Turtle Rock Farm: First Goat Experience

[Southern by choice]

The permethrin is perfect for the task, but I have not been able to find or verify any milk withholding requirement for it. Perhaps @Goat Whisperer or @Southern by choice or maybe @babsbag would know for sure? Maybe someone else? I can't find it listed at FARAD http://www.farad.org/WDIlookup/
Since it is a man made substance designed to mimic a natural substance, I should think that a 5-7 day withdrawal (just to be safe) should be more than adequate.
http://www.livingwithbugs.com/permethrin_pyrethrum.html

The synthetic version (permethrin) is much safer in general and far less toxic than pyrethrum is a botanical insecticide which is natural made from the chrysanthemum plant. The synthetic version cannot be used on cats.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

I sure do. I'd have given up already if I didn't have that lovely thing. She is improving exponentially in behaviour and now throws only about two short fits per milking and sits quietly for the rest.

The first milk of hers I tasted was rather like a smoothie that would have been good if some nut hadn't stuck lettuce or artichokes or something in it. I ended up feeding it to the chickens. Then I took her off pasture for a day---and now it's absolutely delicious. I'm not sure how I'm going to work pasture to keep the milk edible, but I have a few ideas and we'll see how it works.

Pasture should not have impact on milk taste to that extent?
Yes, milk stand is wonderful! Funniest thing is how children love to play , put their head in, etc. Whenever we were at fair the parents always threatened to buy one. Getting dark, so gotta go milk.

 

[Turtle Rock Farm]

There is none. We skip the milking following anyway.
The livestock concentrates should have this in their labeling.

Thank you!

 

[Turtle Rock Farm]

Pasture should not have impact on milk taste to that extent?
Yes, milk stand is wonderful! Funniest thing is how children love to play , put their head in, etc. Whenever we were at fair the parents always threatened to buy one. Getting dark, so gotta go milk.

Evidently blackberry plants do? She was eating quite a bit of those.

 

[Latestarter]

Actually, I've found that plants eaten can have a rather dramatic impact on milk taste... When my girl gets a few large branches of sweet gum leaves, her milk is awesome. When oak leaves, it's a little more "tart". When they're just out grazing and eating whatever, the milk varies a little daily. Thankfully I don't have wild onions or garlic here.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

Mine free range and have never found any difference in taste. They have an abundace of whatever is growing here in eastern TN. All of mine are Nubian and closely related, too. I have noticed some differences among breed and within a breed, family lines.
With cows, the spring onions have an impact if your pasture is overgrazed.
Do whatever works for you.

 

[Farmer Connie]

 

[Shawluvsbirds]

Very cool! Except for the lice.
Congratulations!

 

[Turtle Rock Farm]

I treated her with the Permethrin spray and it did a dandy job of it. I gave her a CDT shot too, since she was due for one. That went pretty well, despite my fears.

I still haven't gotten the electric fence up due to being quite busy, but I've been putting them in the chicken run for out time and they haven't escaped even once---yet.

 

[Turtle Rock Farm]

So, I was told by the last owner that Lucy's feet wouldn't need to be done for a bit, but I checked them a few days ago and they are REALLY bad. The edges have curled under and made a new surface on part of it with packed in manure underneath. I've been trimming a little at a time every time I milk, and stopping when she runs out of patience. It's going well, but I'm worried about foot rot because of just how bad/dirty her feet were. What should I be looking for? And how do I know if the tips are too long? They are curving up a little but I'm not sure if that's because the soles aren't flat.

Also, Lexie's feet look like they could use a trim. When do you all do first hoof care?