Help needed please...trying to save my eight month old doe, got her in august ,

[B&B Happy goats]

So sorry to hear about Samantha, having raised goats since i was 18, i have never seen a year like this. I'm 67. And although i was getting pretty cocky about my record after last year and this year I'm almost ready to fold. I have in the last 4 years always tied my bucks to protect and know dates, and now I tie my does. Usually the buck is in another area where does aren't this year after an abortion from low copper. I thought I was watching my kids closely and I always castrate the bucklings on their 12th week religiously. That being said a week ago I noticed that the doeling's utter was swelling, all I can figure was she was bred by brother at 8 weeks. From now on the bands come out at 7 wks. She didn't make it. Counting on next year. Another strange thing this year, my jersey heifer born June 10th came in heat Sept 5th and is due for her Oct heat any day now, looked it up on web and found out that although its not common they can come in after 3rd month, this one push that even earlier. Glad I use AI. Wish I could on the goats, cause not a possibility in this area yet. Now to get back to my point. As a child raising goats, cattle, sheep, rabbits. My father told me that two weeks or more before you know or have an inkling their to birth to start feeding your pregnant stock a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of seed rye, or ground rye, "and they'll just slip right out" did that to the cow watched her 24 7 for 10 days, ready to call vet went in the house for a bite came back out calf was up and dry and she had no problem not to the goats and had to help some. In the past I know some of the goats were early but the kidds passed fine. I would start giving your other goat some rye can't hurt and hopefully will help her pass them. Good luck

 

[Wehner Homestead]

@Pastor Dave and @promiseacres and @Bunnylady are the three rabbit members that come to mind. All are quite knowledgeable. Posting in the rabbit section may also get comments from others that I didn’t think of.

 

[MiniSilkys]

So sorry to hear about Samantha, having raised goats since i was 18, i have never seen a year like this. I'm 67. And although i was getting pretty cocky about my record after last year and this year I'm almost ready to fold. I have in the last 4 years always tied my bucks to protect and know dates, and now I tie my does. Usually the buck is in another area where does aren't this year after an abortion from low copper. I thought I was watching my kids closely and I always castrate the bucklings on their 12th week religiously. That being said a week ago I noticed that the doeling's utter was swelling, all I can figure was she was bred by brother at 8 weeks. From now on the bands come out at 7 wks. She didn't make it. Counting on next year. Another strange thing this year, my jersey heifer born June 10th came in heat Sept 5th and is due for her Oct heat any day now, looked it up on web and found out that although its not common they can come in after 3rd month, this one push that even earlier. Glad I use AI. Wish I could on the goats, cause not a possibility in this area yet. Now to get back to my point. As a child raising goats, cattle, sheep, rabbits. My father told me that two weeks or more before you know or have an inkling their to birth to start feeding your pregnant stock a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of seed rye, or ground rye, "and they'll just slip right out" did that to the cow watched her 24 7 for 10 days, ready to call vet went in the house for a bite came back out calf was up and dry and she had no problem not to the goats and had to help some. In the past I know some of the goats were early but the kidds passed fine. I would start giving your other goat some rye can't hurt and hopefully will help her pass them. Good luck

Ron, just be careful about banding too early. If done before the urethra has fully developed it can cause wethers to have calculi stones. It is best to separate and keep doing it as you always have at 12 weeks.

 

[Ron Bequeath]

Ron, just be careful about banding too early. If done before the urethra has fully developed it can cause wethers to have calculi stones. It is best to separate and keep doing it as you always have at 12 weeks.

Thanks up grading barn just make another pen.

 

[Ron Bequeath]

Just came on to make sure that all you BYHers in Florida are safe. Glad to see you made it through without losing any people or animals. Still a bad storm even though the worst is over for you. Now the clean up.

@Ron Bequeath interesting about the rye. I wonder where I can get some. Rye like in rye bread, not rye grass seed, right? Maybe a health store? Or can I order it on line. If it is crop seed, probably can't get it locally. I will check on it. If it is only 1/4 cup serving, it shouldn't take too much for my 4 ewes if I have to order it on line.

Grain rye seed but this year the feed store was out so check internet and it wouldnt get to me in time so i used ground bread
rye on the cow. I'm thinking of planting a 2000 sq ft plot. Of non gmo this coming year. Should give me enough to last the year. Dad said could use it on all types of animals haven't tried it on chickens though, wonder if it would work on sheep, know they had sheep before my time, and he learned from granddad.

 

[Ron Bequeath]

Any one raise new zeland rabbits ?.....looking for hints, tips and warnings....have two does, one buck....all seperated....no funny bunny business till goat issue has passed. Thanks

Have nz white and have a good network here in NW PA , if i can help let me know.

 

[Ron Bequeath]

Oh thank you so much, what is the best and safest age to breed them in a mostly humid climate, although is does get cooler here in the winter...the rabbit hutches we built are 36 " x 34" per rabbit...with 4 feet off rhe ground, shaded area and wire mesh on three side and solid roof with over hang. They also have area to get off the wire, each rabbit is five months old, and we are building each a inside hutch shelter / kit area....two doe's, one buck...all whites with pink eyes...breeding for pet and to eat (although i have never eaten one...yet, lol) thanks in advance for any info ! ...barbara

I would suggest 8 mo., the more size on the doe better to carry large litters, cage size is great, i would suggest keeping grass hay in pens daily along with pellets, 18% if you can find them. I can't locally, so substitute, found a source for raw peanuts so am going to try them, as a child use to have kit hutches built to cages and now just use tupperware 4 or 5 inch trays, (not a dealer), I like the height off the ground however I just put double wire 4" apart on bottom of cage. Learned this when first raising rabbit and dogs would bite off my rabbits legs after pulling them through 1"sq holes. Only happened twice after i sat up the whole next night with my rifle and didnt get them. I start to put does to buck after the heat of summer is gone, sept or oct. I'm in zone 5 NW PA. As for eating, to me the meat tastes cleaner than chicken, I would suggest a stew, I like a simple hausenphefer made with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, creme of chicken soup, grilled rabbit chunks with the drippings added to the soup an optional a cup of favorite beer. If the thought doesn't bother you to cook rabbit whole than roast, cook like fried chicken, or any other way you cook chicken, a friend from PR made a rabbit for me and used powdered jalipeno peppers with chicken spice , i can't eat hot foods but this was great. Back to breeding i try to get a litter every 4 months with a 2 month break over summer. Don't forget to add bacon or some fat to your cooking because rabbits are almost fat free. Hope this helps.

 

[MiniSilkys]

Thanks up grading barn just make another pen.

I am in the process of upgrading myself. This years rain has made everything wash out, and my fences are trying to fall as they are now unlevel.

 

[MiniSilkys]

Oh thank you so much, what is the best and safest age to breed them in a mostly humid climate, although is does get cooler here in the winter...the rabbit hutches we built are 36 " x 34" per rabbit...with 4 feet off rhe ground, shaded area and wire mesh on three side and solid roof with over hang. They also have area to get off the wire, each rabbit is five months old, and we are building each a inside hutch shelter / kit area....two doe's, one buck...all whites with pink eyes...breeding for pet and to eat (although i have never eaten one...yet, lol) thanks in advance for any info ! ...barbara

I love tame rabbit. Rabbit stew is the best. I also like fried rabbit with gravy. Yum. I used to have rabbits in the same pen as my chickens, goats, and ducks. They loved the open space to run. Although it makes the meat tougher. They even made their own underground burrow. I don't have anymore right now though. My last one learned how to climb 5 ft fences. LOL. Silly rabbit. After catching him 10 or more times I decided to let him live wild. I think he is still around here somewhere though. I will know if I start seeing blond rabbits running around in the spring.

 

[MiniSilkys]

Have you ever killed a rabbit?