WhiteMountainsRanch Kidding/Journal Thread; Summer Update

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I sure hope it isn't food allergies! That can be a real pain to figure out. My brother has a dog that for years couldn't tolerate any meat protien in his diet except pork, plus no wheat. he would get hives and skin would get dark pink. Check your dog for pea sized or smaller raised bumps, and also itchy swollen feet can be a sign, too.

She doesn't have any of that, I really hope it's not a food allergy! I'll keep watching her and see if I can see any bugs or anything.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Sorry I haven't been able to post lately. I think about it constantly, but just so busy! This month has been crazy with me finishing the semester at school (another 4.0 semester), been working for a friend a few towns over, worked our local fair, and my boyfriend got a "new job" working for the same people he worked with when he was 16, now he is running their business for them, and as such, has been out of town, and now there is more workload for me to do here by myself at the farm and household. PHEW! I need a vacation! LOL!

Well, the animals are all doing really good.

I really like the way my youngest two baby doe goaties are turning out. They have a different daddy than the first ones and they have a lot wider hips and are much stockier overall, which is the look I prefer.

The baby boy goats are doing really well, still sweet and friendly and growing so fast! I have three and plan on keeping two. I was going to sell the third one, but I actually tasted goat over at a friends house and it was SO good now I am thinking I want to eat him. LOL. Like there won't be enough boys for that next year. I may just put him up on Craigslist and if no one wants him, then off to the processors!

The other older girl babies are doing really well, growing fast and very elegant and pretty with very shiny coats. They are still on the Lambar but are losing interest in it, so this will probably be the week where I wean them completely. They are 18 weeks old now.

The milkers are all doing really good, except haven't been giving me much milk the last few days. I think maybe because it has been SO hot. Yesterday I started giving them electrolyte water along with their regular water. They love it.

AND I added a new milker! So excited, she is so gorgeous, I love her! She just won second place in her age group the the Del Mar fair!!! Here she is; meet Incantation!

Sheep are doing good, babies are growing like weeds. I think I am actually going to sell them though. I like them, but I really LOVE my goats and I can focus on goats and have a free pen if I sell the sheep.

We named our new baby Anatolian LGD Toli. We couldn't think of anything else and the name really fits her. She is doing really good. Not itchy anymore, I think it was just the shampoo causing dry skin. She was underweight at only 9.5 pounds when we got her and last time I weighed her she was over 20 pounds. I need to weigh her again.... later when it cools down. The heat here is unbearable!

And finally that brings us to Diego; what a good good dog he is. He really is. I am not amazed by a lot of things, but this dog is amazing! These last couple weeks he has been barking NON-STOP all night long. I know he is just going through a stage in his development right now, so we have kinda been ignoring it. If I'm up there and he does it continually I'll tell him in a firm voice "enough", but it usually doesn't do any good. So we have been distracting him with bones and letting him out to play with Toli, instead of bark. Well, we added the new milking goat on Thursday and I was really worried about bringing a new goat into his territory. Well, the first thing he did when I put her in the pen was run up to her and started gently licking her face and ears. LOL. She didn't appreciate it very much, but I did. LoL. He is such a good dog. AND on top of this (and it may just be coincidence) since we brought the new goat home he stopped barking all night!!! I actually woke up night before last and went and checked on all the animals because it was TOO quiet. LOL. Everyone was fine and sleeping. It was just odd to not hear him constantly barking, lol. And then last night he was barking up a storm again so I let him out of the goat pasture to run around the property (like I do when I am milking) and then I came back and laid down. Well I heard him chase something through the bushes all the way from the top of our property, down around the side, and out and away from the bottom. I didn't hear a peep from him after that. Have I mentioned he is amazing?!?! I really wish I had two more dogs just like him. I love that dog.

I need to wash the dogs and weigh them and then I'll get updated pics. They grow so fast it's hard to keep up with them!

 

[autumnprairie]

Thanks for the update. I had wondered what you were up too

 

[GLENMAR]

WOW!!! Your new doe is beautiful.

 

[babsbag]

You know you make me a proud Grandma. I am so glad Diego is working out for you. I just heard from someone that took 3 pups; one for them and 2 to train for a big operation in the central valley. The 2 are going to their new home this week and the people tell me that they are just wonderful dogs, learned their jobs without a hitch. As a matter of fact, they didn't want to let them go

I want another pup but not sure I can handle the chicken chasing end of it again. We are still hoping to buy the land next to us and if I add 16 more acres to my goat operation another dog will have to come along. I got so lucky with my two that I am almost afraid to get another as now I have no beginner's luck.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Thanks guys! I my animals.

Babs- I could definitely understand not wanting to let them go, if I had two more Diego's I wouldn't let them go for the world! LOL! I'm hoping Toli will turn out as good as him. She is still too young to tell, but she follows him around like a shadow and I am hoping in time will pick up on his cues.

Speaking of- I let the goats out to free-range the other day and Diego and Toli had a blast running around the hills with them! They didn't leave the herd the whole time except to scout out a bit further around the perimeter and then came back to lay in the shade while keeping a watchful eye over the grazing goats. I can't wait until they are both bigger and older and I can start letting the goats out more, maybe even without me sitting up there with them!

I really almost can't wait to breed the two pups (lol of course I will) but I want two more and they are both so awesome!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I will be back SOON to post updates, promise! Been soooooo busy lately!!!

Cool picture my boyfriend took the other day of me and the free-ranging turkeys. (Ignore my ugly silhouette).

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

We're selling our two young boys we had this year. I bought a nice *B buck and have been kinda sorta looking for a buddy for him for after the two baby boys are gone. And well, the lady I had taken my girls to to breed last year has a buck that I just fell in love with, I had planned on bringing some girls back to her this year for breeding to this buck and she emailed me 2 days ago and is offering him for sale!!! YAY! It would have costed me half of his buying price just in stud fees, not even including boarding, so I am SOOOOOOO happy to be able to add this AMAZING buck to my herd. Put the deposit on him and will go get him in a week or so...... YAY!!!!!!!!!

Pics coming soon!!!!

I can't tell you how happy I am to have this buck added to my herd!!!



I found a picture of him as a baby: of course he is a year and a half now so I will need to get pics asap!!! He topped 200 pounds at a year old!!!

 

[jodief100]

 

[autumnprairie]

He is beautiful