C&D Farming..oh what a life!

Duckfarmerpa1 · Mar 11, 2020

farmerjan said:
When a pig would scratch hair off here the first thing I would look for is lice. If you didn't have any problems until you brought others in then that would be my first go to. Kinda funny that all yours started scratching after you got new ones. No we never cut the teeth on the piglets. The needle teeth are sharp, but if the sow has enough teats, and the pigs seem to be satisfied after nursing, they seldom get into fights over the teats. I don't know about these mini-pigs. I just know about our standard size large sows. I strove for litters of 12 pigs. Anything under 8 they got a 2nd chance. If the second litter was not more than 8 or if they didn't raise them, they were sent to butcher and that was it. Seldom had litters over 14. I always counted the number of teats on a gilt before I bred her. She had to have a minimum of 12. NO EXCEPTIONS. That way if she had 12 piglets, they all got a "faucet". Most of mine had 14 - 16 teats.
Also counted the teats on a boar..... minimum of 12 also. It is a heritable trait.
I also always tried to have at least 2 due at the same time so that if one should have too many piglets, or one had any problems with an udder, I could switch some piglets around so they could get a good start. Once they were up and going, the sows would lay down and do their little grunts and there could be a mix mash of pigs on them. Usually I had 3-4 due within a few days of each other so that you could do switching if needed. I never worried about them after the first few days.
I also would not keep a sow that did not take care of her piglets. If she was not careful, and laid on them, paid no attention if they were screaming as she laid down, things like that, she went. I was not there to be a babysitter. I had some boards around the inside walls of the huts they farrowed in, just in case. But I could tell after the first litter if they were going to be careful mothers, and if not, gone. Their job was to raise their pigs. I never used farrowing crates because mine were out on pasture/dirt.
No we also did not regularly give iron because they were out on dirt. If they are housed inside then iron is usually necessary.
AGAIN, I am NOT an expert on mini-pigs or pot bellys or anything like that. We raised Hampshires, Durocs, crosses of them and Berkshires. Had a few Chester Whites but I did not like the ones I had and they were too "needy". Had some red wattles and really liked them and they were very good on pasture.

Others will be better to ask about the goats. I just know that when we wean calves, and lambs, they go into pastures/fields/pens/lots where they have no visuals of the dams, and they hollar for about a week and they get over it. But we don't take them off much before 3 months on the sheep, and the calves are 5-8 months old. The sheep we have to pull the ram lambs because they get sexually active. The lambs are eating good and we don't milk our sheep either. So they dry up and get bred back. The ewe lambs we will leave for 3-6 months unless we put the ram in.

I guess I’ll have to check them for lice now...any recommendEd treatments?

B&B Happy goats · Mar 11, 2020

How old will Walter be next week ? If over six weeks he should do just fine as long as he is eating hay and such..
The doe's will stop nursing the kids on her own and by then the kids are eating hay and stuff ...
The more milk the doe gives out, the more she should produce, as long as she can feed her kids, you can grab some milk, just don't take from the kids....they come first.
Make everybody happy, cut your work load and stress and put the families back together and let them adjust to being a happy herd. :celebrate

Jesusfreak101 · Mar 11, 2020

I seperate at night in milk in morning then they are together all day. They sleep in the same house just seperated by a gate so they don't freak out

B&B Happy goats · Mar 11, 2020

Jesusfreak101 said:
I seperate at night in milk in morning then they are together all day. They sleep in the same house just seperated by a gate so they don't freak out

Your such a fantastic people and goat mom @Jeasusfeak, your family is drinking lots of milk that you and your goats produce....I remember the work involved doing that with just one child and milking and feeding all the farm animals, Nice job girl !

Jesusfreak101 · Mar 11, 2020

You sweet @B&B Happy goats thank you for the compliment. I do my best. I enjoy staying busy i am pretty sure it is what keeps me happy lol. One of my sister in laws told my mother she doesn't understand why I make my life so hard. Granted she was solely referring to home schooling however i am diffently thrilled to be both a homeschooler and farm regardless my kids are rock stars and my animals are loads of fun. I get to be a kid all day with them lol today my ds1 was pretending to be shot and my dd1 and I were the Drs on hand and my ds2 was a assistant both in shorting his brother and operating lol.

Duckfarmerpa1 · Mar 12, 2020

@B&B Happy goats , Walter will be 8 weeks this week...I called the lady and did tell her that he is ready to go...because, truly, he is the only one not doing so bad with all of this. When I’m in the barn with the kids, they are all over me, but he goes to nibble hay and lays down. The only thing he hates is walking on a leash... :lol:

that’s not really a must! So, I called her, and she’s going to get him today, hopefully. Then I will put all the goats back together. Chris doesn’t want to put them all together while Walter is here, because he might start nursing again, and it might screw him up for the new owners. But the kids have been eating feed and hay for weeks. I was actually shocked, because they started like, the first week....the vet said they mimic the moms. I’ll just be glad when the bawling stops, and the kids can be happy. I don’t really care about the milk. I can put them in a stall, in the barn, to get more milk, but, Chris and I have to decide if we really want to do this thin* with makin* cheese first. If not, then it’s really not worth it to me. I was satisfied with helping Busty because she makes too much milk and gets too uncomfortable to nurse in the morning. I just got her down enough for the kids to latch on. Otherwise she kicks them off. I’d rathe4 have her kick me, than them. Plus, then I was getting a few cups a day...plenty for the two of us.

soooo..if we do decide to sell and make cheese...what do I charge???

Duckfarmerpa1 · Mar 12, 2020

Ok...well, we sold Walter. The guy, Larry, turned out to be a very very nice guy. He had bought all of my ducks, but his GF had picked them up. Well he and his son told me all about them, how they are, how eat from the son’s hand, how they are going to let them set on some eggs...etc. they were at the farm 2 hours!! So, it was long...but I definitely felt good that Walter will be cared for well. He told me everything about his farm. I had just re done Walters horns, since the debudding didn’t work. He paid me an extra $20 for that, and gave me $50 extra for hanging up on me the other day. He said he was very embarrassed. I understand, because Chris has a short temper...and then it’s over as soon as he gets it’s out. So, anyways...we let the kids out while they were there to get Walter. I had pictured this big, grand reunion with the moms. Not so!! Everyone was happy, and the crying stopped...but the moms kept butting the kids away and wouldnt let them nurse! Hmmm, after only two days. So, I guess they are weaned. But, they are all back together....so there is no more bawling...from me included.

. Man, that was awful! Larry, who bought Walter, even said how he always hated weaning..... So, all the goats are in the barn, together. I used the new milk machine...definitely better than the first one, but, I still had to milk some by hand. We’re goin* to an auction Saturday....there’s a $2,000 one there...but it looks like it has to be mounted permanently...and would be difficult to clean? But, it’s not realistic to even consider it when chris didn’t want to pay $150 for the one @Jesusfreak101 recommended!! :lol:

We’ll see? He said, if it was a really good deal. I took 5 types of cheese to our friend...free. I said, if she wants to buy it, I migh5 need to charge $14 per pound, but I’m not sure if we’re going to be making it much? I was trying to discourage her... :lol:

I’m just not sure we want to do this whole thing. We made more cheese tonight, another gallon....I think 5 more flavors....it just all takes so long. It doesn’t seem really worth the money? The milker was faster....but, not as fast as I’d hoped. @Jesusfreak101 , how fast does yours milk? How much do you get per day from one goat? I’m getting a gallon a day from two. I’m pretty sure I can get more...it’s just, by hand it was taking forever...and, I’m not sure this machine is good enough either...ugh!!
But, all in all it was a much better day because my kids were happy and moms too. That’s what counts!! Chris made me do the debudding!! Not sure why? I think because he’s ornery this week. It was awful. Ten times worse when you’re holding the iron. I still need to do about one horn on about 4 more. But, I’m going to wait a few days, until my stress goes down!!

Larry said he’s going to send me regular pictures and updates on Walter and the ducks. That made me really happy. I cried before Larry came to get him, but not when he left. I felt better once I had talked to Larry. He had owned 60 goats before. His ex wife made him sell them. Now that he’s divorced and got the kids, he’s building his farm back up. He asked if I’d sell any of the others...of course I almost shouted..’No Way!!’ :lol:

Here’s to a better week at C&DFARMING....no more crying...just happy goats, baby bunnies, tons of eggs...consistently getting about 34-36 a day....and hoping soon for piglets!! Tomorrow the egg sign goes up on the road!!

thanks everyone, for all your help will the kid saga!! Thank goodness they’re sooo cute!! :love

rachels.haven · Mar 13, 2020

Holy eggs, Batman! I hope your eggs sell.

I have no idea what to sell your cheese for. In Massachusetts they treat home made cheese as a biohazard so I am not allowed to sell my own it's perfectly safe and my jack is really good...ugh, I want some right now, but no milk yet (and then a 3 month wait while it ages).

Duckfarmerpa1 · Mar 13, 2020

rachels.haven said:
Holy eggs, Batman! I hope your eggs sell.

I have no idea what to sell your cheese for. In Massachusetts they treat home made cheese as a biohazard so I am not allowed to sell my own it's perfectly safe and my jack is really good...ugh, I want some right now, but no milk yet (and then a 3 month wait while it ages).

What?? We have to wait for it to age? We’ve only been ,asking farmers cheese. It said nothing on the recipe about aging? Well, I’m only going to sell the stuff, if I buy a third milk machine, because the second works great for awhile, but then I have to milk by hand, and still get a lot out of the girls. So, if Chris doesn’t let me...the milk8ng is over. Plus...I’m only going to sell it if the lady we gave it to wants to sell it in her store...then we will actually go through the process to get it all legal. What a pain! But...then we’re covered. We’re putting an egg sign at the road today..egg shaped too :lol:

Also putting a bunny sign...they are not selling like the hot cakes they did the last batch? Hmmmm. Now I have 40+ bunnies and four more does due to kindle this week!! Ugh!!
ok, That part was this morning...this now night. Used the milker again...it works for a bit, really well, and then...nothing. Today I only got 1/2 gallon out of both goats when, I was getting, by hand, one gallon. After the machine quit, I did it by hand a bit, but they seemed pretty dry. Perhaps the moms are letting the kids nurse a bit after all? I haven’t seen them, but?? So, Chris watched me with the machine and agreeed that it’s a pain. I’m going to give it a few more days to see if I can get the ‘kinks’ out. @Jesusfreak101 ...how long does it take you to do the milking? How much do you get from your one goat? Anyone else want to chime in? I just don’t know how much to expect, but I know that it cant be this difficult. it shouldn’t take me over an hour with a machine. So, after a few days...if it’s not purring like a kitten, I’m either getting the one @Jesusfreak101 said, or even better. Next fall I’ll have 7 does in milk. I’m not dedicating my whole day to milking. I’d love to do it, if it can be done in a timely manner? Ok, next, the pig issue. @farmerjan ...I totally mucked out the pigs today, to treat for lice. Sprayed down the barn. I don’t have any pour on treatment...what would you recommend? And, I’ve decided I’m not going to trim the piglets teeth. Why make things harder than they need to be? It seems split on doing it...50/50. So, the first pigs have farrowed many times...definitely won’t with them, as their nipples are tough enough for baby shark teeth

. Perhaps on the young sows, we will? But, I’ve got 3 mths, 2weeks and one day to decide.

. I have another rabbit pulling fur. We put egg signs and bunnies signs all over the road. So, we shall see? I called TS since we’ll be close tomorrow when we go to the auction, but no Muscovies. So, I’m waiting until they come to my little feed store down the road. That’s fine, I have enough to do right now...took the goat kids on their walks today. Funny how they really love to go on a leash!! I mean, these guys are free range, so, I’m not taking them anywhere they don’t already go...but, they get very excited to see the leashes!!

. They all have tiny collars now. Willy’s is camouflage... :lol:

it was definitely different here today without WaLter. And, Busty cried and looked for him. But, I just focused on the good I’ve got...which is a lot!! We were going to debudding the others today but just got too busy. Seems that way every day? Here’s a picture of Misty...she likes to hop on myback, even when I’m standing up!! I know I shouldn’t let her...but I’m really bad at saying no. Couple more pictures, just for the cute factor!