C&DFarming 2020 kidding thread❤️🐐

[rachels.haven]

...or she wants them for resale. Flippers.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Lol...geez...you guys make very good points..first, the lady that wants to be here..yes, she is a tad on the goofy side..she bought one of our mini piglets...she’s from Maine, and has a tattoo of a chandelier on her ankle... Wears kitty cat glasses, and a funny hat..but, she is a new “homesteader” who just wants to dive in head-first! I think she wants to be here, because she got last pick of the piglets....so, I’ll just, not call her until it’s over...no issues there. BTW..her name is Lovey.... The other lady, wants one doeling, to raise her grand on goat milk tge way she raised her kids. The third caller, yes, she said she wanted all the goats born...because she just loves our farm. I feel confident she wouldn’t eat them...not much to eat on skinny dairy goats? But, now that you mention the flipping...that could be a factor. I think all I’ll have left to sell to her would be bucklings...I have two other people on my list...I’ll call them before I call her.

i don’t think I undercharged..I looked at other goat prices around here...250 was the going rate for doelings, 225 for bucklings...not registered. I could’ve tried for more..but, I really don’t want them here long...and then fall in love and never want to sell!

ok..soooooo...if I milk the moms and bottle feed..Do I do this the second the6 are born? I mean..last time, moms weren’t really able to stand?

ok, so, it seems as though I’ll be milking Honey..ugh, ugh, ugh...worst goat to milk!!! And then bottle feeding the kids. Ok, so that also means we have to burn the horns...ugh.....Chris says he’s ready...but I’m not, and will never be???

 

[lalabugs]

If you're set on selling bottle babies. Pull them the second they are born. They will take the bottle much easier. Milk mom right away. You need to get the colostrum into the kids asap.
I never sell kids until they're 2 weeks depending on how they are doing. Bottle babies are A LOT of work! I always send them with goat milk. If they can not get goat milk, I suggest whole milk from the store. I have heard some really bad stories about baby goats being put on milk replacer then go down hill.

Dams should be able to stand right after labor. I have had FF that had the shocked look on their face, that took a bit to stand. With a little coaxing they all stood up.

Bottle babies are time consuming. Like new born children. Around the clock feedings. If you have the time to do that, no problem. My breeding plans have fully changed from what I was first thinking the beginning of the year. I do not have the time in my schedule to do what I wanted. Putting off the minis for a couple years. I only have 3 does bred. That is all that will be bred until fall. The only ones that will be bottle fed are the ones we decide to retain, if we retain any.

 

[Jaime]

Just 3 days away... How are the mamas doing?

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

They are uncomfortable...Honey is laying around a lot, and I worry it’s keto sis, last year Busty got it...but her eyes aren’t spacey and no teeth grinding, so I think she’s just uncomfortable. Brandy is sailing through it! She’s huge! But doing great! Checking ligaments, definitely getting looser. Bagging up nicely. Today we got a new stall put up. I told the people that want to buy the kids about the change in plans, to keep the kids about 10-14 days. They were all fine with that. the One that wanted to be there for the birth, has calmed down and just asked if she could come after... She’s already asking about getting them bred to our buck next year.. But, she’s been our customer for awhile. Chickens and a Juliana mini piglet. Double checked all my supplies..and I’m good to go...but here it is, 1:18, and I’m up? Guess I’m nervous?? Chris made wall feeders for the calves. I’ve asked him to do the same for the kids. Tomorrow we have to make a nice pen in the house barn. We have a barn attached to the house, I open the den door, and I’m in the barn. It’s nice except I track in a ton of hay from my pants!. But, that way they’ll be right with me, and that’s not the goat barn, so they won’t be by moms. Saturday we have a family picnic state my MIL, lucky they live a mile down the road! So I can run home constantly! Just in case they are late,...Chris thinks I should dry off both goats after the kids leave...what??? He thinks I do too much work. Which, yes I do. But, I don’t mind the milking...well, honey is awful. But Brandy is easy and fast for the volume. So, we’ll see. He just thinks I could use a break, since it’s time consuming and ties us down. We’ll see.....what’s a dairy goat farmer who doesn’t milk??? Lazy?. Yeah right! Very few farmers can be called lazy!! Ok, going to TRY TO GET SOME SLEEP.....

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

If you're set on selling bottle babies. Pull them the second they are born. They will take the bottle much easier. Milk mom right away. You need to get the colostrum into the kids asap.
I never sell kids until they're 2 weeks depending on how they are doing. Bottle babies are A LOT of work! I always send them with goat milk. If they can not get goat milk, I suggest whole milk from the store. I have heard some really bad stories about baby goats being put on milk replacer then go down hill.

Dams should be able to stand right after labor. I have had FF that had the shocked look on their face, that took a bit to stand. With a little coaxing they all stood up.

Bottle babies are time consuming. Like new born children. Around the clock feedings. If you have the time to do that, no problem. My breeding plans have fully changed from what I was first thinking the beginning of the year. I do not have the time in my schedule to do what I wanted. Putting off the minis for a couple years. I only have 3 does bred. That is all that will be bred until fall. The only ones that will be bottle fed are the ones we decide to retain, if we retain any.

I’m only bottle feeding because after the last kidding, after 8 weeks, it broke my heart to sell the one! So, I figured that, even with the hard work..I can do it...I won’t be near as attached? Praying at least?? Plus, now these guys are already promised to others...so I’ve got no choice....which will help. That’s the way it was with the Juliana mini piglets. The two moms dried up after one week. We had to bottle feed them for a week, then get them on a bowl, then spoon feed, until then could eat the mash....we had 14.....but they weren’t mine...so, no matter how sweet they were....didn’t matter. One was really sick...had to feed her every 45 minutes. Had to set my alarm for shots every 6 hours, etc...she lasted a week that way. Broke my heart. I poured my heart into her. But, that was a lot more intense than bottle feeding every 3 hrs....

 

[lalabugs]

If you think she has ketosis please get the pee strips and check her. It's easier to start treatment before it gets bad. If she does not have it, then no worries.
How are they doing today?

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Oh noooo, it’s NOT keto sis...after you helped me with it last kidding, I can clearly see the difference...she not acting at all the way Busty was. She’s active, but grumpy, not spacey, she doesn’t sit like Busty did..Busty limped and sat there...Honey doesn’t do anything like that. I think she’s just tired of it alllllll. And I’m just tired too...it’s kinda like you last year, was it Nalla or Luna that wouldn’t go at all, but I think you might’ve got the date off? Well, my date is good, I saw the buck with her 145 days ago, but you know how that goes...Ligaments are totally loose....her bag is getting there, but, that’s still not a great indicator....so, we’re just putting life on hold...and on hold, and hold. Ugh!

 

[rachels.haven]

...but if you put your life on hold they will never kid...

She does look close though.

 

[lalabugs]

It was Nilla. I was off by 3 weeks. Goats love to keep you guessing. Then she kidded a couple days earlier than 145 with triplets.

Honey's udder doesn't look quite ready yet. She looks like she's dropped. Love kidding time.