The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: ballingall on February 04, 2011, 11:00:41 pm
-
So, what's everyone up to with their goats?
Beth
-
I am just about to worm them all, and de louse them too - well, I will be supervising I suppose, as I do not want my poorly finger getting knocked by some unruly goat!
Also got to help hubby to put an extension on the pygmy goat shed, ready for when the girls kid ....getting urgent that job as they are in with billy still.
Not enough hours in the day sometimes!
-
I have Boer, Boer Xs and GG's. First 2 Boer goats due to kid any time from tomorrow onwards so will be moving them in today. Dates are not as accurate as I wanted as they got multiple marks on their rumps from the billy but earliest would be tomorrow.
Have had issues with lice - so will also be applying more louse powder too.
-
D'ya know I am really quite tempted by Boer goats. Oh for a few more acres. Do let us see some pictures of the kids when they arrive cuckoo.
Beth
-
well nothing much... my little herd is still little! only 2 goatlings :love: but i am hoping for a call soon with my special order :goat:, although I suspect March time though to be realisitic :) meanwhile I am just keeping the girls happy, getting them turned out as much as possible & giving them plently handling & TLC (as usual)
-
2nd lot of heptavacP due (on hubbys birthday hehe, only way I could remember it), feet need doing today, going to check for lice (might as well do the children same time as we seem to be getting lots of louse letters from school ;D )
still on the lookout for a milking goat (friendly Cross-breed would be perfect) so that I can have milk again for the family and my mini-soap-empire!
-
Yes we have been getting knits letters from school too - was just saying to OH just put some spot-on on the girls, it'll do the job!!!!
Plumseverywhere - I do know someone (but ....in Northumberland) who will be selling one of her (I think) SaanenXGG's milkers this spring, all her goats are very calm and well behaved. But that may be too far from you, and I am not sure about her timescale. Would you be interested?
Other than that, feeding the two older ones up - 4 and 5 weeks to kidding, and BT girl is looking big!!!!, the goatling is not until into April. Lambivac booster due soon, still no goat coats made..., getting all annoyed at 13 day standstill rules, I will only make it to three shows again this year...., probably getting my wether kid into the freezer soon (sorry, don't really have the space to keep him), hoping for no more snow... my (human) girls are trying to find as many (girl)names with letter B as that's this years letter for any kids...
oh, and not goat related, i will need to get rid of some hens, we are getting about 24 eggs a day atm, they are sold, but not collected yet....
-
I think that might be a bit too far, Anke, but thank you :)
-
our first kid was born yesterday, so cute. a nanny too so definitely a keeper. shes had trouble finding the teat so im not sure if she has been suckling except when we have literally put the teat in her mouth. shes had her colostrum as i helped her all last night. i gave her a bottle and she drank 2oz so im thinking shes not feeding without assistance. her mum is being very good and standing still fine, but the kids is getting confused with her mums long hair then giving up. we were thinking about handraising her to make her ultra-tame anyway. shes still in stable with her mum and they sit close together and have bonded, just not getting the feed inside her. shes alot stronger after her bottle.
will post photos later
very cute tho!! 1st baby of the year for us!
-
Nanny a GG? Mine have a long coat, but I didn't find that the kid had any difficulty finding the teat. However, if you want some milk for yourself as well, definitley go for bottle. You could always have the kid in next door pen (OH built a division, like a creep pen for piggies, in nanny's pen last year, worked a treat), then after a few weeks they can go out together.
My GG nanny and her daughter (now a goatling in kid herself) always sleep close to each other, my BT type girl and her two kids always stayed at opposite ends of the pen...
-
hey, congratu;ations princesspiggy, and to your goat of course!
:)
-
I'm much like mayes post, only two in my herd, no babies due this year,still milking one who had a kid last year (before we bought them) and the youngster still too young.
Sent OH and son out at the weekend to take all the deep litter from before the first snow! out of their house and burn it, wormed end of Jan, now it's starting to get warm enough to just spend more time out there with them and enjoy Freya's milk, cheese and yogurt.
These are my first goats and really love them, and thoroughly enjoy reading about everyone else's
:)
-
Nanny a GG?
they are bagots, she wasnt born weak but was getting more and more tired and couldnt stand long enough suckle/search and was sat down sucking the straw instead bless her.
we assisted her all through the night but even then we had to put the teat in her mouth cos she was sucking the nannys hair instead. the nanny was really well behaved too, had milk and stood with her legs apart etc even though its her first kid.
we got some lamlac in the morning and she must have had 2 oz straight away so obviously not managing to get enough on her own. todays a different story, shes suckling well and not needing any extra. her mum is very happy and not threatened by us at all, its lovely to see cos these are our first newborn goats wev ever had.
she kidded early evening and we saw her about 30 mins after she was born, im so glad we didnt miss it cos im not sure she would have made it through the night without help. how long would a newborn last without a feed?
-
Well done you! She would not have lasted the night! I use a colostrum replacer for the lambs for this situation and stomach-tube them, or you yould also take some colostrum/milk from the ewe/nanny and use that. If you have sheep farmers nearby, they would possible give you a little of the artificial stuff if you only need it for the goats. Quite expensive and only lasts a couple of years.
Something else to try would be Thermovite (Tithebarn), which comes unfortunatley only in quite large quantities again (google it). Good stuff, has brought a few lambs of mine through this.
Hope she is now ok, and you can get some sleep!
Anke
-
the new kid is doing great now, mother is feeding her really well and she needs no extra. they are well bonded now but the nanny still lets us handle the kid. had a bit of trouble with fotos but there are some on my website. shes unbelievably cute!! but im very biased!
just watching for bellini to show signs of labour, but nothing yet :love: :goat: :love:
-
Meet Abrakadazzle. shes fed by her mum completely but still comes inside everyday, im so hoping she will be tame when shes older, so is being mollicoddled and is happy to sit and watch Coronation street on our knees!! Her mums very good at letting us take her too. Still no sign of any kids from Bellini, but she has got a big belly.