Changing goals and speed

[AClark]

I don't have any problem with pickiness over the 14% cattle creeper pellets - they scarf them right down. The only thing is, there is no copper, no selenium in them. I have a cool worksheet from OSU meat goat department on feed ratios, and according to it, my CA and P levels are fine for what I have now. I do have free choice mineral out and bolus + selenium paste as need be. Our area isn't particularly deficient in either and the hay I buy comes from the guy across the road from me, I know he sprays it because I watch him do it lol.

Atwoods and TS are down "in town" which is more of a drive - not sure if you have an Atwoods Animalmom, but it's like TS, but cheaper. I prefer to go to the co-op, price-wise, customer service wise (most of the time) but they just don't carry as much variety. Atwoods only carries one or two types of goat feed at all, and one is a show pellet I think made by Dumor. My son is getting into showing, and we'll get a show ration then for his show goats (Boers) but not as a general feed. My younger son prefers the dairy goats, and we'll see what we get in the way of a kid crop this year and pick him out a nice doeling.

It definitely is something you can spend hours researching and driving yourself crazy over. I can find all sorts of different horse feeds, for performance, mares, foals, you name it - goats? Well, as you see, I'm using cattle pellets and supplementing what it lacks. That could be just my area though, goats are way more popular north of me.

Today is Lena's birthday, a whole year old. I'm currently baking a butter pecan cake that will have maple cream cheese frosting. I also made some super decadent goat milk ice cream custard that will go in the churn tonight - nothing special flavored there, just vanilla.

Birthday girl not really awake yet.

 

[CntryBoy777]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!....she is such a little sweetie!!...

 

[Bruce]

A year old already!!!

 

[Hens and Roos]

wow time flies so fast! Happy Birthday!

 

[Latestarter]

The time slips by faster and faster. Congrats on a beautiful daughter. Happy birthday to her. Posted before and it posted twice. I deleted the dup and it deleted both... Grrr. Hopefully this one works.

 

[Bruce]

It worked

 

[AClark]

Lena had a good birthday, she didn't make it to opening presents last night, she was in a food coma from the cake and ice cream and just wanted to be cleaned off and go to bed. She can open them when she wakes up this morning.
She thoroughly enjoyed her spaghetti and meatball dinner (a favorite of hers) and the cake.

We are going through a bit of a rough time with goats this week. JD has managed to catch a case of Soremouth. Just him though, nobody else has anything like that. How fun, so glad I didn't know what it was when I examined and touched it bare handed. So far, no outbreak on me yet so maybe I'll get lucky. I'm glad I wash my hands as soon as I come in the house - told the kids not to pet him until it's gone too. That's hard to do since he's such a friendly soul and just wants to be loved on when he sees anyone.

Clara (new Nubian doe)...I just don't know. She was thin when I got her, though pictures hide it well since her hair is long. I dewormed her (Ivermectin paste), gave her a copper bolus, and selenium. Her eyelids are nice and pink. No outward indications of illness, she's energetic, no diarrhea or anything. Her teeth look good, there's no way she's 8 years old, maybe like 4-5, no wear on the teeth.
I don't think it's feed quantity/quality related. I separate off my other two Nubian does because they are the boss and will eat all the food, and both are over weight. Maybe Ivermectin didn't get worms. Or maybe I'm just not being patient enough, which is probably the case.

 

[Latestarter]

Lena looks to be enjoying herself immensely. Sorry to hear you've got sore mouth. Hope it clears up quickly and that you don't get it.

I have sister does, Bang and Dot. Dot looks (and feels - along her spine and on ribs) great, and Bang has always been ultra "dairy" skinny (to my way of thinking). They have both been wormed, supplemented (copper bolus, selenium paste, etc), both eat the exact same pellets and are fed free choice alfalfa hay. I don't get it either, but she just remains skinny. Maybe like some people, some get the skinny gene and others get the fat gene (that would be me ) Even now being pregnant, Dot you can see bulges on both sides (indicating growing kids inside) while Bang seems to be growing down/round vice out and only now is beginning to not look "skinny" to me. But she still has very little padding on her ribs and along her spine.

 

[Bruce]

Sorry about the goat problems.

No issue with Lena not getting to the presents. At that age, the paper is as interesting as what might be inside. Wait until next year, she'll be all over the presents.

 

[AClark]

That's what it looks like to me too "dairy skinny". Little to no covering on the ribs, spine or hips - by feel, she looks fine, poops fine, eats fine. My other two Nubian does are fat, like a 6 out of 5 on the condition scale. I made a catch pen in the dry lot to move the fatties to so the new goats can eat in peace.
I may just put her up in the barn to see if I can get some weight on her, she looks the worst even out of the auction goats, they're putting on weight.

Lena had a blast opening presents, nothing but smiles and squealing.