SBC/GW's Journal- Spring shows DONE! & Update

[rachels.haven]

GAH! No, don't do that!
No, I'm mainly worried about the vet because I bought a goat he'd been the vet for, the goat was born black, turned really pretty red brown, and browner each time I came to visit. It looked like copper deficiency, but I guess the vet had told the goatherd that the goats in our area don't need copper beyond what manna pro goat mineral provides. So last week I bolused him with his wormer (his pale eyelids weren't improving despite being wormed before coming home), and suddenly he's growing more hair and it's coming in black, being a lot more active, and he has his famacha coloring back. I had a little black goat that badly needed copper, and if the vet got that wrong, what else will could he be wrong about?...but eventually I will cave and call him out for a physical or something for a test drive seeing as he's what most people consider the best goat vet in the area (I think there MIGHT be two willing to see goats, maybe). It just makes me worry. I'd love to do as much for myself as possible until I can't anymore.

 

[Mini Horses]

@farmerjan - I want to slow up outside work for the SAME reasons. Going to do it!! I love to can, dehydrate, cellar store, etc. Don't see a freeze dryer in my future due to $$$. But yes on more home and own sufficiency. One day i'm gonna slide up there a get a couple of the jersey boys for freezer dates.

@SBC - yep, there is a difference between improving to be good quality and improving to be totally different I like many of the old traits and buy heritage for that reason. They can be hard to find. Always supported my sale animals with ANY reasonable backup and assist I could. Minis to chickens. LOL Registration is not to be all, just nice if you want to show...some are requirements.
By the way, I have & love my Saanens. Have several 50/50 Nub. Great milk & personalities.

I lucked out as my vet of over 30 years was horse breeding specialist, worked exotic animals, farm animals and was an instructor. Boy did I learn from him. Yeah, I paid for it but worth every penny. Actually had a mini operating room set up for the mini horse farm. Still have some of the equipment, plus stallion collection devices, etc. Sorry I sold the ultrasound.

I just hate to see how the general population is going. And agree there are many who recognize the problems, try to buy healthy and even want to learn and do some of the homesteading protocals. I truly enjoy those people.

 

[Southern by choice]

@rachels.haven there lies the issue. Management is not a vet's real job. Management is extremely individual. Feed, mineral, forage , hay and water all contribute to the amount of copper a goat is getting. This is not a one size fits all. Products given may appear to be adequate however what about the water? High iron in water can bind copper and other minerals.
There really are great vets out there but few vets that work with a lot of goats. Here in NC we have a lot of really good goat vets. I know it isn't that way in many places though.
Having said that I will say you could have 5 vets in a room and they won't agree on anything except a CDT shot. LOL and then 3 of those 5 will not agree on the schedule.
Yet they may all be great vets.

@Mini Horses when we did unregistered we still recorded the animals and as far back as we knew their lineage. I don't know of anyone else who did this. I always felt it was important so when the time came to breed they could be sure to bring in something unrelated. It is nice with registered goats to be able to see the lineage. The tools that are available through the various programs I think are very helpful but they aren't the end all be all. I think LA is a tool, milktest is a tool, showing is a tool.... all useful but so many variables. IMO milktest is the least reliable tool.
I have some recorded grades too and I love them. They are among my favorites.

 

[rachels.haven]

That's actually very encouraging. Thanks!

 

[Southern by choice]

Little Lilly is in full blown heat! She usually hangs out on the porch for her goodies and just because she is special, when we are milking. Not tonight... she was over by the building where one of the bucks is being kept in a stall. She has goo goo eyes for him. She LOOOOOOVES him. She will not leave the building.

We are like righttttt... 3 legged baby goat wanting to get bred. NOT.

Got our next milktest scheduled.

Drew blood for pregnancy confirmation. (They are for clients that are buying bred does)
We did some extras too. After bringing them up though... yeah. We have a few Nigierians looking rather rotund and they aren't due til mid February.
Also realized I have gone through almost all our tubes! Yikes. So, I need to add that to the list that is getting longer by the day it seems. Tubes, syringes, needles, a new scale, kidding supplies stuff... sigh.


There are a few goats I need in heat like NOW, getting so late in the season. I really don't want May kids.

Very cold here tonight. 34 out now but feels 27 with a low of 24. I imagine it will feel like 20. Hmmm.... once it is this cold I really can't tell the difference between 34 and 20.
It is just COLD. 'nuf said. Fortunately it is NOT raining! YAY!

Oh, we just got some new mineral feeders. Excited about them too. Seeing as how all our others get destroyed. The Kikos never destroyed them. Well, accidentally they did but not on purpose like our dairy does do. We will have to get some pics.

It's a deer feeder!

The baby does have gotten the lid off because they are goats. Goats do that kinda thing. I am going to drill two holes and put clips on so they cannot take the lid off. The straps are on outside fencing so they can't chew them. We aren't putting a whole bag of minerals in but we put enough in to monitor.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/moultrie-feed-station-gravity-deer-feeder#repChildCatid=3719707

 

[Mike CHS]

We use home made mineral feeders that we hang on gates but I doubt they would last long with goats.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

We use home made mineral feeders that we hang on gates but I doubt they would last long with goats.

You should post some pics! I'd love to see it.
We have tried so many different feeders. I saw another breeder using the feeder SBC posted, saying it held up even in her buck pens. Really hoping it does well for us. I would like to just fill each feeder completely (they can hold 40#, our mineral comes in 40# bags) and refill as needed. Of course we need to test run it first though... Thinking of getting some more of these for next years kids, since we try to do free choice feed with kids anyway. It would be nice to have some for pellets and another for beet pulp.

It's funny, our goats don't escape, and are generally well behaved, but will destroy any feeders, downspouts, etc.
Our one buck will toss around his 50# cobalt block like its nothing. Crazy goats.

 

[Mike CHS]

We mount the feeders directly to the studs without a cover inside our shelters but we use our gate feeders outside. I can see these living a pretty short life with goats but the sheep do fine with them. I do use a fairly heavy set of nuts and bolts since it also serves as a back and side scratcher.

I don't have any pictures of the current version which is more reinforced but the pictures are of the first that we did more than a year ago and it's still in good shape.

 

[Mini Horses]

Oh, yeah -- a goat would want to STAND ON that top. Sheep are not as adventurous. I do like the design & idea to keep outside and some weather protection.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

@Mike CHS I like it! But yeah, it would be destroyed within an hour LOL We have used that plastic feeder, the goats broke it into a bunch of pieces.

Snapped this pic earlier today. Beautiful Blue