One Fine Acre - 2023 4H Steer Project Update

[OneFineAcre]

The folks who we have talked to seem pretty happy about it, but I'd imagine after dropping big $$$ on one you should be happy.

We are considering having a few ultrasounded.

We have always done the "wait and see" but again we have a few that have lots of kids.

I do think you can tell approximately how many they will have, same with getting a dog ultrasounded to get an idea on how many pups she will have. But I think you need to know what you're doing to distinguish what are kids and what aren't.

So what do you do if she has " lots of kids" ?

 

[OneFineAcre]

On another note
Maurine just commented about why she never has hot flashes when she is milking goats when it's 29
Degrees outside
Thoughts ?

 

[Baymule]

On another note
Maurine just commented about why she never has hot flashes when she is milking goats when it's 29
Degrees outside
Thoughts ?

Those aren't called "Hot Flashes"

Those are called POWER SURGES!

 

[Baymule]

So what do you do if she has " lots of kids" ?

put 'em up for adoption?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

You nut! LOL


Be better prepared. Have our vets "on call".
Have arrangements for possible C-section.
The year when Leah had complications we had already talked to our vet beforehand, it really helped (the vet) when I had to make that emergency call. Our one (mobile) vet tried to work in our area when the doe was most likely to kid.

Having a general idea is better than say "she's real big and will probably have a bunch of kids". But, I won't be buying an ultrasound machine anytime soon.

No clue on the hotflashes, I have to go with Bay's suggestion

 

[OneFineAcre]

You nut! LOL


Be better prepared. Have our vets "on call".
Have arrangements for possible C-section.
The year when Leah had complications we had already talked to our vet beforehand, it really helped (the vet) when I had to make that emergency call. Our one (mobile) vet tried to work in our area when the doe was most likely to kid.

Having a general idea is better than say "she's real big and will probably have a bunch of kids". But, I won't be buying an ultrasound machine anytime soon.

No clue on the hotflashes, I have to go with Bay's suggestion

We'll knock on wood we've never needed a vet assistance
I don't see how knowing there are 2 or 3 helps
They position themselves in the last day or two
We've had the worst position so far with 2
We've had 2 sets of 4 and I don't know what difference it would have made if we had known

 

[frustratedearthmother]

When I bred a LOT of Pygmies, my vet who was my best friend would ultrasound for a greatly reduced price, like $5 a goat. More than two gave us reason to pause... but a big ol' single was even more terrifying! Always happens with a FF, right?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

What would you feel like if your goat has the possibility of having 4,5, or 6 kids AND have had to call a vet for assistance?

Quite a few thought the doe was done kidding but ended up with a dead kid, raging infection in the doe, and sometimes the does life.

I'm the type who likes to know… differences in opinion/type/thoughts.

Same way I can help necropsy my favorite animal. Most couldn't even wrap their head around that thought.

@frustratedearthmother you brought up a good point. Singles.
If I have a doe that looks good in BCS but is likely to have a single she gets no grain (or very little) until kidding.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

State Fair of Texas quite a few years ago a friends goat was in labor and needed assistance. I've had a lot of experience pulling kids so when the fair vet was going to be delayed - I got pressed in to action. First kid had its head turned back...ugh. I hate that position, but I got the kid out. It was tiny. Gulp! Second kid was trying to come out sideways, third kid was breech. Doe quit pushing and most thought she was finished.

I wanted to go back in and do a quick sweep. Her owners, my friends, insisted she was finished and I should just let her rest. It was their doe, so I stepped back. Doe just didn't look right to me. After a while, I told my friend I needed to check again. In front of about 200 spectators and the fair vet who had finally made it over - I went back in. The doe was tired - she had no more push left in her - so I pulled the last two babies. The fourth baby was weak, and despite all efforts it died. The fifth was not fully formed and stillborn.

It sure would have been nice to have known how many were in there. If I'd known - I wouldn't have waited so long before going back in. I don't think that doe would ever have delivered the last two - she was just too tired and had already had tooo much trauma.

 

[Ferguson K]

Poor doe .