Goats&moregoats: KickinUpDust Farm Journal

[goats&moregoats]

I am excited! Checked on goats today and Poppit is developing her milk bag. I am thinking she is going to give me three like her mommy. I think one for Miss Mavis. Poppit hits day 145 Feb 8th and Mavis Feb 9th. they are going to be put into a pen together separate from the rest the first week of Jan. On day 145 they will be put into their kidding stalls that will be side by side.


Venus & Bambi both hit day 145 on March 28th. A good space between them and the first two does.


My brother brought home a frame that can be made into two decent size kidding stalls. Looking forward to him & I working on that this coming weekend.

Grub(right) & Jethro worked on the commands come & sit today. They did really well. Jethro from off lead. Grub on lead at first then off lead.

Gus is happily courting three of my other does. Starting this afternoon. One being in full heat, the other two just coming into heat. Looks like a few May babies might happen along.
Little Deer if she took will hit day 145 on May 6th. Then the last three the week of May 14th.

Hope you all don't get sick of my pictures.

 

[Ferguson K]

Now you know we NEVER tire of pictures!!

Pups are getting big!

 

[Latestarter]

I have no choice at the moment but to live the goatie life vicariously through y'all I LOVE the pics! The more the better! With all the stuff I've learned here, when I do get my goats, I have faith they'll be well cared for!

Your goats are looking very preggers! love the pups! I can just imagine the joy you must feel every time you arrive at the farm. Good luck with the new enclosure(s)!

 

[goats&moregoats]

So today was a rainy wet day. No working the pups with rain & two grandchildren in tow. More the rain than anything. First thing I found was all four dogs sleeping in the goat barn. Was wondering if the older dogs were going to allow the younger ones in their doe barn. Was glad I found them all there. I couldn't get a picture as they respond with getting up and being alert as soon as they smell, see or hear me, which is good. They all ate, then Yukon & pups right back in barn. Tahoe planted herself up on the hill for about 15 minutes checking things out then she to went back in the barn. I figure they spent the better part of the day there.

I am so looking forward to this weekend. hoping to spend all day Saturday out there and Sunday afternoon after church. Monday it was in the am out with pups after morning chores then off to church to help with Christmas food & toys. Today due to rain was feed and leave. Help at church again. Tomorrow should be am if weather permits. Thursday if weather is decent(no rain, harder to work with pups in mud & cold rain) I will be out there all day. Hoping to get hoof trims done.

Over half my family is amazed at how much time I would spend just hanging out with my animals. I can always find a little project to do while out there. I can always just sit and groom the dogs. I still dream of having a place of my own which would be big enough for all my animals. Dreaming of the day I can just get up grab my coffee and walk out my back door to tend animals that I love.

 

[goats&moregoats]

I finally put Izzy (wether) in with Gus (buck), they battled for all of three minutes then settled down to eat hay.

Mavis & Poppit are in the late prego pen. Poppit, however seems to be displaying early labor signs ( and no I was not wanting Christmas babies). She is doing a lot of stretching, side licking, she is swollen and very pink and slightly open. She is also very vocal today wanting me in the pen. She quiets down and eventually eats her hay when I am in there. Hollers like crazy when I am not. She also has become very lovey dovey like when she was a bottle baby. So We will see. I have someone checking on her tonight and will call if there is any discharge at all. At that point Mavis will have to go back into the other pen as she is due until Feb. anyways.

Poppit's utter and .

seems to have sunken hips?

 

[goats&moregoats]

Been quiet on this little farm. Waiting on Poppit to pop. I am going to try to clip her today. That should be interesting since she doesn't want to be touched. Milk stand and a little grain to help keep her still and calmer. Also doing hooves this week & some shots. Wanted to get this all done last week, but ended up watching four grandchildren who's imagination can get them into trouble. 3,5,7 & 9 year olds.

Izzy & Gus are getting along as well as two male goats do. As long as none of the girls come into heat they won't scrap to much.

Puppies....hmmmm, going to be working with them alot this week. Grub needs a few lessons. Jethro is much calmer and response quicker to the learning. Both have learned to wait while I get the two older dogs out of the pen for feeding. They also have learned to wait for their food dish to be set down to eat. They are slowly picking up on the "out" command. I tell them that when I feed the girls in the am as their is quite a commotion among the goats as to who is picking where to eat. This excites the pups a bit and they think it's play time.

I have an area inside the goat barn to repair. Dogs have started to dig underneath toward the chicken run. I believe it's the pups as this was not happening before they arrived. I definitely do not want them to get in there.

I will post pictures tonight, I hope. Grub & Jethro have grown a lot. They are almost as tall as Tahoe already!

 

[goats&moregoats]

As of last night at midnight check, Poppit is still withholding her babies. Doe code in full play right now I am sure of it. Today would be an awesome day for her to deliver. Kids would then share a birthday with a special young lady in my life. Young lady is 14yrs today. I cared for her from birth to two and a half years.

Here are some of my younger does & 4 year old Venus(far right, back) enjoying the beautiful weather. Venus & Bambi (top of step) are the two due end of March. The other three in picture will be due end of May if they took and not a big deal if they did not. Venus I am sure hoping! She has blue eyes & the buck has blue eyes.

And here are new pictures of the pups.

Jethro, most likely wondering what the heck I am up to. Jethro & Yukon. Jethro is pretty laid back, picks up on commands quickly. He is ok with the quick pet & body check then off to do his own thing.






Grub. Ahhh my little handful. He gets super excited when I go to the barn. He patrols with Tahoe more often than not. Occasionally you find him lounging with Yukon, but most often he is on the go. He does like to be near me when I first go in the pasture, but soon settles down and also goes to do his own thing.

Both understand sit(with a little hand pressure to backside), the wait command they have completely when it comes to the open gate & food. Still working on down(Grub is driving me nuts with this one) Though both responded great yesterday when I grained the goats. They jumped up(front paws) on the feeder, told them down with a gentle push. They got down stayed down & let the barn. Yup!!!, plenty of what goods boys they were.

Always praise them for listening. If I am in the pen then they also get loving pats as well as praise.

Grub (back) & Jethro checking on chickens through the fence. There is a second fence behind the pallet fence. Other than through the hole in the barn(Puppies dug) the chickens are safe. My brother is cementing the hole today.

Grub was a little food aggressive the other day with Jethro. So I have taken to adding more food for starters, but also feeding them separate as I do with Tahoe & Yukon.

So time for me to get off here & go check on Poppit. Feed them all & check their water supply.

 

[goats&moregoats]

So, a bit saddened tonight. Not for myself but for all the losses from other goat farmers. On here as well as a few friends on FB. It's seems as if it's the start of a hard year. This causes me to worry even more over Poppit. She is showing some of the early labor signs. Very minuet discharge. Restless, more vocal, sunken sides, ligs gone(?) or almost gone, full utter, teats outward, stretching. I think I am staying the night. Going out in a few minutes to check on her & feed the dogs.

Happy note: Both Jethro & Grub sat on command with no physical contact from me at all! Awesome pups!

 

[Latestarter]

I hope your stay w/Poppit is worth it and that she goes without a hitch when the time comes.

 

[goats&moregoats]

Nothing from Poppit. Little pushes here & there, nothing else. So I am home. Friend checking on her & will call if anything more happens.