Goats&moregoats: KickinUpDust Farm Journal

[goats&moregoats]

Thank you all for your support, much needed and very much appreciated.

Tahoe is laying around in the pasture all day, same spot. She pretty much ignores the two young boys. Eats fine and comes to me when I call her. She definitely still does her job as the coyotes were having a full blown active night the day before yesterday. All three dogs were saying back off these animals are ours.

Next up to delivery is Venus, late March. here are some pictures of her from yesterday.
Also pictures of Mavis who I am still wondering about. Thinking miscalculations on my part. I put her in with the buck to keep him company for a while(thought she was prego already at this point) and I am thinking her got her sometime in that period. So don't have an exact date. She still has a tiny fatty milk bag and I believe she has one kid in there. She doesn't appear to be as rounded as she was. No signs of delivery at all. Keeping her in nursery with Venus.

Bambi is going back to the herd later today when I can sit out there and watch the pups for a while.

Mavis



Venus

 

[goats&moregoats]

Spent all afternoon and what turned into staying all evening at the farm.

Put Bambi back with the herd. Had to do some correction work with the pups. I knew that was coming. Venus's previous owner came for a quick visit.

After they left I was finishing up some work and noticed my ewe acting off...ummm yup she happened to be laying down, lifted her rear leg to itch and I see a utter & teats! I thought she might be prego. Figured she was due this week or end of March...Yeah like five minutes later she is laying down again in a different spot and stretching. Hmmm, walk around to other side of sheep fence and watch for a bit...Yup, she is in labor...pretty well along in labor. Dropped her lamb just after dark. I think it's a girl, but will know for sure tomorrow. If it's a girl her name will be Rositta. If it's a boy...Oh ****! I will have to think of a name. I didn't want sheep. Rhett the Ram is an ass and I don't want another Ram!

 

[goats&moregoats]

Sold the Little guy as a bottle lamb. Good thing I did too. I did name him Remmy which the new owner loved and decided to keep. That next morning after posting this I went to check on the ewe & baby. Baby managed to get out of the pallet fence. I checked sex & weighed him. 5.5lbs. Took him back out to momma. He managed to nurse real quick 2-3 times. However adult ram decided he didn't want the little guy in there. Kept going after him and ewe did not try to protect. So I want in and backed the ram down, scared the ewe a bit(sorry Scarlett) and scooped up baby. Purchaser had lamb vet checked...he ended up with a broken femur. He is being well cared for and loved.

Mavis, oh Miss Mavis. She is definitely still prego. Felt baby kicking this past Thursday. I really was worried. I am starting to believe that she may have twins or possibly trips in there. She is all low, but huge. Starting to sink in even more in the hips. Still a tiny utter, but more firm today. No other signs of pending labor.

I have to laugh here because I have already(in three birthing seasons) dealt with does who do not give any advanced signs at all. I do not relish these surprise deliveries.

Gave Venus back to her previous owner with a small kid fee for undelivered kids. My wether is next to go. Then I will have three does that are not register-able. Two being very loved spoiled "pets", Mavis & Poppit. Then my sister in law's doe Bambi.

This past week I got my membership papers for ADGA & AGS. Currently I am working on getting a herd name and then registering; Gus, Esha, Sakura, Little Deer & Coconut Rum with AGS. Will possible do ADGA in the future.

I am planning on keeping one doe & one buck out of the upcoming kids from register able does. We will see how it all goes.

Plans are for ram & Ewe to go as early as this week(I hope). I am definitely not a sheep person. Sorry to all of you sheep lovers.

Off to work on AGS paper work. Then my income & expense sheets for my little farm.

 

[purplequeenvt]

I suspect you are not a sheep person because your only sheep experience is with Soay. If you'd experienced a more domesticed breed first you might feel differently. Soay are basically feral.

 

[goats&moregoats]

So today is absolutely beautiful here in Vermont. Currently 54 degrees & sunny.
Productive day after daily chores. Got the chicken coop completely cleaned out. I raked up the top layer of hay from the nursery pen and tossed that on the floor of chicken coop. put fresh clean hay in their rigged up nesting boxes. They were living it up when I left. Getting 9-10 eggs a day with Easter eggers every other day. So that means 2 of my hens are not laying at all, 1 + the 2 EE's are laying every other day. Hoping I have a hen or two that wants to sit this year. Wondering if it's to early to start experimenting with that?

I put Little Deer in with Mavis. I don't want Mavis to be alone. Due to the fact that I don't know when she is due I don't want her in with the pups. Oh yeah, I still have to remind myself that they are pups, because of their size I forget occasionally. LOL I have a couple of updated pictures of them with Tahoe along with my girls. Didn't take pictures of the two boys today.

@purplequeenvt , I actually had a very short experience with a wether(?) in the late winter of 2014. He came from a petting farm and Ernie was very docile. I didn't keep him but for a few months.

Clean coop Beautiful our Rooster.


Mavis & Little Deer



Poppit looking so very tiny now.

The boys coming to see what "mom" is up to & Jethro with Coconut Rum, sitting quit pleased & Happy while Grub to the right is getting a drink.


Jethro, grub and Tahoe taking care of business. Tahoe is left in first pic. Then Tahoe on right in second picture with Grub right behind her & Jethro is sitting. They both are as tall as she is.

My ladies just hanging out in the pasture. I usually feed hay in a rack, but occasionally will put it in the pasture.

Need to build one of those spoil racks for the pasture & finish Poppit's hair cut.

 

[goats&moregoats]

March 21st and here Mavis is still pregnant. The not having a due date is killing me. She seemed a little off today, but no other signs of pending delivery.

I had to take Little deer out of nursery...Mavis was way to aggressive for her. So Mavis is by herself and seems quite content.

With the sheep now gone I was able to clean their pasture up and open it back up to the dogs and goats. That means that Miss Mavis is actually pretty much sandwiched between the bigger goat pasture. Which may make her feel less alone.


I only have one goat that I question on pregnancy. If I catch her next heat I will breed for late summer babies. I think.

The other three that are left are definitely expecting in May.

Started working on getting the next pasture fenced in. Poles are up along the bottom portion. Poles are ready (at top of hill) to go a crossed the top. Then I can figure out how many more I need to do the north side. Hoping to start putting the wire up by Wed. or Thurs. Have to check with the neighbor to see if I can allow access for the animals to the little creek or if I need to fence that out of pasture. Hoping it's in. That will save filling buckets & troughs this summer.
I did a close up belly shot of Mavis. I was laying down nest to her when I took this picture. She is all lower belly so she looks big enough when laying down. The first picture makes her look like a beached whale. This was about a week or so ago.

These were taken this afternoon. You can see how low she is carrying.

bye bye Rhett & Scarlett. Much happier with other sheep.
Remmy(oh Sh**), went to a home to be bottle fed. He was taken to a vet for a check up and it was discovered that he had a broken femur. He went home with a full leg cast and is doing well.

Post are in lower portion of field. Hoping second picture gives you an idea of what we are adding as second pasture.
Along the tree line is were the creek runs. Just on the other side of that is the other field the neighbor is allowing me to fence in. That will get done early this summer. Then I will have three pastures to rotate the goats on.

 

[norseofcourse]

I hope Mavis kids soon!!

 

[goats&moregoats]

@norseofcourse I hope so to! I know I said I wasn't going to do this, but believe I will be staying out near the barn tonight. Things are looking good for possible delivery before morning. Back bone & hips are more prominent, ligs are there but barely & she is getting squishing in the backside. I can (and have been for a while) touch finger to finger at tail head.
Two pictures below are 2-29 & 3-22


no discharge(I have had that happen before) and tiny utter(also has happened before)...she doesn't seem as puffy as my other goats got, but she is my only black goat, so I don't know if this is throwing me off or if she just isn't. sorry for the close up lady parts shot.

Edited to say; on close up shot you can see tiny dried discharge(?). Also baby side is now softer at top like on other side, indication that babies have dropped even further. Don't know how much further they can drop!

 

[goats&moregoats]

I have now reached the stage of being completely worried about Mavis. She was acting out of sorts today and you can tell she is so uncomfortable. Other than that there is no signs of impending labor. Ligs are there but hard to find. Not eating much hay, but did finish off her grain. Also doesn't seem to be drinking much.

Pictures below. Night before Easter she had some discharge which I thought was indicating it was time. I stayed out with her from 10:30 pm until 1:30 am. Nothing! She had similar discharge the day before that, but not as much.

Today there is only a bit of dried on discharge again. Doe code or not I am beside myself. I have not felt any baby movement for a couple of days. That being said she is not overly fond of me touching her on baby side of stomach at all so doesn't stay still very long. I can touch her any where else and she is fine. Today she was aggressive about leaving tummy alone.

There is no farm vet available in my immediate area. Closest one is 2 hours away. I am on my own no matter what happens. Prayers, well wishes and good luck is welcomed!


Tahoe is back to her old self. Putting up with the boys puppy behavior to the proper extent. On the hill from dusk til dawn then in one of the shelter if raining. Back to sleeping in the tree line if weather is good.

Jethro & Grub are behaving better & better everyday. Less play chasing of goats though they still rough house with each other(normal). Tahoe is not playful with them at all any more. She just watches. I am working on getting them to contain some of their excitement when I go into their pasture. They like to jump on me and walk right in front of me. I don't show any affection until they settle down. Also no hand contact unless they walk beside me, then they get love pats and "Good boy!" They like to push Tahoe out of the way so I make sure I call her over first for her praise and loving.

All the other goats are doing good. Three more ladies due in May. Esha is not bred. Disappointed a little, but have decided that I will wait until next fall as I like my late winter early Spring babies. Next season pushing for April/ May deliveries.

I got more post up in the next field. Short about 8 for finishing a crossed the East end. Then about 30 down the North side. I am hoping to start running wire next week. Second pasture is about twice the size of first pasture. Third one will be about the size of first. Still it will give me rotating pastures. Hoping to have third one done by late June early July.

My chickens are doing very well. I am now getting between 10-12 eggs a day. I am able to sell a few dozen here and there. Need to get back on BYC as I have a few chicken questions.

My days are full again with farm projects, a church dance project(dance in two weeks!) and an early June wedding. My oldest DD is finally going to see her dreams fulfilled.

 

[goats&moregoats]

oh boy am I a ditz! I forgot the pictures..

Night before Easter.

today.