Squirrelgirl88 - Double G Farm

[elevan]

I think parasites - primarily barberpole - are a bigger worry than heat with summer kids. You'd be stressing out the dams at a time when the worm is at it's height and kids are higher risk for it as well...normally they'd have a few months of aged immunity to help them before the height of barberpole season here in Ohio. It's a risk you'd have to stay right on top of as things can change in a blink.

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

Well, I'm a worrier by nature, and I'm going to make myself crazy over my goats. I'm worried about breeding too young, kid born when it's too hot/cold, etc.

All the books say breed by weight - 70% of their full mature weight is ok, but then it says that is about 85 pounds. With Nigerian Dwarf does, mature weight should be 50 lbs, so I'm thinking 40 lb should be ok. But now, I'm wondering if they are obese. I can't feel ribs, when I touch them. Everything else here is obese, why not the goats.

Maybe I should've picked boer goats - i can fatten anything up - just ask DH :/

 

[elevan]

Well, I'm a worrier by nature, and I'm going to make myself crazy over my goats. I'm worried about breeding too young, kid born when it's too hot/cold, etc.

All the books say breed by weight - 70% of their full mature weight is ok, but then it says that is about 85 pounds. With Nigerian Dwarf does, mature weight should be 50 lbs, so I'm thinking 40 lb should be ok. But now, I'm wondering if they are obese. I can't feel ribs, when I touch them. Everything else here is obese, why not the goats.

I had a pygmy get bred at 10 months and after a conversation with my vet decided to abort because she wasn't "mature" enough at the time. He considered more than just weight but frame and condition as well. Do you have a good vet? You're about an hour from me (I'm guessing due to location) and my vet is in Fredericktown if you need a good one - they are.

Maybe I should've picked boer goats - i can fatten anything up - just ask DH :/

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

I'm a bad goat mommy. I've been given the name of a local vet, but have not taken them yet. They did have their CDT vaccines before I brought them home. I'm going to call the vet in the next few weeks and find out what they recommend before breeding and to have fecal run on them.

As far as I can tell their condition is good. They have good coats, and eat/poop well. they have already started coming into heat - 7 months old last week. The horns stopped peeling and the hair started growing in better after the Kop Sel treatment and changing them to a food with more copper. We also purchased MUCH better hay than we started with originally.

They will not eat ANTYHING except their small portion of goat chow, hay and browse. No veggies, no fruit, nothing.

They look "chunky" to me right now, but with the winter coats coming in it's hard to tell if I've over fed them. I have cut the goat chow back quite a bit - not that they are very happy about it. By all appearances, I have too very healthy, happy, LOUD goats.

The buck is "servicing" some other does right now, but can come here after the holidays. I wonder if it's even better to wait until later and then have Fall kids.

 

[elevan]

Personally I'd opt for November kids at the earliest...simply knowing our weather here. December would be better as by then we usually have a good freeze.

I've only taken 1 goat in to the vet and so far have not had a farm call needed in over 2 years. BUT I do spend a decent amount of time in their office. I go in to buy meds or just to have a conversation - this enables me to build my relationship with them at a lower cost. They will advise me over the phone as well.

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

I'm going to call the vet monday and find out their policy on fecals and see if I can just bring in the sample and not the whole goat. We are going to do hooves today, and I'll get weights on the girls just to see where we are. I can still pick them up, so I know they are under 30 pounds. Of course I picked them both up yesterday so a little neighbor boy could pet them, and my back is killing me today. Either they are growing, or I'm getting old. :/

I took a couple days of vacation from my job to get things buttoned up for winter. We cleaned the garage yesterday, going to clean out the garden today. The only thing still growing is turnips, and they are only the size of ping pong balls. If I get really ambitious, I'll hang the outside Christmas lights while it's relatively warm. Why do it in December and freeze my *$& off?

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

We did goat pedicures today. And we also took weights of the girls. Lily is 32.6 pounds and Lucy is 34 pounds even. No wonder it's hard to hold them for hoof trimming!

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

Between the time change and this strange (warm) weather we're having, the animals are all confused. The chickens are going to roost earlier and earlier, but the goaties want to stay up past their bedtimes. We used to close up after 6:30, and now it's just after 5pm. I'm rushing home from work to get a quick goatie cuddle and give them their bedtime snack.

I hate winter.

I'm in a sour mood today - just had root canal done. I'm not sure what hurts worse, my jaw or my wallet.

 

[elevan]

Thinking about you right now. Radar is showing that storm cell right over you...still carrying a Tornado warning. Please check in after it's past so we know you're ok.

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

Well, we weathered the storm ok. The cable went out, so we couldn't watch the news, and the radio station wasn't all that informative. Guess it's time to get one of those weather radios.

The "barn" is an old block building - actually an old blacksmith shop that I annexed half of - so the animals are probable safer than we are in the house.

Thanks for the concern.