Goats&moregoats: KickinUpDust Farm Journal

[goats&moregoats]

Thanks everyone. Checked goats this morning and all is well. Just got a delivery of 10 bales of hay. Going to try it to see if the goats like it. If so will order more. He believes this will work for the goats and sold it to me for 3.50 a bale. He has another 20-25 bales of this and then some what he calls best quality as well. Was thinking if they do well on this, I can order the rest and then order some best quality for the worst of winter. This is a grass mix, the other is more clover...opinions?
So with the other half still sleeping(no farmer hours for him) and the lady with Alzheimer's awake, I have to wait to put hay in the barn. Thankfully no rain in forecast. Most days I can at least get out there early to let the goats out of the barn, so that works. Also want to get out there and work on buck pen more.I am thinking I want to run the majority of it with the 6 strands of electric.Opinions on electric to keep bucks separate from does. 1/4 of pen would be pallets and hot wire. 3/4 just the 6 strands of electric, nothing else between them. It worked great for my other bucks but they were younger. Not sure if it will keep a full grown buck in place??

 

[goats&moregoats]

Hello folks! Still slowly working on that buck pen. Decided to do pallets all the way around and then three strands hot wire, top, bottom & middle. Hopefully this will keep them from ramming the pallets when does are in heat. I know it will keep them from rubbing up against the pallets. The two bucks will go in there together. They have two shelter in case one gets pushy about space. The shelters there are three sided with extra blockage from the wind on the open side. They are deep so the boys will be protected from the weather and wind. I used them in previous years for my kidding shelters. All the goats are doing well and they are devouring the hay. So I will place an order for the rest of that. Not exactly sure how much I will need for the winter. So I think I will order another 20 bales in Dec as well. I have not done square bales before. I currently have only five goats with the possibility of getting another on Tuesday. That will be my herd for the winter.

So on Tuesday I am suppose to pick up a young wether. I know they don't add any $$ value to my herd, but I absolutely fall in love with this guy. He can keep Gully(current wether) company. I am also suppose to be picking up a 4 month old Maremma. @Southern by choice , She is to young to be left alone with the goats, so I was looking at making her an indoor/guardian dog. Any advice on that? Or should I put a crate in the barn at night and kennel her in her own space during the day when not working with her? I keep the goats locked in the barn at night and have 6 strands electric running most of the pasture now. Only a small portion is pallets with hot top & bottom. 7,000V She has never been in the house up to this point. She is currently around every kind of livestock imaginable, including fowl. Her name will be Jade. The first letters of my children's and significant other's names.

So I am pretty positive that BB got Cookie and she she kid around March 10th. I thought he got Chloe too, but both BB & Gully are showing interest in Chloe. Will try to keep watch on that. Later babies would be good as far as I am concerned. I know I will be more than pleased when the buck pen is complete.

CDT & Copper Bolus will be here on Tuesday, along with my thermometer, scales & penicillin. Still have to get Vit B complex. Have electrolyte mix on hand as well as drench for lice and such. I have forgotten what else I need...suggestions? @Bruce , @OneFineAcre , @Hens and Roos anyone?

Storm is doing very well. He understand clearly the word NO, sit and still working on stay but he is getting there.Storm has hit another marker in his life.....day one of potty free mistakes in the house.....yipee Storm! 14 weeks tomorrow. 18.8 lbs. I believe he is going to be a pretty decent size boy.
Goats getting their pumpkin treat. Single Goat is Chloe.
BB, Rambo and Cookie Gully Rambo
Cookie
Storm

 

[Bruce]

Progressing well G&MG. How did you fare with the storm? We lost power for 3 days.

Obviously I'm not SBC but my totally uninformed opinion on Jade is if she has never been in the house before and you expect her to be an LGD, I would go with your "kennel by the goats" plan. And is she REALLY too young to be left alone with the goats? If they are full grown goats, maybe they will train her on proper behavior. She may already have a lot of OTJ training since her entire life to date has been with livestock.

 

[goats&moregoats]

Progressing well G&MG. How did you fare with the storm? We lost power for 3 days.

Obviously I'm not SBC but my totally uninformed opinion on Jade is if she has never been in the house before and you expect her to be an LGD, I would go with your "kennel by the goats" plan. And is she REALLY too young to be left alone with the goats? If they are full grown goats, maybe they will train her on proper behavior. She may already have a lot of OTJ training since her entire life to date has been with livestock.

Jade has been with her working parents and older siblings, but yes she is took young to be alone with them. They are full grown DN. He puppy behaviors could cause harm to the goats as she will no longer have her parents to correct her. The other pups I had before I turned out to pasture full time early, but they had two older dogs to keep them in line and I still had some trouble with play chase the livestock at about 13-14 months.

I was one of the lucky ones that did not loose power. Thank goodness, my goats would not have been happy in the barn for a few days. Glad your on the road to recovery from it.

 

[Southern by choice]

I would keep the pup with the goats, because she is still small and young she should be in a place of protection til she grows and gains confidence. I would house her with the goats, a separation but open pen would be best. Some 4 month olds are perfectly fine to be locked in the barn with their livestock and no issues, some are too playful. You are the only one to make the call. At her age, I think it is best NOT to do house and farm.
Having the goats discipline and correct her is good, she will learn correction faster.

 

[goats&moregoats]

I would keep the pup with the goats, because she is still small and young she should be in a place of protection til she grows and gains confidence. I would house her with the goats, a separation but open pen would be best. Some 4 month olds are perfectly fine to be locked in the barn with their livestock and no issues, some are too playful. You are the only one to make the call. At her age, I think it is best NOT to do house and farm.
Having the goats discipline and correct her is good, she will learn correction faster.

Your opinion is much valued and I will follow your advice. Thank you for the input on this subject.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Glad to hear things are coming along for you.

off the top of my head, items we keep on hand: iodine for dipping cords, gloves, nutria-drench, varies sized syringes, needles(21 or 20 gauge is what we have) Fight bac for udders, lube, toltrazuril(use to help prevent coccidiosis), epinephrine(got through our vet), old towels, paper towels, aspirin, benadryl

 

[Southern by choice]

Just wanted to say I am very happy for you.
You sure have persevered.
Hoping for good things for you and that joy abounds!

 

[goatgurl]

glad your world is doing well. my goats love pumpkin too. I sure hope jade does well for you. I have 2 maremma's and they are awesome dogs. I would be willing to bet that she will be just what you're hoping for. and I agree with SBC that she will be better off in the barn with her goats. mine guard the goats and sheep and watch over the chickens and ducks who happen to free range where the goats and sheep are. good luck with her.

 

[goats&moregoats]

Glad to hear things are coming along for you.

off the top of my head, items we keep on hand: iodine for dipping cords, gloves, nutria-drench, varies sized syringes, needles(21 or 20 gauge is what we have) Fight bac for udders, lube, toltrazuril(use to help prevent coccidiosis), epinephrine(got through our vet), old towels, paper towels, aspirin, benadryl

I have syringes & needles (kept them), lube, blue kote, a coccidiosis treatment/prevention not the same as the one listed above, nutria drench, Selenium gel, gloves, towels, benadryl & bag balm. What is epinephrine & bac? First I have heard of it.