Jumping the Moon Dairy - the next chapter

[babsbag]

Thanks @Latestarter . I love my dogs and can't imagine my life without them. Francis went nuts barking the other morning and when I went out to check on him he was guarding and cleaning a newborn kid that had been born in the water trough. Kid would have died if he hadn't put up such a fuss and cleaned its face. Love these dogs.

I usually skip the Ovcharka part as most people just give me a blank stare. I have had pups born here that look pretty close to Mia, white legs and all, a strong family resemblance for sure.

She is sleeping in the house tonight with my Border Collies, hope I sleep too So far I have rescued my carpet, my husband's boot, the corner of my cedar chest, and my chair from her puppy needle teeth. It has been years since I have done this stage, guess I need to clean up the barn, move the shovel and the hose and get ready for puppyhood

 

[Ponker]

It had been a long time since I raised a puppy when I brought Prince, my Anatolian Shepherd home. I can relate totally to rescuing your belongings and picking up everything from the barn floor. Don't forget any extension cords! I had to rescue a couple.

Beautiful pup.

How is the dairy building coming along? I read the entire journey and was completely fascinated. You're admirable for following your dream. You've inspired me to follow mine by completing my new farm with Nigerian Dwarf milk goats. I'm traveling for them in mid April and I couldn't be happier to have made the decision. I have sheep and began to think that well, maybe I shouldn't... Just because I have some sheep, rabbits, chickens, and ducks.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Can't wait to hear what happens next.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Congrats on the pup

 

[Latestarter]

Oh yeah... puppy chewing... Lost a few items to Mel before he got past it. He still tries to "steal" stuff and bring it outside with him to play with. But it's all well worth it in the end!

 

[babsbag]

The dairy is coming along slowly. Kidding season is a lot of work and I am not even milking most of the does; just no time. I have the trailer insulated and some of the plywood on the walls. We have to build two interior walls before I can finish the plywood on the perimeter walls. I am also struggling with trimming out the windows on the outside of the trailer. Stuff like this usually doesn't stump me but this one is just not logical to me. I have watched youtube and read a bunch and hopefully tomorrow I will get it on; or at least try. If not tomorrow then next week when this little rainstorm coming on Sunday goes away. Also fighting tendinitis in one elbow and possibly a chipped elbow on the other one so I am having a hard time doing repetitive chores, like holding a drill and driving screws, or milking a goat. My goal is two sheets of plywood a day and I have 14 to install for the perimeter; 4 are done.

Hopefully this weekend we will lay out the inside walls and decide where the doors are going. I need one door for me and then a small door on each side for the goats to enter and exit.

Here is a picture of the trailer and my window project. I have all the roof trim on, that was fun...NOT. I don't have much experience (none) with steel siding and all of it's trim but I need this to be water tight so I am learning as I go. DH usually lets me do all of the finish work and really any work that I can do, such as insulation, plywood, paint, paneling, flooring, etc. He does all of the rough framing, the electrical, and he used to do the plumbing. But now that there are those GatorBite fittings I have been doing most of the plumbing. He will of course help me with anything that is too heavy or awkward, like putting the roofing on.

Also had to take a break from building to get the new barn put together and the kidding pens built. Still have some issues with rain blowing in the front but nothing I can't deal with for the rest of this year. We were building the trailer in the barn until we got it mostly water tight so I was really pushed to get it done and moved before kidding season started.

My only barn challenge right now is hay storage. I feed 4' x 8' 1200 lb. bales (saves a bunch of money) but the old storage place is too far from the new barn. My tractor can't lift them so once they are unloaded that is where they stay. They need to be out of the rain and yet accessible to me (and not the goats). I have plans for the future, but not right now. Working on it...

 

[babsbag]

Here are some pictures of the barn. The last one is what it looked like 3 weeks before kidding started. I used lots of lime, stall dry, and gravel to get rid of the water. Hydrated lime absorbs the water really well, but it is dangerous to inhale so you have to be careful. Next year there will be a solid front on the south side (prevailing wind/rain side) and I will bring in more gravel to make it mound.

I had a gravel truck bring me 20 yds of gravel...he got stuck in the mud.

 

[babsbag]

So Mia is a pill, a total and udder brat, a hardheaded stubborn PITA, but I love her (most of the time). She is a different pup for sure, she is not particularly bonded to me, she isn't thrilled to see me, and doesn't really care when I leave. I guess those are good traits in an LGD, just different that the pups I have raised. She is very aloof but learning that tummy rubs are good.

She is all puppy, and all teeth. She mouths anything and everything she can find. She doesn't really chase the goats but all those babies are just so darn irresistible when no one else will play with her, but over all she does pretty good. She is only 3.5 months old so playing is very important to her.

She is the first LGD I have raised as a single pup and it is definitely harder. I had my first oops the other night that could have been a disaster, and it was all my fault. I have a pen with 5 kids in it that I am bottle raising, one being a 3 day old LaMancha. Well I forgot to latch the gate and Mia likes to lay by the gate and sleep and I guess she leaned against it just right and the baby goats got out. The poor little LaMancha took the brunt of Mia's love and adoration and got her front legs pretty chewed up. Nothing deep, just many many scratches and scrapes, looks like road burn. Totally my fault, totally what a bored puppy would do, can't blame her in the least.

The baby will be fine, her legs are shaved so I can watch them, she was in shock when I got to her but alive, for that I was grateful. Her legs were cold, her mouth was cold, and I am sure she was in a lot of pain. I have her on Pen. just because I can and some banamine for pain. She is a house goat for a few days which is a problem all of its own. She thinks the Border Collies are for playing with and nursing on. They on the other hand are certain that that is not in their job description. I have to watch them like a hawk.

So is Mia a bad LGD? NO!!! Mia is a puppy and puppies play, and chew, and need to grow up. She was doing what puppies do.

Am I a bad goat mommy? YES !!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ahhhh... you're not a bad goat mommy at all...just busy and perhaps a bit distracted with all that's going on in your life. I think we've all had 'those' days where we do (or not do - like latching a gate) something and then want to kick ourselves in the backside for forgetting. It happens.

Yep - Mia is a puppy and doing what puppies do. Sigh... she WILL grow up someday and probably be awesome at her job!

I've been thinking about another LGD - but dang - I don't want to go through the puppy raising stage again!

 

[samssimonsays]

HUGS!! You are NOT a bad goat mommy! I came home yesterday and our goats were loose with no one home.... I must have forgotten to put the chain on the gate... I have no clue how or when I forgot to but I did. They pushed the door open and all walked out. Sounds like we both had "bad goat mommy" mommy moments yesterday. But that isn't a "bad" moment, just an accident and they happen! HUGS! I know how hard it is training a pup with the goats. Those babies just move so quick and are their size that they wanna play with them.

 

[Latestarter]

So glad that the kid is OK... a little worse for wear maybe but no real harm done. Hope Mia comes around for you to be a little more "bonded".