...


----------



## Baymule

Wethers get over it. Ram lambs here are cut at an early age, then named Dinner. LOL


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Wethers get over it. Ram lambs here are cut at an early age, then named Dinner. LOL



we have some with the same name!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here are a few pictures...DD had taken a few 

this is the mozzarella cheese we made the other day



 
Here are the mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese


----------



## Southern by choice

Both look delicious. Bruschetta  is a favorite of mine and stuffed mushrooms are also a favorite. 
I would be a terrible guest as I would have eaten half of everything... forget manners.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Both look delicious. Bruschetta  is a favorite of mine and stuffed mushrooms are also a favorite.
> I would be a terrible guest as I would have eaten half of everything... forget manners.



too funny!! You'd be fighting my DH for the stuffed mushrooms


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure looks good!! .....we could use some rain, but are still on the plus side for the year with all we got during the little bit of winter and spring we had.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

it's currently raining here...waiting for a break in it to get the goats fed and milked....my does melt if they get rained on  and we milk outside


----------



## Latestarter

I feel you on the milking/feeding in the rain issue... I CAN milk inside their shelter if it comes right down to it but it's very inconvenient/cramped/uncomfortable for all concerned. Before I added 10 (now 8 left) growing kids to the equation, I could feed them their grain in there as well. No where near enough room in there for feeding them in there now. They all fit inside when they want out of the rain though.

Not a fan of raw tomatoes, but those shrooms look amazing.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Latestarter said:


> I feel you on the milking/feeding in the rain issue... I CAN milk inside their shelter if it comes right down to it but it's very inconvenient/cramped/uncomfortable for all concerned. Before I added 10 (now 8 left) growing kids to the equation, I could feed them their grain in there as well. No where near enough room in there for feeding them in there now. They all fit inside when they want out of the rain though.
> 
> Not a fan of raw tomatoes, but those shrooms look amazing.



ours all fit inside but it would be impossible for me to milk....think lots of extra helpers


----------



## Genipher

I just binge-read all 160 pages of this thread over the course of the last week. It was fascinating going through the past year's worth of kids and does! I've had goats on the brain so much this past month that I had a dream, one night, that I had 4 does but kept forgetting to milk them. One dream goat was squirting milk all over the place! Woke up, groggy, thinking, "I can't believe I slept in so late! I need to milk the goats!"

And then I remembered. I don't _have_ any goats. 

Yet. I'm working towards that dream. And rest assured, when I get'em, they WILL be milked!

Anyway, loved reading through all your goat adventures, H&R!


----------



## Baymule

@Genipher that is funny! Obviously you need goats!

@Hens and Roos your goat cheese goodies look delicious.


----------



## Bruce

Genipher said:


> And then I remembered. I don't _have_ any goats.


 Yep, your subconscious is working on you.

Sounds like @Hens and Roos and @Latestarter both need to build a milking room/shed.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Yep, your subconscious is working on you.
> 
> Sounds like @Hens and Roos and @Latestarter both need to build a milking room/shed.



not sure that will happen any time soon...not super high on the priority list.


----------



## Latestarter

I'll get an indoors milking area/milk room when I get the barn structure completed. Until then, I'm gonna have to make do. Barn is still ~1 year away.  $$$ issues of course.


----------



## Hens and Roos

well extra $$$ always make things work better , time is the biggest issue for us...DH has been working 10-12 hour days and we have several units that we are getting ready for July 1st...one unit has the bathroom and kitchen completely ripped out due to being an old building with leaky pipes(had to convince the landlord that it needed to be fixed )

DD made another batch of Mozzarella cheese- we got a set of gloves that are insulated to use for working in the hot whey bath...she said they worked much better!


----------



## Baymule

How cool is it that you are making cheese from your goats! Good food is much more that just good taste, good food is health.


----------



## Hens and Roos

here is another item that we made-strawberry & goat cheese sherbet(has a little ice on it from the freezer)


----------



## CntryBoy777

That sounds interesting....I really like sherbet, but never had any with cheese in it.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> That sounds interesting....I really like sherbet, but never had any with cheese in it.....


 it was pretty easy- found it on Pinterest
6 cups sliced frozen strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
blend all together in a food processer, put into a rectangle dish and freeze about 2 hours to firm up(we sampled before hand )


----------



## Donna R. Raybon

Luvs diapers work best for price.  Doeling are easy to diaper.  Bucklings need longer diaper to cover difference in plumbing.  I have had dozens (at same time) of kids in the house for several weeks.  Usually not much trouble until about three weeks.  They eat, poop, pee, play, sleep and four hours later repeat.  At about three weeks they start to climb and get curious about surroundings.  

Once had an orphan katahdin ewe lamb that stayed in house in diapers for three months.  I fed her, took care of her, but she adored dh.  Slept at his feet on the bed.  At three months old it finally got warm enough to reintroduce her to herd.  In a matter of weeks she was as wild as her herdmates! A bottle baby kid would have been in your pocket for life.


----------



## Donna R. Raybon

Sorry about that, wrong thread!


----------



## Mike CHS

Donna R. Raybon said:


> Sorry about that, wrong thread!



Cool story anyway and I don't think anyone minds.


----------



## Hens and Roos

No worries!


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Would you share your mozzarella recipe? I’m finally getting a little milk frozen and may get to start trying some recipes!


----------



## Baymule

That sherbet looks good!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> Would you share your mozzarella recipe? I’m finally getting a little milk frozen and may get to start trying some recipes!



sure, DD found it on Pintrest but thinking you could google it: Homemade Goat's Milk Mozzarella-from the blog Weedemandreap.com


----------



## Hens and Roos

we picked up some 13 qt glad containers and we are testing freezing milk in them to see if we can freeze some going into winter.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Hens and Roos said:


> sure, DD found it on Pintrest but thinking you could google it: Homemade Goat's Milk Mozzarella-from the blog Weedemandreap.com



Thank you!!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

so glad the week is done  ....we completed getting 2 rental units finished, the one needed a complete kitchen and bathroom put back in...DH and DD worked on that one and I worked at the other as it just needed cleaning. 

broke the handle on our hand milker this morning... but we were able to complete milking-our girls are somewhat use to being hand milked.  Hand milked tonight and DH fixed it tonight when he got home so tomorrow the handle should be good to go again.

now to try and catch up on stuff around here that was put on hold while we were working on units...had rain earlier in the week and now we are under an extreme heat advisory unit Sat night....


----------



## Baymule

Always work to be done! Wouldn't it be nice to get everything done without something breaking.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Always work to be done! Wouldn't it be nice to get everything done without something breaking.




sure but what fun would that be


----------



## Bruce

LOTS more fun!


----------



## Hens and Roos

2 more wethers went to their new home today-thinking they will be spoiled


----------



## Hens and Roos

the last 2 wethers we had available left for their new home this morning, so now we just have some doelings to place and bring our herd number back down to 12-14 goats total.

gave all the doelings their tattoos this morning.  DD got kicked by one of the doelings and now has a black eye forming-thankfully it didn't hit her directly in the eye and she put ice on it right away-even when being careful things happen.

we also now members with MDGA so our mini-mancha's can be registered.

our garden is doing pretty good, we didn't get tomatoes planted but found volunteer plants so we'll see what happens!


----------



## Bruce

OW!


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry to hear about the kick to the face. Glad it wasn't a direct hit on the eye. Good luck with placement of the remaining animals!


----------



## Hens and Roos

luckily her eye didn't swell up much at all and it wasn't very noticeable- it looked like she had eye shadow on one eye.  Kids are getting ready for fair this coming week so lots to get ready!


----------



## Baymule

Glad she wasn't hurt badly. We all get our lumps and bumps when dealing with animals. The important thing is to get right back in the game, and she has. Fair time! What fun!

I was late getting my garden going, have green tomatoes out there. Usually by now, I would have canning done, jars of dehydrated tomatoes for winter salads and we would be eating all we could. The only ripe tomatoes we have had so far have come from a few volunteers. Yay for volunteers!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Glad she wasn't hurt badly. We all get our lumps and bumps when dealing with animals. The important thing is to get right back in the game, and she has. Fair time! What fun!
> 
> I was late getting my garden going, have green tomatoes out there. Usually by now, I would have canning done, jars of dehydrated tomatoes for winter salads and we would be eating all we could. The only ripe tomatoes we have had so far have come from a few volunteers. Yay for volunteers!



We have blooms just starting on ours and our summer squash plants have small squash starting so we will be checking them daily to make sure the squash doesn't turn into the size of small baseball bats!


----------



## Baymule

I let my zucchini turn into baseball bats on purpose. I make fruit roll ups out of them. 
Quarter, seed and peel 4 baseball bats.
Cut into 1" or smaller chunks.
Simmer in 1 can of frozen grape juice and enough water to cover.
When translucent, drain well.
Puree in blender with 1 can of frozen grape juice concentrate, undiluted.
Pour on solid sheets in the dehydrator.
Dust with confectioners sugar and layer between wax paper.


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> We have blooms just starting on ours and our summer squash plants have small squash starting so we will be checking them daily to make sure the squash doesn't turn into the size of small baseball bats!


Don't worry, they won't do that unless you wait to pick them until the day after you see the 2" squash


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> I let my zucchini turn into baseball bats on purpose. I make fruit roll ups out of them.
> Quarter, seed and peel 4 baseball bats.
> Cut into 1" or smaller chunks.
> Simmer in 1 can of frozen grape juice and enough water to cover.
> When translucent, drain well.
> Puree in blender with 1 can of frozen grape juice concentrate, undiluted.
> Pour on solid sheets in the dehydrator.
> Dust with confectioners sugar and layer between wax paper.



interesting, haven't heard of doing this with the extra zucchini!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Don't worry, they won't do that unless you wait to pick them until the day after you see the 2" squash



true...hoping to get a few medium sized ones as DS(13) is making zucchini bread as one of his fair projects


----------



## Baymule

Hens and Roos said:


> interesting, haven't heard of doing this with the extra zucchini!


My grand daughters love it. You can shred zucchini, measure it for zucchini bread and freeze it for winter.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> My grand daughters love it. You can shred zucchini, measure it for zucchini bread and freeze it for winter.



We do shred the extra and freeze for later use!


----------



## Mike CHS

We use a lot of different kinds of relish and love it made with the different kinds of squash.  Since we don't use sugar it's relatively low calorie if that's considered.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Baymule said:


> My grand daughters love it. You can shred zucchini, measure it for zucchini bread and freeze it for winter.


I really like zucchini bread! It is easy and it freezes well.  I do have to admit, I like my chocolate zucchini bread the best...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Guess it's been awhile since I've had the time to do an update....fair went good for the kids and we got very good feedback during the goat show, which is helping us make decisions for our herd(some more difficult then others).

The end of August had us moving DD to her dorm room at UW Platteville, she went about a week early as she joined the marching band.  It was a very good move on her part, it helped her find her way around campus and make friends right away!  She is doing well.  It sure has been a big change all the way around.

DS(16) is officially a driver, he passed his road test on the 1st try and has been able to drive since mid-August so he can help get his brother to and from activities if needed!

We have had more rain here again in Oct and it rained yesterday and now again this evening...  of course our goats aren't happy with all the mud and wet to deal with.  The rain, wind and colder temps caused the leaves to fall quicker than normal.  We have been able to rake leaves and feed to our goats-which they like!

We have slowly been finding homes for the does that we decided weren't working for us, as of today we have just 2 does and 1 doeling left to find new homes for and then we will be at about 13 total goats.  As hard as it was, we decided to find a pet home for Moose and Monkey(they were from the group of 6 kids our doe Maggie had the 1st year she kidded with us) They went to their new home today and will most likely be spoiled even more than they were here! 

Right now we are looking at breeding 5 does this fall for spring 2019 kids.


----------



## Baymule

Sounds like y'all have been busy! Thinning the here is always an emotional wrench of the heart. Even though you love them, you just can't keep them all. I now have 9 ewes, but will be selecting ewes that twin. I have 3 FF ewes that came from 2 ewes that consistently twin, can't wait for them to lamb! 

Off to college, getting a driver's license, they are growing up!


----------



## Bruce

Thanks for the update H&R!
Glad DD has merged into her college career with ease. And another new driver, my girls were NO not into driving that they both got their licenses 2 summers ago ... at the ages of 21 & 23. 
Tough decisions on some of the goats.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So throughout our milking season, we froze several containers(Glad 13 cup size) almost full of milk in each.  We wanted to test the process and what the milk would taste like once thawed so we could possibly have milk year round.  I pulled 1 container out the other day and let it thaw in the frig.  When I tasted it, to me it seemed like it had picked up some of the freezer taste(kind of like the veggies we freeze) but I will have DS(16) try it and let me know what he thinks.  I have used it in cooking/baking and can't pick up any different flavor.


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> So throughout our milking season, we froze several containers(Glad 13 cup size) almost full of milk in each.  We wanted to test the process and what the milk would taste like once thawed so we could possibly have milk year round.  I pulled 1 container out the other day and let it thaw in the frig.  When I tasted it, to me it seemed like it had picked up some of the freezer taste(kind of like the veggies we freeze) but I will have DS(16) try it and let me know what he thinks.  I have used it in cooking/baking and can't pick up any different flavor.


You may want to get 1/2 gallon jugs and freeze them. I am not convinced freezer bags really prevent burn. Also do you add the baking soda? From what I understand adding it prevents separation when thawing. 

So who all do you have left?
Do you still have your Lamancha?

We have not had a break with the rain. I went out this am and was very overwhelmed, almost to the point of despair. It rained earlier in the week then a dry day then all day and through the night just downpour. Our gravel driveway - MUD. No gravel to be seen. The goat fields... just horrid mud all around the outside of the buildings and all the gates, paths.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> You may want to get 1/2 gallon jugs and freeze them. I am not convinced freezer bags really prevent burn. Also do you add the baking soda? From what I understand adding it prevents separation when thawing.
> 
> So who all do you have left?
> Do you still have your Lamancha?
> 
> We have not had a break with the rain. I went out this am and was very overwhelmed, almost to the point of despair. It rained earlier in the week then a dry day then all day and through the night just downpour. Our gravel driveway - MUD. No gravel to be seen. The goat fields... just horrid mud all around the outside of the buildings and all the gates, paths.



We didn't add baking soda-didn't know about it until your post.  We used the plastic Glad containers not bags(I didn't want them to get broken).  Once the milk thawed I was able to mix it up and it hasn't separated except for the cream on top.

We have had more than our share of rain this year too but not to the extent you have.  We have had mud/standing water to deal with and the does aren't happy and it makes it harder to get all the needed chores done.  Since our temps are below freezing the mud has frozen now.

We just bred Melanie x Chester this morning- she is our 1st one bred; we are planning to breed 5 does this year.
 Melanie, Rio and Coco with Chester 
 Munchkin and Basil with Granite

Our herd is currently at 16 goats- 2 bucks and 14 does. (We still are hoping to find home(s) for 3 does yet)
We have 
Rio(lamancha) and her 2 does
   - Munchkin(mini mancha-2017) 
   - Shenanigan(mini mancha-2018)
Melanie and her doeling
  -Totty(2018)
Coco
  -Basil and her 2 doelings
      -Dahlia(2018) 
     - Daisy(2018)
  -Mayhem
  -Unicorn
Obie
Pepper
Clove

We are waiting for the field next to us be combined so we can get everyone clean out before we get too much snow- our chickens are due for a cleaning.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Some pictures from the fair this past July 2018:

DD's ceramic flower person-she made 6 different flowers/colors

 

DD made a cherry pie for foods-they judge it and then once judging is finished she can bring the pie home! She received a red because some of the lacing broke
 

DS(16) entered foods as well and made a gyro meal using homemade gyro's from goat meat- he won special consideration which let his dish go on for further judging and he won Champion for it.  Unfortunately a picture wasn't taken but it was yummy!

He also entered the sign he made for me:
 

DS(13) made a recycled art project using an old metal fan blade and welded a stem to it.  The stem was taken out of an old junk water heater:
 

He also made a melon boat-hedgehog and won a blue for it:


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is a picture from the goat show- all 3 are showing Intermediate kids....


 
Not sure but there seems to be some sort of discussion taking place...  DD's face kind of says it all!


----------



## Mike CHS

She does look on the irritated side.   The pictures tell it all.


----------



## Southern by choice

Love all the artwork, to include the food! That is awesome!
Talented children! I love how you encourage your kids. 
I can't believe how they are all growing up. Time flies!

Great goat show pic!
You didn't name the goats! Who is each one?


----------



## Bruce

Quite crafty those kids of yours! 
Better the young folks showing goats that short than old people like me! My back you be sure unhappy if I had to bend down that far and hold the position.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Southern by choice said:


> Cold weather coming in here too.
> Starting with alot of rain fri and temps going down... it is awful for December.
> I am already crying
> Why can't we live in Florida during winter and here in spring /summer... much better idea.
> snow showers... ice... grrrrrrrrrrrr
> View attachment 40972


One acre down the street  from us 7k...build yourself a tiny house for winters here


----------



## Southern by choice

B&B Happy goats said:


> One acre down the street  from us 7k...build yourself a tiny house for winters here


No to Florida! UGH  hot - humid- no
I can't do a tiny house.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Southern by choice said:


> No to Florida! UGH  hot - humid- no
> I can't do a tiny house.


When you move into our county , the welcome wagon comes (pulled by two mules)  and drops off a case of this.....to get you thru the humidity


 

 @Southern by choice...


----------



## Southern by choice

B&B Happy goats said:


> When you move into our county , the welcome wagon comes (pulled by two mules)  and drops off a case of this.....to get you thru the humidityView attachment 54572 View attachment 54572


I have fam in FL.  Florida is not for me. Now the Bahamas, a sister island yeah, that I can do.  Of course then I wouldn't have goats.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Southern by choice said:


> I have fam in FL.  Florida is not for me. Now the Bahamas, a sister island yeah, that I can do.  Of course then I wouldn't have goats.


My neighbor gave this to me as a joke and told me they sold it at tractor supply.....never heard of it before, but when you are out sweating to death, it is refreshing ....i use it in my sneakers and a dusting all over my arms and back...husband likes it too !


----------



## Bruce

Southern by choice said:


> I have fam in FL.  Florida is not for me. Now the Bahamas, a sister island yeah, that I can do.  Of course then I wouldn't have goats.


Why could you not have goats? Seems a nice hilly island would be perfect for them.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Southern by choice said:


> Love all the artwork, to include the food! That is awesome!
> Talented children! I love how you encourage your kids.
> I can't believe how they are all growing up. Time flies!
> 
> Great goat show pic!
> You didn't name the goats! Who is each one?



If you look back at the picture(l to r):
DS(16) is showing Shenanigan(mini mancha), DS(13) is showing Totty(Nigie) and DD is showing Dahlia(Nigie)


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> She does look on the irritated side.   The pictures tell it all.



in DS(16)'s defense.. the animals really aren't his thing but he will help with chores and is willing to show so that we get as much feedback as we can on the goats.  He claims Rio(Lamancha) and her daughters for showing.


----------



## Southern by choice

Hens and Roos said:


> If you look back at the picture(l to r):
> DS(16) is showing Shenanigan(mini mancha), DS(13) is showing Totty(Nigie) and DD is showing Dahlia(Nigie)


Too funny because I didn't catch the ears with the way the head was turned but my first thought was "that's a nice looking goat"!    Now it makes sense. A mini lamancha! 



Hens and Roos said:


> in DS(16)'s defense.. the animals really aren't his thing but he will help with chores and is willing to show so that we get as much feedback as we can on the goats.  He claims Rio(Lamancha) and her daughters for showing.


Well, it sounds to me your son is pretty darn smart. We have a few clients that have Nigerians, they love them but none of their kids want to show them, they want to show Lamanchas. IMO Lamanchas are so much easier to show. They cooperate! 



Bruce said:


> Why could you not have goats? Seems a nice hilly island would be perfect for them.


Bahamas are on a coral reef, no soil. No hay, everything is shipped in. The water is also an issue. Besides the salty environment is killer on everything.


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> in DS(16)'s defense.. the animals really aren't his thing but he will help with chores and is willing to show so that we get as much feedback as we can on the goats.  He claims Rio(Lamancha) and her daughters for showing.


I don't think I could deal with a goat that doesn't even come up to my knees!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So DH was planning to go deer hunting this weekend and he typically goes 5 hours north of us to hunt on land that has been in his family for years....Mother Nature had other ideas!!  Since we have a snow removal route, we have to watch the weather closely especially when snow is forecasted...for most of the week-forecast called for 1/2 inch till we got to Thursday morning and snow totals were upped 1-4 inches with a possible heavy band of snow across our area....given that we have 45 places to take care of, several that require the truck/plow, he decided not to go so that DS(16), DS(13) and myself weren't stuck trying to take care of everything.  We ended up around 1 inch of snow but sure was glad to have DH helping  especially on the bigger areas!!

Here are a couple pictures: 1st pictures shows our mini manchas and their dam: Munchkin(2017 kid), Shay(2018 kid) and Rio- eating at the snack bar



 
2nd picture shows our first goat Melanie(she was the one who started our adventure into goats) and her 2018 doeling-Totty


----------



## Mike CHS

Is Melanie the one posing?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> Is Melanie the one posing?



Melanie is eating, Totty is the one posing-she likes to stand on the other goats like she's doing.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I know we have lots to be thankful for!


----------



## Bruce

Same to you H&R. 
DD home for the long weekend I presume. DD2 didn't come home at Thanksgiving, just too long a trip.


----------



## Mike CHS

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Same to you H&R.
> DD home for the long weekend I presume. DD2 didn't come home at Thanksgiving, just too long a trip.



Yes, DD came home Tuesday evening and depending on the weather may go back a day early...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.



We had a nice one, my niece hosted this year .  Hope you had a good one as well!


----------



## Hens and Roos

rained here most of the day yesterday, so the goat's area is muddy again... 

so after some discussion back and forth with DD....we will be adding at least Obie to our breeding list for 2019 kidding.  She is 6 years old and we don't want to chance her not taking if we give her a year off.  DD thinks I should breed Pepper as well....giving us 7 does kidding this coming spring....I haven't taken the time yet to see when our kidding dates will start...

fingers crossed that the 5 does we've put with the bucks are bred- will be watching for any returning to heat.

with the weekend being wet/cold/yucky... DS(16) put the tree up and DS(13) put the lights and tinsel on yesterday...tree looks interesting to say the least...sent DD a picture and she came back with "yikes" 

started to make some of our favorite Christmas cookies...gingerbread, sugar, spritz to start!  Will package and mail some to DD so she can enjoy too!


----------



## Latestarter

Well... now you've told us about it, and confirmed that a pic exists... When do we get to see your son's work?


----------



## Hens and Roos

So as requested @Latestarter, here are some pictures


----------



## Hens and Roos

Gingerbread cookies before baking
 
sugar cookies that DS(16) helped decorate
 
spritz cookies
 

DD was happy to hear that she would be getting some cookies mid week!!


----------



## Latestarter

OK, so non "traditional" garland placement...   Doesn't look bad really... not at all! Might present a challenge if you want to hang ornaments though...   Nice looking cookies!


----------



## Hens and Roos

not sure any of our tree decorating could be considered as "traditional" , he had fun doing it and that's cool!  DD can figure out how to hang the ornaments when she get home for winter break!!

Those cookies are our favorites...probably end up making another batch of each!


----------



## Baymule

Family time is the best time, no matter what the outcome of the days activities look like! Love the tree!


----------



## misfitmorgan

The tree looks full of love to me!

Those cookies look good esp the spritz.


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> spritz cookies


Curious. I know Spritz cookies through my DW and her mother. But they are thin ridged strips a bit over an inch wide. Other cookies are made that look like what you have here. You don't happen to have a Mirro cookie press do you?


----------



## misfitmorgan

Bruce said:


> Curious. I know Spritz cookies through my DW and her mother. But they are thin ridged strips a bit over an inch wide. Other cookies are made that look like what you have here. You don't happen to have a Mirro cookie press do you?



We call them spritz cookies too, we use a cookie press. We are German/Polish and always have spritz cookies for Christmas every since i can recall. I've never seen ridged strips your mentioning.


----------



## Hens and Roos

we have a cookie/pastry press, we use the cookie plates to make the cookies.  Not sure who started the tradition of making them in our family but growing up these were made each year at Christmas time as long as I can remember.  My dad gave me the cookie/pastry press pictured.  They sure don't last long in the cookie jar here!!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hens and Roos said:


> we have a cookie/pastry press, we use the cookie plates to make the cookies.  Not sure who started the tradition of making them in our family but growing up these were made each year at Christmas time as long as I can remember.  My dad gave me the cookie/pastry press pictured.  They sure don't last long in the cookie jar here!!
> View attachment 55477



Is your family german, polish or italian? They are "german" cookies but have become traditional cookies for many polish and italian families as well.


----------



## Hens and Roos

misfitmorgan said:


> Is your family german, polish or italian? They are "german" cookies but have become traditional cookies for many polish and italian families as well.



 Irish, German/Austria, Polish, Czech

DH is 100% German and remembers seeing them growing up but not sure which side of the family made them.


----------



## Bruce

Found this:
"*Spritz cookies* is actually a type of German Christmas *cookie* made of flour, butter, sugar and eggs. ... Well, the full name for *these* German goodies is Spritzgeback. The word *spritz* originated from the German word, “spritzen,” which means “to squirt” in English."

The ribbon shape is one of the inserts in the Mirro cookie press. The shapes H&R show are made with a different, though similar, dough than the ribbon Spritz we make. All I know is DW does what her mother did. Don't know if she got it from her mother, who was born in Switzerland.


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> we have a cookie/pastry press, we use the cookie plates to make the cookies.  Not sure who started the tradition of making them in our family but growing up these were made each year at Christmas time as long as I can remember.  My dad gave me the cookie/pastry press pictured.  They sure don't last long in the cookie jar here!!
> View attachment 55477


Yep that is the one! We have DW's mothers. I think it is from the 50's. The top part you turn got loose and try as he might DW's father couldn't fix it. DW found one on eBay, complete with instructions but not the little icing press. DW's mother kept that for gingerbread decorating.
The "ribbon" spritz maker is the one under the one top center with the 8 holes. Making the ribbons is best done with 2 people. One to turn the press and pull as the dough comes out and one to cut it off.


----------



## misfitmorgan

My family must not have liked the ribbon ones cause we never had them, or maybe that plate just got lost  We mostly have the wreaths and the trees. I don't own a cookie press....i should buy one. Wilton makes them now as well but i havnt looked at reviews. No matter the shape they are good cookies, ours were always on the softer side.

Traditional things in Europe tend to spread from people moving around so it could be a swiz thing as well or maybe some Germans or something married in long ago.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here is the recipe that we use: 
 Butter Rich Spritz

Bake at 400* for 6 to 8 minutes (7 minutes work best for us)

Sift together: 2 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream: 1 cup butter and gradually add 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, creaming well

Blend in: 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla...we use 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla (no almond) as we like the taste better.

Add: dry ingredients gradually, mix well

Press: a small amount of dough through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets, using any plate to make desired shapes

@Bruce is this similar to the recipe that your family uses?


----------



## Bruce

The unmodified recipe (ie the non gluten free one)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup butter
4 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
2 teaspoons almond extract

BTW, DD1 says they aren't Spritz if they don't have almond extract. 
There is a caution to put the cookie sheets in the refrigerator to chill them before putting cookie dough on.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> The unmodified recipe (ie the non gluten free one)
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 1/2 cup butter
> 4 cups all purpose flour
> 1 egg
> 2 teaspoons almond extract
> 
> BTW, DD1 says they aren't Spritz if they don't have almond extract.
> There is a caution to put the cookie sheets in the refrigerator to chill them before putting cookie dough on.



interesting about the almond extract....looks like we will have to make another batch or so to taste


----------



## Bruce

Definitely!! You can make the ribbon shape so if people do or do not like the extra almond flavor they can easily take or skip them.

Also on the cookie list is an almond cookie. Crumbly texture and I think likely more almond extract than the Spritz. Those are just small round cookies, no press involved. And then there are the jellies. Really thin pair of cookies with a bit of current jelly between them.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So the 2 wethers we kept back went in for processing today.  Given that they weren't very big, we will be getting roasts for sure and depending on the amount of trimmings we may get 10 pound of brats made, DS(13) asked if we could try some.  I need to take inventory of what we still have on hand in our freezer-last year we just went with ground meat.

Also started round 2 of Christmas cookie making...DS(16) needed 2 dozen cookies for school, he's part of NHS and it was their turn to run concessions for basketball.


----------



## goatgurl

that's the same cookie press that I used 40 years ago when DD and I made cookies and same butter cookie recipe.  we made those and roll out sugar cookies by the hundreds and painted them with colored powdered sugar frosting, with our fingers of course, lol. oh, the memories that brings back.


----------



## Wehner Homestead

They look yummy! I don’t like almond extract in anything! It leaves a horrible after taste in my mouth.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Merry Christmas everyone!  Hope everyone has a good holiday season with family and friends!


----------



## Mike CHS

A very Merry Christmas to you


----------



## Baymule

Back home this afternoon, now let's get to working on that Happy New Year!


----------



## Hens and Roos

New Year's eve brought in a mix of rain/freezing rain and almost 4 inches of snow so snow removal was the way our evening/early morning went.  

2019 Kidding list:
Melanie-day 145-April 4th 2019 (bred to Chester)
Munchkin-day 145-April 9th 2019 (bred to Granite)
Basil-day 145-April 10th 2019 (bred to Granite)
Coco-day 145-April 14th 2019 (bred to Chester)
Rio-day 145-April 22nd 2019 (bred to Chester)
Obie-day 145-May 7th 2019 (unless she returns to heat) (bred to Chester)
Pepper-day 145 May 13th 2019 (unless she returns to heat) (bred to Granite)

Several of the does due in April will be kidding close to DS(13)'s birthday so he's got his fingers crossed that a few kids will share his day 

Wishing everyone the best for the new year!


----------



## Bruce

He my regret that when he finds out everyone is so busy with kidding that they forget it is his BDay


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> He my regret that when he finds out everyone is so busy with kidding that they forget it is his BDay



actually he will be right in the thick of any kidding going on...this will be the 3rd year that he will probably have a few kids!!


----------



## Baymule

I love it that you and others here are raising your children with animals. What a great childhood to look back on. Good luck with the kidding and hope your DS gets kids for his birthday!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Looks like winter has finally arrived here by us... Friday into Sat morning we got 4.5 inches of snow with wind so blowing and drifting which made removal take longer...about 10 hours to get everything cleared.  DH, DD and DS(17) went out and DS(13) and I stayed back to do chores and watch my great-niece for  her parents.  My great-niece will be 2 years old this Friday, she had fun hanging out with us and didn't want to leave!!  

Pepper came back into heat and was rebred....looking like a June kidding for her...

DD is back to school-1st day of classes for her today.  She went back Sunday mid-day but before she left DH ended up putting a new battery in her Jeep because it wouldn't start!  Don't need her having problems at school.

We will be getting another round of snow today(just started here) into tomorrow, possibility for 6-11 inches so we will probably be making a trip out later today, depending on how much has fallen, to open up driveways and such.  Schools that are West and North of us have closed today and others in the area are starting to close early today.  IF the kids don't have school tomorrow they will be helping us with snow.

Have to go and pick up hay on Sat, will be getting 8 large square bales which hopefully will take us into May.  Each bale is 700-800 pounds and lasts about 2 weeks.  Hopefully these will be as dry and nice as the last 7 bales we picked up from the guy.


----------



## Baymule

More snow. 6-11 inches! Here we get 2-3 inches and everything shuts down!


----------



## Mike CHS

If we get flurries we shut down the roads on our hills.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Still snowing this morning and probably will for several more hours yet. DH is out with the plow opening up driveways, he figures we have at least 4 inches so far.  Sounds like the storm shifted South some so we might end up with around 7 inches...

No school today for the boys. Looks like the majority of schools in the surrounding area closed today.  Schools in more rural/hilly areas were closed yesterday as well-no point in taking the risk of an accident.


----------



## Baymule

If we get ANY snow here, everything shuts down. We have no equipment to handle it.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Here everyone wants to be cleared out and going right away  We've had tenants in the past tell us to get a bigger truck so we could get their driveway cleared faster....never mind that the city plows hadn't gone through yet!!


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hens and Roos said:


> Here everyone wants to be cleared out and going right away  We've had tenants in the past tell us to get a bigger truck so we could get their driveway cleared faster....never mind that the city plows hadn't gone through yet!!



People do the same thing here. The plows havn't gone yet...oh well. Then they get stuck on the road or in the ditch


----------



## Hens and Roos

Hard to believe that we were at -26* actual temperature last week Wednesday with -45* wind chill and today we are at 26*!  Our temperature was in the high 30's low 40's over the weekend so most of our snow melted and we have frozen puddles sitting in our yard as the ground is frozen....

today we hand scrapped/shoveled sidewalks to clear the frozen ice/snow mix that came through last night/early this morning, there was just enough that it had to be cleared but not enough to use our equipment...it would have gone right over the top without picking it up!  According to the weather, we will get more frozen rain/snow mix again tonight into tomorrow


----------



## Bruce

Yeah yesterday was fun, got into the 40's both Mon and Tues. Made for some really nice ice to slide on out to the cars and down to the barn. Passable with the addition of some sand. Supposed to get over 40° again tomorrow (after some snow and or freezing rain tonight) and stay above freezing until Friday afternoon before it drops down to a high of 15° to 20° Sat and Sun.


----------



## Hens and Roos

second round of freezing rain here today...our road and driveway are iced over...it's supposed to change over to snow this afternoon and be finished around 7 pm tonight and moving east...then the fun of clearing everything will start we will see if any of the salting we did helps.

No school today for DS(17) and DS(13)...thinking this is the first year in many that they have had so many days off, the school district built in 3 extra days and they have used them all as of today.


----------



## Bruce

Snow would be good over freezing rain, get some traction. We had the FR yesterday afternoon and all night long. Plenty of roads closed. DD took 2 1/4 hours to get home from work, arriving at 7:45, normal is 40 minutes. Got stuck on an icy hill along with plenty of others including those heading the other way that were smart enough to NOT try and go down the hill on the ice. Plow eventually came by spreading salt. 1 AM DW saw flashing blue and yellow lights up the road, town plow went by about 15 minutes later. She saw 2 cars off the road on her way to work, it is 3/4 mile to the paved main road.

It finally hit 32°F around noon today. Supposed to stay above freezing until tomorrow afternoon. That should nicely melt some ice so it can flow downhill some then freeze into an impassible sheet.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Glad to hear that your wife made it home safe even though it took a lot longer @Bruce 

We are still getting freezing rain, not sure if/when it will change over to snow or how much snow we will end up, we will most likely end up salting all the places we take care of..


----------



## Bruce

Yep, seems that salting is required until that ice is gone.

It was daughter that had the long drive. Started getting freezing mist about 4 PM, she called about 5:15 saying she was heading home. Hopefully things are in better shape today. Lots of cars off the road yesterday, 16 car (mostly minor) accident on I-89 in Richmond so closed, another section closed for a time 20 miles south of us. I really don't like freezing rain!

ETA: Roads must have been a lot better, she got home in the normal 40 minutes.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Yep, seems that salting is required until that ice is gone.
> 
> It was daughter that had the long drive. Started getting freezing mist about 4 PM, she called about 5:15 saying she was heading home. Hopefully things are in better shape today. Lots of cars off the road yesterday, 16 car (mostly minor) accident on I-89 in Richmond so closed, another section closed for a time 20 miles south of us. I really don't like freezing rain!
> 
> ETA: Roads must have been a lot better, she got home in the normal 40 minutes.



oops! my bad... but glad she made it safely!  

temps went negative last night and windy, thankfully there didn't seem to be many who lost power..ice on wires + wind isn't good! Had to close up doors for the goats again but had to have DH help me as the bucks lower door was frozen....had to use a pickaxe to remove frozen hay.  More snow forecasted for Sunday and Tuesday...snow is much better than ice!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

had some snow yesterday(Sunday) enough that we had to go out for removal...and now tonight through most of tomorrow(Tuesday) we will be getting more snow...possibility of 6-10 inches when its finished snowing sometime tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Given that DH will most likely be out early tomorrow morning opening driveways, we tried to make the work day easy and short....thought we were doing good by finishing work around 1 pm and then made a run to the mill to pick up chicken and goat feed.  Figured we'd get home, get chores done and then relax...

guess we thought wrong...DH received a text that a building in which we manage a condo was on fire....so he is now there dealing with that issue.....no idea what caused the fire but all the people were thankfully able to get out...

On the goat front, it looks like Pepper came back into heat so we won't be re-breeding her...


----------



## Bruce

Glad no one got hurt, any idea how many of the (how many) condos were damaged? 

We are getting about 14" of snow starting mid-day tomorrow and going through Wednesday.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Glad no one got hurt, any idea how many of the (how many) condos were damaged?
> 
> We are getting about 14" of snow starting mid-day tomorrow and going through Wednesday.



The building is divided into 2 separate entrances- each with 8 units, because they had to shut power off to the whole building all 16 units were displaced for at least the night...the unit we manage took the brunt of the damage as the fire started outside on the balcony and went up into the attic area, lots of water was used in putting it out.   5 of the 8 units in this hallway have some level of water and smoke damage and can't be lived in until all repairs are complete.  There are damaged rafters that have to be replaced before drywall can go back up, the unit we manage had almost all of the drywall removed to the studs.  At this point it will be at least several months or more.


----------



## Bruce

That is a lot of damage and impact to the residents.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> That is a lot of damage and impact to the residents.


 
it is, fires are never a good thing...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Up till this week, our temperatures have been below normal...average temps for us this time of the year should be high 30's low 40's.

Today we are in the high 50's and the snow has been melting all week and it just started to rain(was hoping it would hold off a few more hours).  The creek on the one side of our property is up over it's banks on both sides and we have a good amount of water standing in our yard...pictures just can't do it justice.  So far the goat's shelter is dry and my fingers are crossed that it stays that way!! 

Kidding for us won't start unit April 4th so that will give it some time to start drying out. All our critters need their areas cleaned out.  DD will miss most of the kidding season as her spring break starts this next week but it will be nice to have her home....got lots of things she can help with .

Decided that this year we won't be making maple syrup but that's okay we are still good on jars of syrup.

Sure hope that the weather straightens out for everyone soon!


----------



## Bruce

Things are harder when one of the workers heads off to college!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Things are harder when one of the workers heads off to college!



true, chores always go quicker with help .  DS(17) will help me out when I need extra hands and so will DS(13).  

This winter was just a bit more challenging given the weird weather we had, especially with snow removal....and now we are having melting snow which is causing flooding but so far so good.  Of course we are always on call for all the buildings we manage.


----------



## Bruce

And everything breaks at 2AM.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> And everything breaks at 2AM.



better yet is when we get a call late Friday afternoon that something isn't working right...like a furnace and they tell DH that oh its been acting up for several days now


----------



## Bruce

Right, like it is going to somehow fix itself but is now a crisis.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We are on week 2 of Spring Break...DD was home last week and now DS(17) and DS(13) are home this week...

Didn't get as much done last week as I was hoping to with DD's help...the weather was still chilly out and the ground still pretty wet so no cleaning out the goat shelter!  She also had homework to do, a book to read, paper to start and a couple tests to study for.  Hopefully this week will be better..

And what fun would it be if everything went smoothly...a week ago this past Friday, DH's truck was having issues and he ended up taking it to the dealership to have it looked at because it started indicating that it was going to shut down in 72 miles.  Turns out the exhaust system wasn't working like it should and the filter was plugged up.  DH did mention to the service department that a code came up showing a problem with at least 1 of the thermostats and that ended up being replaced and we are waiting on the new exhaust system to show up for replacement too.  So DH has been using my vehicle as his work vehicle and DD got a ride back to school with a friend so I could use her Jeep until DH gets his truck.  Never a dull moment and kidding hasn't even started yet!!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Guess DH will have a smile on his face thinking he has a whole "new" truck....well, at least not having to deal with all the issues...........glad that ya can feel Spring a comin!!....and those adorable, sweet little kids.........but, I only have to look at the pics....not roll up my sleeves....


----------



## Bruce

That would be just a wee bit inconvenient to have the truck just shut down. Nope ain't agonna move no more!

Later spring break for your DD. DD2 would go back to school late Jan and have a week off about the 2nd week of March, school out mid May. DD1 started on Jan 7th and was here the 3rd week of February. We pick her up on April 18th.


----------



## Mike CHS

How soon do you start kidding?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> That would be just a wee bit inconvenient to have the truck just shut down. Nope ain't agonna move no more!
> 
> Later spring break for your DD. DD2 would go back to school late Jan and have a week off about the 2nd week of March, school out mid May. DD1 started on Jan 7th and was here the 3rd week of February. We pick her up on April 18th.



ahh...wee bit inconvenient is an understatement...he's been kind of lost without it as it has tools and parts that he uses/needs for different jobs.  He can't get all of it into my Jeep so it makes things a challenge.

A bunch of the UW system was on Spring break this past week, I think DD is done for summer 3rd week of May.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> How soon do you start kidding?



Kidding for us can start March 4th(Actually April 4th) if Melanie decides to go on her day 145....


----------



## Mike CHS

I guess that will be April 4th but I know you are ready.


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> A bunch of the UW system was on Spring break this past week, I think DD is done for summer 3rd week of May.


Yeah that is about the time Beloit gets out. Many a year we would leave home on Mother's Day to head to WI to pick her up. She graduated on Mother's Day 2017, it was late that year.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> I guess that will be April 4th but I know you are ready.



Yep... thanks for catching it!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Good luck with kidding.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Good luck with kidding.



thanks, depending on when they kid will determine if I have extra help or not...

Munchkin-our mini-mancha will be a FF and she was bred to OFA Granite- we're excited to see how she does.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Took a few pictures today:
Melanie:


----------



## Hens and Roos

Munchkin:


----------



## Hens and Roos

Coco and Basil


----------



## Hens and Roos

Rio


----------



## Wehner Homestead

I see goat math in your immediate future!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Obie


Wehner Homestead said:


> I see goat math in your immediate future!



Pretty much the month of April...I'm just hoping that they don't double the current number we are at....


----------



## Wehner Homestead

@Hens and Roos yoy know that because of that, they’ll be ultra-prolific! 

Are your two girls both Standard Lamanchas or Minis?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wehner Homestead said:


> @Hens and Roos yoy know that because of that, they’ll be ultra-prolific!
> 
> Are your two girls both Standard Lamanchas or Minis?



Rio is standard and Munchkin(her daughter) is a mini

we have 6 goats kidding this year so each would have to give us 3 kids..of course one or two of the nigies could give us 4 but as of now none are looking big enough...but they do love to prove us wrong


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh No!!.....ya didn't....ya didn't....ya did!!........I sure hope ya have enough space for almost a double to triple herd now.....I thought ya knew the doe code?.....
They are looking really good....hope ya have a smooth and wonderful kidding season.....


----------



## Wehner Homestead

Too funny that you had the same thought!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Doesn't matter if I say it or not...some of our does are overachievers...you know goats do what they want!!     I also told my human kids that it would be okay if we got all boys this year...makes decisions easier  or course that would have us milking 6 goats


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> Oh No!!.....ya didn't....ya didn't....ya did!!........I sure hope ya have enough space for almost a double to triple herd now.....I thought ya knew the doe code?.....
> They are looking really good....hope ya have a smooth and wonderful kidding season.....



Thanks...(the neighbor who lives behind us has a few acres of farm field...he's offered us room to expand if needed...oh the look on DH's face )


----------



## Spring Flower

I bet no one thought this thread would last this long... It was started in 2014.


----------



## AmberLops

She's adorable!! Congratulations!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Last doe to kid this spring will be Obie-mid May


----------



## Hens and Roos

So we are playing the waiting game  and we are forecasted to get snow(most likely will melt on contact) & rain starting Wednesday thru Friday morning...

So this is our kidding line up as of today
Melanie is at day 150
Munchkin just made day 145
Basil will be at day 145 tomorrow(Wed) and she looks ready to go!

Melanie is in our kidding area with Obie as a buddy, probably will move Munchkin and Basil there later today and move Obie back with everyone else.


----------



## Hens and Roos

So our idea to move Munchkin and Basil into our kidding area didn't meet Melanie's approval...and we ended up splitting off a section for Melanie to have by herself as she was nipping and pulling hair out on the other two .  

We ended up getting a good covering of white stuff yesterday afternoon...and wouldn't you know it that is when Munchkin went into labor and kidded.  She is our mini mancha and FF.  She is doing an awesome job with her kids..1 doeling and 2 bucklings




AND...not to be out done...Melanie started labor shortly after Munchkin kidded and ended up kidding about 11:30 pm last night, 2 bucklings!  No pictures yet, it was after midnight before we got her and her boys all settled and then went to bed, DH had to get up early and be on a jobsite with materials by 6:30 am


----------



## promiseacres

Cuties!!!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congrats.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> Congrats.



Thanks!  Munchkin's kids are OFA Granite's kids too!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Sort of got a picture of Melanie's kids...Melanie is still a bit grumpy..lol.  Both sets of kids hang out in their warming barrels.


----------



## Hens and Roos

DS(13) helped me yesterday get weights on the kids

Munchkin(kidded April 10th 2019)
Doeling- 3.85 pounds
Buckling 1(big)-5.80 pounds
Buckling 2(small)-4.58 pounds

Melanie(kidded April 10th 2019)
Buckling 1(has wattles)-6.83 pounds
Buckling 2(tri color)-5.70 pounds


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Hens and Roos said:


> DS(13) helped me yesterday get weights on the kids
> 
> Munchkin(kidded April 10th 2019)
> Doeling- 3.85 pounds
> Buckling 1(big)-5.80 pounds
> Buckling 2(small)-4.58 pounds
> 
> Melanie(kidded April 10th 2019)
> Buckling 1(has wattles)-6.83 pounds
> Buckling 2(tri color)-5.70 pounds



Thats  alot of bucklings, .......hope you get some more doe's. 
I have five that are due within the next month...hoping for only 1 buckling out of one particular  doe...and all the others  to be Doe's....like that's  going to happen ...


----------



## Hens and Roos

B&B Happy goats said:


> Thats  alot of bucklings, .......hope you get some more doe's.
> I have five that are due within the next month...hoping for only 1 buckling out of one particular  doe...and all the others  to be Doe's....like that's  going to happen ...



Actually we be just fine with a buckling year , we still have a few older does to sell off...but thanks for the wishes!


----------



## Hens and Roos

So our youngest DS is 14 years old today!  We really didn't do much as he had homework to work on and a soccer game mid-day to play.  He was able to play goalie the whole game and his team won 7-0.  Of course it won't be his day without a kidding....yep about 5:45 pm Basil presented him with triplets!! 1 doeling and 2 bucklings.  It was great timing as he was able to help before having to go to the 4-H meeting tonight! DH went with and I stayed behind to assist Basil and move Coco to the kidding area(today is day 145).  Basil is just like her dam Coco a stealth kidder...looks perfectly fine one minute and in the next she's dropping kids....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Day 145 for Coco


----------



## Mike CHS

Oh My!


----------



## Wehner Homestead




----------



## CntryBoy777

I just wonder if he will "remember" that as a "landmark" in his life as to how old he was when this took place....
Kids and baby animals will always make ya smile....sometimes it just takes a little longer for it to show up.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> I just wonder if he will "remember" that as a "landmark" in his life as to how old he was when this took place....
> Kids and baby animals will always make ya smile....sometimes it just takes a little longer for it to show up.....



I think he will remember, out of the 3 human kids, this is something that will likely only happen on his birthday(other 2 are fall/winter birthdays).


----------



## Hens and Roos

As cool as DS(14) would have found it to have 2 does kid on his birthday, Coco held off and waited till today!  This morning at chore time, I figured she was close as she was coming up to me wanting to be petted/scratched(she's more stand offish unless she ready to kid or has kids).

Around 10:30 am she started pushing and the 1st kid(bucking) was butt end first and I could only find 1 leg...with her pushing and me helping  we got him out safely! Thankfully, the 2nd(doeling), 3rd(buckling) and 4th(doeling) all came out head/feet first! At least this year she gave me a heads up that she was ready to kid!!  



 
the 2 doelings are in the barrel, backwards buckling in front of barrel and 2nd bucking just off to the right


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> Day 145 for Coco


Make way, W-I-D-E load coming!

I was guessing 4 and apparently I was right. Looks like they all came out healthy


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Congratulations,  she finally kidded !   two and two.....good girl


----------



## Hens and Roos

Never a dull moment here at our house!  DD is home on Easter break, come home Thursday night !  Friday both DS's had half a day of school and DH ended up having to go to work(was planning to take Friday off) because one of unit's got the patio door broken Thursday night !

After school, DS(14) was riding his bike on the driveway when he wiped out DS(17) and I ran to check him out as he wasn't getting up, he pretty much fell on his face. He had a bloody nose that was scrapped up and swollen, 2 chipped front teeth and a finger on his left hand swollen/didn't look right... we kind of got him cleaned up and headed into urgent care.  Urgent care looked at him, cleaned his scrapes up a bit and started checking him out, in the course of questions, he didn't think he blacked out but couldn't really remember how he ended up falling...SO they sent us to the ER for further evaluation...he ended up with a mild concussion(so no sports for at least a week) a sprained finger, his nose looks to be okay and thankfully they found a dentist who would see him and start the repairs to his teeth that night.  Most likely he will need to have the one tooth capped.  Poor kid


----------



## CntryBoy777

Never is a dull moment with kids....especially teens....I guess it still rings true today...."Boys will be, Boys".........sure glad that he checked out basically, okay....hope the teeth won't be a major issue....


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> Never is a dull moment with kids....especially teens....I guess it still rings true today...."Boys will be, Boys".........sure glad that he checked out basically, okay....hope the teeth won't be a major issue....



thanks, the one tooth might be a challenge but will see what the dentist says when they see him.


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> Never a dull moment here at our house!


How am I supposed to "like" that?! Sure hope the poor kid heals quickly and the teeth can be fixed up. 

I guess I can like that DD is home on break. Which is kinda weird since we just picked up DD1 from school, out until August. Even when DD2 was at Beloit spring break was early March, they most often got out for the year just after Mother's Day.


----------



## Hens and Roos

DD was off for the Easter weekend-she went back Monday, of course she was hoping that Rio would kid on Monday before she left but that didn't happen.

Rio kidded earlier today- 2 bucklings



 
this was just after the 2nd one was born and both of them were on the move!


----------



## Hens and Roos

2 of Munchkin's kids from the other day, they are a very friendly group, as soon as you sit down one or more come running to climb up in your lap.  The doeling has the red collar to keep track of her(she's 25% LaMancha and 75% Nigie)


----------



## misfitmorgan

Hens and Roos said:


> Rio is standard and Munchkin(her daughter) is a mini
> 
> we have 6 goats kidding this year so each would have to give us 3 kids..of course one or two of the nigies could give us 4 but as of now none are looking big enough...but they do love to prove us wrong



Well you were right about your does being overachievers!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Running behind...kind of the way things go...

2 weeks ago, DH heard one of the kids yelling...from what we could guess, the little doeling got stepped on or bumped and was struggling to get up once she laid down.  When we held her, she seemed okay and the second we put her down she started having hind end problems.  DH helped me look her over and nothing seemed broken or out of place(of course it's Sunday night).  We ended up bringing the doeling and her sister in over night and by the next morning she was acting fine...they both went back out by mom and is just fine.

then 2 days later Obie kidded 3 doelings for us...they are smaller then what she has kidded in the past so I wasn't sure she was finished(she sure looked like she had more inside!) Of course the 2nd and 3rd kids tried to be born at the same time...I had the head and front feet of the 2nd kid along with the back feet of the 3rd kid all sticking out....thankfully, they went tangled and were able to be brought safely!! 
Just finished kidding: 


moved to the barrel to finish drying off 


Weights at birth:
doeling 1(white hind legs)- 1.91 lbs
doeling 2(white on 3 legs)-2.62 lbs
doeling 3(black stockings)-3.08 lbs


----------



## CntryBoy777

Awww aren't they Sweet!?!.........glad ya was there to assist her......


----------



## Bruce

So tiny! Add them all together and you don't even have ONE of our male cats. The 2 bigger ones probably add up to the female cat.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> So tiny! Add them all together and you don't even have ONE of our male cats. The 2 bigger ones probably add up to the female cat.



We weighed Obie's kids the other day- about 2 weeks old now:
doeling 1(white hind legs)-5.22 lbs
doeling 2(white on 3 legs)-6.70 lbs
doeling 3(black stockings)-7.18 lbs

they are gaining weight and doing good!  They are still in our maternity area, we have a bald eagle nest close to where we live and the eagles come over our yard almost daily so we want to make sure they are big/strong enough before putting them with the rest of the herd.


----------



## Bruce

Yep, sure don't want to see them airlifted to the eagles' nest!


----------



## Baymule

Just got caught up, what a bunch of beautiful babies! Congrats on all the kids. I always look forward to lambing and am glad when the ewes are all done. 

Did the chipped teeth get fixed? My son has bonded front teeth, they work just fine. My daughter shot him in the face with a BB gun when she was 6, he was 10. They lied to me for years about that incident because big brother didn't want his little sister to get a whipping. LOL


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Just got caught up, what a bunch of beautiful babies! Congrats on all the kids. I always look forward to lambing and am glad when the ewes are all done.
> 
> Did the chipped teeth get fixed? My son has bonded front teeth, they work just fine. My daughter shot him in the face with a BB gun when she was 6, he was 10. They lied to me for years about that incident because big brother didn't want his little sister to get a whipping. LOL



Not yet on the chipped tooth, after consult with the dentist, DS's nerve was still very tender and so we needed to give it another few weeks.  I have to call in for an appointment.

Your kids were lucky on the BB gun accident!!


----------



## Hens and Roos

All the goats/kids are back together as of last night...lots of head butting by the adults and lots of yelling by the kids going on but all has pretty much settled down as of this evening.

DD planted the garden yesterday with some help from DS(17) and myself while DH was cleaning out the goat shelter.


----------



## Baymule

I have some bodacious, big strapping weeds in my garden, if anybody is interested...….


----------



## Bruce

Did DD have a good freshman year at college?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Did DD have a good freshman year at college?



yes she did and has all her classes for this coming fall.


----------



## Hens and Roos

We weaned 6 of the bucklings today and will have 4 more to wean in the next week or so.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Just started looking into the possibility of a different milker for our goats.  We at most milk 4-5 goats so don't need an large one.  Any suggestions/recommendations for us to look into?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Since we started milking we are averaging 2 gallon of milk a day with 3 of the does being milked twice a day and the 2 does being milk once per day!  We are kind of swimming in milk to say the least!  We have been processing milk just about every day and are starting to make some cheese again.  Our  Mozzarella batch didn't come out to good but the chickens are happy so we'll get more eggs 

All the bucklings are weaned now and have adjusted well to not being with their dams...now they yell for us instead!  Several are still standoffish but not too bad, given a little more time they will probably get better.

Of course nothing is without challenges ...yesterday DH ended up going to urgent care to have his knee looked at...as he was walking up a set of stairs he heard/felt his knee pop and then pain.  DD was with him so he did have help.   Of course he needed to finish the job he was working on to restore water to the building before going  so by the time he got to urgent care his knee was swollen...they took x-rays but could determine if he has a meniscus tear or an ACL tear.  Has to stay off his feet as much as possible and to get an appointment ASAP this next week to see Orthopedics.....

We will be having on the job training as we have several rental units to get ready and since its his right knee he will be chauffeured(DD and DS(17) will be learning to drive the truck)….

off to get chores done


----------



## Bruce

Crash course on driving the truck! But hopefully no crashes. Good that the kids are around to help.
Sorry about DH's knee, must have been --><-- close to going if it tore just going up stairs.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Crash course on driving the truck! But hopefully no crashes. Good that the kids are around to help.
> Sorry about DH's knee, must have been --><-- close to going if it tore just going up stairs.


 
Thanks, they've driven the truck before but not on a regular basis so they aren't very comfortable with it and its big!  This knee has been bothering him for awhile now so it's possible.  DD was with him at urgent care and said the doctor was checking his knee and made it move in a direction that just about sent him off the table..... of course the doctor felt bad, apparently they don't see a reaction like that!!


----------



## Bruce

And that scream sealed the deal on a trip to the ortho! I hope he stays off it enough to not cause problems before the ortho fixes him up.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> And that scream sealed the deal on a trip to the ortho! I hope he stays off it enough to not cause problems before the ortho fixes him up.



oh believe me, he is being super careful to take it easy...this tells me that it's nothing to goof with!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I tore my knee up back in '77 and it was the worse injury and pain that I've ever had.....sure hope it isn't really damaged, but I'm cringing for him right now........hope the cheese making improves for ya....and remember, a family is a "team" and they have done very well in the past for ya....so, I think they will come thru for ya once again....may be a hiccup or 2...but, they will do fine.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> I tore my knee up back in '77 and it was the worse injury and pain that I've ever had.....sure hope it isn't really damaged, but I'm cringing for him right now........hope the cheese making improves for ya....and remember, a family is a "team" and they have done very well in the past for ya....so, I think they will come thru for ya once again....may be a hiccup or 2...but, they will do fine.....



thanks, we are very proud of how our kids step up and help make things work and know that we'll get through this too!  The skills they are learning will serve them well for years to come.  DH is not use to sitting still/not working on something!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Fair starts this week for the kids, this year they have scaled way back on the number of projects they finished...not a lot of extra time these days.  We have 6 rental units to get ready by the end of the month and several were returned with more work needed then expected. One of the units came back 6 days after they were to be out, they left stuff behind that we had to clean out and last but not least the place reeked of cat pee  to the point that it was making it hard for DS(17) to breathe(not that the rest of us wanted to be in there either).  We removed all the carpet, pad, sealed the sub floor which has helped a lot so far and are almost finished painting it too!  Of course their deposit wont cover all the damages....

DH had an MRI done on his knee right before the 4th but didn't hear back till the week after, by that time he had ditched the crutches, was driving himself around and being very careful when walking.  Turns out that he has torn meniscus in his knee but because he has arthritis starting in that knee, the best things for him at this point is to do nothing but be careful.  DH says his knee actually feels better now then before.

Our garden is starting to produce yellow squash and patty pan squash...have to check again and see if anything is big enough to pick


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm guessing that DH is being pretty successful at being careful at this point but I hope it continues to get better.


----------



## Baymule

I am glad that his knee is better. I also have a bad knee, arthritis and a lifetime of living on it.....LOL Sometimes I can't put weight on it and I lurch from side to side like a drunk. What I found to keep the inflammation down is turmeric. 30 minutes after taking it, I feel the pain subside. He can take capsules, but I make a paste with turmeric, coconut oil and I shake black pepper on the spoonful I take. The pepper increases the bioavailability of the curcumin that is the active ingredient in the turmeric. It taste pretty bad, I chase it down with a glass of water. The relief I feel is amazing. I buy a 1 pound bag of turmeric powder at the health food store for about $8. If you can get him started on turmeric, it will make a huge difference. It is cheap, has no side effects and has other healthful properties as well. 

For a topical rub, buy some Arnicare. It kills pain and lasts 4 hours. It also comes in little pills that dissolve under the tongue. It is awesome stuff. I even give the pills to the dogs when they get bit by a copperhead for the pain, then I give them a baby aspirin and benedryl for the bite itself. 

He is going to have a lifetime of dealing with this screwed up knee. Get him on the Turmeric  and Arnicare.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Something that really helped me for many yrs was a simple $30-40 knee brace....it will help support his knee and it will be less wobbly feeling to him....as the arthritis disfigures the joint the brace will begin to cause pain and it is better left off at that point....I was able to wear it for several yrs before that point was reached.....hope it continues to give him less trouble....and as far as pain goes....green BCs are the way to go.....I take 3-4 everyday.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> I am glad that his knee is better. I also have a bad knee, arthritis and a lifetime of living on it.....LOL Sometimes I can't put weight on it and I lurch from side to side like a drunk. What I found to keep the inflammation down is turmeric. 30 minutes after taking it, I feel the pain subside. He can take capsules, but I make a paste with turmeric, coconut oil and I shake black pepper on the spoonful I take. The pepper increases the bioavailability of the curcumin that is the active ingredient in the turmeric. It taste pretty bad, I chase it down with a glass of water. The relief I feel is amazing. I buy a 1 pound bag of turmeric powder at the health food store for about $8. If you can get him started on turmeric, it will make a huge difference. It is cheap, has no side effects and has other healthful properties as well.
> 
> For a topical rub, buy some Arnicare. It kills pain and lasts 4 hours. It also comes in little pills that dissolve under the tongue. It is awesome stuff. I even give the pills to the dogs when they get bit by a copperhead for the pain, then I give them a baby aspirin and benedryl for the bite itself.
> 
> He is going to have a lifetime of dealing with this screwed up knee. Get him on the Turmeric  and Arnicare.



Thanks for the info, will look into to this!


----------



## Hens and Roos

CntryBoy777 said:


> Something that really helped me for many yrs was a simple $30-40 knee brace....it will help support his knee and it will be less wobbly feeling to him....as the arthritis disfigures the joint the brace will begin to cause pain and it is better left off at that point....I was able to wear it for several yrs before that point was reached.....hope it continues to give him less trouble....and as far as pain goes....green BCs are the way to go.....I take 3-4 everyday.....



Thanks, I'll mention this idea to him.  So far it has been feeling pretty good.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I didn't use it all the time, just when there was physical work that called for a little support....I had the black neoprene one with velcro straps....it allows for adjustment in case of swelling and the ability for a bit more support, when needed....I also preferred the metal side strips over the stitched plastic preformed ones....wore quite of few of them out over a 25-30yrs period....just tell him I "share" his pain!!.....


----------



## misfitmorgan

CntryBoy777 said:


> I didn't use it all the time, just when there was physical work that called for a little support....I had the black neoprene one with velcro straps....it allows for adjustment in case of swelling and the ability for a bit more support, when needed....I also preferred the metal side strips over the stitched plastic preformed ones....wore quite of few of them out over a 25-30yrs period....just tell him I "share" his pain!!.....



I dunno the story but could you not get a knee replacement done? 

My coworker got his done and said his only wish was he had done it years sooner. The first knee he was back to work in 2 weeks and the second was 3 weeks. He is in his late 50s and says nothing by praise for those implants. He had bone on bone and bad enough his legs bowed outwards before surgery.

My ex-mother-in-law had double bi-lateral knee replacements done at 31yrs old(20+yrs before i met her), she loved the pain being gone but wasnt really happy with the bi-latheral so about 4yrs ago she got them replaced again with the modern ones and really loves those ones.


----------



## Hens and Roos

@misfitmorgan ,DH tore meniscus in one of his knees but also has arthritis in the knee as well, so surgery would speed up the arthritis.  The ortho doctor feels he's to young to have a knee done at this point.  So far DH's knee if feeling pretty good.


----------



## Hens and Roos

County fair finished last night for the kids and everyone is happy to be done.  We had several days of very hot weather so we had to make sure animals and humans were staying hydrated and comfortable. 

Sat morning was the goat show for the kids and we got some really good feedback on does they showed.   Our senior yearling Nigie does, Dahlia and Daisy(sisters) received top blue and 2nd blue in their class(DD showed Daisy and another member of our 4-H club showed the Dahlia).  Which was very cool, given all the goats(Standard, Nigies and crosses) are shown together.

To my amazement, Dahlia took Champion and Daisy took Champion Reserve when the judge picked from all the top blue and 2nd blue shown in the Junior Breeding class.  Their dam is Basil(who took 2 blue in her senior age class) and sire is OFA Granite.

This of course leaves us with some decision as they can be bred this coming fall and both our bucks are related to them....


----------



## Mini Horses

Hens and Roos said:


> This of course leaves us with some decision as they can be bred this coming fall and both our bucks are related to them....



  WHAT?   Easy, get another buck.    We all need a couple.....


----------



## Bruce

Hens and Roos said:


> So far DH's knee if feeling pretty good.


I hope it stays that way!! My aunt had her first hip replacements in her mid 50's, which would have be the mid 1970's.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sounds to me like ya did really Great at the Fair!!.....
It is really nice to get "confirmation" of your decisions in the developement of your herd.........guess school will be starting up that way before very long....they have all the "back to school" sales going on here....just seems so soon....


----------



## Hens and Roos

School here starts after labor day.  I haven't even thought that far ahead, we just need to get through this week as we have rental units to finish


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mini Horses said:


> WHAT?   Easy, get another buck.    We all need a couple.....




Well according to DH...we do have a couple


----------



## OneFineAcre

Congratulations !!


----------



## promiseacres

Good job!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Hens and Roos said:


> To my amazement, Dahlia took Champion and Daisy took Champion Reserve when the judge picked from all the top blue and 2nd blue shown in the Junior Breeding class.  Their dam is Basil(who took 2 blue in her senior age class) and sire is OFA Granite.




Good job OFA Granite !!!


----------



## Baymule

Hens and Roos said:


> @misfitmorgan ,DH tore meniscus in one of his knees but also has arthritis in the knee as well, so surgery would speed up the arthritis.  The ortho doctor feels he's to young to have a knee done at this point.  So far DH's knee if feeling pretty good.


All the more reason to get him started on the turmeric. It will help him tremendously. I'm 64 and don't feel I am ready for knee replacement. DH's orthopedic surgeon said the replacements last up to 40 years, I plan on living well into my 100's (it runs in the family) and I sure don't need some wore out knee replacement messing up my later years!  Also get him on some joint type vitamins and gelatin. You can put gelatin in soups and different dishes.


----------



## Hens and Roos

I'm happy to say our herd is no longer doubled (for now), we have 3 more does and 4 wethers to rehome.  After some back and forth we rehomed Obie and her 3 doelings, they went to a home where they will be spoiled!  With a little more luck, we will have the numbers down coming into fall!


----------



## Baymule

Amazing how herd numbers swell to new heights. You look around and exclaim "Where did these 50 goats/sheep/rabbits/chickens come from?"


----------



## Hens and Roos




----------



## Mike CHS

It's hard to get the numbers right.  We have 45 sheep now but have enough graze to have 200 so I'm obviously cutting it.  If we had less rain there wouldn't be enough graze for the 45.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> It's hard to get the numbers right.  We have 45 sheep now but have enough graze to have 200 so I'm obviously cutting it.  If we had less rain there wouldn't be enough graze for the 45.


At least when you cut it, it adds humus to the soil and improves it.


----------



## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> At least when you cut it, it adds humus to the soil and improves it.




It does that.  The graze is looking better than I would have ever thought just a few years ago.


----------



## Genipher

Hens and Roos said:


> @misfitmorgan ,DH tore meniscus in one of his knees but also has arthritis in the knee as well, so surgery would speed up the arthritis.  The ortho doctor feels he's to young to have a knee done at this point.  So far DH's knee if feeling pretty good.



Just wanted to throw in my 2¢. The herb Moringa is supposed to be a life saver when it comes to arthritis.


----------



## Hens and Roos

thanks, I'll have to look into it...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Nothing to exciting happening here, working on only 1 rental unit to get ready...haven't gotten it rented yet so not a mad dash which is nice for a change! Plus all the other items that need to be taken care of..

Took a drive today about 2 hours north west of us, we traded our enclosed trailer in for a flat deck, we hadn't been using the enclosed trailer as much these past few years as the scope of our work has changed.  We figured that a flat deck will get more use...of course DH jokingly told me that he would be able to haul more hay bales for my goats as a good reason to get it...  (like he really needed to convince me)


----------



## Hens and Roos

@CntryBoy777 would you please share more about KC ducks and how well they get along with goats...especially as we have winter here


----------



## CntryBoy777

I just saw your post and would be glad to do that....I've been thru your area during winter, but have never lived there, so most of my experience was in Mississippi.....I did some extensive research before settling on the KCs, but there were 3 main reasons for choosing them....they have a stronger drive than other breeds for eating snails and slugs, which are the hosts for many parasites, especially the meanigeal (sp?) worm and others that come from deer....they will begiin to lay between 17-20wks of age and will lay 300-320 eggs per year....they are very prolific layers....and their entertainment value....they actually are a cross between the Indian runner and Rouen breeds, and it is the runner side of them that makes them so entertaining.....they are a true flock bird and mainly stay together as they forage, unlike chickens that go in evey direction.
Some of the benefits that I discovered after getting them....they are absolutely relentless in chasing and eating flies, wasps, hornets, and any maggots they come across in goat litter.....I gave them some pellets....Layena non-medicated, which is what we fed the chickens....tho, they actually didn't require them, because we free ranged them in the field with the goats....they both were excellent companions and the goats never went after them and even let them roam inside their pen and house....the size of the goats, we had pygmy/boer crosses, deterred hawks....and the ducks would keep the biting flies off the goats and eat the bugs the goats stirred up as they moved thru the grass.
As a general rule, ducks lay between 5-8am in the morning and if ya pen them and let them out about 9am each morning ya can collect the eggs for the day....there will be a few that will hold their egg and release it as they move around or get in the pool and drop them there.....if they laid in a nest in the field, they would lead me to the area and just chitter away until I saw them....they were so sweet, but they didn't like to be touched or held, but would follow us everywhere and would show me where they had been that day before I would put them up for the nite....they were very routine oriented, just like the goats.
About the eggs....a duck egg is alkaline based, where a chicken egg is acid based....people that are allergic or sensitive to chicken eggs can usually eat duck eggs without issues.....the yolk is creamier and larger that a chicken egg and it also has more protien....if you bake with them, cakes and such, ya will notice a marked difference....it will be lighter, moister, and will stay that way covered with foil on the counter for atleast 4-5 days....there is a very slight difference in taste when fried or boiled, but I like it much better than chicken, but when baked there isn't any difference that any could detect.
During winters there, I would just give them water to drink each day and not be concerned about a pool....if ya close them up at nite and there isn't any food left in their area they doon't require water overnite....it is a Must if they have food to also have water....it is how they are designed to eat, the difference between a bill and a beak.....also, ducks can see in the dark, so they like to be able to have areas they can see thru around them....I kept them in a hardware cloth covered pen on the ground and used the hay waste of the goats for their bedding...deep litter method....I would stick my head out the door and listen to see if they were alerting every so often, and when they were hollaring I'd grab the rifle and check it out.....got several possums and coons that way, but never lost a duck or chicken by predator.....there were a few false alarms with them discussing who was gonna have what spot, but it was worth checking out to me.
I dumped my phone to the computer and don't have any pics on my phone now, but if ya would like, I can post some pics of their setup and some of them with the goats....just let me know and I put em on my phone and post them for ya here....I usually try to avoid doing that unless the OP asks.....if there is something else ya wish to ask I'll be more than happy to answer it for ya.....
Oh, something that is very important....if ya brood them, ya have to be sure to mix niacin or brewer's yeast with the non-medicated crumbles....it is impotant for their bone development....after they are 14-17 wks it isn't as critical and they will probably get what they need with foraging, but ya can mix some brewer's yeast with pellts every so often...once a month or so....it won't hurt them....also, if ya brood, they grow extremely fast, so depending on how many ya get....triple the space.....they are messy to brood, but once they get outside it isn't very bad at all.....and they will entertain ya on rainy days for sure!!!.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

@CntryBoy777 thanks for sharing the great information and yes would love to see some pictures of your set up and with the goats when you have a chance!  Since we haven't raised ducks before, are they not able to be fed medicated feed when brooding them?


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Not to interupt your conversation, .....but Fred talking us into getting  the KC 's was the best  decision ever ! We absolutely  love them, they eat out the  feed bowls with the goats and we do not have a mosquito  or snail problem anymore, they put a smile on our faces EVERY day.


----------



## Bruce

Will niacin or brewer's yeast have a negative effect on chicks/chickens?


----------



## CntryBoy777

The medicated chicken feeds, crumbles and pellets, are not good for ducks and will cause them problems....the niacin is similar to copper with sheep and goats, there is enough in the crumbles and pellets for chickens, but not for the ducks. Everything I have read cautions against changing from the starter feed to laying feed until the first egg is laid...so, that is what we did and things went well for us.
This link explains the medicated feed issue....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/why-cant-ducks-have-medicated-feed.771763/

As for the setup....we got 12 ducklings and had never dealt with them before, so we just used our knowledge with chicks...I couldn't find any information on brooding more than a few at a time....we used an old shower curtain liner to water proof the area and used hay as the litter, but used the open woven shelf liner on top of the hay for their footing and to deter them from nibbling too much hay....we also used the "mother hen" for them also, but they mainly stayed on top of the little hut....we also used a plastic tote to keep their water in so it was contained....here are some pics of it....

  
 ....here is one of them in the tub for a swim, this kept them busy while we changed and cleaned the other area..... ...we had khaki campbells and rouens and we enjoyed both, but the KCs were our favorites....after experiencing this "adventure" I built another brooder, but we only had 1 duck to hatch, so this became the blending coop for him to get aquainted with the flock..... ....we brooded him in a box after we took him from the hen that hatched him.....that is why we named him Soli..........I'll post some of them with the goats in just a little bit......


----------



## Hens and Roos

B&B Happy goats said:


> Not to interupt your conversation, .....but Fred talking us into getting  the KC 's was the best  decision ever ! We absolutely  love them, they eat out the  feed bowls with the goats and we do not have a mosquito  or snail problem anymore, they put a smile on our faces EVERY day.



No worries, post away with what works for you...I'm still in the fact gathering/planning stage


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sorry about the break....had to tend to Gabbie and there was a bad car wreck just down from the house and went down to help the couple that was in a pickup that flipped on its roof and ended up in the woods across the road....no obvious injuries, but they were really lucky.....
Here are some pics of the ducks and goats....

  
Our older doe was fb pygmy and she could fit thru the hole that I cut for the ducks and she would go thru it and eat the duck's Layena pellets.....
   ....we always joked about the big black duck making her appearance....
Here the Boys are checking out the bedding hay and watching me shut them up for the day....
 .....the area that we shut them up in was 6'x8'.....but, I learned that 3' deep would've been better on us for cleaning it out....they are ground birds, so the space required isn't much compared to chickens and the ducks aren't as suseptible to the cold either....
  ...the last pic is of the drake in the light phase colors and the hens are also....they molt twice a year and it is the only time they don't lay and their molt only lasts for a week or less....they shed their feathers pretty fast. As far as being noisy, the KC doesn't normally quack very loud, but they chitter and chatter as if they are talking to ya....when they get real loud, there is something strange in the territory....having a drake is worth it, because it is his job to watch out for danger...the hens won't, but they will take signal from a rooster.
I guess I have been a bit "wordy" in giving ya info and have been told on many occassions that I don't know when to shut up..........but, I just like to be as complete as I can and any question is more than welcome.....


----------



## Bruce

How did they manage to flip the truck? Darn lucky those two, could likely have been dead or worse.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Bruce said:


> How did they manage to flip the truck? Darn lucky those two, could likely have been dead or worse.


Just lost control....was glad there weren't any kids walking or bike riders on the street when it happened....sand and pavement along with elevation differences can make it difficult to control and easy to overcorrect.


----------



## Baymule

I built a chicken tractor this spring and put a hinged top on the front third of it. I use it instead of the end gate. So if you build another KC house, put a hinged top on it, maybe split in two for easier access.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Glad to hear that they okay @CntryBoy777 and that you could give them a hand.  Thanks for sharing the pictures, its nice to get ideas from other set ups.  Will have to ponder this some more and see if we can come up with something that works for us! 

We are dealing with wet and mud here more so this year then in the past couple. I've been working on checking fecals and treating the ones who need it, several are quite high with the egg counts.  Flies are still around in large numbers too and bother the goats.

Had kind of hoped that things would slow down a bit for us once we made it past this summer and getting 10 rental units ready...but that doesn't seem to be the case...


----------



## CntryBoy777

Something that I did with the duck litter was to pull it out into their pen and let it decompose there....having heavy clay soil and wet periods make the footing very slippery, so ot worked well for our and their footing.....their web feet pack the soil and they will eat anything green like a chicken, so their area will become bare if they are contained in it....it wasn't an issue in the fields, they would play in the puddles, but when they dried up would move on and the grass would recover....our 12 ducks ate quite a bit of grass along with the bugs....as far as treats they like quite a few things, watermelon and oregano were 2 of ours favorites....they will eat the melon down to the thin green skin, ya could almost read through it.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

@CntryBoy777 did you have problems keeping the goat water clean or some how keep the ducks from it?  Our goats like the water to stay clean, we have problems with sparrows always messing it up and change it out at least twice a day.


----------



## CntryBoy777

We didn't have a problem with it, because the ducks can't climb a steeply angled incline and the goats water was kept on their deck at their house....the goats wouldn't drink from the bucket with leaves and acorns or bugs in it either and being under a bunch of oaks and sweeet gum trees sure was difficult....so, I put their water on the deck as close to the sides of the house as I could to use the house to block the debris from it....I changed their water twice a day also, but I had a few buckets out in the field for the ducks to muck up and they will always use the closest water.
The ducks won't fly and climb like a chicken, so if you elevate the water the goats will get to it, but the ducks won't....it doesn't have to be extremely high, just high enough they can't stretch and get to it....ya could put it on some cinder blocks and have a single block for the goats to stand on to reach it, or something like a picnic table and there won't be a problem...if ya use a true 5gal bucket just don't fill it to overflowing full, it the water is a few inches from the top it will be difficult for them to reach inside.....they don't dip the bill and raise it to drink like chickens, they swing their head from side to side to sift what is in their bill and seine out the food allowing the trash to drain back into the water......


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Do not mean to hijack the thread @Hens and Roos...
@CntryBoy777, do ducks go back into their pen at night if there are not "escorted"?  We have chickens with an auto door that shuts about 35 minutes after sun down and opens about an hour after sun rise.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It depends on the routine, but ours always waited for me to round them up.....we dealt with their pen water and pellets in the morning to let them out and in the evening to close them up....to give them reason to be put up....we had possums, coons, and fox around...so I tried to get them in about 45-60min before dark to avoid the early prowlers....they will bed down anywhere and they can see in the dark....but, I never trusted them out on their own....I was always counting heads....they weren't any trouble getting them in, they'd line up and run right in....course, I was always talking to them and they really enjoyed the interaction....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had a bit of a challenge at chore time this morning...Ellie(our Aussie) found a nest of ground wasps and got stung a couple of times on the top of her head.  Thankfully her coat was thick enough that it stopped the others from being able to sting her! Gave her some Benadryl as per our vet and she seems to be just fine.  

Of course in my brushing them off her, I got stung twice right under my eye...ouch. I've been putting ice on it most of the day, so its sore and a little swollen as of now, we'll see what it looks like come morning.

DH found the nest and took care of it tonight now that the sun went down...never a dull moment here!


----------



## AmberLops

Take some of that Benadryl too!
Hope you feel better...wasp stings are awful...On your face? Even worse


----------



## Baymule

Those things hurt! I’ve poured gas down the hole on those things before, then lit a rag and threw at them. Needless to say, they were fried. 

Did you know skunks eat those things?


----------



## AmberLops

Baymule said:


> Those things hurt! I’ve poured gas down the hole on those things before, then lit a rag and threw at them. Needless to say, they were fried.
> 
> Did you know skunks eat those things?


Skunks eat wasps??


----------



## Baymule

AmberLops said:


> Skunks eat wasps??


They will clean out a beehive too.


----------



## AmberLops

I didn't know that!! Learn something new every day


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh no!!...........they are usually very active this time of year preparing for hibernation and building up the "stores" for the larvae to feed on thru the winter.....glad ya found the nest and got rid of it, but enduring the stings won't be too long for ya, hopefully.....the benadryl will help with the swelling and the itching to come.....


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Those things hurt! I’ve poured gas down the hole on those things before, then lit a rag and threw at them. Needless to say, they were fried.
> 
> Did you know skunks eat those things?



I didn't know that about skunks.


----------



## Hens and Roos

well this morning my eye is about half shut cause of the swelling overnight...should have kept an ice pack on it over night .

I ended up taking loratadine, as Benadryl and I don't always get along....

When I head out to do chores shortly, I'll watch from a distance to see if there is any activity at the nest site.  The nest is pretty close to the house so they need to be gone.


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Hope you eye stops swelling soon


----------



## promiseacres

Yikes! it's always worse near the eyes... prayers for relief! How's your pup?


----------



## Hens and Roos

promiseacres said:


> Yikes! it's always worse near the eyes... prayers for relief! How's your pup?



Ellie is doing fine no adverse effects but gave her some more Benadryl this morning just to make sure.  She is giving the area where the nest is wide berth but as of now the nest is dead.


----------



## Bruce

AmberLops said:


> I didn't know that!! Learn something new every day


Then it is a good day!

Worry about the wasp stings H&R, those ground nests are easy to miss and the wasps fly fast.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Then it is a good day!
> 
> Worry about the wasp stings H&R, those ground nests are easy to miss and the wasps fly fast.



they are persistent too!!


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, worse than bees on that point.


----------



## Baymule

Glad they are gone!


----------



## Hens and Roos

like elsewhere we have gotten more rain then we need, especially the last couple months.  With the recent rain we have standing water in our yard and more mud in the goats area then we would like to see.

We are seeing more of our goats needing to be dewormed this fall then in the past years.

We have one doe in particular that I am struggling with to get her numbers down.  She went to fair in July(great body condition) and then towards the end of Aug started coughing/snotty nose so we figured we brought something home from fair and have learned from past years that supportive care is all we can do for them.  We also noticed her losing weight and runny poop...pretty much all at one time, so we ran a fecal(which was probably contaminated from having to pick up off the dirt) but it was extremely high and to tell the truth I'm surprised she made it through the 1st round of deworming.  We used Safeguard for 3 days and then 1 dose of Ivermectin and then pulled another sample 17 days later and her EPG was 600 so I gave her 1 more dose Ivermectin and was just able to catch a sample today(19 days later). Her EPG is 1800, she's on the thin side, coughing a little yet but is eating good, eye lids still on the pale side. 

We're not sure that the Safeguard/Ivermectin is working for her but concerned that using a deworming like Valbazen would be to much for her given the EPG number?  We do have red cell on hand.  Trying to figure out what might be our best bet for treating her.

So far the other goats are responding to Safeguard/Ivermectin being given.

Also she is lower in the pecking order of the herd and will pick up food off the ground when bowls get dumped...so we know that isn't helping matters.  We are now feeding the goat that spills the bowls on the milk stand to help this problem.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I sure wish I could be of help to ya, but I have no experience with that.....but, I sure do hope she gets better for ya and someone else can give ya "assistance" with it.....


----------



## Baymule

@B&B Happy goats 

Poor girl. Has she had high counts like this before?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> @B&B Happy goats
> 
> Poor girl. Has she had high counts like this before?



No, she's only 18 months old...thinking what ever she came home with from fair probably ran her body down and triggered a parasite bloom.  Was able to speak with my vet this afternoon and we will do another 3 days of Safeguard then 1 day Ivermectin wait the 10 days before rechecking and based on what that shows, treat with Valbazen.  Given what we are seeing we will hold off on breeding her.


----------



## Bruce

I sure hope you can get that under control.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> I sure hope you can get that under control.



thanks us too


----------



## AmberLops

Hope she gets better quick


----------



## Hens and Roos

Happy Thanksgiving to all, hope everyone has a nice day!


----------



## Mike CHS

We have had some with high counts that we couldn't seem to get under control and we started giving a dose of two different class wormers at the same time. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you!


----------



## AmberLops

Happy Thanksgiving!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a good one!


----------



## Bruce

You too!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

X3


----------



## Mike CHS

Merry Christmas


----------



## Hens and Roos

Haven't taken the time lately to post much here.  We've had our challenges this past year but we made it through and all the rental units that needed to be ready by the end of 2019 were completed. At this point, there are 2 left to get rented out. The months of Dec/Jan are slow for people looking but its starting to pick up.

We bred 7 does and will start kidding in April...haven't sat down to figure out due dates yet...probably should do that soon! 

DS(18) is a senior in high school and will graduate this coming June.  He texted me early today and said, "well mom, it's official, I'm the class of 2020's only Valedictorian"  We are so proud of all his hard work!!!


----------



## Bruce

Pretty special!!! Congrats to him. What does he plan to be doing come next fall?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Pretty special!!! Congrats to him. What does he plan to be doing come next fall?



He's been accepted to UW Platteville and plans to study mechanical engineering


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Hens and Roos said:


> "well mom, it's official, I'm the class of 2020's only Valedictorian" We are so proud of all his hard work!!!


Tell him CONGRATS!!  What does he want to do once he has his Mechanical Engineering degree?


----------



## Hens and Roos

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Tell him CONGRATS!!  What does he want to do once he has his Mechanical Engineering degree?



He's not sure yet, but he does like to design and build things.  He currently has a 3D printer that he designs and makes items with.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Snowing today, started around 9 am and will go into the evening.  Once it stops DH & I will head out to do snow removal hopefully it won't be to heavy.  DH is working on some of the equipment making sure it's ready to go, probably take our tractor/blower tonight so he can clean up some of the driveways better.  

This year we added another piece of equipment, a 4 wheeler and plow , to help make things easier on smaller snow falls when there isn't enough to use the blower.  Of course this makes chore time so much easier for me too as DH added a cargo carrier so I can haul hay and water!!

Our kidding season will start around April 2nd and can go through May 31st.  This year we have only 1 doe who could possible kid on DS(14)'s birthday.  Of course not sure how much help DS(14) will be this kidding season...at the end of January he hurt his right knee wrestling and since it wasn't getting better he had to have an MRI done.  Turns out that he has a medial meniscus tear and will have surgery mid March to repair it.  Depending on what has to be done, he might be on crutches for at least 6 weeks....


----------



## Bruce

Slap a good metal brace on that leg and send him out to the kidding barn!  
Maybe he can help with whatever parts can be done outside the pens.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Slap a good metal brace on that leg and send him out to the kidding barn!
> Maybe he can help with whatever parts can be done outside the pens.



 this is our kid that never sits still unless he doesn't feel good....he'll be out there, after all holding baby goats is the best part of the kidding season!!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

I hope you have a easy and successful  kidding season, .....not much beats a baby goats cuteness


----------



## Hens and Roos

B&B Happy goats said:


> I hope you have a easy and successful  kidding season, .....not much beats a baby goats cuteness



Thanks!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Tapped our 4 maple trees Sat afternoon and by this evening we have about 32 gallons collected.  Based on what DH has been reading this year might be a short season for us.  We'll probably need to start boiling the sap down in the next day or so just to have empty pails available.


----------



## Bruce

Syrup for the year 
What sap to syrup ratio do you normally get? I think here is it about 40:1. I watched the latest episode of Stoney Ridge Farmer where he went to a maple farm in his state of NC. They have a 55:1 ratio. I don't know why his trees would have less sugar in the sap unless maybe they are a different variety?


----------



## Hens and Roos

We run 35-40:1 and the maple trees we tap are silver maple.  Not sure what the other trees are, I think sugar maple is 25:1.   After our 1st batch we'll have a better idea of the ratio.


----------



## Baymule

I find that fascinating. I love the idea of tapping trees for syrup, but that is not done around here. It would probably spoil in the warm weather. Not too many maples here anyway.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> I find that fascinating. I love the idea of tapping trees for syrup, but that is not done around here. It would probably spoil in the warm weather. Not too many maples here anyway.



You also need the temps to drop below 32* at night and get above 32* during the day


----------



## Bruce

Yep, there is a reason people don't tap trees in the south  
The general process, as far as the tree and is sap is concerned, is that as the winter temperatures start to warm above freezing the dormant tree starts pumping sap to the branches. But the temp pretty much has to go below freezing then back above for this "pumping" to happen. It has occasionally happened in January here but when the temp drops back below freezing, the sap stops running. The "usual" sugaring season here can start anywhere from February through March depending on the temps.


----------



## Baymule

The syrup of the south is sorghum syrup, better known as sugar cane syrup. My grandparents used to buy cane syrup in the fall, from local syrup makers. My grandmother made biscuits with breakfast and I loved to put cane syrup on them.


----------



## Bruce

Yeah, that is a little bit different  
We'd have a heck of a time making sorghum syrup, sugar cane wouldn't grow here.


----------



## Baymule

There is  a syrup festival in Henderson every fall, complete with a mule driven cane crushing machine, the wood fired syrup pan, someone to do the skimming and lots of cane syrup for sale. We went one year, it was a bit of nostalgia and yes, I got a couple cans of syrup.


----------



## Hens and Roos

that would be fun to see @Baymule 

over the last couple night we boiled down the 31.5 gallons of sap (we start the process outside using our LP burners because of all the water that gets burned off), tonight we will finish boiling it inside and then put into jars.  This coming weekend and into next week the temps look ideal for collecting!


----------



## WyoLiving

Yep, weather is looking good in WI for maple syruping.  You need the days temp to be above freezing, but the night temps to be below freezing.  It can be a short season some years.  I hope our maple syrup guy has a good year.  I give him our extra eggs and he gives us maple syrup.  DH buys him a case of jars every couple of years.


----------



## Bruce

Baymule said:


> There is  a syrup festival in Henderson every fall, complete with a mule driven cane crushing machine, the wood fired syrup pan, someone to do the skimming and lots of cane syrup for sale. We went one year, it was a bit of nostalgia and yes, I got a couple cans of syrup.


You are probably out by now, time to go again this year.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Haven't stopped in a while , we're doing well and keeping busy.  Our kidding season went pretty good considering that we had a couple issues to deal with.  Our 1st doe that kidded had the first kid coming out stuck-it took DH, DD and myself to get it unstuck and helped out-she had triplets(buckling and 2 doelings).  Melanie(our 1st goat) kidded a single large buckling that was DOA, not sure what went wrong with that and not much we could do.  Our kidding season finished at the end of May; we added 14 doelings and 3 bucklings.  We are only retaining 1 doeling, she is a mini mancha our of our PB La Mancha doe and our ND buck Granite.

Hope everyone is staying healthy and doing well!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure is Good to hear from ya and Glad things are basically well with ya and your family up that way....  ....have often thought about ya and kept ya on the "prayer list".....


----------



## Bruce

I'm glad to see you as well.


----------



## Baymule

glad you checked in!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Had planned to stop back in sooner and share some pictures of the kids but things went a little crazy and sideways here!
Almost 2 weeks ago, I ended up having eye surgery on my left eye to fix a detached retina and was just given the okay to lift my head again instead of looking down at the ground.  Full recovery time is 6-8 weeks so I still have to be careful and stay out of dusty areas as much as possible...thankfully DH and the human kids have been able to help out with chores, especially these 1st two weeks!  I'm able to help again but with restrictions.

Anyway here are some pictures for everyone to enjoy

Birch-wether



Bunches-doeling


Cherry-doeling


Honey(doeling-sib to Bunches)


Mahogany(doeling sib to Cherry)


----------



## Hens and Roos

Oats in front and Cork hiding behind, both wethers.  Oats is sib to Honey & Bunches.  Cork is sib to Cherry and Mahogany-he was the one stuck at birth and gave us a challenge to help him out.


Squirt(aka little sh-t) she was 1.94 lbs at birth and is the scrappiest kid of the group.  We hopefully have a pet home lined up for her!


This is Maple, she is a 50/50 mini mancha and is staying with us.  She is very friendly and wants to be right on top of you!!


----------



## Bruce

Lovely goat kids. The detached retina though, not so lovely!!!! Was there some sort of trauma that caused it? Please do take care to let it heal properly.


----------



## messybun

Hens and Roos said:


> Yep she came with instructions just like my kids did, but my youngest is 9 years old now
> 
> she is hanging out with the rabbits- in her own area, seems to be settling in nicely.  Hoping the rabbits teach her to eat hay.  That's what I have 3 kids for  and Thanksgiving break starts at 11:30 am tomorrow
> 
> DD wants to name her Melanie...will see how it fits , it took DS(9) 3 names before finally choosing his rabbit's name- Jack Frost(our avatar picture).
> 
> okay so we have an Aussie that we need to introduce to her....suggestions welcome


That rabbit name is hilarious! My first white rabbit was Lilian Frost, I wonder if they’re related lol. Congrats on the goat she’s adorable. A little piece of advice while I’m here, don’t play butting games. It can be super cute as babies to have them butt your hand and things like that but when they get older it is painful and even dangerous, so my one suggestion would be to not start that path. Good luck on the new baby!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Lovely goat kids. The detached retina though, not so lovely!!!! Was there some sort of trauma that caused it? Please do take care to let it heal properly.



No trauma, my kids asked that too- if a goat had knocked into me. From what my doctor explained it can just happen as we get older, apparently there can be a change in the gel-like consistency of the vitreous fluid.  Yep, being extra careful, DH and DS(15) are making sure  and of course DD and DS(18) are keeping tabs on me too even though they are now at college!


----------



## Hens and Roos

messybun said:


> That rabbit name is hilarious! My first white rabbit was Lilian Frost, I wonder if they’re related lol. Congrats on the goat she’s adorable. A little piece of advice while I’m here, don’t play butting games. It can be super cute as babies to have them butt your hand and things like that but when they get older it is painful and even dangerous, so my one suggestion would be to not start that path. Good luck on the new baby!



no butting games allowed here!


----------



## Hens and Roos

We have been working on finding homes for this years kids plus a couple of does from last year too and our original herd buck(all the kids are related to him).  We started off with a list of 19 and are down to 9 available.  Looking to carry 12-13 through winter.  

Currently I am milking 3 does to dry them off, 2 are FF so we are training them to the routine since their kids have left.  his year we made a lot of batches of cheese curds using the goat milk.  The batch of curds usually doesn't last 24 hours in this house .  Today, I'll be trying a new recipe to make rice pudding.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Starting to get more fall like weather here.  Our garden didn't do so well for us this year, we had at least 1 deer come through and help themselves to our plantings.  On the other hand, DD's small patch of sunflowers did very well.  They grew very tall.  We will be trying to dry the heads and harvesting out the seeds.  Our pear tree was loaded and I made several patches of pear sauce.  The 2 apple trees are also loaded and so far we have picked about 9 bushels off what we believe to be a Delicious variety, we will be trying our hand at making apple cider with them.  We will be checking the Granny Smith apples again today as they weren't ready to be picked last weekend.  

I had what was my 4 week follow up eye surgery check up mid-month and as I had suspected the repair to my detached retina didn't hold .  This coming Friday I will be having surgery again and start all over again.   This time they will be using an oil bubble instead of a gas bubble plus adding a buckle around the eye.

We added a group of 5 runners ducks this spring, 1 drake and 4 hens.  They are interesting to watch! The hens are now laying eggs.


----------



## Bruce

Bad enough to need surgery the first time!!! I hope it works this time.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> Bad enough to need surgery the first time!!! I hope it works this time.



Thanks,  I'm 2 weeks post surgery and so far so good, not sure how long the oil bubble will need to stay in but at my next appointment they might have a better idea.  Today, DH, DD and DS(15) cleaned out both sides of the goat shack and friends of ours wanted it for their garden, so that worked out good!  We have 5 doelings to try and sell yet this fall, we actually did better then expected on getting our herd numbers down.    Our next challenge is to find a mini-mancha buck to add to our herd to use over our mini-mancha doelings.


----------



## farmerjan

Sorry to hear about the first eye surgery not holding and hoping that the second time around will work.  Have you gotten any snow yet?  Saw a picture that one of my dairy farmers had, that they were picking corn in the first snow of the year.... Somewhere up north or out in the midwest.  BRRRR not ready for winter yet.


----------



## shuvasishphotography

Excellent Blog! I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this post. I am hoping for the same best work from you in the future as well. I wanted to thank you for this websites


----------



## Hens and Roos

farmerjan said:


> Sorry to hear about the first eye surgery not holding and hoping that the second time around will work.  Have you gotten any snow yet?  Saw a picture that one of my dairy farmers had, that they were picking corn in the first snow of the year.... Somewhere up north or out in the midwest.  BRRRR not ready for winter yet.



Thanks, I am not use to having to sit around and not do to much or wait till someone can help me!  No snow here as of yet and we are just fine with that. More north of us might have seen some snow. The water buckets were frozen this morning so we will probably plug in the heated buckets for the goats tonight.  We take care of all the snow removal for the rental units we manage and I'm part of that crew(it's mostly DH & myself and then the kids when they are available). I might have to run the equipment more vs the shovel this year...


----------



## Hens and Roos

Starting to get cooler here, had to add another layer when going outside for chores.  Of course DS(15) is still wearing shorts and probably will awhile yet !  DS(15) finished up the on line part of drivers education and now has his learner's permit so DH took him out driving this afternoon.

Our apple cider making didn't turn out so well, the grinding and pressing of the apples went very well.   We decided on pasteurizing the cider and the little that we tried didn't sit so well with us...thinking it was the variety of apples and that they weren't so great this year.  We've had cider before(purchased else where) and didn't have any issues.  Back to the drawing board with this!


----------



## Mike CHS

I would have no idea where to start making apple cider so we just stick with apple sauce.


----------



## Baymule

How is your eye healing? That is scary, not to mention the BORING part of recovery. You are so active, making you stop is like going to jail. Hope you continue to heal and are good as new.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Mike CHS said:


> I would have no idea where to start making apple cider so we just stick with apple sauce.


 apple sauce is always good, we were going to make some too with the apples but decided not to.  DH and I will do some more pruning on the trees and spray on a more regular schedule this next spring/summer.  We have 1 tree that hasn't produced at all so we will most likely replace it this next spring.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> How is your eye healing? That is scary, not to mention the BORING part of recovery. You are so active, making you stop is like going to jail. Hope you continue to heal and are good as new.



Thanks @Baymule!  So far so good, I never had good vision in the eye but keeping what's there is the end goal.  Hope BJ is doing well after his surgery too!

Yeah making sure to go slower is the challenge and some days frustrating.  Most of my restrictions are lifted, so I can drive again but my doctor still wants me to be extra careful as the pressure in the eye is very high.  DH and DS(15) are still doing most all the animal chores, I can help as long as I don't lift anything more then 1 to 1.5 gallons of water.  They watch me like a hawk and weren't to happy with me when I went in to say hi to my does the 3rd day after surgery.  They were worried that the does would knock me over but relaxed once they realized that the girls knew something was up and being careful!  It's cool how animals can sense things and act accordingly, especially our LaMancha and mini-mancha does.

On a positive side, it's given me some time to continue working on my family tree, after 30+ years of working on it, I've found & now email/text with 5 cousins.


----------



## Baymule

Glad you are doing better. Don't lift anything--yeah, right. LOL

My Mom spent 20 years collecting material and wrote a family history book in 1982. That was before internet made it much easier. She did a great job and made it very interesting.


----------



## OneFineAcre

How's Granite?  Do you still have him?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Glad you are doing better. Don't lift anything--yeah, right. LOL
> 
> My Mom spent 20 years collecting material and wrote a family history book in 1982. That was before internet made it much easier. She did a great job and made it very interesting.



Well I do have 2 that keep close tabs on me as far as lifting so I have to behave!!

I will say being able to research on line is a great thing especially now days.  Since I have extra time, I'm looking through records from Poland to find information.  The records are in Latin so it takes awhile to go through each one.


----------



## Hens and Roos

OneFineAcre said:


> How's Granite?  Do you still have him?



Granite is doing very well, he will be our main buck this year.  We are very happy with him, he's always easy going and polite.  We are hoping to get 1 of his daughter breed this fall provided our other buck is willing to do his job(we added this buck last fall and since he was low in the ranks he wasn't showing interest).


----------



## Baymule

Hens and Roos said:


> Well I do have 2 that keep close tabs on me as far as lifting so I have to behave!!
> 
> I will say being able to research on line is a great thing especially now days.  Since I have extra time, I'm looking through records from Poland to find information.  The records are in Latin so it takes awhile to go through each one.


Do you read latin? If not, how do you translate? 

When my mom was doing research, she went to cemetaries, county records, wrote lots of letters to many family members and she and my Dad went to England and Scotland.


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Do you read latin? If not, how do you translate?
> 
> When my mom was doing research, she went to cemetaries, county records, wrote lots of letters to many family members and she and my Dad went to England and Scotland.



Let's just say I'm learning to by using a latin to english dictionary I found on line. I am writing down a list of  words that are repeated through out each of the different records(marriage, baptism and death). Each set of records follows the same set up, if I can pick out the names that's most of the battle.  It also helps that I have 2 cousins from that side of the family that can take a look at a record if I have questions.  One can read a bit of latin and has been learning Polish.  There are some cemetery records on line now as well and that helps.


----------



## Nao57

Hens and Roos said:


> Let's just say I'm learning to by using a latin to english dictionary I found on line. I am writing down a list of  words that are repeated through out each of the different records(marriage, baptism and death). Each set of records follows the same set up, if I can pick out the names that's most of the battle.  It also helps that I have 2 cousins from that side of the family that can take a look at a record if I have questions.  One can read a bit of latin and has been learning Polish.  There are some cemetery records on line now as well and that helps.



If you are doing family history check out family search! Its great. Its getting so big, and you get on and find other people are doing family history on your own family lines also. 

And you can harness the research of people all networking together. You can find out a lot fast with less effort.


----------



## Baymule

Any plans for a trip to Poland? That would be a trip of a lifetime!


----------



## Hens and Roos

Nao57 said:


> If you are doing family history check out family search! Its great. Its getting so big, and you get on and find other people are doing family history on your own family lines also.
> 
> And you can harness the research of people all networking together. You can find out a lot fast with less effort.


Yep, I use both Family Search and Ancestry to look up information, both site have gotten better over the years as far as information.  Nice thing with Family Search is it's a free site! Networking with others on family information is good but one has to be careful and double check all the information.  I've run across people who just add information and haven't checked to see if it belongs...kind of messing up the tree.  You also find people who never reply to emails as well.  Even though I have trees on both sites, I use Family Tree Maker program to keep a hard copy.  I'm still learning how to use the program as I received it as a early b-day gift


----------



## Hens and Roos

Baymule said:


> Any plans for a trip to Poland? That would be a trip of a lifetime!



Not any time soon.  It would be cool to travel there plus Austria, Germany(DH is 100%) and Ireland!  Not sure I could handle the plane ride


----------



## Mike CHS

My paternal side of my family originated in Shannon Ireland and I got a chance to spend a few days there many years ago.  I walked in to a pub and started talking to a couple of locals about family and in about an hour there was so many "cousins" there that the next couple of days flew by.


----------



## Bruce

And when are these cousins going to descend on your house?


----------



## Hens and Roos

Bruce said:


> And when are these cousins going to descend on your house?


Most likely not anytime soon but they would be welcome!  Only a couple of them are in the same state, the other few live several states away and 1 lives in Australia!


----------



## Hens and Roos

For anyone who has filled out goat registration paper work or is good at describing a goat's coloring, we have 1 doeling that we are trying to decide how to describe her.  She does have a strip down her back but it blends in with her coloring.
@OneFineAcre, Granite is her sire


----------



## Mini Horses

Dark chocolate!    😁


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I was just gonna say brown, lol!


----------



## Bruce

Mini Horses said:


> Dark chocolate!    😁


That is a fav at our house! Much better than milk chocolate.


----------



## Mini Horses

Here, too.  Just had some.


----------



## Hens and Roos

DD thinks we might have to use dark brown instead of dark chocolate


----------

