rachels.haven's Journal

[farmerjan]

So sorry you are sick. Mine was just a very bad cold and no stomach problems except for the sinus drip making me cough to where I would nearly gag... It is taking a week + to run it's course, but at least I can function. I feel so bad for you. Try @Baymule remedy....

 

[rachels.haven]

Get some apple cider vinegar and mix half and half with honey. Put about 1/8 cup in a small glass, add cold water. Sip on it. It will kill the “bad” bacteria that is making you run at both ends and leave the good bacteria alone. ACV is nature’s disinfectant. Your problem should be much better in about 30 minutes to an hour. ACV will even take out food poisoning.

That's great, because that's what I have. I'll do it.


Well, the day is over. 3 goat kids were born today. A 10 lbs single 6 days over due is a little much for a small first freshener. She wasn't as wide as Mallow. I think next time I might want to see if I can find a vet to let me have some lute for induction after day 153 or something. A week matters.
Iris's kids-one black buck, the other is a doe a giant moonspot. I think I might keep her to help prove her dad. Not that I need an F1 back cross to nigerian mini saanen/sable who is a giant moonspot.

 

[Baymule]

Congratulations on the kids. Being sick didn’t help. Hope the ACV works for you.

 

[rachels.haven]

I had my mom over to help with chores last night. She recommended implementing as close to a commercial system for farrowing pigs in the future as we can and as makes sense. People develop those systems for reasons and pigs just squash piglets. That's why they have lots.
But once they get going we can raise them however we want.
I think she might be right on that. I'm sure there are good mothers and bad mothers, but a pig only has to have a piglet or two make it to maturity to have reproduced "successfully". They produce a lot of potential dead piglets. I guess I'll be working on that.
My pig is nice though. She's very polite and quiet about asking for food when hungry and still doesn't mind her greedy, fat little piglets picked up. I guess I'll tinker a little on this.

I called a vet who is a sheep farmer about the doeling's foot. He didn't come out and said we'd have to get in line to be seen eventually, maybe, if there was time, someday. He also says he suspects "contagious hoof rot" which doesn't make sense because she's dry and it made her joint swell first before the swelling went down her foot and ruptured out the bottom between the digits. Then I asked about getting a scheduled farm call for one of my other does who has a bump on her neck so I could get it cultured and ensure not CL and have not heard anything back. I think it might be an unspoken existing clients only clinic right now. That doe has had two negative screening tests for the big three in the last year including the last big herd wide one for me a month ago, so I doubt it, but I'd like the bump to be a)gone, and b)definitely negative, not just probably negative. It doesn't grow, shrink, burst or anything and I noticed it shortly after I'd got her. I also worry that it's a swollen lymph node that could indicate cancer or something else deeper wrong so if I went in to collect pus from it, which there may or may not be I'd just make her uncomfortable and open her up to infection. But whatever. I've got a clinic about 20 minutes from me that thinks it's a royal pain to do livestock but they have a stock vet and a stock chute yard system pen thing...right next to where they put deceased pets while they wait for pickup and the place is gross. If I get desperate I'll put my 200lbs doe in my van and take it to their filthy place where we will probably contract CL and bring it home to share.

Dude, I think this is a farm call issue. I must be feeling better.

Oh, I sold the rest of the teff hay. The goats must like the flavor of it because they did eat it, but they don't eat it to get full and they'd started losing condition on it earlier. I was using it for bedding and to stuff the bottoms of their baskets (like easter grass) so I sent it to live with someone who would feed it to chubby ponies instead, as it probably should have been in the first place. The boys are mad at me because now they have nothing to jump on next to the shop. We kind of owe them a playhouse/play shed.

 

[Ridgetop]

Is it possible that the doe kid got something in her foot that caused an infection? I would put her on penicillin which you have probably already done, and keep draining the abscess and washing it out with iodine.

 

[rachels.haven]

Is it possible that the doe kid got something in her foot that caused an infection? I would put her on penicillin which you have probably already done, and keep draining the abscess and washing it out with iodine.

yes, it absolutely is. I've been using Teff hay/straw as bedding for them. It has little seeds with a little filament that gets caught up and weaves it's way into everything and makes us all itchy. I'd be willing to bet that's what it was. And while I haven't done penicillin yet (which we will not be allowed to have next year!) I have been flushing and washing with chlorhexadine and iodine and it is shrinking and going away. She can walk on it again. The toes are just a little wider spread than the other feet.
This is her (before issue starting, I think)

 

[rachels.haven]

Actually, front foot closest already appears a little bigger than the other. I think it was just starting to get puffy then.

 

[Baymule]

I need to establish a vet relationship. As a non client, trying to get a vet to even talk to me was a no go. I need to get the dogs shots, that would be a start…..

 

[rachels.haven]

I need to establish a vet relationship. As a non client, trying to get a vet to even talk to me was a no go. I need to get the dogs shots, that would be a start…..

I know, it's so hard. It's like, "TAKE MY MONEY, PLEASE!" Starting next year or so the majority of people are just going to need Rx's written. I hope you find one close to your new place.
Through other people here I've already run into one vet that won't even write rx's for Bose or even overcharge them for syringes of it, nevermind asking for anything else, especially not a whole bottle and the vet breeds oodles of Nigerian goats for the pet market (you can bet THEY get their Bose).
Finding a good vet is a beast.

 

[Baymule]

The livestock vets here at least know a little about sheep, 4-H and FFA show lambs only. Better than nothing I guess.