CntryBoy777
Herd Master
Looks like ya are fixing to get Wet over that way, we are getting started on the 3-4.5" predicted for us here.
Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.
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farmerjan
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Yeah, I guess you could say the voice of experience.... only we hadn't gone very far (about 20 ft) when we had a pig try to go over a small trailer with a stock panel that was tied down over the top of the sides. Somewhat similiar to LS trailer...but smaller. The thing is, make the top rigid, AND do not give them moving around room so they can't get a "start" to get out or go over or anything. They don't need exercise room when you are moving an animal. No don't cramp them so that they are like a trussed up turkey ready for the oven, but other than room to stand up or lay down, they don't need room to even turn around. Seriously, it is not cruel, it is for safety reasons....and like LS found out the hard way, to prevent them from "trying" their confined space. Why do you think that horse trailers are built the way they are? It allows the horse to move it's legs, shift it's weight and yet keeps it from having too much room to get turning around or hurt. Even the fancy horse vans, the horses are confined to a fairly tight stall. People do transport them in stock trailers, but they still tie them and usually are cross loaded so that they can "get their sea legs under them" and can adjust to the movement.
If they can't get any space to "launch" themselves, they can't get out. Most animals cannot go from a stand still to jumping 4-5-6 ft straight up over a trailer side with no room to "get a start". Yes there are some that can....but most cannot. Why give them a "running start"???? And a rigid top doesn't allow them any push room either.
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When I saw miss piggy's snout and ears pop up above the trailer top, I thought about slamming the breaks to knock her down and fwd, but with a pregnant near term doe in the bed along with the two kids, It just didn't seem like a real bright idea. I didn't want to take any chances of injuring the goats. The trailer is 6' wide x 12' long, so I don't know if they make 6' high gates... No problem in any case. That will never happen to me again. Hate that I lost the pig... Hate as much that I pulled the trailer there and back for nothing. Killed my gas mileage as well.
I cut some lower limbs off a bradford pear tree today to make visibility of the goats easier from inside the house. I threw the branches over into the dry lot for them and they had a field day. They get goat chow in the morning and a combo of grain and goat chow in the afternoon. Hay available all the time. Still lots of green inside the pen. The occasional animal cracker cookie. Both Dot and April will come right to me, it's Bang that's become the stand off girl. Might be because of her kids. CB (Creme Brulee) has gotten much braver and comes to me so I can pick her up. She has the prettiest light blue eyes. CM (Chocolate Mousse) doesn't seem to have a care in the world, but won't let me get near him. I have to really be sneaky to get my hands on him. They both spend most of the day chasing each other all over the pen and in and out of the shelter.
I bought the adults new collars, but haven't tried to put them on yet. I want them more or less completely comfortable with me so they don't think I'm trying to kill them. I also bought 3 yard stakes with 25' leads so I can anchor them out with some fresh greens but again, I want to make sure they're comfy with me first, and that they'll come to me for sure if I need them to. I also don't want to give the kids their freedom yet as I can no longer catch them if they don't want to be caught. They're too small for collars and leads. I could leave them inside the pen while the adults are outside I guess, but I don't want them trying to get through the cattle panel, which they might still be able to do if they get it in their heads to try.
Looks like some T-storms headed this way. May be here in an hour or two. No idea how long they'll last. I want some jacuzzi time so I guess I better head that way. I don't like being in a hot tub during an electrical storm... Just me.
ETA: ".NOW... ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT...
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, have begun to move eastward into the area. Some of these storms may have the potential to produce strong to damaging wind gusts, large hail, deadly lightning, heavy rain, and possible tornadoes." Looks like multiple strong T-storm warnings west of me right now also. They should roll east along with the storms.
Earlier today I got the cage lifted out of the bed of the truck, then washed it out as best I could with the hose. Then I went to one of those pressure wash places and pressure washed out the bed. Man did it stink! It was amazing how much poop 3 goats made in a short 3 hour drive.
Which reminds me... @goatgurl Bang is still leaking some blood. I see it smeared on the underside of her tail and crusted in her tail hair on the sides. Maybe just a little staining on her vulva at the very bottom. It's been almost 3 weeks.. Is this normal/OK? That girl will NOT let me even close so it's impossible to get a picture... I guess I'll give it another week or so and if still leaking then I'll start to worry.
I cut some lower limbs off a bradford pear tree today to make visibility of the goats easier from inside the house. I threw the branches over into the dry lot for them and they had a field day. They get goat chow in the morning and a combo of grain and goat chow in the afternoon. Hay available all the time. Still lots of green inside the pen. The occasional animal cracker cookie. Both Dot and April will come right to me, it's Bang that's become the stand off girl. Might be because of her kids. CB (Creme Brulee) has gotten much braver and comes to me so I can pick her up. She has the prettiest light blue eyes. CM (Chocolate Mousse) doesn't seem to have a care in the world, but won't let me get near him. I have to really be sneaky to get my hands on him. They both spend most of the day chasing each other all over the pen and in and out of the shelter.
I bought the adults new collars, but haven't tried to put them on yet. I want them more or less completely comfortable with me so they don't think I'm trying to kill them. I also bought 3 yard stakes with 25' leads so I can anchor them out with some fresh greens but again, I want to make sure they're comfy with me first, and that they'll come to me for sure if I need them to. I also don't want to give the kids their freedom yet as I can no longer catch them if they don't want to be caught. They're too small for collars and leads. I could leave them inside the pen while the adults are outside I guess, but I don't want them trying to get through the cattle panel, which they might still be able to do if they get it in their heads to try.
Looks like some T-storms headed this way. May be here in an hour or two. No idea how long they'll last. I want some jacuzzi time so I guess I better head that way. I don't like being in a hot tub during an electrical storm... Just me.
ETA: ".NOW... ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT...
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, have begun to move eastward into the area. Some of these storms may have the potential to produce strong to damaging wind gusts, large hail, deadly lightning, heavy rain, and possible tornadoes." Looks like multiple strong T-storm warnings west of me right now also. They should roll east along with the storms.
Earlier today I got the cage lifted out of the bed of the truck, then washed it out as best I could with the hose. Then I went to one of those pressure wash places and pressure washed out the bed. Man did it stink! It was amazing how much poop 3 goats made in a short 3 hour drive.
Which reminds me... @goatgurl Bang is still leaking some blood. I see it smeared on the underside of her tail and crusted in her tail hair on the sides. Maybe just a little staining on her vulva at the very bottom. It's been almost 3 weeks.. Is this normal/OK? That girl will NOT let me even close so it's impossible to get a picture... I guess I'll give it another week or so and if still leaking then I'll start to worry.
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OneFineAcre
Herd Master
Goat Chow is grain
When you give goat chow and grain you are giving grain and more grain
When you give goat chow and grain you are giving grain and more grain
Goat Whisperer
Herd Master
x2
Most "goat chow" feeds are a sweet feed.
So feed and more feed.
Normal for them to have discharge.
Are they PB lamanchas or minis? Lamanchas don't have blue eyes.
Most "goat chow" feeds are a sweet feed.
So feed and more feed.
Normal for them to have discharge.
Are they PB lamanchas or minis? Lamanchas don't have blue eyes.
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The 2 mommas are PB lamanchas (supposed to be, sisters), Bang and Dot. I understand it's grain and grain... one (what I call goat chow) is processed/pellets, I don't think it's a sweet feed, doesn't say it is, and the grain mix is whole grains. Not sure if that's a sweet feed or not... It's what I got from GG when I got the goats from her. It's what she gave them and recommended.
This is the grain... it says it has molasses cane (sugar cane?) but doesn't say it has molasses or that it's a sweet feed...
It doesn't smell like molasses when I dish it out.
http://www.bigvfeeds.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=161
This is the grain... it says it has molasses cane (sugar cane?) but doesn't say it has molasses or that it's a sweet feed...
It doesn't smell like molasses when I dish it out.http://www.bigvfeeds.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=161
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I have some pretty unhappy goat girls this am. Had some pretty heavy spells of rain early this morning and though the shelter keeps the direct rain off them it didn't really protect them from wind blown spray and it's pretty damp ground inside. So they got breakfast in bed so to speak as I brought their pellets inside the shelter for them this morning. I got about an inch and a quarter total so far and I think most of that came in two really heavy downpours.
I've seen Dot doing some stretching and the like so maybe she's re-positioning the kids and getting ready. Hope she waits till a dry day to deliver. I don't like standing out in the rain any more than they do
Guess a real barn structure has to move up the priorities list. At least I only have Dot left to deliver. So that gives me a few months to work on it.
I've seen Dot doing some stretching and the like so maybe she's re-positioning the kids and getting ready. Hope she waits till a dry day to deliver. I don't like standing out in the rain any more than they do
Guess a real barn structure has to move up the priorities list. At least I only have Dot left to deliver. So that gives me a few months to work on it.
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
Good luck with your up coming kidding! We used the information from @Southern by choice and provided a step/concrete block for our girls to stand on.
greybeard
Herd Master
Because of the way it's worded (molasses cane instead of cane molasses) it probably has ground up sugar cane stalks added either as a filler or for fiber/roughage content, tho it can also be a good source of protein. Sometimes just the pulp of the stalk and any leaves are used, and not the tough outer skin that is all but in-digestible--sometimes the outer skin is processed to 'tenderize' it and it is used too. If it's locally available, feed mills will use the cane stalk pulp because it is generally very low cost or even free once the cane mills have pressed the juice from the stalk. Similar in use to distillers grain, which is a byproduct of corn from ethanol plants. It won't smell like molasses because the molasses smell comes from the cooked juice of a second cooking of the cane juice, which is why molasses is much darker than the only-once-boiled cane syrup. Another name for it is bagasse if it's been fermented.
I've seen it pelletized in little pellets, made into larger cubes that look like range cubes, or fed as just a grind in a grain ration.
When I lived in S. Louisiana, I saw mountains of that pulp piled up outside the cane mills around New Iberia, Lafayette and Morgan City.
(There's of course, no such thing as a plant called molasses--molasses comes from the juice of any member of the sorghum family)
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goatgurl
Herd Master
mornin', first off @Latestarter the discharge from bang is normal. she kidded 19 days ago so you can expect the discharge for another week or two. as your doeling gets older her 'blue eyes' will turn a golden amber. @Goat Whisperer is right, purebred lamanchas don't have blue eyes but a lot of my goats have light brown to amber eyes that appear blue when they are babies.
I was wondering myself why you were feeding both feeds. I feed the grain simply because that is what I prefer. kind of like instant potatoes verses peel, cook and mash your own. they are both potatoes one is just more processed than the other. lots and lots of people feed pelleted food and they do great on them. just a preference for me.
now you know I want you to send me pics of dots udder when she is ready to kid. both front and back because I really think it is gonna be nice.
I smiled when I saw that bang didn't give you any milk. I think she is holding out on you. they can and will 'hold' their milk from you. go over to @Devonviolet's house and let her give you a lesson on how to get a doe to let her milk down. she had the same problem with falina but has it down pat now.
still no word from folks in the area where spot made her dash for freedom. closing the gates to the land today and letting the girls back out. lesson learned. we haul all of the animals we transport in a regular stock trailer. no escapes so far. since you have access to a rental that would be a good way to go until you decide what you really need.
I was wondering myself why you were feeding both feeds. I feed the grain simply because that is what I prefer. kind of like instant potatoes verses peel, cook and mash your own. they are both potatoes one is just more processed than the other. lots and lots of people feed pelleted food and they do great on them. just a preference for me.
now you know I want you to send me pics of dots udder when she is ready to kid. both front and back because I really think it is gonna be nice.
I smiled when I saw that bang didn't give you any milk. I think she is holding out on you. they can and will 'hold' their milk from you. go over to @Devonviolet's house and let her give you a lesson on how to get a doe to let her milk down. she had the same problem with falina but has it down pat now.
still no word from folks in the area where spot made her dash for freedom. closing the gates to the land today and letting the girls back out. lesson learned. we haul all of the animals we transport in a regular stock trailer. no escapes so far. since you have access to a rental that would be a good way to go until you decide what you really need.
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