rachels.haven's Journal

[Baymule]

Heated water buckets! And heated trough! You sound gloriously prepared to me! It’s getting daylight, I’m going for another cup of coffee, then I’ll put on every article of warm clothing I have and go bust ice in buckets. Feed, give alfalfa hay in addition to the round bale and spread more pine shavings if needed. I dream of a barm with electricity and water ran to it.

 

[rachels.haven]

We didn't make it down to -8 or whatever they were saying.
Also, 2024 kidding and milking season began this morning at feeding time with buck doe twins out of Allie, my mastitis doe from last year, by Pete, our Lucky Stars' buck (most will be by Pete this year).

 

[Baymule]

Congratulations on the twins!

 

[rachels.haven]

Heated water buckets! And heated trough! You sound gloriously prepared to me! It’s getting daylight, I’m going for another cup of coffee, then I’ll put on every article of warm clothing I have and go bust ice in buckets. Feed, give alfalfa hay in addition to the round bale and spread more pine shavings if needed. I dream of a barm with electricity and water ran to it.

Lol, I wish I had electric in my barn. I do have a lot of fat outdoor power cords and all the outbuildings are close enough I can run the cords to them. And now there's 4-6 inches of snow on the ground so you can't see the cords anymore. It's not great, but it's working. It will probably all get broken down and put away in a week when we're back to the 40-50's (so MOODY!)

Edited...I guess I DO have electric in my pole barn, temporarily.

 

[SageHill]

Awe, twins!! So cute. And now you've got me thinking about using one of those tubs for my lamb that I'm supplementing or moving to bottle baby.

 

[Baymule]

Sounds like buried electrical cable to me!

 

[rachels.haven]

Ew.
Just finished outside chores and checked the weather and discovered we're down to 2 degrees and falling.
No wonder I was grumpy out there. The low was SUPPOSED to be 4 but we've surpassed that and it's not even the cold point of the night yet.
One of my does due tomorrow is reluctant to stand on her feet, and limping from her hips and has a little more bag than earlier, but not much. I also feel like she might smell funny. If she does not kid tomorrow I may have to start graining her if she'll take it or get some propylene glycol into her if she does not and maybe bug the vet for drugs to induce. She's not bagging much and still has ligaments though so I'm thinking she's not going tonight. I guess I can check right before bed, but I'm thinking she'll go first thing in the morning if anything.

Odd, in these temps my girls are not bagging up much. It's a darn good thing I bottle raise.

The doe that kidded, barn name Allie, she had mastitis last round when I tried to cut her off early. The side that had mastitis side didn't fill much and was little but the more I milk it the more it produces. It didn't really even bag with colostrum. The other side has what I'm pretty sure is horrid edema. Rubbery, heavy, flow obstructing edema that is ever so slowly receding. Or at least I hope that's what it is. Hopefully i do not have the sides reversed and it's really mastitis. It does seem to be getting slightly better though. I hope the dyna mint feels good. Again, it's darn good I'm bottle raising because she's too obstructed to make enough for both kids.

 

[rachels.haven]

heheheheh. In regards to early morning chores tomorrow.

(our local enough weather station)

 

[Baymule]

Yep! I’m right there with ya’. Going to get above freezing here today. I’m real excited about that.

 

[Bruce]

Wow. We got +9°F this morning, I think the lowest we've gone this year is +7°F

Sounds like buried electrical cable to me!

Just what I was thinking except I was thinking maybe 18" farther down. If it is heavy extension cord distance, shouldn't be too much to dig a trench and bury the proper gauge wire in conduit. Have safe real power in the barn year round.