Jodief100--- random stuff and BIG news

[20kidsonhill]

Jaz is feeling better. She is smaller and has no horns so I think she just can't get in and get her share of the grain very well. I have been considering keeping her sperate but a lone goat wouldn't do. I could put her and her daughters together but it is very difficult getting the ones I have rotated around without throwing another group into the mix.

I am going to have to think long and hard and consider my options. Jaz just isn't thriving in my herd but I just love her to pieces. For now I am going to dry her off and keep her with the mommy goats who have a higher grain ration. Then I will wait and long time to breed her again.

It is going to be a busy few days. Saturday we head out to MD with 19 goats for the buck test, mine and two other farm's. My farm sitter is lined up but I couldn't find anyone to watch the greyhounds! So Gracie and Jo will have to come with us.

Our Aunt B doesn't thrive in our adult herd and I have to keep her with the younger does, and to make it even more complicated she know has a yearling daughter in the herd who is very timid. Aunt B has an excuse, since she is the only one with no horns, but her daughter's timid behavior is clearly a learned trait. It is a pain. Aunt B was with the herd last fall and ended up aborting, because she wouldn't go in the shelter with the other goats during a 2 day snowstorm and then got sick.

 

[jodief100]

We are dropign them off at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, MD.

Wow, you will be about 40 minutes from my house. Even closer to PeaChick.

She wont be far from me either.

I wish we could stop and visit all of you but with 18 hours of driving, that isn't really an option. We may have to stay overnight in the Boonsboro area as it is.

Jaz is still on the mend.

Major thunderstorms last night. I got soaked to the skin rounding up the stupid poults and puting them in the hoophouse. The goats all seemed to fare well. We needed the rain but not all at once! My neighbor just barely got his hay baled before the rain started but the round bales sat out in the pouring rain all night.

 

[autumnprairie]

Good luck on your buck test

 

[jodief100]

Back from dropping off the goats. We hauled 8 of ours and 12 for two other people. The bucks will stay at the test farm in MD for 3 months. They are weighed, FAMACHA checked and have a fecal run every two weeks. At the end ones that meet a certain standard of weight gain, FEC ad FAMACHA scores will be offered for sale. This is a forage only test- no grain or supplement other than loose mineral.

Hubby getting ready to unload.

Trailer full of goats.

Weigh in

Some of the test bucks:

Wait a second- those are some funny looking goats!!!!!

 

[Royd Wood]

Great pics and you have lots of goats - where did you get the mineral feeder from as I have been trying to find them. Does it spin round or rectify itself if rubbed or knocked over.

edited - are they greyhounds, or irish wolfhounds ?????

 

[jodief100]

Great pics and you have lots of goats - where did you get the mineral feeder from as I have been trying to find them. Does it spin round or rectify itself if rubbed or knocked over.

edited - are they greyhounds, or irish wolfhounds ?????

Only 8 of those goats are mine. There are 80 of them on test. The mineral feeders are what they had at the MD test farm but I think Premier One and Sydell carry them.

They dogs are my greyhounds, Grace and Jo. We couldn't find a sitter so we took them with us. I put them in the goat pen while I helped weigh and check the goats. They took a nap in the calf hutch while we worked.

 

[jodief100]

For those of you who are interested... This is the link to the buck test info.

http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com/2012/06/49-goats-start-test-on-june-2.html

The blog is updated regularly, reports with semi weekly weights, FEC and FAMACHA are available.

There are 49 goats in test and another 30 participation in a feeding study. They are conducting a study comparing forage only to confined feeding practices. The confined goats get free hay, mineral and all the grain they can eat in 20 daily. After the study the goats are slaughtered and the carcass quality is compared.

 

[RPC]

That is really interesting stuff. I also like all the pictures.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Hope your bucks do well. What kind of ages and weights are you expecting on grass only? What do they do if one appears to need worming?

 

[jodief100]

Hope your bucks do well. What kind of ages and weights are you expecting on grass only? What do they do if one appears to need worming?

The bucks had to be born between December 2011 and March 2012 to qualify. If they need worming they worm them. They also get any medical care they need. In order to qualify for the sale they have to meet certain standards of ADG, average FAMCHA and high fecal egg count. There are three classes for the sale, Gold, Silver and Bronze. The standards they have to meet are below:

ADG, lbs. per day Avg. FEC, epg High FEC, epg High FAM, 1-5 Deworming treatments

GOLD 0.200 500 1000 2 0

SILVER 0.19 750 1,500 2 0

BRONZE 0.170 1,000 2,000 3 1