rachels.haven's Journal

[Ridgetop]

Durango in the buck pen is going lame from his knees and just wants to lay around and hide from the others a lot of the time now.

Has your herd been tested for CAE if they are nursing their kids?

Good idea! And soon! They're 5 and 7. They are light weights and still little weigh less than the hay bales and while they're out of the "I have to preserve them from themselves" phase, they are still in the "getting in the way" rather than the "help a little and get bored" stage, but I've got my sights on them as hay bale pushers as soon as they can. We don't do too many bales at once. They'll be able to do it eventually.

Our boys used to stack the hay when the eldest was 11 and the other 2 were 7 and 6 respectively. The bales were 100-120 lbs. and we had to move them down 2 flights of steps into the lower old milk shed. First DS1 shoved the bales off the pick up truck onto the driveway. Then both younger boys DS2 and DS3 each put a hay hook into the bales and dragged them to the first set of stairs and pushed them down the first flight. Then they went down those steps and dragged the bales over to the second flight and pushed them down When they had a pile at the bottom DS1 went down and with stacked the bales with the younger brothers dragging them into the shed for him. I used to go pick up the hay from a hay farmer an hour away and bring it home. DH was working 24/7 at the time and the kids and I did it all ourselves. By the time DS2 and DS3 were in middle and high school we had progressed to buying it by the field from the farmer. All the alfalfa farmers were under contract to the dairies for first cut but we were able to buy the field for the second cut which was almost as good nutrient wise. Since the farmer was selling us so much he would bring it in on a semi as we needed it. We were feeding at least a ton a week by then.

If you have a good hay grower, maybe you can contact for a field, or portion of a field up front and have him deliver it as you need it.

 

[Ridgetop]

He's also got a dash of lucky*stars in his pedigree,

DS2's La Mancha herd was almost all Lucky Star breeding. Being on the West Coast with relatives in the Seattle area made it easy to pick up a buck when we were up there. Also ordered a couple does that were flown down in dog crates. Beautiful goats, beautiful udders, beautiful personalities, lots of tasty milk, both bucks and does were super sweet. Loved that herd and was sorry when DS2 sold out in college. Entire show herd (nearly 100!!! didn't realize how many we had - it was a doe year!) went to one buyer! If we ever get another dairy doe (or 2 - you can't just have one), we will order them from Lucky Star - hopefully Don and Judy Hoy will still be in business! Wonderful people!

 

[rachels.haven]

Has your herd been tested for CAE if they are nursing their kids?


Our boys used to stack the hay when the eldest was 11 and the other 2 were 7 and 6 respectively. The bales were 100-120 lbs. and we had to move them down 2 flights of steps into the lower old milk shed. First DS1 shoved the bales off the pick up truck onto the driveway. Then both younger boys DS2 and DS3 each put a hay hook into the bales and dragged them to the first set of stairs and pushed them down the first flight. Then they went down those steps and dragged the bales over to the second flight and pushed them down When they had a pile at the bottom DS1 went down and with stacked the bales with the younger brothers dragging them into the shed for him. I used to go pick up the hay from a hay farmer an hour away and bring it home. DH was working 24/7 at the time and the kids and I did it all ourselves. By the time DS2 and DS3 were in middle and high school we had progressed to buying it by the field from the farmer. All the alfalfa farmers were under contract to the dairies for first cut but we were able to buy the field for the second cut which was almost as good nutrient wise. Since the farmer was selling us so much he would bring it in on a semi as we needed it. We were feeding at least a ton a week by then.

If you have a good hay grower, maybe you can contact for a field, or portion of a field up front and have him deliver it as you need it.

We're all tested on the disease front. What I've observed is that his knees respond and go back to normal after a week or two of Bose, so be probably responds poorly to deficiency, as in worse than the others. This may be the only year I decide to work him for that reason, unfortunately, and i will be picky on keepers.

I don't think farmers would sell a field's produce here. Hay is hot, and they can sell out easily whenever, so there's nothing in it for them. All they need is a sign with a phone number and everyone and their beautiful horse want it (oddly, I've not seen any old or thin horses here, which throws me...do they eat them when they get old?) I wish I could contract a field though! And alfalfa too? Alfalfa hay or even just alfalfa/grass runs $40/100 pound bale and I can't afford that. (more wishing)

I may eventually get a buck or two straight from lucky*star farm, but right now these guys will more than do. My only concern with them is that Max's dam is suddenly being sold for "small orifices better for hand milking"...say what? They certainly didn't mention that when I bought him and as a hand milker that is a load of hogwash. So he is one buck that will have to prove himself before he can stay for good. I may not keep him at all. The other buck (Atlas) from GA has genetics that have been in the breeder's family line for a while, and it's fairly certain what he will produce. I think he'll get used this year.

In regards to my nasty dwarf line, it may come to that. One doe has calmed down and is sweet. She can stay as long as she stays that way. One doe has a toe on the rear foot that appears to have just stopped growing. Her personality is okay. And the last doe out of Ava is a giant personality defect. She's up for sale already. BuckeyexAva was a bad pairing, and that's my bad. Both had rougher personalities. AvaxPatrick made some sweet little bucklings with Patrick's attitude last time, and a good attitude runs in his line. I'd like a female version of that. Plus, spring is a season full of change...and for selling non-mothering does in milk unless she changes my mind. I don't think she's going to do that.

 

[Baymule]

Can you buy hay in the field and pick it up yourself? That is usually a dollar or more cheaper than already stacked in the barn. We feed round bales with about 40-50 square bales for back up. Our hay guy stores the round bales and brings them to us as needed (we pay for all of them up front). The square bales are for when he just cant get here. He was down for a couple of weeks with Covid, so I fed out half of the square bales that we had. It sure was nice to see that big tractor coming down the driveway with 2 big round bales!

 

[rachels.haven]

@Baymule , I've considered that. The distance to farms that offer that is prohibitive though. They can make more money selling it from the barn here.

My next goat in regards to hay other than to put up enough for winter are to get a ball hitch and a small trailer on my van. I'd also like to bring home a few round bales to go with my square bales, and nobody delivers rounds here. It would also let me go get large squares and break them up to store. Dh wants to get a luggage rack on the van, so maybe I'll piggy back getting my van a ball onto his thing when he takes it in. Hauling my own hay in larger quantity would save me a lot of money and let me go get that hay bought off the field and not delivered or in small quantity out of the barn (or, um, ancient dropped semi shipping containers, in the case of my favorite hay guy). Longer hay trip would be more worth it too so the range I could look in would be extended.

 

[rachels.haven]

Here's a rare photo of a pregnant buck kidding (or Max photo bombing).
This is why you don't take pictures of goats. Things never go as planned. Also, dark goat, dark shelter, light background...meh, set up for failure. This was a fun result.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That is hilarious!

 

[B&B Happy goats]

.....you need to submit it to POW, ...that is way too funny !

 

[rachels.haven]

State won't let me sell milk?
...fine, I'll start selling my goat poop instead.

Today I sold 7 bags of goat manure. I advertised $5/feed bag. I told the guy if he bought it all and picked it up today after I shoveled it I'd let him have it all for $10 for all, the cost of rebedding the stall (I didn't want to find a place to store it to keep it dry). It's magic on the garden, uncomposted, the soil is only half a step from baren here without it, and I'm out of garden space. Last two week's goat poop and spent bedding all gone. Poof. Six extra feed sacks also gone. Poof. A little extra baling twine gone. Poof. Next two week's bedding in that stall paid for.

Is that the spirit of this state?

Apparently poop for the veggie garden is safer than milk yearly tested for brucellosis and Q fever (willing to test for tb too, if yearly), that is regularly consumed by the family. Too bad no one will tell me what their monthly inspections and milk testing would cost me. Maybe I'd put in a milk room if they'd come clean. Here economy, have some poop instead-apparently the only thing my farm can legally offer you.

 

[farmerjan]

I don't know if I mentioned it..... Go to these 2 websites. Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.... and RealMilk.com. You can get alot of info on what each state allows/requires etc..
Understand that it has little to do with the animals being tested yearly for brucellosis, or Q fever or even tb. Has to do with milk quality, somatic cell count (scc) and things that can be contracted through milk, like listeria bacteria.... others. Some states allow sales, some like Va do not.... so you skirt it with "cow shares or herd shares" .... people paying say a flat fee to "own" part of the animal, then they "pay you" for room and board and labor to milk the animal. It's all in the FTCLDF website. They also will offer legal advice, and possible defense for the yearly membership fee. Well worth it... but the info part is free.
In order for the state to "test your herd" ; and according to what ever state rules you fall under..... you would probably have to be approved as a grade A dairy.... and that is an arduous process.... Mass is probably as unreasonable about that as any state. There are several different "tests done" for that; milk samples being done normally every 3 or 6 months.... being on DHIA, like I do as a milk tester, would give you components and a monthly scc count.... don't even know where the closest dairy is to you and whether they are on DHIA. It is not state required but is a management tool for the farmer.... but you first need to see a list of the actual rules for what is allowed and not..... VT allows milk to be sold off the farm, with certain stipulations. Most require a dedicated room for the milk to be strained, bottled, stored in refridgeration.... there is alot to it. Va does not allow the "sale" of raw milk... many do "cow shares" but quietly under the table... no traceability. But the liability from someone getting sickened.... we have a million dollar liability policy to cover anything like someone getting hurt on the farm, running a piece of farm equipment, you name it. I would have to do something different for the cow share deal though.... since raw milk sales are not allowed.... it is a real gray area here.
Don't jeopardize your house, land, or anything else with it. We can give it away, and people can make a willing donation, again "under the radar"..... but if you did a cow share, you would have to get written statements about the person doing the milking not being responsible for the milk in any form. Complicated....